What was Harrison playing at? Drinks on Christmas Eve? Juliet kicked up piles of snow as she trudged back to the cottage. And Dan was right. Why didn't Harrison come over and invite her and Dan face-to-face? Especially as he'd told Paula he was looking for her. And why had he been looking for her? She picked up speed. What had he said to her mum? She ran to the cottage and dashed inside, the smell of roast beef wafting towards her nose.

'There you are, sweetheart,' Rosa said, as Juliet burst into the kitchen. 'Harrison was here about thirty minutes ago. He's invited us to drinks tomorrow night.'

'So I heard. Did he say anything else?'

Bernard glanced up from his newspaper. 'Like what, sweetheart?'

'I don't know. But he came into the pub and Paula said he was looking for me. Did he ask you where I was?'

'Yeah', said Zoe, pointing at her magazine. 'What d'you think of this dress? It's incredibly expensive, but Luke did say I can spend as much as I like, and he'll pay. Or Harrison will. I forget which. Anyway, the point is money isn't an issue. And don't get all defensive, Dad. Luke and I agreed that we would pay for our own wedding. They cost an arm and a leg these days and neither of us want you and Mum using your savings to pay for one day.'

Rosa tutted. 'What do you think our savings are for, sweetheart?'

'I know what they should be for. They should be for you and Dad to go on a cruise or something. Neither of you has had a holiday in years.'

'We've had lots of holidays,' Bernard protested.

'Yeah. In England. I'm talking about you two going abroad. I know Juliet feels the same. Don't you, sis?'

'Yes I do. And if I ever get married, which frankly isn't going to happen. I'll be paying for my own wedding too. The dress is gorgeous, Zoe. But what else did Harrison say?'

'Nothing.' Zoe held the magazine up and showed the image to Rosa and Bernard, who both agreed it was beautiful. 'He invited us to drinks, from seven until nine tomorrow, and asked if you were around. I told him you were at the pub. And off he went. I'm going to go to London after Christmas and see if they've got this in my size. It might even be in the January sales. We should make a day of it, Mum. You, me and Juliet. You can come too, Dad.'

Bernard smiled. 'Thank you, sweetheart. But I think wedding dress shopping is best left to those who understand such things. And what I know about wedding dresses, you could fit on a postage stamp, and still have room to spare.'

'Did he say why he was looking for me?' Juliet persisted.

'Who?' Zoe glanced at her.

'Harrison!'

'No. What colour bridesmaid's dress do you fancy? Pink, I suppose. It's always been your favourite colour. A soft, baby pink might be quite nice. What do you think, Mum?'

'I think it will be lovely, sweetheart. But could we clear the table for lunch, please. Everything's ready, and now that Juliet's home, we can eat.'

'It smells delicious,' Bernard said. 'Are there Yorkshire puddings?'

'I always make Yorkshire puddings with roast beef, darling. Why would today be any different?'

'Or maybe a pale lilac,' Zoe said, moving her magazine from the table and throwing it onto one of the worktops.

'Pour the wine would you, darling?' Rosa said, dishing up the dinner onto the warm plates she had taken from the oven.

'So let me get this straight,' Juliet said, taking off her coat and hanging it up by the door. 'Harrison came here, invited us all to drinks, asked where I was, but didn't say why he wanted to know, and when you told him I was in the pub, he left.'

'Yes, sweetheart,' Rosa said, tossing a piece of beef to Cinnamon, who was sprawled in front of the Aga.

'Why are you still going on about Harrison?' Zoe asked. 'Didn't he see you in the pub?'

'Oh, he saw me. If looks could kill I'd be back at the bottom of the lake. He took one look at me and Dan, turned around, and marched out.'

The room fell silent as her family looked at one another and then at her.

'You and Dan?' Zoe said. 'What were you and Dan doing when he looked at you?'

'Nothing. We were hugging one another and I was telling him how happy I was that he's told his family that he's gay, and in love.'

'Dan's gay?' Bernard said, twisting the lid off a jar of mustard. 'Since when?'

'Since forever,' Juliet said, stepping over Cinnamon and taking a seat.

'I thought he was.' Rosa put the plates on the table and nodded. 'And that explains why he never asked you out.'

'He didn't have to be gay to not ask her out, Mum,' Zoe said. 'He simply might not have fancied her.'

'Yes. But he's always calling her darling and it seems as if he can never keep his hands off her. I always thought it was odd to be so openly and affectionately demonstrative, and yet not to ask her on a date.'

'I see,' said Zoe. 'That makes sense.'

'Perhaps Harrison thought the same,' Bernard said. 'Not wondering why Dan hasn't asked you out, I don't mean. But perhaps he thinks Dan has. Maybe he thinks you and Dan are a couple. Here, sweetheart. Have a glass of wine.'

'Why on earth would he think that?' Juliet asked, taking the glass her dad handed her.

'Oh,' said Zoe. 'That explains a lot. You're right, Dad. That is probably precisely what Harrison thinks. He thinks you're dating Dan. That's why he was cross when he saw you in the pub.'

'Why would Harrison care who I'm dating?'

Again, all three of them looked at her.

'Isn't it obvious, sweetheart?' Rosa said. 'The man is clearly in love with you.'

Juliet's glass slid from her hand, but thankfully it didn't smash. It merely fell on its side and red wine spilt across the table, trickling onto the floor, where Cinnamon eagerly lapped it up.

'Oh God. I'm sorry.' She jumped up, grabbed some kitchen towel and mopped it up from the table. 'But he's not in love with me. He's in love with Kiki.'

Zoe, who had leapt out of the way of the wine-spill, laughed. 'Don't be ridiculous, sis. He's not in love with Kiki. I know she fancies him, but I can assure you it's not reciprocated.'

Bernard wiped some splashes of wine from his Christmas jumper with his handkerchief. 'If anyone's in love with Kiki, I'd say it was old Rufus. Did you see the way he was ogling her last night? And his eyes were following her every move as if they were attached by magnets.'

'Ew,' said Zoe. 'That's creepy.'

'I'm not sure Rufus is capable of love,' Rosa said. 'Although I suppose he must have been once. He did have a son, after all.'

'He didn't have to be in love to have a son,' Zoe said. 'But he was married at the time so let's hope, for his wife's sake, he was.'

'Forget about Rufus.' Juliet sat down again and Bernard refilled her glass. 'The only person I'm interested in is Harrison.'

'We know that, sweetheart.' Bernard put the bottle on the table and patted her hand. 'And as your mother says, Harrison is clearly interested in you.'

'He's not. He can't be. He would've said something if he was. Wouldn't he?'

Zoe sighed. 'You may be my older sister, but you've got a lot to learn about love. Now for heaven's sake, can we eat, please? I've got a pile of bridal magazines to get through, and we've still got all the mince pies to bake, the Christmas cake to ice, presents to wrap, and a whole list of other stuff to do between now and tomorrow night. I've also got to find another dress to wear. I can't wear the same dress I wore to dinner, to the Christmas Eve drinks at The Grange.'

'Oh hell,' said Juliet. 'So have I. But I'm not sure I can afford one.'

'No need to worry about that, sweetheart,' Rosa said, passing around the gravy boat. 'If we don't have to pay for Zoe's wedding, and possibly not for yours, we can dig into our savings and buy you and Zoe something wonderful to wear tomorrow night. I may even buy something lovely for myself.'

Bernard smiled lovingly at his wife. 'Yes, darling. You too shall have a new dress to go to the ball.'

'Oh God. It's not a ball, is it?' Juliet shrieked.

'No, sweetheart. That was merely a figure of speech.'

'Thank heavens for that. Drinks with Harrison, I can probably cope with. Having to dance with him, or worse still, having to watch him spend all night dancing with other people, I definitely couldn't handle.'

'Even now you know he loves you?' Zoe asked, grinning.

'He doesn't love me, Zoe. I don't know why you all think he does, but I can assure you he does not.'

'Let's wait until tomorrow night and see,' Zoe replied.

Without thinking, Juliet glanced up at the kitchen clock. There were only twenty-nine hours, thirty-five minutes and ten seconds until seven o'clock tomorrow night.

Not that she was counting.