on the table.
‘Oh God, I do hope this isn’t going to be horribly formal.’ Alice sighed. ‘I do so hate these all-age dos – I reckon grannies and aunties should stay at home out of
the way and let those of us who know how to really party get on with it!’
‘If it was my party, I’d want all my family to be around,’ Frankie replied. ‘No matter what.’
‘Really? That’s so sweet, especially considering,’ Alice replied.
Frankie felt cold suddenly. ‘Considering what?’
‘I mean, Poppy mentioned that you come from a broken home and that your mother’s had all sorts of problems and your dad’s a total —’
‘Poppy talks too much,’ Frankie replied through clenched teeth.
‘BEFORE SUPPER IS SERVED, SILENCE FOR MR NICHOLAS RUSHWORTH!’
‘Speeches? Now?’ Alice muttered. ‘How boring!’
The MC stepped back as, to a burst of applause, Nick, holding Mia firmly by the hand, stepped onto the podium, stumbled and fell flat on his face.
The MC smiled – he obviously knew Nick well. ‘Drunk already, Mr Rushworth?’ he joked. ‘Never could hold his drink! Up, up up!’
Amid raucous laughter and slow handclaps, Nick staggered to his feet, beaming and apparently taking all the banter in good part. He held up his hand and the room fell silent.
‘Laugh all you like, but I had good cause to be knocked off my feet because, well . . . the thing is – you’ll all be surprised – I was surprised —’
‘Get on with it, mate!’ someone shouted.
Nick turned to Mia who was nodding encouragingly. ‘Half an hour ago I asked Mia to marry me and she said yes! We’re engaged!’
Amid an outburst of cheers, applause, gasps and hugs, Mia flashed a huge diamond ring at the photographer.
‘Engaged?’ Alice gasped. ‘She only looks about eighteen.’
‘She’s twenty-one,’ Frankie said, hardly able to believe what she’d just heard. ‘And they’ve been going out since way before I knew them. Wow!’
‘But to think about getting married . . .’ Alice shook her head.
‘What a waste!’ Henry said, gawping at Mia with a look of disbelief on his face. ‘Why would anyone in their right mind even think about getting married at our age?’ He
turned to Frankie. ‘Getting tied down is so – primitive! At any age, come to think of it. Don’t you agree?’
Frankie was about to reply when Jemma dashed up to her and grabbed her by the arm, a huge smile on her face.
‘I knew he was going to propose to her! I knew all about it but Nick swore me to secrecy. He borrowed my finger last week to get the ring size right! That’s why I tried to stop Dad
going away.’ She glanced at her sister, who was pouting coyly for the camera. ‘Isn’t it so romantic? They’re going to move in together – Nick’s parents are
buying them an apartment in Brighton and —’
‘In Brighton? Their own flat?’ Frankie gasped. ‘Just like that?’
Despite having moved in these circles for three years, there were still times when the way the other half lived took her breath away. She knew the Rushworths were rolling in money and that they
doted on their only son but still – a flat all of their own?
‘Oh come on, everyone knew it would happen sooner or later,’ Jemma said. ‘They’ve been going out for seven years and you know Mia – she always said she
couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. And as for the apartment, it makes sense because Nick’s doing viti . . . viti . . . that studying wine growing thing at Plumpton.’
‘Viticulture,’ Frankie murmured.
‘And when Mia’s finished her event management stuff at Brighton Uni she’s got a placement at the Hotel du Vin,’ Jemma said. ‘Lucky sods.’ For a moment, she
looked downcast. ‘It’s not fair – Mia’s getting married and she’s getting a flat, James gets all his debts paid off just to hush up —’
‘Jemma, this is Alice Crawford, Poppy’s stepsister, and her brother Henry,’ Frankie interrupted hastily, pulling
‘Oh God, I do hope this isn’t going to be horribly formal.’ Alice sighed. ‘I do so hate these all-age dos – I reckon grannies and aunties should stay at home out of
the way and let those of us who know how to really party get on with it!’
‘If it was my party, I’d want all my family to be around,’ Frankie replied. ‘No matter what.’
‘Really? That’s so sweet, especially considering,’ Alice replied.
Frankie felt cold suddenly. ‘Considering what?’
‘I mean, Poppy mentioned that you come from a broken home and that your mother’s had all sorts of problems and your dad’s a total —’
‘Poppy talks too much,’ Frankie replied through clenched teeth.
‘BEFORE SUPPER IS SERVED, SILENCE FOR MR NICHOLAS RUSHWORTH!’
‘Speeches? Now?’ Alice muttered. ‘How boring!’
The MC stepped back as, to a burst of applause, Nick, holding Mia firmly by the hand, stepped onto the podium, stumbled and fell flat on his face.
The MC smiled – he obviously knew Nick well. ‘Drunk already, Mr Rushworth?’ he joked. ‘Never could hold his drink! Up, up up!’
Amid raucous laughter and slow handclaps, Nick staggered to his feet, beaming and apparently taking all the banter in good part. He held up his hand and the room fell silent.
‘Laugh all you like, but I had good cause to be knocked off my feet because, well . . . the thing is – you’ll all be surprised – I was surprised —’
‘Get on with it, mate!’ someone shouted.
Nick turned to Mia who was nodding encouragingly. ‘Half an hour ago I asked Mia to marry me and she said yes! We’re engaged!’
Amid an outburst of cheers, applause, gasps and hugs, Mia flashed a huge diamond ring at the photographer.
‘Engaged?’ Alice gasped. ‘She only looks about eighteen.’
‘She’s twenty-one,’ Frankie said, hardly able to believe what she’d just heard. ‘And they’ve been going out since way before I knew them. Wow!’
‘But to think about getting married . . .’ Alice shook her head.
‘What a waste!’ Henry said, gawping at Mia with a look of disbelief on his face. ‘Why would anyone in their right mind even think about getting married at our age?’ He
turned to Frankie. ‘Getting tied down is so – primitive! At any age, come to think of it. Don’t you agree?’
Frankie was about to reply when Jemma dashed up to her and grabbed her by the arm, a huge smile on her face.
‘I knew he was going to propose to her! I knew all about it but Nick swore me to secrecy. He borrowed my finger last week to get the ring size right! That’s why I tried to stop Dad
going away.’ She glanced at her sister, who was pouting coyly for the camera. ‘Isn’t it so romantic? They’re going to move in together – Nick’s parents are
buying them an apartment in Brighton and —’
‘In Brighton? Their own flat?’ Frankie gasped. ‘Just like that?’
Despite having moved in these circles for three years, there were still times when the way the other half lived took her breath away. She knew the Rushworths were rolling in money and that they
doted on their only son but still – a flat all of their own?
‘Oh come on, everyone knew it would happen sooner or later,’ Jemma said. ‘They’ve been going out for seven years and you know Mia – she always said she
couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. And as for the apartment, it makes sense because Nick’s doing viti . . . viti . . . that studying wine growing thing at Plumpton.’
‘Viticulture,’ Frankie murmured.
‘And when Mia’s finished her event management stuff at Brighton Uni she’s got a placement at the Hotel du Vin,’ Jemma said. ‘Lucky sods.’ For a moment, she
looked downcast. ‘It’s not fair – Mia’s getting married and she’s getting a flat, James gets all his debts paid off just to hush up —’
‘Jemma, this is Alice Crawford, Poppy’s stepsister, and her brother Henry,’ Frankie interrupted hastily, pulling
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