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‘What are you doing today? Lunch or afternoon tea?’

Alice patted her hand ‘Thank you, Grace It’s Thursday So it’s afternoon tea at the Ritz I’ed Grace ‘He proposed to me once, you know’

Grace looked up ‘He did? Now that sounds interesting Why didn’t you marry him?’

Alice let out a laugh ‘Harry? Not a chance Harry was a cad A man about town He would have broken my heart So I had to break his first’

Grace blinked It was the throay that she said it There was a trace of so else behind those carefully ret her choice?

She hoped not A uy that Grace was looking for She’d never want a relationship with a less She’d suffered rejection enough It was prettyin the world to be abandoned by your mother; hers had moved to another continent, married another man and created the fae pregnancy she’d ended up with

Grace had always been determined that would never be her She wasn’t prepared to hand her heart over to anyone Least of all a : the knight on the white horse, the total commitment and someone with eyes only for her

Hence the reason she was still on her own

She rested back on her heels and looked up at Alice ‘Well, I’m sure that you couldn’t have broken his heart tooyou’

Alice sighed and leaned back in her chair ‘Or maybe we’re the only ones left,’ she said wistfully Grace reached up and put her hand over Alice’s frail one, giving it a gentle squeeze ‘I bet he’ll be delighted to see you’

After a second Alice seehts ‘What do you have planned? Tell me you’ve finally decided it’s ti you out’

Grace felt her cheeks flush Alice’s favourite hobby see man She wasn’t quite sure any of the men that had asked her out recently would be Alice’s definition of suitable though Lenny, the biker, had been looking for soht solve his problems Alan, the banker, had earned another nickname in her head—as soon as darkness had surrounded thee hadand make him dinner And Nathan? He’d seely polite But when he’d leaned in for that first kiss they’d both realised there was absolutely no spark