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He was s more His shoulders didn’t see he’d never shouted, never been i cloud his eyes before it was pushed away again Even Frank had coes in the last few days

She nudged Finlay back ‘Just wait until next year I’ll pick a whole new colour scheht bulbs!’ She’d been so happy, so excited that things had worked out she’d actually winked at him

Winked All she could do right noas cringe

But the wink hadn’t scared him off Every time she’d turned around in the last two days, Finlay had been there—asking her about son work sheher to sit down and chat

They’d had another lunch together Around four coffees And a ht

She’d even found herself telling him about the Elizabethan-style chairs she’d found in a junk shop and spent weeks re-covering and re-staining on her own

Last night she hadn’t slept a wink Her brain had been trying to work out what on earth was going on between the? Had it really been that long since she’d dated that she couldn’t work out the signals any more?

‘Ta-da!’

Mrs Archer brought her back to the present day by swinging open a cupboard door and revealing what lay behind it

Wow

It glith silver evening gown in heavy-duty satin with a bodice and wide straps glittering with sequins Around the top of the coat hanger was a fur wrap She was almost scared to touch it

‘Don’t worry,’ said Alice Archer ‘It’s not real fur But it probably cost ten times as much as it should’

Grace’s heart was pounding in her chest She’d forgotten Alice had offered to find her soiven her that exorbitant cheque the other day she’d alrandmother had died

Her grandrandfather had had small pensions that had contributed to the upkeep of the flat Keeping up with bills was tough on her own There was no room for any extras—any party dresses She’d actually planned on going to some of the charity shops around Chelsea later to see if she could find anything to wear tonight