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My sisters and Althea were clapping. Nick looked totally confused. As I passed, he said, ‘Julesy. Come on. We have a baby together.’

I said, ‘Sorry about all this, Nick. I just go with my heart.’

As we reached the doorway, I felt a thousand eyes on my back.

I whispered to Alex, ‘The village won’t shut up about this. We’ll be gossiped about for the next year.’

Alex said, ‘So let’s give them something to gossip about.’

He kissed me in the doorway under the mistletoe. Right in front of everyone.

Then I was laughing so much we had to break apart.

Alex said, ‘Right. Let’s go.’

I said, ‘Where?’

He said, ‘Back to Great Oakley.’

‘You do realise you just gave your car away,’ I reminded him.

Alex said, ‘You’re the public transport expert. What do you recommend?’

We took a hotel limo in the end. Back to Alex’s house. And by house, I mean the Dalton country estate.

Usually I would have been dizzy just being inside a big mansion house with marble floors, but everything was so unreal I just took it in my stride.

I do remember asking if high heels would mark the marble. And if a chandelier that size was really safe hanging from the ceiling.

I asked Alex why he hadn’t called for so long. And why he’d had the sudden change of heart.

Alex said, ‘Your sister spoke to me. At the auction. About Nicholas Spencer.’

I said, ‘Which sister?’

He said, ‘Brandi. She explained about Nick. In a way only she could.’ That little half-smile of his. ‘I’ve been jealous. Ridiculously jealous. I couldn’t stand the pain of getting too close and having you snatched away.’

Somehow we ended up in Alex’s bedroom.

I said something like ‘Am I dreaming?’ or something tacky like that.

I remember Alex saying, ‘You’re not. Maybe I am.’

I just could not BELIEVE this was really happening.

Alex SO knew what he was doing.

And it wasn’t only physical stuff (although there was a LOT of that). We talked and talked and talked.

About growing up in Great Oakley. About Alex’s family. About mine. Stuff we liked, stuff we didn’t …

I wanted to know everything about him. Every detail. And he wanted to know everything about me too.

It was five in the morning before we fell asleep. And then Alex woke me at six.

He said, ‘I’m taking you home to see Daisy.’ He looked at me for a moment, then he said, ‘Juliette? I’ve loved you for a long time. Do you know that?’

I suddenly got very awake and said, ‘You love me?’