Her dress was simple. When Mona had suggested ‘chartreuse’ Elle had resisted emphatically. The very word sounded awful. But Mona had been right; the smoky green went perfectly with Elle’s pale skin and vivid hair. The light material skimmed her body, the design round-necked with wide shoulder straps, and an open back. She didn’t have to worry about it once she had it on. It made her feel confident without being fussy.

She piled her hair up on top of her head, a kind of graceful mess. She added a pair of amber earrings and that was it. A flick of mascara, a little concealer, some red lipstick and she was done. She almost wished that she was the kind of person who took hours over her appearance so that she would have something to do.

All that was left now was to wait.

Soon, people would start arriving and the night would take care of itself. She would be carried away with each stage of the event, unable to stop and think about anything until the next morning. She pushed away the thought of Doug Grant’s potential buyer turning up with the estate agent on Tuesday. That could not be dealt with now.

Celeste and Rob were coming tonight, she knew. It would be the first time she would see them in public as a couple. That was something else she would have to get used to. If things worked out and she stayed in Mulberry Bay (though she hardly dared hope for that), then she would see them together all the time. She had to steel herself against it. When she had talked to Penny about regret, she was talking about the way she felt about Rob. What she felt now was so much stronger than feeling foolish, or humiliated. It was like being shipwrecked, and watching your last chance of salvation float away. She didn’t want to see that happen to Penny.

Elle sat by her window until she saw the lights of the first car pull up to the hotel. The night had begun.

Chapter 33

From the very beginning, it was a night to remember. The hotel was lit up like a beacon, a signal to everyone that it was the only place to be in Mulberry Bay on that evening. Guests streamed across the lawn and up the stone steps to the hotel in a kaleidoscope of colour.

It was as though a large flock of exotic birds had landed on the grass, so loud was the excitement. There was a slight tension palpable in the air: everyone knew this was an important night. For the hotel, but also for the community. When was the last time so many from the town had joined together in pure celebration?