Darcy glances down at her ring. She feels like she’s staring at somebody else’s hand. ‘I got engaged on the weekend.’

Bonnie’s face softens. ‘Oh, wow, congratulations.’

‘Thank you.’ Darcy toys with the ring. It still feels unfamiliar against her skin.

‘You can smile,’ Bonnie says. ‘Just because I’m on this show doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for other people.’

Darcy wants to shake herself. She’s working with a house full of women desperate to have what she has with Drew. She should count herself lucky. ‘I think I’m still getting used to it.’

‘How long have you guys been together?’

‘Ten years.’

Bonnie laughs lightly and jokes, ‘So it was a surprise then?’

‘Actually, yes.’ Over a year ago she’d wanted nothing more than to be engaged. Back then it would have felt like a natural progression. But then they had the fight. He felt buying property was more important than getting engaged. If she was being completely honest with herself, things between them changed after that. He’d drawn a line in the sand. Darcy wishes she knew what had made him change his mind about proposing. ‘I thought I’d know when he was about to propose, but I didn’t. I had no idea.’

‘That’s impressive after ten years.’ Bonnie’s full of admiration. ‘He must have gone to some effort to get you off the scent?’

Darcy isn’t about to admit that she doesn’t know whether it’s effort or whether it’s that they haven’t had much of a connection lately. ‘A total surprise.’ Darcy finds herself hoping that Bonnie won’t ask how he proposed.

‘So, you’ve been together since high school?’

Darcy nods. ‘We got together in year ten.’

‘Wow, high school sweethearts,’ Bonnie says a little wistfully, her hands twisting in her lap. ‘Mine recently just came back into my life.’

‘Really?’ Darcy’s surprised Bonnie is admitting this to her.

Bonnie nods. ‘He moved back to town.’

Darcy feels herself sit a little straighter, her producer ears hearing warning bells.

Bonnie seems to gauge Darcy’s reaction. ‘Oh, you don’t need to worry. He’s engaged and she’s pregnant.’

Darcy doesn’t know whether or not to believe that there’s nothing to worry about. There’s a certain look on Bonnie’s face that Darcy hasn’t seen up until now and for some reason it unsettles her.

‘So, was it weird seeing him?’ Darcy fishes, hoping Bonnie will give her an answer to shut down any concerns.

‘Yes and no.’

The way those three little words come out of her mouth doesn’t pacify Darcy’s unease.

‘We went to school with the girl he’s marrying.’ Bonnie shrugs. ‘And to be brutally honest, I find her extremely annoying.’

Darcy can’t help but laugh, immediately thinking of Zoe Eggins. ‘Sounds like a girl I know.’