Heather never trusted herself after a couple of drinks; she relaxed a little too much. All the bad decisions she’d made in her life, all the ones she regretted, had happened after a couple of drinks. Today she wanted to be on her best behaviour. After all, she knew how she must look to Stephen’s daughters. A new, younger girlfriend. They’d assume she was a gold-digger or someone with daddy issues. She’d suggested they wait another six months or more before she met the girls, but Stephen had insisted. She envied his certainty that they would love her. It was yet another thing that she wasn’t sure of.

Three sets of eyes were staring at her. She had, she realised, made a faux pas. Heather had spent enough time in the middle-class world to know the rules, even if she didn’t understand them. Champagne was a team sport. When it was suggested, regardless of the time, date or occasion, the correct response was to squeal and clap. If someone didn’t want to partake, the wind was taken out of everyone’s sails.

‘Just one glass,’ Stephen cajoled. ‘It’s a special occasion.’

‘All right,’ she said. ‘You’ve twisted my arm.’

‘So,’ Tully said, the second their glasses were full, ‘what’s this announcement?’

‘Tully has always been like this,’ Stephen told Heather. ‘When she was little, she was the one up at dawn, desperate to open her Christmas presents, while Rachel was still fast asleep.’

‘Dad!’

‘Fine.’ Stephen smiled, reaching for Heather’s hand. ‘I’m very excited to tell you that Heather and I have decided to get married!’

Heather hardly dared to look at Rachel or Tully. Unlike Stephen, who seemed utterly certain that his daughters would be delighted for them, Heather knew how this was going to land. No matter how polite this family was, no matter how hard they slapped on the strained smiles, this was not going to be good news for them.

‘Well,’ Rachel said. ‘Well, that’s . . . wow, that’s really . . .’

Tully didn’t even attempt to hide her horror. ‘You can’t get married. You’re already married to Mum!’

Stephen’s smile dimmed only the slightest bit. ‘Straight into the logistics, that’s my Tully-girl.’ He laughed. ‘I’ll admit, there are some things that need to be worked out. And I’ll include you both every step of the way. But the main thing is . . . Heather and I have decided we want to spend our lives together.’

‘Include us every step of the way with what?’ Tully demanded.

Heather picked up her drink and took a large sip. She felt a whisper of irritation at Stephen. Why had he been so determined to announce it now? They should have taken it slower. Met the girls a few times first, then announced the engagement down the track. She hadn’t even worn her engagement ring. She was delighted about the engagement – ecstatic, even! – but sometimes even the most charming of men were hopeless when it came to reading a room.