It was now after ten-thirty on Wednesday night, and having rounded up all their tables and chairs, the bar was looking itself again apart from one glaring absence. The poor old upright piano had finally succumbed to over-enthusiastic playing and woodworm, and had been committed to the flames of one of the many bonfires that had been lit this afternoon.

Ron paid Ruby for the hours she’d put in today, thanking her profusely for coming to help in their time of need, and then gave Brenda a large bonus on top of her wages for being such a brick throughout it all. Having wished them both a goodnight, Rosie locked the door behind them, kicked off her high-heeled shoes and almost fell into Ron’s arms.

‘I don’t know about you, Ron, but I’m dead on my feet. Thank goodness for young Ruby and Brenda. We couldn’t have coped without them.’

‘Aye,’ he rumbled. ‘Ruby was a bit of a revelation, wasn’t she? To be sure she knows her way about a bar – and how to deal with over-amorous drunks.’ He chuckled. ‘Did you see her arm-wrestle that chap out of the door when he tried to get fresh with her?’

Rosie regarded him with a frown. ‘I’m surprised you didn’t know she was working in an East End pub before she came to live at Beach View. And once a girl’s done that, she can handle anything.’

Ron smiled and drew her back into his arms until her head nestled into his shoulder. ‘She’s welcome to work here anytime,’ he said. ‘Ach, Rosie, wee girl, to be sure me feet are sore and me back’s complaining, but it’s been a party to end all parties, and we’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.’

‘It’s probably not over yet,’ she managed through a large yawn. ‘The weekend is still to come.’

‘It’ll calm down after Saturday night, and we can close the pub as usual on Sunday and take the day off. To be sure we’ve earnt the rest, and I feel as if I could sleep for a week.’

She looked up at him with a naughty twinkle in her eyes. ‘We’ll have to see about that,’ she purred. ‘This is supposed to be our honeymoon, you know.’

‘Aye, that it is, and you’ll not be spending it here,’ he replied with an air of mystery.

‘What about the pub? We can’t just lock up and walk away.’