a beautiful thing for you to do. It’s not something I’d ever thought about before.’
‘I’m not that nice. I do charge them,’ she said, embarrassed by the compliment.
‘How is your mother now?’
‘Not great. She lost the use of the left side of her body. She has to be helped to do most things, she had to learn to speak again.’
‘That must have been very difficult for you?’
She smiled sadly. ‘Not as hard as it was for her.’
‘Who helps her?’
‘We have home help for a few hours a day and then … well, me when I get home.’
‘Any brothers or sisters?’
‘Nope.’
‘Dad?’
‘Nope.’
‘That’s a lot of responsibility.’
‘Ah. It is what it is. I love my mum. I’d do anything for her.’
And just when Kitty was about to tell Mary-Rose she was far from boring, her life got much more interesting.
Sam tapped his glass with a spoon and attracted the attention of those at their table along with the few surrounding tables too. The friends at Mary-Rose and Sam’s table looked at each other with big smiles, knowing what was in store.
‘Oh God.’ Mary-Rose shrunk in her chair, her cheeks already pink.
‘What’s happening?’ Kitty asked.
‘You’ll see.’
Sam stood, continued to tap his glass until he had the attention of the entire restaurant. Not sure how to react to this disruption, the manager and the waiters viewed him warily nearby.
‘I’m very sorry to interrupt your evening,’ Sam said politely, as if butter wouldn’t melt. ‘I promise I won’t take up too much of your time but there’s something that I just have to do. There’s somebody important in this room who I’d like to say something special to.’
He cleared his throat and a twitter of excitement gathered in the room. He was no longer annoying anybody; he had their full attention.
Sam ran his eyes over everyone on his table, resting for a moment on Kitty, which got her heart rate up, and then moved on to Mary-Rose, whose face was now puce. He smiled at her lovingly.
‘Josephine Quinn,’ he said softly, and Kitty looked around in confusion. Had she been duped? Was she sitting with the wrong person? How on earth had Mary-Rose suddenly become Josephine?
‘Yes,’ she said softly.
‘You and I have been friends for a long time, you were there for me every day of my life, every single second. I never needed to call for you, you were always there, like a shadow, behind me, following me, stalking me.’
One of his friends snorted and was thumped in the arm by his girlfriend.
‘You have always been there exactly when I need you, ever since …’ his voice cracked and he looked down, and Kitty wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to continue. He looked up again and his eyes shone with tears ‘… ever since I had my operation, you know, Josephine, the operation where I had my—’
‘Yes, yes, I know the one,’ Mary-Rose said hastily.
‘Well,’ he took a deep breath and came around the table to her.
A few women in the restaurant yelped excitedly, Mary-Rose covered her face in her napkin. Her friend beside her pulled her arm down. The chefs came from the kitchen to the door to watch. Everything was still and silent. Sam got down on bended knee and one woman yelped in excitement. The diners and staff all laughed and then a hush resumed. Sam reached for Mary-Rose’s hand and she was forced to face him, removing her hands from her flushed cheeks. She shook her head at him as though she couldn’t believe he was doing this.
‘Josephine Quinn,’ Sam said proudly and clearly, delivering his words to every corner of the room. ‘I have loved you since the very moment I met you and I will love you every day until the day that I die, and beyond.’
Kitty spied a woman wiping her eye with a napkin. She caught another rolling her eyes.
‘Will you do me the honour of being my wife?’
Despite the fact all knew this was coming, there was another rumble of excitement, which again was quickly hushed as all eyes were on Mary-Rose, waiting for her answer.
She looked at Sam, smiled that beautiful perfect smile and said, ‘Yes.’
That was all everybody needed. The room erupted in celebration, the manager was quick to join the table and offer his congratulations, where he announced they would all receive drinks on the house. A friendly man at the table beside them sent a glass of champagne to the bride- and groom-to-be, and Sam, who had previously been sitting at the head of the table, bumped up a friend so that he could sit beside his new fiancée. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned in and covered her face.
‘I’m going to kill you,’ she said so quietly that only Kitty could hear.
‘Just smile and wave,’ Sam said, a grin on his face, and she finally looked up and waved her thanks at the neighbouring tables offering their congratulations.
‘Guys, I don’t mean to rain on your parade,’ Kitty said finally, ‘but I’m so confused. I thought your name was Mary-Rose Godfrey.’
Sam laughed.
‘Oh, Kitty, I’m so sorry.’ She turned to Kitty and kept her voice down. ‘It is Mary-Rose. Don’t mind him, he’s always doing this.’
‘Always doing what?’
‘Proposing! It’s just this weird thing that he does. It’s not real.’ She became serious. ‘You do know it wasn’t real?’
Kitty’s mouth dropped.
Sam howled.
‘But it was so beautiful,’ Kitty said, disappointed.
‘You see?’ Sam exclaimed, looking at Mary-Rose. ‘Other people find it touching.’
‘Then do it to someone else for a change.’
‘It’s more fun with you, sweetheart.’ He squeezed her even tighter and she scowled. ‘My little shnookums here doesn’t always appreciate it.’
Kitty looked from one to the other. ‘So you just randomly propose to people when you’re out.’
‘Not just people. Just Mary-Rose. I know she secretly likes it.’
‘I hate it.’
‘She doesn’t always know
