Rosie had no time to enjoy the new look of the cafe. Since she’d arrived that morning, a bit tired but with a spring in her step nonetheless, she’d been rushed off her feet.
“Two Tuscan chicken sandwiches for table three,” she said to Gina. “Probably the last order for lunch.”
“Coming right up, boss.” Gina winked at her. Not only was she a fabulous chef, but she was able to keep her cool during busy times. Rosie hoped she’d be able to remain in Otter Bay. Working alongside Gina almost every day had made her part of Rosie’s very small family.
Rosie took a minute to catch her breath. All but one of the tables she and Charlie had up-cycled were full. Why had she not seen this? That with a little TLC this place could reach its full potential. It had a great location on Otter Bay’s high street and, Rosie thought — a smile spreading on her lips — very friendly service. Maybe she’d no longer been willing to see Mark & Maude’s potential.
“What are you grinning about?” Paige asked, bumping her shoulder into Rosie’s. Now that Mark & Maude’s had been done up, her sister often ate lunch there before going back to school.
“This place,” Rosie replied.
“Are you sure that’s all it is?” Paige scanned her face. “Because your bed wasn’t slept in last night.” Paige shot her a toothy grin.
A flush crept up Rosie’s cheeks.
“Excuse me.” A customer at a table by the window waved at Rosie.
“Sorry, sis. Duty calls.” Rosie hurried to the customer, hoping her flush would die down soon. She pushed the insistent memories of last night to the side.
When she reached the table, something scurrying past the window caught her eye. A Jack Russell.
“Biscuit,” Amy’s voice rang.
Rosie turned her attention to the customer, fervently hoping Amy wouldn’t come in.
No such luck.
The customer had just asked for the bill when the door of the cafe swung open. Amy fixed her gaze on Rosie. “I need to speak to you. Urgently,” she said, sounding out of breath, like she’d been running.
“Not now, Amy. I’m a little busy.” Rosie suppressed the triumphant smile she wanted to give Amy. She looked a bit distressed.
Rosie headed for the till and printed the customer’s bill.
“I’m serious, Rosie. It’s important.” Biscuit yapped at their feet.
“Table three’s ready,” Gina said from the kitchen.
Rosie stepped into the kitchen to pick up the plates. Amy followed her inside, blocking the doorway. The nerve of the woman.
“Can I get by, please?” Rosie squared her shoulders.
Amy shook her head. “You’re not going to believe who I just saw near the manor house.” She paused. “Princess Alexandra.” She brought her hands to her sides. “And guess who she was chatting to?” Amy pursed her lips. “Your new girlfriend Charlie. Or should I call her by her real name: Princess Olivia.”
“W-what are you talking about?” A cold fist gripped around Rosie’s heart. Her hands started trembling and she put the two plates down. Rosie inhaled deeply. “If this is another one of your schemes to get me back, you’re pushing things way too far.”
“This isn’t about me, Rosie. Or about us.” Amy found her gaze and held it. “It’s about you being lied to. As I live and breathe, Charlie is Princess Olivia. Can’t you see that? Why else would Princess Alexandra be there? And why else would she be staying at the manor house?”
“You’re full of shit, as usual,” Rosie said, her voice breaking. “Trying to stir things up between Charlie and me because you’re jealous.”
Behind Rosie, Gina cleared her throat. “I’ll take these to table three,” she said. She left the kitchen and closed the door behind her.
“Come on, Rosie,” Amy said. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. You know how I feel about you.”
“Just… get out.” Rosie’s voice had shot up. “You’re the one who’s hurting me with your stupid lies.” Rosie couldn’t bear to look at Amy’s smug face any longer. “Leave.”
“Fine,” Amy said. “But please know I’m here if you need to talk.” She had the audacity to touch her palm to Rosie’s arm.
Rosie shrugged Amy off of her. How had she ever been able to enjoy this woman’s touch?
Amy shot her one last look, then turned on her heel and left the kitchen.
Rosie steadied herself against the counter. Amy’s words swirled through her mind. She took a breath to collect her thoughts. The name lighting up on Charlie’s phone screen this morning. Alex. Could that really have been Princess Alexandra?
It couldn’t possibly be because that would mean that Charlie had lied to her all this time. They’d slept together. Charlie would never make such a fool out of Rosie. It was impossible. Yet, the seed of doubt had been planted.
“Are you okay?” Paige appeared in the doorway. “Amy’s gone, by the way.”
Rosie looked at her sister. “She came to tell me she’s convinced Charlie is Princess Olivia.”
Paige’s eyes grew to the size of saucers. “You’re joking.”
“I don’t know.” A whoosh of air flooded out of Rosie. “I’m not sure what to think. Amy’s willing to stoop very low to get me back, but she’s not stupid. She wouldn’t just say something like that. She claims to have spotted Princess Alexandra, talking to Charlie.”
“But Princess Olivia is engaged to…” Paige scratched her hair. “Jemima Bradbury.”
“What did you say? Who’s she engaged to?” Rosie leaned her full weight against the counter.
“Jemima Bradbury. Some posh chick with a pedigree.”
Rosie racked her brain. Where had she seen the name Jemima. Probably in the newspaper if she was, indeed, Princess Olivia’s fiancée. But no, that wasn’t it. The name ‘Jem’ had lit up on Charlie’s phone when she’d been showing her the over-priced crockery for the cafe — was it short for Jemima?
“Shit.” Rosie looked at her sister. “I think Amy’s telling the truth.” The cold fist that had wrapped itself around her heart was squeezing tightly now. Rosie had been lied to. For three weeks Charlie had been pretending to be someone else.
“Do you have your phone on you?” Rosie asked.
Paige nodded and fished it out of her pocket.
“Can you google an image of Princess Olivia?”
Paige nodded and started tapping.
If this was really true, how could Rosie not have seen this?
“Here.” Paige handed her the phone.
Rosie peered at the screen. There was no doubt. Take away Charlie’s thick-rimmed glasses and imagine her with longer, blown-out hair, and there she was. Staring back at Rosie from her official engagement portrait. Rosie would recognise those eyes anywhere after peering into them so deeply last night. That curly hair she’d gripped between her fingers when she came was nowhere to be seen. That smile — although in the picture it was merely a hint of how Charlie had smiled at her when they’d said goodbye this morning.
“It’s her.” Rosie gave the phone back to her sister. She threw her head back and took a deep breath. No wonder Charlie had to go back to London today. She was getting married soon.
If she followed the logic of her brain, Rosie had to believe it. That was Charlie in the picture she’d just seen. It had been Princess Alexandra calling her younger sister Princess Olivia on the phone she’d carried up the stairs of the manor house this morning. But her heart refused to believe Charlie was capable of such deception.
Rosie had only to cast a glance at the cafe to remember Charlie’s kindness. At Gina, who was feverishly ringing up bills for customers as Rosie stood nailed to the ground, staring at her sister. She only had to think of last night to be utterly convinced of Charlie’s good heart. Yet, good heart or not, Charlie had lied straight to her face.
Paige walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure?”
“Look at the picture and tell me that’s not Charlie.” Rosie desperately glanced at her sister, hoping that, if she looked at Princess Olivia’s picture, she could miraculously unearth some evidence of her not being Charlie. Of her not being engaged to be married. Because that was what stung most of all. Charlie — Princess Olivia — was not a single woman looking for some peace and quiet in the Cornish countryside and making a silly local fall in love with her in the process. She was in a relationship. She was bloody well engaged. So much for Jemima being her ex. She’d not only deceived Charlie, but her fiancée as well.
“It’s her,” Paige said. “No doubt.” She patted Rosie on the shoulder. “We’ve all been bamboozled.”
Gina entered the kitchen. “Rosie, there’s someone here to see you.”
She moved away from the doorway, revealing Charlie standing behind her.
At the sight of her, a tear welled up in the corner of Rosie’s eye. She blinked it away. She wasn’t going to cry in front of this woman who had so cold-heartedly lied to her about who she was. Who had changed the subject whenever her family came up and was mysterious about her job. It all made perfect sense now. And Rosie had been enough of an idiot to fall for it.
“Do you want me to stay?” Paige asked.
“It’s fine.” Rosie barely managed to get the words past her lips. Her throat was too constricted with grief — and anger.
Paige left them alone and Rosie stood face to face with the woman she’d laid her heart bare to. She had told Charlie about her parents, about what she wanted to do with her life. She’d made love to her. Now none of that meant anything anymore.