Happily Never After_A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy
Happily Never After
A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy
Emma Robinson
For Dan
Who fixes everything
Also by Emma Robinson
The Undercover Mother
Happily Never After
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
The Undercover Mother
Emma’s Email Sign-Up
Also by Emma Robinson
A Letter from Emma
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Everyone knows that a single woman approaching forty needs a husband.
At least, that’s what Rory’s mother thought.
Sheila hadn’t let up since they’d arrived at the house. ‘It’s time you had someone, Aurora. Belle is growing up and…’
‘Christabel, Mother. She was named after a suffragette, not a Disney princess. That joy was all mine.’ Rory caught her daughter’s glare at the use of her full name. Get used to it kid; I’ve had thirty-eight years of that.
‘We named you after the sunrise on the day you were born, not Sleeping Beauty, as you well know.’ Sheila wasn’t about to be distracted. ‘Nevertheless, Christabel will be going off to university in two years’ time. Why do you need a house this big? And this…’ – she wrinkled her nose – ‘dusty?’
The estate agent details had alluded to the fact that the place would need some ‘cosmetic work’ and would suit someone wanting to ‘take on a project.’ But when Rory had walked in the week before, something about the light through the huge sash windows, the high ceilings and the fact that all this could belong to her and her alone, had dazzled her into making an impulsive offer. Now, seeing it through her mother’s eyes, she realised the full extent of the wreck she was standing in. The walls were flaking, there were missing floor tiles and the radiators looked as if they hadn’t had heat through them this side of the 1970s. They’d walked around the upstairs accompanied by a full range of creaks and groans from the floorboards, supported ably by her mother’s full range of tuts and sighs.
Rory was defiant, though. It was close to school, within her budget and, due to it having been empty for the last year, they would be able to move in pretty quickly. They might even be in and have started renovations before the new academic year swallowed up all her spare time. But was she mad to take on this much work?
Sheila peered around as she walked further into the sitting room. Rory was quite enjoying watching her fastidious mother try to move around without touching anything. Shame she couldn’t levitate really.
Sheila folded her arms. ‘Maybe it was this ol’ house that Shaky Steve was singing about all those years ago.’
Belle screwed up her face. ‘Shaky who, Gran?’
Rory sighed. ‘It was Shakin’ Stevens, Mum. And Belle’ – her daughter nodded approval at her preferred name – ‘he was a singer a long time before you were born.’ Rory strode ahead and turned slowly. There was something almost literary about the proportions of the place. The walls were patchy and calamine pink, but the cornice was beautiful – apart from the fact it was painted turquoise. ‘It’s got nice high ceilings. I’ve always wanted to live in a house with high ceilings. Makes me feel like Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë.’
Sheila squinted at the ceiling as if it might fall on her. ‘Can you actually call that a ceiling, Aurora? The parts you can see beyond the cobwebs, I mean.’
‘Stop making that face, Mother. And stop calling me Aurora.’ Rory pulled at a corner of the paisley patterned carpet, bringing with it a cloud of dust. Underneath, the floorboards looked in a decent condition. The more Sheila was critical of the place, the more Rory was glad she’d made her offer on it. It was a familiar pattern.
Sheila sneezed and rummaged in her bag for a tissue, which she placed over her nose and mouth.
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