"I haven't," she says.

"Haven't what?"

"A boyfriend."

"But Fionn?"

"That's all over. It's been over since the night of Jemima."

"You're not serious." Conall slumps into himself. "All that time . . . I don't believe it. I thought I was going to have to fight him for you today."

"You're making a lot of assumptions, Conall. Does my opinion count for nothing?"

"It counts for everything, as it happens. I've a question for you." Conall gets to his feet and clears his throat as if he's about to make a speech. "Katie Richmond, I love you with all my heart and I will do my best to make you happy for the rest of your life. Will you marry me?"

"Conall, for God's sake! Can't you do anything like a normal person? If you're that keen, we could go for dinner or something."

"No. No dinners, no dates. I'm in agony and I need to know. Are you in or are you out?"

"In or out? That's not a proper proposal."

"Katie Richmond, love of my life, owner of my heart, will you marry me?"

". . . Well, I don't know, now that you've given up your job . . . Will we be poor?"

"Not at all. Haven't you a job? We'll be grand." More seriously, he says. "No, we won't be poor."

"Have you a ring?"

"Yes, I have a ring."

"No!"

"What? You think I was going to make the same mistake twice?"

"Show me."

He produces a little box and flips it open and white light blazes at them. "Diamonds," Katie remarks.

"Unless you'd prefer emeralds?" Another box appears, containing a deep-green stone in an antique setting.

"You're not serious."

"Or sapphires?" And out comes another box.

"Stop, please. Conall, you haven't changed that much!"

"I just wanted to get it right."

"God." Katie presses her hands over her eyes. This is all too much. "Stop asking me things."

"For how long?"

"A while."

Five seconds passes. "That's a while," Conall says. "So what's it to be?" ". . . Ah . . . the diamonds."

"Christ! Is that a yes?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes. It's a yes."

It's Lydia who discovers them. Us, I suppose you could say. She's highly indignant. All she's trying to do is get up her own stairs, but her way is impeded by Hathaway and the governess going at it hammer and tongs, snogging the face off each other. Disgusting. And selfish! Blocking public thoroughfares.

"Take it somewhere else!" she commands, curling her lip at their evident happiness.

They break apart to let her pass, and as she moves between them, Lydia is hit by a wave of emotion so potent it nearly gives her a nosebleed.

She stomps on up the steps and when they hear the door of her flat slam behind her, Katie murmurs, "She has a point."

"You mean-?" Conall says.

"I do."

And the next thing, they've grasped each other's hands and they're running upstairs and I'm all swept up and enmeshed in their magical energy. And when we arrive at the top floor, the three of us tumble into Katie's apartment and we fall on to the bed and, and, and . . .

... I'm waiting for my moment, and . . . and . . .

. . . any minute now . . .

. . . and . . . aaaannnndddd . . . here we go! Hold on to your hats. I'm going in.

With special thanks to the Dublin Rape Crisis Center Thank you to my visionary editors, Louise Moore and Clare Ferraro, to Kate Burke and to Clare Parkinson for enabling me to transform raw material into an actual book. I'm very grateful. Thank you to everyone at Michael Joseph, for showing me the love and working with such enthusiasm and commitment on all of my books. I'm well aware of how lucky I am.

Thank you to the best agent in the world, Jonathan Lloyd, and everyone at Curtis Brown, for shepherding and minding this book (and all my others, too).

Countless people generously helped with my research: Gwen Hollingsworth; Tom and Debra Mauro; Magdalena Rawinis, Michal Szarecki, Lukasz Wozniak, Hubert Czubaj and Piotr Taborowski; Suzanne Benson, Kevin Day and Darryll Lewis of HPD Software; Sandra Hanlon and Margaret Nugent from the National Taxi Drivers Union; Karen Fitzpatrick and Gisela Boehnisch. I think that's the full list, but if I've forgotten anyone, I humbly apologize. My thanks to everyone above and I take entire responsibility for any mistakes.

For reading the manuscript as it was being written and for their constant advice and encouragement, I'd like to thank Shirley Baines, Jenny Boland, Ailish Connolly, Siobhan Coogan, Susan Dillon, Caron Freeborn, Gai Griffin, Cathy Kelly, Caitriona Keyes, Ljiljana Keyes, Mammy Keyes, Rita-Anne Keyes, Eileen Prendergast, AnneMarie Scanlan and Kate Thompson.

Just a quick note-I took a liberty with the rugby fi xtures; there's a mention of an international match being played in the summer. I'm told this wouldn't happen at all in real life and I hope this wild departure from reality doesn't interfere with your reading enjoyment.

Thank you to James "Woolfman" Woolf and his wife, Karoline, and their daughters, Siena and Maya, who very generously bid in the ACT charity auction to have their names included in the book.

As always, thanks to my beloved Tony. None of it would be possible without him.

Also by Marian Keyes.

This Charming Man.

Anybody Out There?

Cracks in My Foundation.

Angels.

Sushi for Beginners

Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married.

The Other Side of the Story

Under the Duvet.

Rachel's Holiday.

Last Chance Saloon.

Watermelon.