'Is it okay that I want to take a picture of this moment?' Charlie asked from my bedroom door.

I turned to glance at him over my shoulder and frowned. 'Seriously? You want to make fun of me right now?'

'Did you or did you not mock me when I was panicking about seeing Jenny at my birthday?'

'Fair point,' I admitted. I tugged off the tie I'd been fumbling with and dropped it onto the floor. 'I don't know why I'm even trying. She'll wear jeans. You heard Mandy. She said to wear them. It's Beth Bennett, for God's sake. It's not like she'll be taking any time to think about what to wear.'

Charlie sat on my bed cross-legged and asked, 'If you know that, then why not just wear jeans yourself?'

'Her father is coming.'

'So?' The wicked smile returned. Charlie was a puppy around Jenny and her friends, but they didn't know how he was when we were alone. He was as bad as Mandy for teasing me when he wanted to be. 'You want to make a good impression on her father, don't you?'

'Chaz, I'm not above chucking you in a boat and letting you float adrift in the sea while we're here. Remember that, please?'

'Fine, fine,' he conceded. 'Just throw on some shirt and some trousers. Forget the tie and keep it slightly casual. The more formal you make it, the more stressed you'll make her feel.'

It was disarming to hear some logic coming out of his mouth. Still, he had a point. If Beth did wear jeans, then it didn't necessarily follow that she'd be scruffy. Her father also seemed to have good manners and I couldn't see him arriving in overalls and covered in grease. I should meet them halfway, casual but still with some effort.

'Stay there,' I told Charlie before I disappeared into my dressing room.

It didn't take long to find the outfit I was looking for. I even went so far as to roll my sleeves up to the elbow neatly and left the top couple of buttons undone. When I emerged, I felt far more comfortable and hopeful that Beth wouldn't think less of me for not trying harder.

'Well?' I asked.

'Congratulations,' Charlie said, 'you look human.'

'Have I told you today that I hate you?'

He laughed. 'I love seeing you flustered. I hope Beth stops by for more dinners before we head back to Switzerland.'

My chest constricted at the very thought of leaving the country now that things were looking hopeful again. I didn't want to just up and move away and let any chance I might have slip through my fingers. Likewise, I didn't know that I could, in good conscience, allow Charlie to leave without trying to patch things up with Jenny. It was his heart, his feelings, but I felt that I had a duty to come clean with him about my manipulation. I'd downplayed Jenny's feelings in a bid to prove that she lacked them entirely, and took advantage of the fears of unrequited love to convince him that he shouldn't risk his heart at all.

It had been wrong of me, and he had a right to know.

'Boys!' my mother yelled up the stairs.

I rolled my eyes at her interruption. She could have just sent a servant instead of bellowing at the top of her lungs, but my mother had always liked to do things her own way. 'Are you coming down? They'll be here soon!'

I was still a bundle of nerves when Beth and her father arrived at the house. Henry announced them formally and I could see that this only served to heighten whatever Beth was feeling. She looked like a deer in headlights when faced with a group of upper-class people lounging around their mansion as though this level of decadence was perfectly normal. I could have slapped my sister for inviting them without considering how intimidating this might be.

Mandy was oblivious to any such issue. Glad to be free of Chantelle's incessant chatter about some fashion article, she threw the magazine from her lap and was quickly on her feet. 'Finally!' she said gleefully. Mandy hurried over to wrap her arms around Beth who turned into a statue during the embrace. My sister soon released her and added, 'Love the jeans.'

'Ditto,' Beth replied.

'You look like you made an effort. I wonder who that was for...'

I was glaring at the back of Mandy's head. She knew exactly what she was doing and I wasn't about to have Beth cornered and pushed into anything that she wasn't ready for or interested in. Besides, I didn't need my sister to meddle in my love life. I was perfectly capable of screwing it up for myself.

I was also capable of observing that Beth had, indeed, made more of an effort than she usually did. I'd seen her in a school uniform which was entirely formal, but it hadn't been her. This was a perfect blend of Beth, from the jeans to the white jumper over it. It was simple, elegant enough for the situation, and understated.

'Me?' Beth asked. 'Nah. I just threw on any old thing.'

Chantelle sauntered over and I died a little inside. 'Well, that's obvious. I can't believe you had the gall to dress so casually, Bennett. Where do you think you are?'

'Where I asked her to be,' Mandy shot back before I could intervene. 'Mind your tone in someone else's house, Chantelle. You're a guest here too, remember?'

Even Chantelle couldn't argue with my sister. It just wasn't done. Chantelle might have been Queen Bee at school, but in our house, and around Mandy, she was never going to win. At least she was sensible of her place. Chantelle flipped her hair over her shoulder and stalked back to her seat. There was no way that she'd risk alienating anyone in my family all in the name of fighting with Beth. Chantelle wasn't the nicest person in the world, but she wasn't an idiot. Her reputation and social connections were more important than winning an argument.

Mandy affixed a smile to her face and immediately greeted Beth's father, doing all that she could to make him feel at ease in our home. Eager to put paid to any lingering tensions, I dragged Charlie over and also introduced him to Mr Bennett. Luckily, we didn't have anything like Beth's entourage, and all the formalities were over and done with quickly. I couldn't help but wait with bated breath when my mother shook Beth's hand. She was polite and kept a kindly tone, as she was known to do when trying to gain the measure of a person.

Mum wasn't as quick to judge people as I was.

'Thank you for inviting us, Mrs Darcy,' Beth said with such eloquence that I almost laughed. I'd been so worried, and it seemed that it was all for nothing. She was doing perfectly well without my help. 'This is my Dad.'

'Greg.' He shook my mother's hand. 'I have a garage in town.'

'Yes, I heard from James that we have you to thank for getting some of our equipment back up and running. It's too bad this isn't our main estate. I'd have asked you to look at some of our classic cars for us.'

'For cars, I'm always willing to commute,' he laughed.

Dinner passed without incident. Beth was a perfect guest, listening when she needed to and engaging in the conversation where appropriate, not talking over anyone else unless it was to join them in mirthful laughter. Chantelle scowled from the starter to dessert, barely looking up from her plate and only speaking when someone addressed her directly. On any other night I'd have felt guilty for having anyone feel so outcast from the conversation, but Chantelle wasn't my priority. I'd known her most of my life and she could endure a single dinner where she wasn't the centre of attention.

That night was all about Beth, and she was all I cared about.

Naturally, the subject of Beth's attempts on the piano came up. Mandy had been complimentary about her skills and I offered my own support for her musical abilities which, I soon realised, was something of a mistake. Rather than seeing it as a polite point of conversation and moving on, my mother took this as a sign that she ought to suggest a duet. Mandy had been instructed in music since she was old enough to sit upright unaided. I had no doubt that she would overshadow Beth with her talents even if she didn't intend to.

Imagine my surprise when Beth reluctantly agreed.

I kept an eye on her as we climbed the stairs to the next floor after dinner. She was deep in conversation with her father, a worried expression played across his face. It made me wonder if she might have declined had anyone else asked. If she felt pressured into agreeing because my mother had been the one to ask instead of me or Charlie.

'Something wrong?' Charlie asked me quietly.

'Nothing,' I lied. 'Just wondering what they'll play.'

'Probably nothing I've heard of,' he said.

I smirked. 'Well, no, you have shit taste in music.'

My mother took a violin from Henry who'd retrieved it from her bedroom. She was lifting it out of the case carefully, checking that the strings were intact, and handed it and the bow to Mandy.

'That was her old violin. She hasn't played that one since she was fourteen,' I said.

'It's still in tune,' Mandy answered for her. She plucked a string and winced. 'Or not. I'll adjust it.'

My mother guided Beth to the piano. They were speaking in low voices at first. I thought that I heard a mumbled apology and hoped that Mum wasn't making Beth feel awkward about using the piano without our permission. After the dinner had gone so well, I didn't want to see things fall apart just because of one little comment.

'No need. I'm just disappointed I missed the show,' I caught my mother saying.

'She's good,' I assured Mum. 'Clumsy, but talented.'

I hadn't meant to say clumsy. I meant to say that Beth was nervous, doubtful of her own strengths and that it showed in the way that she sometimes played. No musician wanted to be accused of being clumsy.

What a terrible word to have used.

'I suppose that's all the private lessons she's been having,' Chantelle said. 'Oh, don't think I haven't heard. I'm not that cut off from everyone. Gideon's your private music teacher, isn't he?'

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.

Chantelle wasn't aware of everything to have happened in our family, but that name was absolutely off-limits in our house. Even if her intention had been to humiliate Beth, she had no right to bring up a man who'd tried to destroy my sister.

Mandy almost dropped her bow and, at that moment, I lost the last scrap of care or respect that I'd had for Chantelle.