Katy tried to keep Roxy calm until they got back to the Vic, but her sister still managed to accuse Billy, Julie, Shirley and even Glenda of stealing the money before they even left the hotel. Kat and Alfie, who had been told about everything Ronnie went through with Archie, had agreed to have a joint reception.
"Ronnie's not going to be happy with you for telling them about dad." Katy whispered to Roxy as the stood at the bar.
"Shut up. She won't find out." Roxy said hopefully, not looking at all convinced by her own words.
"Whatever! She's Veronica Mitchell, of course she'll find out." Katy said grinning. Roxy shook her head and passed her sister a vodka and coke.
"Don't tell her." She said with a grin. Katy smiled back at her sister and downed it in one. "Oi!" Roxy said looking slightly impressed. "Steady!"
Ronnie came up behind her sisters and hugged them both tightly, planting a kiss on both of their foreheads.
"Thank you." She said quietly. "Thank you so much."
"Hey, what are sisters for?" Roxy said with a grin. Katy nodded in agreement.
"And I'm sorry that we were prettier than the bride." Katy joked, pretending to be apologetic. Ronnie punched her lightly on the arm and laughed. "Nah, seriously Ron, you look amazing."
Ronnie smiled weakly, looking as though she was about to cry, so her sisters dragged her over to the dance floor for one more dance before she left on her honeymoon. A song with a fast tempo was playing and all three danced wildly for a few moments before it ended. Ronnie and Roxy attempted to teach their younger sister some typical 80's dance moves, but she was too busy with her own, more modern style. When the song ended, it was replaced by a much slower one and the sisters came together, moving more slowly.
"I wish Auntie Peg was here." Ronnie said quietly as they hugged each other and swayed to the music.
"Me too." Roxy said sadly. Katy nodded in agreement again. All three of them missed their aunt terribly, but possible Katy missed her the most because she'd had so little time to get to know her. "But she'd say you looked beautiful as well."
"Come on, Mrs Branning." Jack said taking Ronnie's hand with a wide smile. "Sorry ladies, I'm going to steal your sister away for our honeymoon." He said beaming. He gave Roxy and Katy each a kiss on the cheek and led Ronnie out to a waiting taxi. The crowd streamed out to wave goodbye, the new Mrs Branning's sisters at the front waving crazily. Her sisters were at the front of the crowd, one arm around the other and waving as the cab drove away, broad grins on both their faces. At that moment Roxy and Katy looked almost identical.
x
"Are you not bothered that someone nicked twenty grand out of my bag?" Roxy shouted at her sister three days after the wedding. Katy was still in her pyjamas, sitting on the sofa eating cereal and watching cartoons with her niece.
"Of course I'm bothered." She replied, calmly. "You have no idea what I had to do to get that money."
"What DID you do?" Roxy asked intrigued, but her sister just shook her head. Roxy was so easily distracted that the slightest comment could turn her attention completely. "So why aren't you coming up with any theories or bright ideas?" She demanded.
"Because I'm eating my breakfast."
"Argh!" Roxy stormed off to the bathroom and Katy pulled a funny face at Amy, who laughed at her.
"Why are you in such a mood anyway?" Katy shouted after her sister. She was the type of person that would let things happen in their own time. She was sure that she would think of something at some point, but until she did she wasn't planning on stressing over it. Besides, she could always find a way of raising some cash if they needed it.
"I got a massive bill from the tax man." Roxy snapped, appearing out of the bathroom and leaning over the back of the sofa so that she was looking straight into her sister's face, which was upside down to her. "And that Julie, Billy's new bird, was wearing a coat that I know for a fact would have cost far more than she could ever afford."
"Don't go doing anything stupid, Rox." Katy pleaded with her. "Don't go accusing her until you have some proof." Roxy muttered something, looking away from her sister. Katy groaned. "You didn't? Not again, Rox!"
"Well she was asking for it! She proved she was a thief when she nicked Stacey's shoes!"
"Yeah, well, nicking a pair of shoes and nicking twenty grand is completely different, ain't it?" Katy said, thinking about her own habits.
"No." Roxy snapped. "Not when it's MY twenty grand."
"So, after all your panicking, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to sell Number 27." Roxy said, chewing her lip. Katy pulled a face.
"Oooh. Good luck telling Phil and Shirley they've got to move out!" She said, glad it wasn't her that had to break the news.
After telling Phil and Shirley the bad news, Roxy expected them to be angry, but they weren't at all; which was very odd in itself. The next day Phil announced that he was renting Number 55 Victoria Road. The Mitchell sisters were slightly shocked. After everything that Phil had been through recently they had assumed that he was struggling with money. Katy was suspicious about the drastic turnaround in her cousin's fortunes, but the words Peggy had told her over and over rang clearly in her head; 'Family's family. They watch out for each other; whatever happens' and she reluctantly dismissed her suspicions.
Nothing else interesting seemed to be happening on the Square. Roxy was still determined to work out who had stolen their money, but she wasn't getting any further with her detective work. Katy had been to school almost every day and done a few shifts in the café for Ian, glad to get out of the cold on the stall.
One evening when she was walking back after her shift she noticed a car outside Glenda and Carol's flat. Curiously she stood in the shadows of the hedge around the garden in the middle of the Square and watched as Glenda got out of the car. She bent over and said something in the driver, wiggling her fingers and walking away. Katy was startled to see Phil in the driver's seat as the car passed her. She screwed up her face in confusion, trying to work out what that could mean. Several possibilities entered her head but she ignored them.
"Oi, Katy." Jay shouted at her, making the girl jump and whirl around guiltily. Glenda, who hadn't yet gone inside her flat turned as well and caught sight of the teenagers. She hurriedly disappeared inside.
"What's up, babe?" Katy asked as the sixteen-year-old caught up with her. She shivered and put up the hood of her jacket against the cold.
"Listen, I was thinking about getting my name changed, right." He said slowly, looking at her for a reaction.
"To what?" She asked confused. "Horace? I reckon that would suit you."
"Get lost!" Jay said laughing. "Nah, I wanna be a Mitchell."
"Who doesn't." The older teenager joked. "Have you told anyone else?"
"Nah, I wanted to see what you thought first." He said.
"Aww, sweet." She teased him, trying to squeeze his cheek. He dodged and laughed. "I think it's a good idea. I mean, you're practically a Mitchell already, so it's just a formality, right?"
"Cool… I'll just have to pick my moment then." He said with a grin. They were at the steps of Ronnie and Jack's flat now and Jay was leaning against the pillar as Katy pulled out her key. "See you later." He said.
Katy watched him strut off across the square towards Number 55. She laughed quietly and shook her head slightly, before letting herself in and making her way to the flat.