A car backfired violently and they rushed to the window.

'Isn't that…?'

'Hyacinth's family. Daisy, Onslow who never wears a shirt. Rose. You remember Rose? Eyelashes longer than her skirt?' said Liz slyly.

Emmet harrumphed.

'How could I forget?'

They saw Hyacinth run out and gesture them over.

'Is she pretending to give them directions again?' Giggled Liz.

'I wouldn't put it past her' muttered Emmet darkly. 'Damn, they're coming over here!'

They withdraw and looked at each other when the doorbell rang. Liz went to open it and found a gaggle of people on her doorstep.

'I hope you don't mind dear' trilled Hyacinth, 'but I have some distinguished company in the house and I wonder if you could provide coffee and biscuits for my sisters. And Onslow. I'll collect them later. Thank you dear.' She shoved the polite mass of bodies at her neighbour and departed.

'Well, yes come in' said Liz because what else could she do?

'Do you have any beer?' Asked Onslow. Liz tried not to stare at his tattoos.

'I'm sure there's something in the fridge' said Emmet, taking over the hospitality. He ushered them into the living room while Liz dug out a beer from the fridge that Emmet was planning for his Saturday evening. If he was willing to sacrifice it for company, that was up to him. She came back with the tray to find Rose practically sitting on his lap.

'I love the piano' she was saying. 'It's been a long time since I met a man with a piano.'

Liz grinned at the audacity and handed round refreshments, gratefully accepted.

'Lovely coffee' enthused Daisy.

'Cheers m'dears' said Onslow, swigging his beer.

Rose sipped her coffee daintily.

'I've heard from Hyacinth that you involved in putting up a performance at the church hall in a few months.'

'Ah yes, auditions will be next week' said Emmet, wondering if this was a good idea. He could hardly see Rose and Hyacinth battle it out to be the lead.

'No doubt she's bustling forward for the lead?' Asked Daisy astutely. Onslow bellowed with laughter.

'She…er…well…' Emmet could see his sister smirking at him because of course no matter what he said in private, he could not stop Hyacinth bulldozing over him as much as the next person.

'I'm sure she'd be excellent for whatever production you'll put on' said Daisy loyally. 'If you did want someone else to bulk up the cast, you might want to consider Rose. She's musically minded.'

'Oh yes I love the theatre' gushed Rose, swinging her legs over the piano stool in delight. Emmet's expression of alarm was almost comical. He was obviously weighing up who would be more troublesome, the gorgon or her sister. It was a tough call.

'Do let her audition Emmet' Liz cried, wanting to see her brother respond to a challenge. He had been hiding away for too long after his divorce and needed a passion project. She rather thought that Rose might be it.

The scene that had greeted Hyacinth when she came to collect her raggedy family horrified her. Richard rather enjoyed it. Rose was singing by the piano, leaning in rather too intimately to Emmet, Liz and Onslow discussing…she couldn't quite understand but it looked animated and Daisy reading one of Liz's books. An empty bottle of beer stood next to the empty cups of coffee.

'Rose, put Mr Hawksworth down! Please don't bother him, I'm sure he's not interested. Daisy, put the book down dear, Onslow…' she couldn't think of what to say to him.

'Rose isn't bothering me, Hyacinth' said Emmet gleefully. 'In fact, she's just done her audition for the production. I'm casting her as the lead.'

Hyacinth's mouth dropped open, her voice uncharacteristically absent. The others looked at each other and smirked as Rose squealed and enveloped him in a hug.

'Looks like you need a drink, our Hyacinth' said Daisy.

Richard steered a shocked Hyacinth to a spare chair. She would need something to get over the disappointment of being upstaged by her sister, for once.