Someone Like You: Escape with this perfect uplifting romance
Page 27
Poppy placed her napkin on the table. ‘I think it’s time we went to meet him, don’t you?’
‘Err… yes, I guess so.’ Not that she was entirely sure it was a good idea. But if Poppy wanted to be with her daddy, then so be it. And it meant Lily could stop feeling guilty for being the ‘anonymous’ childminder. ‘Will he be okay about you being with me, do you think?’
‘Oh, yes. He’ll be delighted.’
Somehow Lily doubted that. And she didn’t want to get Zac in trouble. But maybe her dad was one of those laid-back parents? Happy for his daughter to be looked after by strangers. Raised by the whole village, and all that. It seemed unlikely.
They left the tea rooms and headed onto the cobbled streets towards the castle.
Poppy slipped her hand into Lily’s, looking up at her with such an adoring smile, that it seemed cruel to let go.
The pair of them wandered up to the castle, hand in hand, chatting about Poppy’s plans for the summer holidays now school had broken up, and admiring the displays in the shop windows.
As they neared Queen Victoria’s statue, Poppy said, ‘How’s your head?’
‘My head?’
‘Yes, you hurt it. Can I see?’
Lily lifted her hair, showing Poppy the shaved patch with a bloody glued-together gash. ‘Impressive, huh?’
‘Yucky.’
‘Very yucky. How did you know about my head injury? Did Zac tell you?’
‘No, I overheard Daddy telling Aunty Gemma.’
Aunty Gemma? Something niggled in Lily’s brain. ‘Aunty Gemma…? As in, the woman who looks after the project finances?’
Poppy swung her arm. ‘Yes.’
She slowed. ‘She’s Zac’s mum?’
‘That’s right.’
Which meant… Pennies started to drop. They tumbled like hailstones from the sky. Each one sharp and painful.
Information flickered through her brain, fighting for its place, like a complex jigsaw with a key piece missing. ‘Poppy… what’s your surname?’
‘Taylor.’
She stopped dead. No… surely not?
The ache in her head swelled to a throb, the pain fuelled by an increase in her heart rate. ‘Which would make your daddy’s name…?’
‘Will Taylor.’
Oh, holy hell.
She staggered sideways and collapsed onto the low wall surrounding the castle. ‘Your dad is Will Taylor?’
Poppy nodded.
Maybe there were two Will Taylors?
No point panicking until she absolutely had to. ‘As in… Will Taylor, owner of TaylorMade Events?’
‘Yes. Didn’t you know that?’
‘I most certainly did not know that.’
The time for panicking had officially arrived.
She dropped her head in her hands, trying to control her breathing, wishing the pain in her skull would stop.
‘Poppy?’ The approaching familiar sound of Will’s voice only added to her torment.
Lily forced herself to stand up and face him.
He appeared at the castle gate, pausing when he saw who was with his daughter, as if his brain wasn’t computing what he was seeing.
She knew the feeling.
His startled gaze switched between them. ‘Poppy? What are you doing with Lily?’
Poppy beamed, unaware of what was looming. ‘She’s looking after me.’
His face clouded over. ‘Where’s Zac?’
‘Having a playdate with Megan.’
In any other circumstances, Lily might have laughed. But the thunderous look on Will’s face killed any hope of her finding it funny.
‘Get over here now,’ he snapped, beckoning Poppy over.
The little girl ran over. Her gleeful expression was now worried. And rightly so.
‘What have I said about going off with strangers?’
‘Lily isn’t a stranger. She’s my friend. She made the costume for my school play.’
Lily groaned.
‘She did what?’ The look he gave her could stop traffic. Fury. Outrage. And indignation mixed in with utter disbelief.
For some reason this annoyed her. He was angry with her? Bloody cheek. If anyone had the right to be angry, it was her.
Poppy was Will’s daughter?
He had a kid?
He was a father?
Which meant he’d lied. And not just a little white lie. But a great big fat stinker.
He told her he’d never been married. That he’d only had one serious relationship. That he had ‘no commitments’.
And all this time he’d been hiding the fact that he had a bloody daughter, whilst giving her grief about not being her ‘true’ self!
Bastard!
She pinned him with the most venomous glare she could muster.
‘Hello, Dad,’ she said, walking right up to him. ‘Care to explain?’
Chapter Twenty-one
Saturday, 31 July
Will had woken with a splitting headache. It had been too hot to sleep. Not helped by worrying about the festival today and stressing over the events of yesterday. The sight of his daughter with Lily had launched a curveball at him so huge it could have knocked him all the way across Windsor and into the Thames. He wasn’t sure which had been the dominant emotion: guilt, embarrassment, or fear. But it had been rage that had surfaced first. The primal instinct of a parent when their precious offspring is found wandering the streets with a supposed ‘stranger’.
The fact that Lily wasn’t a stranger was semantics. She was as far as Poppy was concerned. And as for his nephew… well, that was a fight yet to have. As it was, Lily had taken the brunt of his anger. Will had marched off with his daughter morosely in tow, refusing to offer an explanation as to how come he had a kid.
To say he wasn’t proud of his actions would be an understatement.
But he wasn’t the one in the wrong. Well, he was, but he wasn’t about to let his part in this debacle derail him from feeling aggrieved. He was owed an explanation.
Shielding his eyes, Will looked across the expanse of Alexandra Gardens, the open green space dappled in bright sunlight. Despite a few hitches, the festival had officially opened. The roads in the town centre were closed to traffic, the participating stalls were set up and the visitors were arriving in droves. The Windsor Eye had been repaired and the bouncy castle already had a queue of kids lined up waiting to exhaust themselves.
His phoned pinged with a text. His parents had arrived with Poppy. She’d stayed with her grandparents last night, which was probably just as well. A reprimand of his daughter was needed, but not whilst he’d been in the mood he was in last night.
He walked over to the main gate to wait for them.
He phoned Frankie while he waited. ‘Any problems your end?’ he asked when she picked up.
‘No, boss. All running smoothly here. Ticket sales for Madame Tussauds are good. The actors are engaged in a meet-and-greet with the punters and all the exhibitor stalls have opened.’
‘Is the tour guide film running?’
‘Yep, all working a treat. Feedback so far is excellent. The costumes in particular are getting a lot of interest.’
He wasn’t surprised. Even if he didn’t need the reminder of Lily. ‘Is she there? Lily, I mean?’
‘Yep, she’s got everything under control. A few final costume adjustments, but nothing major. Zac’s got a handle on hair and make-up, so it’s all good. How’s it your end?’
‘No dramas so far.’ He spotted his parents approaching with Poppy and waved.
‘You want me to stay here, boss?’
‘Only until the actors leave for the procession. Go with them to The Long Walk. That way I’ll know everything’s in safe hands.’
‘Copy that. Speak later.’
‘Thanks, Frankie.’
His parents arrived all smiles and relaxed, ready for their day out.
Poppy lingered a few steps behind, her eyes downcast.
‘Hi, Mum.
Hi, Dad. Did you find a parking space okay?’
‘Just about.’ His dad was already red-cheeked from the heat. ‘It’s getting busy out there. I thought I was going to have to beg a favour from the boys in blue and park at the police station.’
Will smiled. ‘I think a lot of people have opted for the park and ride.’
His mum was frowning. ‘Aren’t you going to give your daddy a hug?’ she said, sensing her granddaughter’s reluctance to approach her daddy. Poppy was normally such a hugger.
‘Daddy isn’t very happy with me,’ Poppy said, kicking the grass with her trainers.
His mum looked alarmed. ‘What happened?’
‘Nothing that needs discussing now.’ Will had no desire to get his parents involved. He went over and hugged Poppy. ‘Come here, sweetie. Did you have a nice time with Nanny and Granddad last night?’
She nodded.
‘Did you enjoy your homemade pizza?’
Another nod, this one without much conviction.
‘I’m sorry, Daddy,’ she whispered, her words barely audible.
She looked so forlorn he knew they had to clear the air. Making her wait wasn’t fair.
‘What’s going on?’ his mum said, concern furrowing her brow. ‘What’s Poppy got to be sorry about?’
‘I need a moment with my daughter,’ he said, pointing to the tea tent. ‘Why don’t you go and have a cuppa. We’ll join you in a couple of minutes.’
He could tell his mum wasn’t happy about being shooed away, but his dad took the hint and led her towards the tea tent. ‘Come and find us when you’re done,’ he said, dragging his wife away.
Will waited until they were out of earshot, before crouching down to eye level with his daughter. ‘Do you understand why I’m upset with you?’
‘Because Lily made me a costume.’
‘No, because you lied to me.’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘You never told me you’d met Lily, did you? Or that you were spending time with her? And when I asked you about the costume, you told me it was from a hire shop.’
Although to be fair, the real guilty party here was Zac. Poppy wouldn’t have lied without an accomplice.
‘You must know that’s not right?’
She nodded.
‘Then why did you do it?’
‘I… I… wanted to get to know Lily for myself.’
‘Why would you want to do that?’
‘To see if she’d make a good mummy.’
Holy crap. He should’ve realised this might happen. She’d dropped enough hints.
Her big eyes filled with tears. ‘And I think she would. She’s very kind and funny, like you. And she teaches me all sorts of things, like paper mâché and dressmaking, and she smells nice. Like strawberries. And I think Pete the Tortoise would like her—’
‘Poppy—’
‘—and she knows what it’s like not to have a mummy, and I feel more braver since I met her… and…’
‘Poppy, sweetie. Stop.’ For his sake, if nothing else.
His agitation levels were beginning to rise again. How dare Lily do all those things with his daughter? Certainly not without checking with him first. It was his job to educate and enlighten his daughter, no one else’s.
Boy, was he going to give her a piece of his mind when he saw her.
‘I’m sure you enjoyed spending time with Lily, but I’ve told you before, you can’t pick out a new mummy like she’s a piece of furniture. It doesn’t work like that.’
‘I thought I was helping.’
‘How?’
‘Well, you never let me meet any of your girlfriends. And I thought maybe it was because you thought they might not like me. Or I wouldn’t like them. So I thought if I met Lily on my own, we could see if we liked each other, and then you wouldn’t have to worry about whether we’d get on.’
He stared at his eleven-year-old daughter. At least, he was pretty certain she was only eleven. Sometimes she seemed younger, like when she played with her dolls. Other times, like right now, she exercised more logic than he did at thirty-four.
He had no idea how to respond. But then, he couldn’t speak even if he wanted to. So much for protecting her.
‘I did the wrong thing, Daddy. I’m sorry.’ Tears streaked down her face.
He felt like hell on earth.
‘I know you meant well,’ he managed to say, pulling her into his arms. ‘But it’s not your responsibility to vet the women I date. Okay?’
How could he tell her that most women he’d met didn’t want a man who already had a kid? And that even less of them wanted to take on the role of ‘substitute mummy’.
So even if he had met someone he liked, there was no way he was going to invite her into his life if it meant pushing Poppy aside. His daughter came first, always. And from what he’d learnt about women, not many of them were prepared play second fiddle to a man’s affections.
But maybe that was his fault. He’d hardly dated women looking for a serious relationship, had he? He’d deliberately avoided anyone who wanted anything other than a casual hook-up, so was it surprising they didn’t want any baggage?
Until Lily.
He’d let his guard slip with her. He’d allowed himself to focus on his own needs and desires and not put his daughter’s interests first. Big mistake.
He realised in hindsight that’s why he was so reluctant to tell her about Poppy. He hadn’t wanted to frighten her off. Or for her to be suspicious of his motives. He hadn’t wanted to find out Lily wasn’t willing to take on a ‘ready-made’ family. Who would blame her?
As it happened, it was his own heart that had needed protecting. Reacting as he had last Sunday to her fall had brought him to his senses. He wasn’t ready to be with someone. More specifically, he wasn’t ready to risk losing them.
He doubted he ever would be. He couldn’t cope with the constant fear. It was too draining.
‘Let’s get some ice-cream,’ he said, kissing Poppy’s cheek.
‘Am I forgiven?’
‘Yes, sweetie. I’m sorry I yelled at you. You know I love you very much, don’t you?’
She nodded. ‘I love you too, Daddy.’
He stood up and took her hand, fighting back tears. ‘So, do you want to go on the bouncy castle later?’
‘Yes, please… and the Windsor Eye… and the carousel… and have my face painted.’ She was back to being a little kid again. ‘And I’m excited about the funfair tonight.’
‘You’ve checked out the website, have you?’
‘Nanny showed me.’ She looked up at him. ‘Are there really magicians here?’
‘There are. Let’s go find Nanny and Granddad and see if they’ll take you to find one.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘You know I won’t be able to spend all day with you, don’t you? I have to work.’
‘I know.’ She let out a long sigh, making him smile.
‘Mr Whippy?’
Her face broke into a mischievous grin. ‘With a chocolate flake?’
‘Of course.’ And just like that, everything was back to normal.
For his daughter, anyway. He on the other hand was a complete mess.
Having reunited Poppy with her grandparents and arranged to meet up with them later for the grand parade at The Long Walk, he spent the next two hours visiting each venue site to check there were no problems.
The Queen was in residence at Windsor Castle, so security was paramount. The police were out in force, but being discreet in their behaviour, chatting to the festival visitors and offering the tourists directions for the various events taking place.
He walked the perimeter of Alexandra Gardens, checking in with the stall holders and festival participants. All of the activities were proving popular, from the remote-control boats on the pond, to the stilt-walkers entertaining the kids with their off-balance antics.
There were queues of people lined up for The Windsor Eye and the picnic area was packed with families enjoying a day out. The bandstand was attracting an o
lder crowd, with numerous couples waltzing along to the swing band sounds of The Grenadier Guards, rather than jumping around to the pop music blaring out from the bouncy castle and spinning carousel.
Everything was going to plan.
But it was too soon to relax. The next big event was the grand parade, the scale of which terrified him. They hadn’t managed to rehearse the whole event, only sections, so combining all the floats, mounted regiments, and historical re-enactment groups was going to be a logistical nightmare. Not to mention the security issues of having thousands of people lining The Long Walk, waving flags and cheering – at least, he hoped so. It would be rather a flat affair if no one turned up.
Satisfied everything was under control at Alexandra Gardens, he made his way across town and headed for The Long Walk.
He texted Frankie, checking the actors were congregated where they should be. She replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
He texted Gemma, who was overseeing the musical recital later this afternoon at St. Georges Chapel. Her reply stated that ‘all was good’ and that she’d ‘meet him at The Copper Horse later’.
He walked past King Edwards Hospital towards The Great Park. Walking around Windsor was a necessity when most of the roads were closed. He didn’t mind. It gave him breathing space to clear his head.
His phone pinged.
An email from the recruitment agency. Finally, Lily’s reference had arrived.
He paused before clicking on the link, wondering if perhaps it would be better to let sleeping dogs lie. What did it matter now whether her credentials were genuine or not? The job was done. Not without its hiccups, but completed nonetheless, and the costumes were certainly a hit.
But there was more at stake here. His professional reputation. He needed to know whether his judgement was sound or skewered. Had he been right to offer Lily a job? Or was he a lovestruck fool who had been hoodwinked by her charms?
He opened the reference.
It was short. Factual. And contained confirmation of employment dates. Attendance record. And salary… All from one employer. Not a varied and comprehensive career designing for the stage and screen as she’d stated, but more than a decade working for the same clothing factory… cutting patterns.