‘Good, I’m pleased, but I don’t understand why you don’t explain to Daisy exactly what you’re doing?
He wished he could. ‘I would but I don’t want to give her any false hope. I daren’t mention it to her yet.’
Lydia pulled her straw hat down further over her eyes. ‘I do hope you two can resolve this matter. Maybe I’m an old romantic but I know life is really too short for these dramas. But if you’re sure now is not the time to tell Daisy, then fine. I just hope you can sort this out when you’re in South Africa.’’
‘So, do I. I think Daisy believed me when I told her that Bella and I are no longer romantically linked in any way, but she’s been badly hurt by her parents’ choices, Nan. The next few weeks are going to be important in so many ways.’
‘I can see that now, darling?’ she said. ‘And I’ll be thinking of you the whole time.’
They walked on for a few minutes in silence. Gabe could tell his grandmother was concerned for him. She was obviously fond of Daisy and he could understand her irritation with the situation and hoped that he could resolve these issues once and for all.
‘I have to admit something,’ she said, placing her hand on his arm. They stopped and turned to face the gentle waves hitting the beach. ‘I did wonder why you and Bella got married. After all, this isn’t the fifties; you don’t need to be married to have a baby.’
He knew that, only too well, now. ‘I was wrapped up in the whole “doing the right thing” vibe. I was missing Daisy and was hurt by her ignoring me. I think I probably got carried away with the thought of having something to look forward to.’ He pushed the toes of one foot into the soft pale gold sand. ‘What can I say, I’m an idiot.’
Lydia gave him a brief hug. ‘Darling, you’re not an idiot. Maybe a little misdirected for a bit, but your intentions were good.’ She walked on and Gabriel followed. ‘So, what will you tell Daisy?’
‘She knows the funding for my project has been rescinded and that I need to go and either find more backing, or wrap up the whole thing for the time being. It’s not as if we can be together until I sort everything out with Bella anyway and Daisy’s busy here with the season building up.’
‘It’s going to be hard for you both,’ Lydia said, waving to a neighbour who was throwing a ball for their Labrador on the beach.
‘It’s the only way I can think of to sort this mess out.’
‘Then good luck to you.’
They carried on walking and chatting. It was a perfect early August morning and Gabriel wished he could stay and carry on enjoying the summer with Daisy working at the hotel. Who knew if she’d still be there next year, or even by the winter, he mused. He had to speak to her and hope she’d understand his reasons for leaving. He didn’t even have the excuse that he was needed at The Encore now his mother was back from filming.
It dawned on him that he needed to have a chat with his mother too before he left.
Later that morning, Gabriel knocked on Francesca’s office door and hearing her calling him in, entered. ‘Morning, Mum,’ he said, going over to give her a kiss before sitting down opposite her at her desk. ‘So, how was the shoot; I didn’t get a chance to ask you at the party.’
‘It was great fun,’ she said. ‘I’d still much rather play the gorgeous heroine than her mother, but those days have long gone, more’s the pity.’
‘You still look amazing, you know that.’ He smiled at her, remembering how proud he’d always been when she’d collected him from school and always looked more glamorous than any of the other mothers.
‘Thank you, sweetheart.’ Her mobile pinged and she quickly replied to a message she’d received. ‘There’s probably going to be a sequel, so I should have more work from the franchise, which is great to know.’
‘Good for you.’ His mother was always much happier when she had filming work to look forward to. His parents might make a decent living from running the hotel but he knew that both their loves remained in their respective entertainment careers. ‘So, did you enjoy the party?’
‘Yes, I thought you did an amazing job with everything, especially with the issue of the delays due to the damn fog. Your father was very pleased so many people made it and we took a huge amount at the bar, which is always good. Bryn and Soraya had a ball too and want to book us to host their next wedding anniversary do, so we’re delighted with everything.’ She narrowed her eyes and studied him for a moment.
Gabriel wasn’t sure if she was about to discuss his looming trip, or Daisy. Gossip was always rife in this place among the staff.
‘Go on,’ he said. ‘I know there’s something you want to say to me.’
She smiled and leaning forward, rested her elbows on the desk. ‘I presume you’ve come here this morning to tell me that you’re going away, yet again, and soon?’
He nodded. ‘I am.’ He explained about the funding of his project, but decided against mentioning Bella and the divorce.
‘I thought so,’ she said. ‘I wish there was something I could do, but my money has been ear-marked for the work on the kitchen garden and your dad’s tour money won’t come in for a few months yet.’
He’d never accepted money from his parents before now and had no intention of taking from them when they worked so hard for everything they had. ‘I know, Mum, and it’s fine. I’ll sort this out somehow.’
‘I’d love to help you, Gabriel,’ she said, looking miserable. ‘I wish you didn’t have to go again so soon. I haven’t seen very much of you at all recently.’
He reached out and rested his palm on the back of her hand. ‘I know, but I’ll be back as soon as I can and we can catch up then.’
‘You’re going soon then, as in this week?’
‘I have to,’ he said. ‘Tomorrow morning, first thing.’
‘Oh, that is soon,’ she said, looking disappointed.
He hated seeing her sad, especially as his father was still away, but it couldn’t be helped. ‘Nan and you can spend some quality time together until Dad returns,’ he said.
‘True. Have you told her you’ll be going tomorrow?’
‘Nan?’
She studied his face before saying, ‘Of course, who else could you think I meant?’
This was cue to leave, if his mother didn’t know already about him and Daisy, then he wasn’t going to enlighten her.
‘Er, Gabriel,’ she said. ‘I noticed you holding young Daisy’s hand at the party. Is there something you want to tell me?’
He would have loved to tell her that they were a couple, but there was no point leaving Daisy to have to cope with his mother’s interference if he didn’t manage to sort out a divorce.
‘No,’ he said, deciding that there would be plenty of time to explain everything about him and Daisy if they did get back together. He stood to leave. ‘I’d better get on: I’ve got a few calls to make and letters to write to try and drum up funding before I go. I need to at least try and arrive with some encouraging news.’
He kissed her goodbye and left to go back to his grandmother’s.
He was walking along the main corridor when Daisy’s father, Peter, called out to him. Gabriel went to him. ‘Hi, are you enjoying your stay?’
‘We’ve had a wonderful time, thank you,’ he said, moving from one foot to the other.
Gabriel waited for him to speak. He was sure Peter was trying to tell him something. He wished he’d hurry up: he was running out of time if he wanted to complete everything he needed to do today. ‘Is there something you wish to speak to me about?’
Peter took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. ‘Yes.’ He glanced up and down the corridor to see if anyone was coming and waved Gabriel over to a small side room. Closing the door behind them, he said. ‘I’ve heard on the grapevine that you’re having problems with your sponsors for some conservation project you’re involved with.’
Gabriel couldn’t understand how he’d know this, but nodded. ‘That’s right,’ he said, suspicious of the man’s inte
rest.
Peter cleared his throat. ‘I want to offer you sponsorship of up to ten thousand pounds.’
Gabriel’s eyes widened. ‘Peter, that’s incredibly generous,’ he said unable to keep a smile from his face. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all, he thought. Perhaps Daisy had only seen her father through her mother’s eyes.
Peter pushed his hands deep into his pockets. ‘Ahh, but I want something in return.’
Gabriel frowned. He wasn’t sure he was going to like what was coming next. ‘Go on,’ he said quietly, intrigued by what Peter could want from him.
‘I need you to persuade Daisy to meet with me. She’s refusing to have anything to do with me at the moment. I know she’s feeling hurt that I never told her about Stella and our son before now, but it’s complicated for me.’
And there it was, thought Gabriel, disappointed in his willingness to believe this man’s motives over Daisy’s insistence that he wasn’t the kind man he appeared to be on the surface.
‘No,’ Gabriel said without hesitation.
Peter’s bushy eyebrows shot up, giving him the look of a stunned gerbil.
‘Why not? I think it’s a pretty generous offer.’ When Gabriel didn’t reply, he added. ‘Don’t you care about your project?’
Gabriel felt his hackles rising. He studied him for a moment, trying not to show how angry he was with this man’s attempt to force him into betraying Daisy’s wishes. ‘I care about it very much, but I’m not going to trade in Daisy’s feelings for cash. Maybe if you thought about her in terms that didn’t include your finances, then you might be able to build a relationship with her,’ he said, not caring that he was being rude to a guest.
‘You’ll discover that life isn’t all about love and romance, young man,’ he said, looking annoyed to have failed in his endeavour. ‘When it comes to women and children it is all about money. You’ll discover that fact when you come to have your own family.’
Gabriel didn’t care. He refused to be used in this way. ‘Daisy is a beautiful person but she’s been hurt by you. Instead of investing your money in shortcuts, why not try to invest your time getting to know her?’
‘Haven’t you noticed that she’s not interested in me?’ he hissed through clenched teeth.
Gabriel struggled to contain his irritation with this selfish man. ‘Yes, but she feels this way after a lifetime of disappointments and coming second best in your affections. Her feelings towards you are not going to change overnight.’
Peter waved his hand in Gabriel’s face. ‘You’re a fool,’ he said, glaring at him before marching out of the room and slamming the door behind him.
Gabriel took a deep breath to calm his temper. No wonder Daisy’s mum kept her daughter away from this short-sighted man. What he didn’t understand was what Daisy’s mother had ever seen in him in the first place. He slowly began to calm down. He wasn’t interested in Daisy’s parents and their mistakes, but he was concerned about her. From what he’d gleaned she’d been through a lot of heartache in her life and he wasn’t going to be party to any further upsets.
Passing Reception, he saw that Daisy wasn’t there and Fi was working alone.
‘She’s not on till twelve,’ she said, giving him a flirtatious wink.
‘You’re very cheeky, you know that?’ he laughed.
‘Sorry, I forgot myself again.’
‘Its fine, Was there something else you wanted to say?
She considered his question for a couple of seconds. ‘Only that I’m pretty sure I’m right about how you two feels about each other, despite your denials.’
Intrigued, Gabriel stopped walking and went over to her. ‘Why, what does Daisy say?’
Fi raised her eyebrows, ‘She’s my friend and you’re the bosses’; son, you think my loyalties will lie with you?’
‘No, of course not,’ he said, amused by her retort and comforted that Daisy had such a loyal friend.
‘I’m joking.’ She pulled a face, leaning a little closer to him and checking that no one was nearby to hear what she was about to say. ‘I can see the way she looks at you, but she insists there’s nothing going on. I’d believe her if I didn’t keep catching you both checking out the other one. It’s like you’re both trying to hide your feelings and I’ve no idea why.’
He didn’t like the thought of displaying his feelings so obviously, but Fi had a point. ‘We have unresolved issues; that much I can tell you.’
Fi snorted. ‘Well, that tells me nothing. I’d ask Daisy, but she’s always telling me to mind my own business.’
Gabriel couldn’t help liking this bubbly girl, even though she was at times a little noisy for someone working on Reception, and she rarely remembered to keep her thoughts to herself. ‘I’ll pop back later when she’s here: there’s something I need to speak to her about.’
‘OK, I’ll tell her.’
‘No, please don’t say anything. I don’t need her finding a way to keep busy elsewhere. I have to speak to her today.’
‘Fine, I’ll keep my mouth firmly shut.’
He doubted that was possible, but smiled and left her to deal with a guest who’d arrived with his wife and two small children.
He sat in his room in the Martello tower and spoke to four contacts, two of whom said they’d consider putting forward his funding request to the following month’s board meetings. Then, Gabriel typed up several letters to other corporations and contacts, followed by emails to a few more. Finally, sealing the envelopes closed, he placed stamps on them and left his room to walk to the post box down the road. He was on his way back past the terrace at the front of his grandmother’s house when he thought he heard movement down at the end of the garden behind some bushes. He stopped walking and peered in the direction of the sound to try and see what it could be.
‘Bloody thing.’
It was Daisy. His heart pounded to hear her voice so unexpectedly. He didn’t relish what he was about to say to her but was relieved to be able to do it away from any of the staff and guests at the hotel. He went inside the house and poured two glasses of orange juice for them, then went back out to join her.
He watched silently for a few seconds, not wishing to give her a fright or interrupt her while she concentrated on her painting, like he had done at Beauport. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated, her tongue poked out between her lips as her fine paintbrush made a line onto the canvas. She stopped and turning her head, yelped.
‘I didn’t realise you were standing there,’ she said. ‘How long have you been watching me?’
‘Sorry,’ he said holding out a glass of juice for her. ‘Your work looked intricate and I didn’t want to startle you.’
Her expression softened. ‘It’s driving me nuts,’ she said. ‘I can’t seem to get this bit of shading right.’
He moved closer and studied the painting. ‘It’s stunning,’ he said, seeing his grandmother’s view of the beach below her home.
‘Thanks, but it’s not quite right yet.’
‘It looks pretty good to me.’ He took a sip of his drink and watched her do the same. ‘Have you completed many paintings now?’
‘A few, but not nearly enough for a collection.’ She placed her brush down.
‘Look, I wanted to apologise for the other day. It didn’t quite turn out as I’d wanted it to.’ He wasn’t sure that had come out as he’d intended, either. ‘That is …’
She smiled. ‘It’s fine, I know what you meant.’ She finished her drink and passed him the empty glass. ‘I should really get on: my shift starts at noon.’
He knew he had to speak to her now, before she discovered his departure from someone else. ‘Daisy, can we take a brief walk, maybe on the beach?’
She frowned. ‘Can’t it wait? I really do want to get on with this while I can.’
He pictured his mother discussing him leaving the next day and knew that if he didn’t want to ruin what friendship he still had with Daisy, he had to tell her now. ‘Sorry, I know,
but there’s something I want to tell you and I’m afraid it really can’t wait.’
‘Fine, come on then.’ She didn’t look too pleased, but he was glad she’d agreed to listen to him.
They walked along the garden and he placed the two empty glasses on the garden wall before leading her down the concrete steps onto the beach below.
He didn’t know how she was going to react so thought he’d just come out with it. ‘I’m leaving, tomorrow morning,’ he said, not waiting for her to comment. ‘I’ve tried to drum up as much interest in the project as possible and now I have to get back to South Africa and do what I can to keep it going.’
Daisy’s step hesitated. ‘Tomorrow?’
He was relieved to see she looked disappointed at his news. Maybe there was some hope for him after all.
‘Yes, Mum is back now, so there’s nothing keeping me here. I owe it to my team to get back there and do what I can.’
‘Do you know how long you’ll be away?’ she asked, hesitating before adding, ‘I only ask because I know that Lydia misses you when you’re not here.’
‘I know. But she loves having you coming to her garden to paint.’
‘I suppose so.’
They walked on in silence for a bit.
Daisy cleared her throat. ‘I really should be getting back to my painting,’ she said. ‘But good luck with your project; I hope you’re able to rescue it.’
‘Of course,’ he said. ‘I’m only telling you now because I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else.’
She knitted her eyebrows together. ‘Right. Well, thanks, that was thoughtful of you.’
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 106
