‘I was at her funeral,’ he said. ‘Didn’t you see me?’
She shivered. Then thinking back to the rainy day when only a handful of kindly neighbours and her mother’s nurse had attended the brief service before her body was cremated, she realised he must have been watching her then too.
She stifled a cry. ‘No, I didn’t,’ she admitted, wishing she could believe he was bluffing. The day had been a mixture of emotions with Daisy’s heartache and yet at the same time the relief that her mother was no longer suffering.
It dawned on her that he was waiting for her to say something, but what could she say? He always liked to think he was so clever, she mused, aware that she was trembling. Then it dawned on her. ‘How did you know I was in Jersey?’ she asked unable to help feeling intrigued as well as terrified. If she was going to find a way to be rid of him then she needed to discover how he worked.
He tapped the side of his nose with one of his fingers. ‘Now that would be telling,’ he said smiling. ‘So, aren’t you going to give your childhood sweetheart a kiss? Or is there someone else who you’ve been snogging behind my back?’
She moved her hand to behind her where her palette knife rested in her back pocket and touched the handle for comfort. ‘I’m not seeing anyone and I’m not giving you a kiss,’ she said summoning up all her bravery to stand up to him. ‘You might not like to think that our relationship is over, but it is. You shouldn’t have raised your hand to me and now Mum’s dead there’s no one you can threaten to make me keep seeing you.’
‘You came back from your jaunt to the east when you found out I’d been in touch with her though, didn’t you?’
‘You might have frightened Mum with your antics, but you don’t scare me anymore,’ she lied, unable to hide her irritation with him for manipulating her sick mother.
‘We both know that’s crap,’ he said looking smug. ‘You soon came running back when your mother’s neighbour asked you to, didn’t you?’
‘Yes,’ she said, sickened at the triumphant tone in his voice. ‘But only because I suspected she’d taken a turn for the worse, which she had, thanks to your threats. Now why don’t you leave me alone and find someone who suits you far better than I ever did.’
‘You loved me once, you can love me again.’
‘Before you became controlling and tried to dictate everything about how I should behave,’ she said forgetting what he was capable of for a moment.
He touched her face with the tips of his fingers. She recoiled without thinking.
Aaron narrowed his eyes and stared at her. He bent his head, resting it hard against her forehead, and whispered, ‘You’re lucky I’ve got to leave now, but don’t think you can tell me what I will and won’t feel about you. You’re mine: you always were, and don’t you forget it.’ He stepped back. ‘I will see you again, but right now I’m supposed to be buying ice creams.’
He turned and walked away, laughing. Amused by his own actions, as always, Daisy thought, nausea rising. How was she ever going to be truly rid of him, she wondered, panic-stricken. Spots danced in front of her eyes and her head pounded. For a moment she thought she was going to pass out.
She put her paint brush down on her easel and went to sit on a grassy verge near to her. She bent forward and lowered her head between her knees. How had he found her here? She took a few deep breaths and wondered if maybe Jersey was too small a place for her to lose herself. She needed to go somewhere huge, a city perhaps? Wherever she chose it would have to be a busy place and somewhere he’d never think of looking for her.
Two women with small boys and a dog each walked up to her. ‘You OK, love?’ one of them asked, looking concerned.
Daisy forced a smile onto her face. ‘Yes, thank you. Just a bit overtired maybe.’
‘We’ve got a bottle of water if you need a drink,’ offered the other woman.
‘No, thank you. I’ve got a bottle in my bag,’ Daisy said. She stood up, as if to reassure them that she was fine and satisfied, they both continued with their walk.
Checking around her to see that Aaron wasn’t coming back again, she picked up her paintbrush and palette and set to work on her picture. She didn’t want anyone knowing what had happened: it was far too humiliating. So decided that the best thing to do was to carry on with her painting, so that she could have something to show for her time here when Fi did return to collect her.
Her hand was shaking, so she took a few deep breaths to try and calm down, so that she could have control over her movements on the canvas. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone and move on, she wondered. Hadn’t they endured enough dramas together for one lifetime? She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and tried not to give in to the despair that seeing him once again had made her feel.
She focused on the view ahead and her half-painted canvas and it seemed like no time at all when Fi ran up, causing her to jump and drop her paintbrush on the grassy pathway.
‘Oh, sorry, Daisy,’ Fi said. ‘I didn’t mean to give you a fright. You must have been concentrating very hard not to hear me calling you.’
The thought that she’d not heard bothered Daisy. If only she could manage to paint and stay remotely in the present to be able to hear what was going on around her, she thought. ‘Sorry, I tend to become so involved in what I’m painting. I have no idea what’s going on nearby,’ she said, noticing how radiant Fi looked. ‘You obviously had a lovely time with your new man.’
Fi nodded. ‘I did,’ she giggled. ‘He’s so hot and very naughty. We had an ice cream.’
Daisy wiped her brush on a piece of paper towelling, amused by her friend’s enthusiasm. ‘Getting an ice cream doesn’t sound that naughty to me,’ she said, unable to help smiling.
Fi winked at her, helping her pack up her things. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet him, he’s gorgeous.’
They arrived back at the hotel and Fi dropped Daisy off and left to return to her brother’s home. ‘Don’t forget you said you’d come to the fashion show tomorrow,’ she said.
‘Won’t you want to take Phil instead of me?’
Fi shook her head. ‘No, I can meet him afterwards,’ she said. ‘I doubt he’d appreciate the fashion as much as you would. Anyway I want to chat about Paige’s designs with you afterwards. I’m thinking of asking her to make me a bespoke pair.’
‘How can I help?’ Daisy asked lifting her easel box and rucksack from the back of the car. ‘I don’t have any upmarket shoes.’
‘Maybe not,’ Fi said, glancing down at Daisy’s flip flops, ‘but you’re creative and know colours, so you should be able to help me put together some ideas before I speak to Paige.’
Daisy liked the idea. ‘Great, I’d love that,’ she said. ‘Right I’ll catch you later. I’d better take this painting to my room and let it dry if I’m not going to smudge it,’ she said relieved to have some time alone in her room where she could sit quietly and muse over her confrontation with Aaron.
She unlocked her bedroom door and walking in, almost slipped on a note that had been pushed underneath her door. Daisy put away her paint things and rested the wet canvas against the small inbuilt dressing table before bending down to retrieve the piece of folded paper. Opening the note, she read, I hope your friend was able to find you. It was signed by one of the receptionists who’d been on duty.
Daisy sat heavily on her bed. She was sure they weren’t supposed to give out staff details. She re-read the note, irritated that one of her colleagues had been careless enough to give a complete stranger details of her whereabouts, decided to have a word with her when she next saw her. Now though, she needed time to gather herself and come to terms with the fact that Aaron had found her again. If he’d phoned here, then he knew she was living and working at the hotel. He was charming enough to glean information from the savviest of people and Daisy decided that if she was going to get away from him, then she would need to find a way to do it that freed her from him forever.
Chapter Fourteen<
br />
Daisy
Refusing to let her new colleagues discover anything about her difficult past, Daisy put on a brave face and tried to push the image of Aaron threatening her at the dam to the back of her mind. The following evening, she was determined to enjoy the fashion show as she and Fi took their seats in the front row.
‘I didn’t expect to have tickets to sit here,’ she whispered as they placed their bags on the floor under their chairs. ‘This is amazing.’
‘I know, it’s so cool,’ Fi giggled. ‘Paige is fabulous. She’s the only one who manages to keep Seb in his place, and I can always rely on her to put my side of an argument across if he and I have fallen out about something.’
‘Has he met Phil yet?’ Daisy hoped Fi’s brother didn’t take a dislike to the man she was so besotted with.
Fi shook her head. ‘Not yet, thankfully. Seb has been away and I’m trying to keep them apart for as long as possible. I don’t need him to come down on me all serious and bossy.’
‘I know he’s probably annoying at times,’ Daisy said. ‘But I’d love to have an older brother to look out for me.’ More than anything right now, she thought but refrained from adding.
‘Yes, you’re right, but he forgets that I’m not a kid any more. I can make my own decisions.’
‘I know, and he’ll understand that one day.’
‘You think?’ Fi joked. ‘Ooh look, I think they’re about to start the show.’
The lights dimmed in the hall and lit up the runway. The chilled music changed to something far more dramatic and the show began.
Daisy was entranced. She hadn’t expected such a small island to put on something as professional as she’d seen in magasines. The tall, angular models strutted down the runway, their bodies showing off the local designs and their feet encased in the most gorgeous shoes she’d ever seen. She noticed that each heel had a letter ‘p’ embossed on it.
‘Wow, those shoes are to die for,’ she cooed, aware that she’d probably never have money to purchase a pair, never mind having anywhere to go to wear them. ‘I can’t wait to see the shoes she designs for you.’
‘Me neither,’ Fi said. ‘Look at that jacket.’ She pointed to a fuchsia pink cotton jacket being worn by one of the models. ‘I can see me in that, can’t you?’
Daisy smiled. ‘Yes, I can,’ she said, able to imagine her elegantly tall friend in almost every outfit she’d seen being shown.
A chill ran down her neck and Daisy glanced across the hall, thinking she’d seen someone who looked very much like Aaron amongst the seated crowd. She peered to get a better view, but realised she must have been imagining it. She hoped she wasn’t going to start thinking she could see him everywhere she went. She loved this new home of hers and wanted to be able to explore all its beaches and walks, but knowing he could be around any corner was very unnerving.
The show ended and everyone stood to applaud the designers. Daisy watched as Paige walked down, hand-in-hand with the clothes designer, both bowing at the end and smiling to their appreciative audience.
‘She’s great, isn’t she?’ Fi said, clapping harder as Paige walked past, giving her a wink when she spotted her and Daisy standing next to the runway.
‘Do you want to try and go backstage to see the outfits?’ Fi asked.
‘You have to ask?’ Daisy waited for Fi to go first and followed her, both trying to walk against the crowd as they slowly left the hall.
Eventually they made their way backstage, to be stopped by a burly guard. ‘Sorry, ladies,’ he said. ‘Only those with passes allowed back here.’
‘It’s OK,’ Paige shouted hurrying towards them. ‘These two are family,’ she said, hugging Fi and shaking Daisy’s hand. ‘You must be Daisy,’ she said. ‘Fi has told me so much about you. Didn’t we meet briefly at The Encore party?’
‘Yes, that’s right,’ Daisy said, pleased that Paige remembered her.
‘Follow me and you can come and try on a few pairs of shoes. You’ll need to get to them before my sister does: she’s determined to persuade me to give her at least one pair.’
Daisy couldn’t wait to try them on. She gasped in delight when they arrived at the selection of shoes and picking up a red patent pair, she examined them in awe.
‘Put them on if they fit,’ Paige said. ‘See how they feel to walk in. I like to think that my shoes feel as good as they look.’
Daisy slipped off her sandals and stepped into the skyscraper heels. She so rarely wore high heels that at first it felt slightly surreal to be so tall. She was almost eye to eye with Fi who had yet to choose a pair.
‘Well?’ Paige asked. ‘How are they?’
Daisy beamed at her. ‘They’re heavenly,’ she said. ‘I love how they’re cushioned, especially at the ball of my foot.’
‘Good, I’m glad. They suit you, too,’ Paige said, staring down and admiring Daisy’s slim feet in her heels. ‘You’d make a great foot model.’
Buoyed by the fun she’d had at the fashion show, Daisy decided to put Aaron to the back of her mind and concentrate on her painting. She was also determined not to give Aaron another chance to surprise her and spent the rest of August making the most of Lydia’s garden where she felt completely safe. She found new vantage points from which she could reproduce unusual and colourful views and not once was she disturbed by anyone other than Lydia’s gardener, or Lydia herself, asking her if she wanted to join her for lunch, a walk on the beach, or simply a chat.
She hadn’t seen Fi for a few days, but was happy to accept her friend’s invitation for her to spend an afternoon off sunbathing at her brother’s house. She’d put on her bikini in preparation.
‘He’s away again for a few days,’ Fi said, throwing towels onto three sunbeds and then straightening them out neatly. ‘Take any one you like. I’ll fetch some drinks.’
Daisy wasn’t sure who else would be joining them and not wishing to lie in between friends, she took the sunbed furthest from the large doors into the living room. She stepped out of her shorts and T-shirt and lay down. ‘This is wonderful,’ she said to herself, looking around the white walls and pale cream tiled area surrounding the large rectangular pool. Taking the lid off a tube of sun cream, she began smoothing it over her skin.
Fi came back outside a short time later carrying a tray with a glass jug of Pimm’s and three glasses. ‘Phil wants to meet you,’ Fi said. ‘I’ve told him to come here and say hi. You don’t mind, do you?’
Daisy shook her head. ‘Of course not,’ she said, excited to finally be meeting this mystery man Fi thought so much about.
Fi nudged her in the ribs. ‘When your man comes back, you’ll have him to drool over.’
Daisy wished Fi didn’t presume that Gabriel was her anything: it only made her daydream and refresh the hope she had that one day they’d find a way to be together. ‘Gabriel is not my man. Please don’t ever say that sort of thing at the hotel; people might get the wrong idea.’
‘I won’t, don’t worry,’ she said pouring two glasses of the dark amber liquid and popping a strawberry from the jug into each glass. ‘Here you go, drama queen.’
Daisy took her glass and smiled. ‘I’m not. Do you think Francesca would be happy if she thought I liked Gabriel?’
Fi sat down on the sunbed next to Daisy and pushing her sunglasses further along the bridge of her nose took a sip of her drink.
‘Yum. Listen, Gabriel is a grown man; I shouldn’t think he’s taken his mother’s advice for years. And as far as Francesca’s concerned, I think she’d be delighted if anyone managed to persuade her son to stay in Jersey. She doesn’t show it too much, but I suspect she misses him just as much as Lydia does. What do you think?’
Daisy knew how much she missed him. ‘Probably; she is his mother after all.’ She noticed Fi glancing at her watch. ‘What time are you expecting Phil to arrive?’
‘Any time now,’ Fi said. ‘Do you think I look OK in this bikini?’ she asked staring down at her perfectly ton
ed stomach. ‘Or maybe I should wear one that doesn’t show off quite so much of me.’
Daisy shrugged. ‘I think you look great, but if you’ll feel happier in something else then change.’
Fi considered her reply and then placing her glass down on the small table between them, stood up. ‘I’ll be back in a couple of secs,’ she said, running inside the house.
Daisy closed her eyes and dozed. She spent all her spare time painting and for once it felt good to simply lie in the sun and do nothing at all. She heard a sound next to her and smiled. ‘You were quick.’
‘I presume you mean someone else,’ said a familiar deep voice, the sound of which made the tiny hairs on her arms stand to attention and her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.
Daisy opened her eyes and had to cover her mouth to stifle a scream. ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked Aaron, seeing him sitting on Fi’s sun lounger, his feet up and hands resting behind his head as he lay back. ‘You can’t just waltz into people’s homes whenever you choose,’ she said recalling how he had done just that at her mother’s small flat on several occasions, frightening them both. His uninvited visits had ended up with her mother insisting Daisy travel to Vietnam to try and stay away from him until he lost interest in her. She’d only agreed to go away because it was so out of character for her mother to want her to do something like that. Her heart ached at the thought that this obsessive fool, who she’d once thought to love, could still be chasing her so long after she’d ended their relationship.
‘I’ve been invited, just like you, sweet Daisy,’ he said, his voice so soft and loving it made her blood run cold. ‘Aren’t you pleased to see me here?’ Confused, Daisy opened her mouth to retaliate but Fi stepped outside. Instead of her looking shocked to see this stranger in her brother’s home, she beamed and ran over to greet him. ‘Phil, you’re here,’ Fi shrieked.
He lifted her up and swung her around, winking at Daisy as she crossed his line of vision. ‘I’ve just been making friends with Daisy here,’ he said. ‘You never told me she was this pretty.’
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 108
