‘How is your mother now, Daisy?’ Lydia’s soft voice drew her attention from Gabe’s stricken face.
Daisy shrugged. ‘She died, Mrs Grey. Six months ago.’ She cleared her throat to push away the tears that were threatening to take over.
Focusing her attention back to Gabe once more, she said. ‘I thought I’d been distant from you for too long by the time she died and knew you’d either have met someone or were involved in a project somewhere exotic. I didn’t think it would be fair of me to interrupt your life.’
Lydia stood up. ‘I’m going to clear this table and leave you two to catch up. You obviously have a lot to talk about and you don’t need me sitting here hindering your conversation.’
Daisy was horrified at the thought of pushing Lydia away from her meal. ‘No, please. Gabe is in Jersey now and I’m sure we’ll have plenty of chances to say all we need to,’ she gave him a pointed stare. ‘Won’t we, Gabe?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, Nan, we will. Now, please sit down and let me clear these plates.’
Daisy suspected Lydia was referring to her own experiences. She couldn’t help wondering what Lydia’s story must be.
Lydia smiled. ‘Daisy,’ she said when Gabriel had collected their plates and left them alone at the table. ‘I can see by the way you’re studying me that you’ve got questions you’d like to ask.’
Daisy opened her mouth to disagree, then realising Lydia had seen straight through her, smiled. ‘I do. My mum was a huge fan of yours.’
Lydia tapped the side of her nose with one of her bejewelled fingers. ‘I do have my own story to tell and maybe one day I’ll let you in on everything.’
‘I thought you might,’ Daisy said, desperate to get to know this fascinating lady even a little bit. She couldn’t help being sad that her mum hadn’t lived long enough to know her daughter had met this famous actress. She thought back to the iconic images of Marilyn that she’d been fascinated by growing up, and then to the more regal version that Lydia Grey had been. ‘Was it fun being the Jersey Bombshell?’ she asked, unable to resist one question.
Lydia relaxed back into her chair and smiled. ‘It was the best fun a young woman could hope for. Sometimes it seems like only last year.’
‘My mum said that growing up she wished she could look like you.’ Lydia smiled.
They turned when they heard Gabriel’s footsteps crossing the terrace. ‘I’m hoping this pavlova was meant for us,’ he said, placing the largest meringue pudding Daisy had ever seen down the table.
‘Well, I didn’t intend keeping it all for myself.’ Lydia laughed, and she served up the messy but delicious treat. ‘Gabe loves pavlova,’ she said smiling at him as she handed Daisy a bowl. ‘I hope you do too.’
‘Love it,’ Daisy said with relish, not sure why they were being served with a second pudding. ‘My mum used to make me a meringue covered with chocolate and cream for my birthdays instead of a cake.’
Lydia seemed to like this idea. ‘Then I’m delighted I made it for us. I couldn’t choose between this or a cheesecake, so I thought we could have a little of both.’
They chatted a bit more, mostly about incidents at the hotel and the garden Lydia had spent the past twenty years designing. Then, when they’d finished eating, Lydia suggested she show Daisy around it. ‘It’s especially beautifully at this time of year.’
Lydia stood up and Daisy and Gabriel stepped down from the terrace after her onto her lawn. They walked slowly in the direction of the beach.
‘Where exactly are we?’ Daisy asked aware that although she knew they’d driven east, she wasn’t entirely sure where this place was.
‘Near Green Island,’ Lydia said. ‘I used to come here as a child and spend hours by in the sea looking out at that tiny island over there.’
Daisy followed Lydia’s direction to see something that wasn’t much bigger than a grassy knoll sticking out of the sea metres from the shore. ‘It’s very close; I suppose you can walk there when the tide is out?’
‘Oh yes,’ Lydia said. ‘But you have to be careful not to get caught by the rip tide when the tide comes in. It’s much faster than people assume and occasionally visitors get marooned and need to be rescued.’
‘I hope you have a good rescue team over here with all these beaches,’ Daisy asked.
‘We do.’ Lydia slipped off her shoes when they reached the steps down to the beach. ‘You can leave your shoes here, if you like.’
‘Luke, the guy who’s been working on the orangery at the hotel, he’s in the RNLI. There are two lifeboat crews over here,’ Gabe said, kicking off his loafers. ‘One over that way in St Catherine’s and another in St Helier. They’re out a lot over the year. Most of the call outs are for tourists who’ve sailed to the island, don’t know the waters and underestimate the currents.’
‘I know they have their work cut out for them near where I lived in Devon,’ Daisy said recalling her mother once being upset about someone she’d known drowning when they’d gone to save a crew in distress. She’d always had a strong respect of the sea and never understood when others took chances.
‘The tides in Jersey can rise by forty metres in twenty-four hours, so it can be pretty dodgy here,’ Gabe said picking up a shell and inspecting it.
‘Why did you choose Jersey to come and work in, Daisy?’ Lydia asked. ‘I would have thought you’d want to stay somewhere familiar, especially growing up in Devon. It’s beautiful there.’
Daisy shrugged. She couldn’t tell them she was hiding from someone. ‘Jersey is more like Devon than I expected,’ she said.
‘You mean the narrow lanes and high banks,’ Gabe teased.
‘Well you also have lovely Jersey cream over here, too,’ she said, ‘but I meant the rocky headlands and the pretty little bays and coves. Not that I’ve seen too many yet,’ she said.
‘Most people come here to work because they were brought here on holidays as children and liked the idea of returning to work for a season or two,’ Lydia said, bending to pick up a string of seaweed. ‘I love putting this stuff on my garden; it’s the best thing for the soil.’
Daisy didn’t like to admit she’d never had any holidays when she was growing up. Her mum had never managed to earn enough to have the luxury of spare cash in her pocket. ‘No, I came here because Gabriel mentioned it was where he was from. I’d never been before and knew nothing about it, so I looked it up at our local library and discovered a Jersey-based jobsite I applied to a few things and ended up being offered The Encore job.’
‘So, you didn’t particularly aim to work with us?’ Lydia asked, linking arms with Daisy as they walked across the soft creamy sand.
Daisy shook her head. ‘No, but I’ve always loved Art Deco and the architecture fascinates me. I wasn’t aware Gabriel had any connection to the place. We only ever spoke about his ambitions as a marine explorer, didn’t we, Gabe?’ He nodded. ‘It was only him describing the pretty beaches and coves and the clifftop walks and the happy, relaxed lifestyle that made me intrigued enough to find out more. When Mum died I needed somewhere to live, so I left Devon and came here.’
She could see both Gabe and his grandmother were saddened by her mentioning the loss of her mother, so smiled at them. ‘Please, it’s fine. Don’t be concerned for me, I’m very happy here. I love it. Mum had come here as a girl, she told me once how pretty it was and how she’d loved it. So, the connection of Gabe and my mum gave me the impetus to come here and see for myself what this place has to offer.’
‘Good, I’m glad you did,’ Lydia said, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. ‘You’re an asset to The Encore: many people have said so, and I’m enjoying getting to know you.’
‘Thank you,’ Daisy said. ‘That means a lot to me.’
They returned to the table and Lydia served them coffees. Daisy could feel a yawn trying to escape and held her hand up to try and hide it from the others, but Gabriel had noticed. ‘You’re tired,’ he said. ‘We should be going.’
‘No, really, I’m having a lovely time,’ Daisy argued. She wasn’t ready to go back to her small bedroom at the back of the hotel.
‘He’s right,’ Lydia said, standing up. ‘I forget you youngsters have been hard at work all day. Well, you have, Daisy,’ she said, resting a hand on Gabriel’s muscular shoulder. ‘Gabriel has that pleasure to look forward to from tomorrow when his parents go on their way to their various contracts.’
Daisy had forgotten to consider what it was going to be like working in the same building as Gabe. She realised she was feeling happy, truly happy, for the first time since she was last with him in Vietnam.
She hadn’t expected to recover from the trauma of witnessing her mother’s rapid decline and those seemingly endless days at her hospital bedside. For someone as desperately ill as her mother had been, it had shocked Daisy when she’d taken eight long days to die. Now though, she was beginning to see a hint of colour in her own life once again. She’d made the right decision coming here. It wasn’t as far away from Devon as she’d meant to go. It was far enough away to be a fresh start, somewhere where no one knew her, except Gabe. This was a place where she could feel safe and start her life again. Here she could be the person she’d always wanted to be, the one she’d tried out when she was in Vietnam. It was a pleasure to return to that version of Daisy, rather than the frightened version of herself she’d lived with for most of her life.
She picked up her bag from the chair and slipped the cloth handle over her shoulder. ‘Thank you very much for inviting me to your beautiful home, Lydia,’ she said. ‘I’ve had an incredible evening.’
‘I’ll take you back to The Encore,’ Gabriel said bending to kiss his grandmother.
‘It’s no need,’ she said, not wishing to disturb him: aware his grandmother hadn’t seen him much in the last few months. ‘I can catch a bus.’
He shook his head. ‘Nan wouldn’t dream of letting you go back to the hotel by bus when I’m perfectly capable of driving you there, would you, Nan?’ Daisy could see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he smiled at his grandmother.
‘No, I wouldn’t,’ Lydia said, giving Daisy a hug. ‘It’s been wonderful having you here and I meant what I said about coming to paint. I’ll be offended if I don’t see you in my garden with your easel sometime soon.’
Daisy appreciated her invitation and said so.
‘Good, then it’s settled,’ Lydia said.
They began walking over to Gabriel’s car. ‘Maybe I’ll tell you a little more about my past,’ Lydia whispered. ‘But I’ll choose a time when we’re alone and my grandson isn’t nearby to overhear.’
Daisy giggled. ‘I’ll look forward to it.’
Gabriel drove down the curved driveway and they both waved to Lydia who stood with a wide grin on her face on her front steps.
‘She’s a very special lady,’ Daisy said. ‘You’re very lucky to have her as a grandmother.’
‘I am,’ he said, winding down the window of his red vintage Triumph Stag. ‘I miss seeing her when I’m away.’
‘I’ll bet she misses you too, although I’m told she keeps herself very busy helping run The Encore when your parents aren’t here.’
He indicated to turn left and nodded. ‘I think it’s keeping busy and being such a positive person that keeps her looking so young.’
‘You must be very proud of her.’
‘I am.’ He drove in silence for a while, then glanced at her and said. ‘I’m sorry about your mum, Daisy. I had no idea she was so ill. I now see why you didn’t contact me again after you left.’
‘At first I was too wrapped up with everything to think of anyone else, although I did miss you, of course. There wasn’t an internet connection at Mum’s house and I lost my phone on the way to the airport in Delhi,’ she lied. ‘I panicked at first about trying to keep in contact with you but then when I arrived home and saw how bad Mum was, I didn’t have a chance to think about much else.’
She thought back to those black days and nights trying to resign herself to this utter change in her circumstances. ‘My world went from one of happiness, vitality, and colour to one of misery and sickness. I kept going while she was ill, but fell apart a bit when she died. My doctor said it was exhaustion as well as grief.’
He reached his hand across to hers and gave it a squeeze. ‘I’m so sorry; you shouldn’t have had to go through that alone.’
She sighed. ‘I was glad to be there for Mum. I would have hated being away knowing I hadn’t kept her company for the last months of her life.’ She shook her head, hoping to obliterate the picture of her skeletal mother lying in her once-pristine bedroom, now with medicine bottles and boxes spilling over each surface. ‘I did think about going to a nearby internet café to see if you’d emailed me, but by the time I thought about it, I was sure it must be too late to contact you.’
‘It was never too late,’ he said quietly. They didn’t speak for a few minutes while they reflected on his words. ‘Do you mind if I pull over for a bit?’ he asked, after a while.
‘Not at all,’ she said.
He drove for a bit longer, then drew into a small car park by a bigger, more open beach than the one where Lydia lived. Unclipping his seatbelt, Gabriel turned to her. ‘There are so many things I need to tell you, Daisy. I have to admit being crushed when I didn’t hear from you again. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.’
‘I don’t know why you’re apologising to me, Gabe. I completely understand why you would be hurt and let’s face it; it’s not as if you’ve been horrible to me at all.’ She stared transfixed at his beautiful face, every inch so familiar to her. Raising her right hand, she rested the palm against his cheek. ‘I’ve missed you so much and can’t quite believe you’re here with me now.’
‘Would you mind if I kissed you?’ he asked.
It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. ‘Not at all,’ she said.
He hesitated briefly, then, pulling her into his arms kissed her with all the passion she remembered. Daisy seemed to melt into him. He eventually pulled back and smiled at her. ‘I’ve missed you so much.’
‘Me too,’ she admitted.
He took a deep breath and restarted the ignition. ‘I suppose I should be getting you back to the hotel; the last thing we need is Fi sending out a search party for you. The hotel grapevine would go into overdrive by morning.’
Chapter Three
Gabriel
Gabe woke the following morning and stretched. He stood up and pulling on a pair of boxer shorts, grabbed hold of the bottle of water he’d left on his bedside table. Then, he climbed the ladder attached to the wall of his bedroom and opening the metal hatch to the roof, pushed it back, breathing in the familiar salty smell of the sea. He loved being able to do this and knew it was a luxury few could enjoy. He stepped up to the roof terrace to breathe in the warm air. Sighing deeply, he gazed out at the rolling waves and took a deep swig from his bottle. He recalled his kiss with Daisy in the car the evening before.
As much as he missed his research, he did relish coming home to Jersey. Even more so this time now that he’d discovered Daisy working at The Encore. He knew he wouldn’t have mentioned his parents’ names to her when they were away, because he never spoke about his parents by name. Too many years growing up with people changing their attitudes towards him when they discovered that his mother was a renowned beauty and his father a well-known singer had put paid to that before he reached his teens. So it had been an unexpected surprise having Daisy turning up at The Encore.
Daisy. He couldn’t help smiling at the thought of her pretty face, so shocked to see him standing there talking to his nan. Then again, he must have looked stunned to see her working at The Encore. He suspected he was still in shock. After so many months trying to put her out of his mind and get over his feelings for her, to then see her behind his parents’ reception area was unexpected to say the least. He rested back and raised his bare feet on the circular granite wall. Some
thing tickled the side of his heel and he moved to see it was a ladybird. He reached down, waiting for the bug to step onto his finger before holding up his hand to let it fly away. He couldn’t help smiling. He hadn’t felt this carefree or happy since Vietnam. Daisy, he thought closing his eyes. It was easy to imagine being back in Vietnam with her on a hot morning like this one.
He swatted a fly away from his face and realised that someone was calling his name.
‘Gabriel!’ his grandmother shouted from the garden.
He peered over the side of the tower, so that he could hear her calling, to see her with a hand either side of her mouth. ‘Darling, are you coming to join me for breakfast this morning?’
He nodded, happy to be able to share times like these with her. ‘Give me five minutes.’
Hurrying back down to his room, he quickly showered and changed into a T-shirt and khaki shorts. Pushing his feet into worn flip flops, he ran outside to join her where he knew she’d be waiting at the table on her terrace.
‘Good morning,’ he said, bending down to kiss her lined cheek. ‘How are you today?’
‘All the better knowing you’re so close and that I can have you all to myself for a bit.’ She lifted the metal cover from his plate to reveal a full English breakfast. ‘There’s seeded toast under that napkin and I made you a pot of coffee, though why you prefer that when you could have Earl Grey like me, I don’t know.’
‘I suppose I must have got used to drinking it when I was in LA.’
She shook her head and smiled. ‘You do look a bit like one of those beach bums sometimes, Gabriel,’ she teased. ‘Especially when you let your hair grow longer like it is now.’
‘It’s easier,’ he said, deciding not to bother telling her that he’d recently had it cut. He tucked into his breakfast with relish. Nan was a pretty good cook when it came to breakfasts, at least.
‘Do you mind terribly having to come back here to work at the hotel, darling?’
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 92