‘Hi,’ they all said in unison.
‘Good to meet you all,’ Daisy said shrugging off her jacket in the warmth of the setting sun. ‘This is incredible,’ she said. ‘I’ve never experienced anything else like it.’
‘Good, isn’t it?’ Izzy said. ‘They say this place has a natural amphitheatre which is why the sound is so good.’
‘The backdrop of the bay is pure luck,’ Ed said, putting their hamper down in front of Daisy. ‘If you haven’t got enough of anything let us know. Izzy packed a hamper for us and I think she was expecting to stay here for a couple of days.’
Izzy elbowed him and giggled. ‘Ignore him; I just wanted to be sure we had everything we needed.’
‘Including cake forks and piccalilli,’ Ed said shrugging. ‘Whatever that is. It looks like it could be radioactive.’
Daisy couldn’t help laughing at his teasing. She’d always hated the taste of piccalilli, despite her mother’s insistence that it was delicious. Gabriel handed Daisy two glass flutes, took out a bottle of champagne and opened it.
‘What are we celebrating?’ she asked.
‘Being here,’ he said simply, as he poured the golden bubbly liquid. He placed the bottle against one of the sides in the hamper and took a glass from her. ‘To you being here in Jersey,’ he said clinking his glass gently against hers. ‘To a wonderful summer.’
‘I’ll drink to that,’ she said taking a sip.
Gabriel sat cross-legged next to her as they listened to the beautiful tunes filling the air around them. As one tune ended, he leant down and pointing through the trees, whispered, ‘There’s another Napoleonic tower lording it on the rock in the middle of the bay, and down there is a small white house that can be rented out for the odd night.’
She had to move slightly to get a glimpse of each of the properties. ‘Is that white stone lighthouse over there on the left Corbiére?’
‘It is,’ he whispered.
‘Wow, it’s breath-taking,’ she said. ‘It’s so wild and unspoilt down here and that gorgeous sand makes me want to go down there and run into the water.’
‘Nothing’s stopping you from doing that, if you’d like to,’ he said.
‘Maybe after this concert has finished,’ she teased.
‘I’m glad you like Jersey,’ he said, his voice quieter and more serious, his cool breath on her neck sending sensations through her body.
‘How can I not like it; each bay is different to the last and everything is so pretty. I love it here.’
As the music played, the sun slowly lowered and Daisy realised she was leaning against Gabriel. She wasn’t sure whether to move slightly away and sit up straighter. As if he’d heard her thoughts, he put his arm around her shoulders and rested his head against the top of hers. It was a perfect moment. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the music.
‘Move over, Gabe.’
Gabriel tensed and sat up. ‘Bella, I didn’t realise you’d be here this evening.’
‘Why shouldn’t I be?’
Daisy opened her eyes at the sound of the clipped female tone. The beautiful woman with the dark shiny bob and large brown eyes was gazing down at Daisy. She looked at Gabriel and raised a perfectly threaded eyebrow. ‘And this is …?’
Daisy forced her best receptionist smile and offered her hand to the woman. ‘Hi, I’m Daisy,’ she said. ‘I work at The Encore.’
‘Nice to meet you, Daisy,’ Bella said. She gave Daisy a knowing smile. ‘I couldn’t help noticing you were looking very cosy with my husband.’
‘Your …’ Her breath seemed to be sucked out of her. She willed the woman to laugh and tell her that she was joking. When she didn’t Daisy took a deep breath. Gabriel’s arm dropped away from her. No one was laughing. She turned to stare at him.
Gabriel groaned. ‘Daisy, I should have mentioned this before now,’ he said glaring at Bella. ‘This is Bella, and yes, technically, she’s my wife.’
Daisy couldn’t speak. She could have cried, but wasn’t going to let herself down by making a humiliating situation even worse. Refusing to look at Gabriel, she forced a smile onto her face and said. ‘It’s good to meet you, Bella. Do you want me to move over a bit so you can sit down?’
Bella shook her head. Daisy noticed that she’d suddenly turned rather flushed. ‘Oh dear – I was just being silly. Don’t worry about me, I’m old news. I won’t stay; I’m meeting friends. I just thought I’d pop by and say hello.’
Daisy watched the long, tanned legs step carefully over people as Bella made her way to a larger group of people sitting close to the band.
She got the distinct feeling that the others didn’t know what to do or say and when they began busily delving into their picnic hamper and handing out food, Daisy turned to Gabe and in a low voice said, ‘You didn’t think to mention that you were married?’
His stricken look only served to show how guilty he felt, but she had no sympathy. The pain in her chest made her wince. ‘Why didn’t you tell me, Gabe? How could you take me out and spend time with me knowing you had a wife waiting for you at home?’
‘It’s not how it seems,’ he said, taking hold of her hand. ‘Please, let me explain–’
She snatched it away from him. ‘Don’t touch me,’ she whispered between clenched teeth. ‘I don’t date married men, under any circumstances. Do you understand?’
‘Daisy, it’s not like that, honestly.’
She narrowed her eyes at him, white rage pumped through her system so strongly that she thought she might scream. How could she have been so stupid? She shouldn’t be surprised that Gabe wasn’t single, but a wife?
‘We’re not together any more, like she said. Our relationship has been over for months. It never really began if I’m honest.’
‘Are you divorced?’
He hesitated. ‘No, but we will be.’
‘When?’
‘In two years’ time.’
‘What?’
Her evening was ruined. She couldn’t bear to be near him for another second. She grabbed hold of her jacket and small bag and stood up. Gabriel went to stand. ‘No, you stay here,’ she said quietly, not wishing to alert those nearby to her trauma.
‘But Daisy, how will you get home?’ He stood up ignoring her pleas.
‘I travelled around Asia by myself,’ she said. ‘I think I can find my way back to the hotel.’
‘I’m taking you,’ Gabe said bending down and grabbing hold of the hamper. He handed the half-empty bottle of champagne over to Izzy and scooped up the rug.
‘I can give Daisy a lift home,’ Ed said.
‘No, it’s fine,’ Gabe said. ‘Thanks though.’
‘Will you sit down?’ an angry voice hissed at them. ‘Some of us are trying to enjoy our evening.’
Daisy marched off towards the pine trees and the peace of the field beyond. She could hear Gabriel apologising to the man for interrupting the performance and his footsteps as he ran to catch up with her.
‘Daisy, please,’ he said stopping in front of her so that she couldn’t keep walking and had to listen to him. ‘I’m not lying when I say that Bella and I are no longer a couple. I wouldn’t cheat on someone, I promise you that.’
Daisy took a deep breath to try to calm down. ‘I’m probably overreacting but I feel such an idiot.’
‘Why?’ he asked trying and failing to take hold of her hand. ‘How were you to know?’
She closed her eyes briefly and stared at the ground. ‘I’ve been acting as if I know you well when all the time I’m the only one who obviously didn’t know about you and Bella.’ She looked up at him. ‘I wish you’d told me, Gabe, that’s all.’
‘I know,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t really find the right moment and I didn’t want to spoil the evening. I think Bella’s actually really embarrassed about it – she’s always been a bit of a joker and comes out with things she regrets afterwards.’
Daisy sighed. ‘Look, I think I just need to go back to the hotel
and think for a bit.
‘I understand,’ he said. ‘Let me drive you.’
They drove back in silence. Daisy pushed away the image of Bella’s face as she told her about her and Gabe and cringed.
‘Are you OK?’ Gabe asked glancing at her.
‘Fine,’ she said relieved to note that the road he’d just turned down was the one directly before the hotel. Only a few more minutes and she’d be alone to mull over what had happened.
He stopped the car and went to get out. ‘No, it’s fine,’ Daisy said. ‘You go back to the picnic.’ When he opened the door, she added. ‘I’m going to go and paint for a couple of hours.’
She got out of the car and watched him drive away. He didn’t seem very happy but right now she just wanted to be left alone.
The following morning Daisy got up early after a sleepless night and choosing a quiet place down in the hotel valley set up her small easel. Two hours later with very little paint having been placed onto the canvas she came to the conclusion that what had happened the previous night with Gabe was exactly the reason why she wasn’t ready for another relationship. She was better single. At least that way she knew where she stood and there’d be no nasty shocks sideswiping her when she least expected it.
Chapter Five
Gabriel
Gabriel rubbed his face with his palms. ‘Idiot,’ he groaned. He’d been too busy enjoying this chance of spending time with Daisy again to risk ruining it by mentioning his wife’s existence when they’d first met up again. He leant against the orangery door and checked his mobile for the tenth time that hour. She didn’t want to speak to him.
‘I’m going out for a bit,’ he shouted.
Luke looked up from the window frame he was finishing and scowled. ‘Try not to be too long, I’m going to need all the help I can get if this work is to be finished on time.’
Gabriel knew he was right, but he couldn’t leave Daisy to stew any longer than he already had done. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can; there’s something I need to do first.’
He didn’t blame Luke for looking unimpressed; after all, he was the one helping Gabe out not the other way around.
He’d managed to upset too many people recently, he thought as he got into his car and drove off to find Daisy. When he’d phoned the hotel earlier Fi told him that Daisy had gone out. She hadn’t mentioned going shopping, probably because that wasn’t really Daisy’s thing, so he assumed she must have gone somewhere to paint. He turned at the next lane and headed for his grandmother’s house. Daisy was aware that he and Luke were spending the day working on the orangery, so she would have expected him to be hard at work at the hotel, and he suspected she’d be making the most of him being away from his grandmother’s house to paint in the garden.
‘What are you doing here?’ Lydia asked a short while later as she strode around the side of the house. ‘I thought you couldn’t leave the hotel until the orangery was finished.’
He turned off the engine and stepped out of the car, kissing his grandmother on both cheeks. ‘I needed to speak to Daisy. I left messages for her at Reception and in her room, but she’s not called me back.’
‘Did you try her mobile?’
‘She doesn’t have one for some reason,’ he scowled. ‘It makes getting in touch with her rather difficult.’
Lydia tilted her head to one side. ‘You haven’t upset her, have you, Gabriel?’
He exhaled sharply. ‘She met Bella.’
His grandmother’s face fell. ‘Oh no.’
‘Yes, she came to the sunset concert at Grantez last night and told Daisy exactly who she was.’
Lydia frowned at him. ‘Oh Bella. Still the same. Have you explained things to Daisy?’
‘I’ve tried, but she seems to be avoiding me. Is she here? I thought she might have come to do some painting.’
She shook her head. ‘She was, but she offered to take Jack for a walk down on the beach. She said she wanted to do a bit of beachcombing and see if she could find a few bits to collect for her room.’
‘I told her yesterday how much people find after storms,’ he said half to himself relieved to have discovered where she was. ‘I’d better go and find her. Try to speak to her, if she’ll let me.’
He ran across the lawn to the end of the garden, opened the small driftwood gate that Lydia had had installed to keep Jack from escaping down to the beach, and hurried down the stone steps to the beach below. He stopped halfway to raise his hand to shade his eyes from the piercing sunlight to scour the sandy beach for Daisy. Spotting her about two hundred metres away, following Jack who was sniffing around something dark in the sand by the water’s edge that he couldn’t make out. He smiled. She was so lovely, and he might have blown it with her. He ran down the rest of the steps towards her on the fine white sand, but as the object Jack was sniffing came into view, he staggered and nearly fell.
It was a rusted, cone shaped object, with tail fins just discernible. A World War Two unexploded bomb. Occasionally these were washed up on the shore after intense storms and most of the locals knew not to go near them but to report them to the police. But Daisy would have no idea.
He ran faster, calling Daisy’s name. She needed to get away from it, and fast. Who knew when this thing could explode? She seemed to be calling the dog away, but Jack was refusing to take any notice. Gabriel’s heart contracted painfully when he saw Daisy running towards the object to fetch him.
‘Daisy!’ he shouted. ‘Come away from there!’
She didn’t even react. It dawned on him that she couldn’t hear him against the waves that were crashing near her feet. He was horrified to see her standing, arms folded as she spoke to the dog. Jack turned and ran closer and Gabriel screamed her name to distract her. But she still couldn’t hear him. He sprinted towards her.
Daisy and Jack reached the bomb as he called her name again. She looked up in his direction, shocked to see him racing towards her. ‘I don’t really want to talk now, Gabriel,’ she said.
‘Get back!’ he shouted, wanting her to listen, but not wishing to alarm her.
She scowled at him. ‘What’s the panic?’ she asked as he reached her, grabbed her arm and pulled her away. ‘Hey, let go of me, you’re hurting my arm.’
She looked stunned by his actions, but he didn’t care. He scooped Jack up in one arm and grabbing her wrist, dragged her off as fast as he could.
As soon as they were about a hundred feet away, he stopped. Daisy snatched her arm from his grasp. ‘How dare you manhandle me like that?’
‘Sorry,’ he said, hating the accusatory glare she was giving him. ‘I needed you to get away from that.’
‘What?’
She looked a little frightened and it dawned on him that it might not have anything to do with the bomb. Her expression changed and he thought for a moment that she wanted to punch him. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he turned her to him. ‘I didn’t mean to be rough, but that thing Jack was sniffing at is a bomb.’
Her eyes widened for a second and then she smiled. ‘Are you on something?’
He shook his head. ‘I’m deadly serious,’ he said. ‘Can you hold him for a minute?’ he asked handing Jack into her arms. ‘I don’t want him to go back and sniff around that thing.’
He took his mobile from his pocket and called the police, reporting what he’d found, and then called another number, giving them the same story. By the time he’d ended the call she was walking further away.
‘How the hell do you know that’s a bomb?’ she asked obviously not sure she believed him. ‘Is this some sort of game? Because after last night I’m really not in the mood.’
Gabriel could see she wasn’t going to let him off easily. ‘It isn’t a game,’ he said. ‘We need to move further away from it. We also need to make sure no one else gets near.’ He checked his watch. ‘They should be here soon.’
‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’
‘I wouldn’t joke about something like this
,’ he said a little annoyed.
‘OK, so where will this bomb have come from then?’
‘It’s probably a German shell from the Occupation and was probably fired from one of the gun emplacements along the coast.’ He heard the sirens seconds later.
‘They can’t have got here so quickly,’ she said looking doubtful as two of the parish honorary police arrived. They drew up in their car and came over to speak to Gabe.
‘Is that it there?’ Gabe nodded. ‘Blimey, that looks like a fifty pounder to me,’ he said taking his phone from a pocket in his neon yellow jacket. ‘I’ll call the bomb disposal guys.’
‘We need to make a cordon, at least one hundred metres away,’ the older one said.
‘Ahh, it’s young Gabriel Wilson,’ the other man said after he’d finished his call. He held his hand out to Gabriel.
‘Good to see you again,’ Gabriel said. ‘Do you want me to wait here until more men arrive?’
‘That would be good. If you could stand further back and ask the lady to take your grandmother’s dog back home?’
Gabe nodded and did as he was told. As he and Daisy walked the short distance away, he explained the situation to her. ‘These two guys are honorary police: they’re volunteer policemen who take an oath in the Royal Court and assist the Centenier to keep order in the parish. We have them for all twelve parishes in the island and they do a brilliant job.’
Daisy looked intrigued. ‘I thought they were police by their uniforms and markings on their cars. They seem well organised.’
‘They are. They live nearby which is why they got here so quickly.’
She stared over at the men who were waving other beachcombers away. ‘It’s so different here to back home, despite the scenery looking similar in places.’ She looked towards the bomb. ‘I never expected something like this to happen in Jersey,’ she said. ‘Do many bombs get brought up on to the beaches after all this time?’
He was relieved she seemed to have forgotten about their disagreement. ‘No, not really. It can happen after a particularly violent storm and we had one of those the other night. I’ve seen one before down at St Ouen’s beach. The German army used to test fire various weapons during World War Two down there, so you do get the occasional bomb being brought in on a particularly rough tide.
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 95