Lydia threw back her head in laughter. ‘Oh my word, no, never that.’ She shook her head. ‘Francesca isn’t nearly ready to be a grandmother, but she did like the idea of her best friend’s daughter marrying her son.’
Lydia began walking again and Daisy kept in step with her. ‘So what you’re trying to tell me is that my boss isn’t going to be too pleased to discover that Gabriel and I have a history, however small.’
‘Exactly.’
It gets better and better, Daisy thought, bending down to pick up a piece of green glass made opaque by years of being tossed about by the sea. She quickened her step to catch up. Wanting to change the subject she said. ‘Gabriel is as dark as you’re fair.’
Lydia smiled. ‘You think it’s strange because Francesca and Rick are pretty fair too. His grandfather was dark, though.’
Daisy nodded.
They walked in silence for a moment and Daisy began to think that Lydia had forgotten she was there next to her. Not wishing to disturb the woman’s thoughts, she concentrated on listening to the waves as they broke against the shoreline near to them.
‘His grandfather was very handsome,’ she said wistfully. ‘His name was Lorenzo and he was Italian. He was the reason I gave up acting and disappeared from the public eye.’
Daisy was intrigued to hear Lydia’s story. ‘That’s so romantic,’ she said longing to have that sort of thing in her life. ‘You must have loved him very much.’
Lydia nodded. ‘It was a magical time. We met when I was filming on location in Naples. He was one of the supporting actors and we only had a couple of short scenes together. I was out walking in the city one day. I’d gone off wandering and got lost, he happened to discover me trying not to panic as the sun set. He offered me a lift on the back of his Lambretta.’ She laughed. ‘I was shy back then and tried to argue with him but he told me the streets were dangerous and that he would walk next to me if he had to but that he wasn’t leaving me alone. So, in the end, I gave in and went back to the hotel with him.’
Daisy sighed. She could picture a younger version of Gabriel insisting that Lydia Grey accept his offer of a ride home. ‘How lovely. What happened next?’
Lydia smiled. ‘I used to see him around the set most days, and then he disappeared for a few weeks. I was devastated and it was then that I realised I’d fallen in love with him. When he returned, I was ecstatic and so when he secretly asked me out to visit a new galleria that had opened up; I agreed and went with him. We saw each other every day after that until shooting ended.’
‘Is that when you came back to Jersey?’
Lydia nodded. ‘My mother insisted I return. I’d tried to confide in her about Lorenzo, but she didn’t want to know. She was determined that I would marry an Englishman with money, who could give me the life she’d never had. She was very ambitious for me.’
‘But you obviously saw him again because you had Francesca together.’
Someone shouted and both women turned to stare out to sea.
‘It’s only someone calling his dog,’ Daisy assured her, desperate to discover more of Lydia’s story. ‘So, Lorenzo …’
Lydia took her hat from her head, smoothed down her hair, and replaced it back to shield her pale face from the sun. ‘He came here, to Jersey, to try and see me, but my mother lied and told him I was away filming. But I was lucky – I’d broken my stiletto heel when I was in town so I came home early and saw him walking down our front path.’
‘How lucky,’ Daisy murmured entranced by the romance of Lydia’s story.
‘I didn’t realise what my mother had done until I got back home again later that evening, but by then Lorenzo had given me the name of the small hotel where he was staying as well as his address in Italy. We secretly spent every day together for the rest of his brief trip and it was then that I became pregnant with Francesca.’
‘It’s like something you’d see in a movie,’ Daisy said dreamily.
Lydia pulled a face. ‘No, it was terrible. My mother was horrified when I told her. I stupidly thought she’d insist Lorenzo and I marry, but instead she planned to take me to her sister’s in Scotland to have the baby and then for it to be adopted.’
Daisy gasped, shocked to hear how Lydia had been treated by her own mother. ‘How did you manage to keep your baby?’
Lydia picked up a seagull feather; she held one end and pulled the soft white strands slowly through her fingers. ‘I managed to send a letter to Lorenzo telling him where we were going. He arrived in Jersey the morning we were due to leave for Scotland and we ran away together.’
‘How?’
‘On a friend’s boat. He sailed us to St Malo and from there we travelled by train down to Lorenzo’s flat in a small village outside Rome.’ Lydia smiled at Daisy and she realised she must have a gormless expression on her face. ‘Let’s sit here,’ Lydia suggested, leading her to a bank where some grass clung on in the sand. ‘It’s so hot I could do with a rest.’
‘Of course.’ Daisy sat next to her and kicking off her flip-flops pushed her feet deep into the soft tiny grains of sand.
‘Where was I?’ Lydia frowned, then before Daisy could remind her, stared out to sea and she could almost see the older woman’s past catching up with her. Her face took on a haunted look and she wondered if maybe asking her to divulge her history to her might not be the best thing she could have done.
‘If it’s painful for you to recall all this and you don’t want to tell me, I’ll understand,’ she said.
‘No, its fine, I need to remember. I forget sometimes and reminisce about Lorenzo, making him out to be the perfect gentleman, which he was not. He was my first and only love though.’
How sad, thought Daisy, for such a beautiful woman to have only loved one man and lost him. ‘When did you part?’ she asked, intrigued, but concerned at her direct question.
‘Francesca was two when I discovered he had a mistress,’ she looked at Daisy. ‘She was a beautiful Italian girl he’d fallen in love with; his first love.’
‘Like Bella is to Gabriel?’ Daisy asked almost to herself.
Lydia nodded. ‘Yes, like that.’
She felt a pang in her heart, but couldn’t blame Lydia for telling her the truth.
‘Sorry, but it is very similar,’ Lydia said, patting Daisy’s clasped hands. ‘Lorenzo loved his daughter, very much, but became more demanding of me. I think he loved me, but I began to believe that he loved the idea of me, more than me as a person. I’d been this untouchable actress, courted and photographed, someone to admire. When I was heavily pregnant and then afterwards he used to come home and I’d catch him watching me: no make-up, creased clothes, and definitely not being coveted by other men. I’d gone from being a goddess in his eyes to his laundry maid and he seemed unable to hide how very let down he felt by me.’
‘But that’s so unfair,’ Daisy said, hurt on Lydia’s behalf. ‘You were bringing up his baby.’
Lydia nodded. ‘I thought so too, but he hadn’t wanted a baby with me, he wanted someone to adore. I think his mistress was always glamorous; I’ve often thought she’d have suited him much better than me.’ She wiped her eyes with her fingertips. ‘It was all rather a mess in the end.’
Daisy could feel the pain that these memories still stung Lydia. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘No, it’s fine. It was so long ago and if I’d fallen in love with someone else after Lorenzo then maybe this wouldn’t still hurt me so much, but I didn’t and it does.’
‘Did he mind you leaving him?’ Daisy asked doubtfully. She’d found it hard enough to break away from her own past and emotional blackmail was always a difficult thing to fight, she’d discovered.
Lydia laughed, a pained bitter sound came from her mouth. ‘It was horrendous. When he discovered I was planning to leave him, he locked me in the flat and wouldn’t let me out. Thankfully I’d made friends with a daughter of one of the neighbours. She’d been a fan of mine and so kindly posted a letter for me to my agent.
He was furious with me for eloping with Lorenzo, but thankfully still had offers coming in for work for me. He had connections in Italy and sent two brothers, who were heavies of some sort. They got me and Francesca away from Lorenzo.’
Daisy couldn’t help wishing she had backup like that. ‘That must have been traumatic.’
Lydia sighed. ‘It was terrifying at the time and he was furious and threatened me with all sorts, but I hid at a friend’s flat in London and eventually he agreed to let me stay in England with Francesca. He never agreed to divorce me and eventually I gave up fighting him for my freedom. I’d got away from him and that seemed enough. It didn’t stop me being hurt when I discovered through the neighbour’s daughter that he was still seen with his mistress and eventually moved her into our home.’
‘Did you ever see him again?’
She shook her head. ‘He wrote to Francesca when he was a bit older and calmer, sending the letters to my parents. They met up once or twice, which I was relieved about.’
‘How sad.’
‘So, not as romantic as you’d expected, was it?’
Daisy shook her head. ‘No, it wasn’t.’
‘But I comfort myself with the fact that Gabriel inherited his grandfather’s good looks,’ she looked at Daisy and pulled a face. ‘Gabriel might have been in love with Bella and married the girl, but she isn’t his mistress and he would never treat a woman like his grandfather did.’
‘Good, I’m glad,’ Daisy said. Then she had a disturbing thought. ‘If anything, I’m the mistress in this scenario.’
‘You’re not sleeping with him, are you?’
Daisy widened her eyes, embarrassed to have been asked such a question by Gabriel’s own grandmother. ‘No, I’m not.
‘Sorry, it’s none of my business.’ She took one of Daisy’s hands in her two and squeezed it gently. ‘Give him a chance to sort this mess out with Bella. It would be a terrible shame if the two of you couldn’t be together after you obviously have feelings for each other. Give him time.’
Daisy nodded. She didn’t like to say that they didn’t have much time. She wouldn’t stay at the hotel longer than the end of the season and Gabriel was leaving in less than a month to go and return to his project work in South Africa. He might come back, but for how long?
‘You look troubled,’ Lydia said. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing,’ Daisy fibbed. She wasn’t going to put his grandmother in the difficult position of playing referee to them both. The last thing she needed was to have to make a choice between Daisy and Gabriel, because Daisy knew full well that she would always choose her grandson, and that was exactly how it should be, she decided. ‘Isn’t this the most glorious view?’ she asked to divert Lydia’s attention.
Lydia watched her briefly but when Daisy looked out across the sea, Lydia followed her gaze. ‘It really is wonderful. I love travelling and always enjoyed working abroad, but I’m never happier than when I’m sitting on one of the beaches on this island.’
‘I can see why,’ Daisy said, honestly.
They sat in companionable silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Daisy couldn’t help wondering what it must have been like to be in a love affair that encompassed your entire world. Poor Lydia, to have suffered so cruelly at the hands of the one man you loved so much that you still felt the pain keenly sixty years later.
The tide slowly worked its way towards them until Daisy, lost in thought, gasped as the cold salty froth of the sea licked against her toes.
‘Gosh, I was dozing off then,’ Lydia said, smiling at her. ‘This is almost too relaxing.’
‘I enjoyed this evening,’ Daisy said.
‘So, did I,’ Lydia said. She didn’t speak for a few minutes and then added, ‘I don’t want you and Gabriel to fall out over Bella. You seem to click together so beautifully.’
Daisy didn’t want to offend Lydia, but felt she had to be honest enough to let her know that sorting out their issues probably wouldn’t be as easy as she hoped. ‘I’ve had a lot of emotional stuff to deal with these past two years,’ she confided. ‘I’m not ready to open myself up for more heartache.’
Lydia nodded. ‘I understand. Although, surely being friends with each other won’t lead to difficulties? He’ll need your support, I’m sure.’
Daisy didn’t like to argue, so nodded, even though she didn’t actually agree with what Lydia was proposing.
Chapter Seven
Daisy
Two days later, Lydia sent one of the waitresses through to Daisy’s room with a note asking her to meet up in Reception in ten minutes. Grumbling to herself, Daisy stood up from her bed where she’d been dozing and cleaned her teeth, brushed her hair, and changed into a pair of shorts and a fresh T-shirt. When she arrived downstairs, she was concerned to see the usually calm lady in a bit of a flux.
‘What’s the matter?’ she whispered, hoping there hadn’t been any bad news.
Lydia sighed. ‘Gabriel is working with the volunteer group at Noirmont on one of the bunkers and texted me to say he’d heard that an important letter he’s been expecting has been sent here for him. I promised to deliver it to him, but forgot I’d planned a meeting with some tourism executives this afternoon. Can you drive?’
Confused by the change in topic, Daisy said, ‘Yes, but I don’t have a car.’
Lydia held up a set of keys. ‘These are for a hotel car, which your contract means you’re insured on. Are you OK to drop it off for him?’
She nodded. Lydia motioned for Fi. ‘Pass me that large envelope over there will you, dear?’
Fi winked surreptitiously at Daisy as she turned, then picked up the envelope and handed it to Lydia.
‘Please take this as soon as you can to Noirmont.’ She frowned. ‘Do you know where that is?’
‘Sorry, no,’ Daisy said with relief. Somebody else would have to go. She wasn’t in the mood to take anything to Gabriel. They hadn’t seen each other to talk to for days and she was quite happy with leaving things as they were.
‘Fi, pass me a map please.’ Lydia pointed at the pile of maps kept at the back of the desk for tourists.
Damn, thought Daisy. She should have known Lydia wouldn’t just accept her answer. She followed Lydia to the reception desk and watched as Fi unfolded a leaflet. Lydia pointed to a place on the west of the island. ‘This is where we are, and here,’ she moved her finger a short way along the road, turning along another long road and then to the where small boxes were printed, depicting, Daisy assumed, the cluster of bunkers where Gabriel was working. ‘Is where you’ll find Noirmont. Drive to the end where they’ve parked their cars and you’ll soon find him, I’m sure. Just ask anyone there, they’ll know him.’
She handed the envelope and keys to Daisy. ‘The car is parked at the back of the hotel. If you have any problems, just give Fi a call on the main line.’ She smiled at Daisy. ‘Thank you for doing this for me, dear.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Sorry, I’m going to have to dash.’
Fi giggled and turned her back on Daisy when the phone rang. ‘Don’t look so bloody miserable; I’d much rather you work my shift and let me go and pay a visit to Mr Gorgeous.’
Left with little choice, Daisy took the keys and envelope and went through the hotel to where the little, battered run-around car was kept. The drive through the tree-shaded lanes was fun. So much fun in fact, that she took the wrong route twice, the first time, going down a long windy hill ending up facing St Aubin’s beach, the second time she missed it, she went right down a wooded hill to Ouaisne Bay. The third time the road took her to the open headland where all around were massive concrete bunkers, a network in fact of these relics from the Nazi Occupation that fascinated Gabriel so much.
She parked and got out, locking the car as she surveyed the open area and tried to work out where he could be. She tucked the envelope under her arm and putting her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun, tried to find him.
So many people walking around, s
he noted. Families stopped to pose for photographs, locals were walking their dogs, and children ran around screaming with excitement. It was difficult to imagine that only seventy years before this had been a place of strict regime instilling fear into the locals still living on the island.
She heard his laugh first; the sound made her stomach contract and her heart pound. She hadn’t heard him laugh like that since they were in Vietnam. Hearing this sound made her spin round to face his direction, dropping the envelope and cursing when she went to pick it up and the wind took it and blew it away from her. ‘Shit,’ she cried running after it, trying to stamp on it as soon as she could catch up with it, only for it to fly off out of her reach once again.
‘Oh no.’ She tried not to panic but remembering Lydia’s concern that Gabriel be handed this important document as soon as possible, the thought of it slipping over the edge of the cliff face was too much for her to stand. ‘Help,’ she cried, to anyone within hearing distance.
A few people looked up, and two teenage boys giggled and nudged each other as she ran past them. Needing to go faster, she kicked off her flip-flops and followed the envelope, but had only gone a few feet when she stepped hard on a large stone which tripped her straight over. Daisy stared after the document as it flew over one of the bunkers and landed on the other side. Had it gone over the edge of the headland, she wondered. It was too late to worry about it now, she thought trying her best not to cry as her toe pounded and she noticed that she’d cut the skin. She held her foot and bent down to blow on her painful toe.
‘Is this what you were trying to catch?’ said a voice she recognized.
She didn’t have to look up to see Gabriel standing next to her, but did anyway. ‘Yes,’ she winced as her toe smarted.
He crouched down next to her, inhaling sharply between his teeth. ‘That looks painful and it’s already bruising. Here, let me help you up.’ She nodded. ‘We’ll have a first-aid kit down in the bunker, if you’ll let me take you there.’
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 98