“I know you’re right. And I am not sorry he’s gone. Actually it has taken a weight off my mind. I still want to be independent, but I am not as afraid of accepting help from Todd. He sort of said he wanted to marry me … well, in not as many words, but that was what he meant.”
Samantha pulled over to the kerb, turned off the engine, turned and stared wide-eyed at Chloe. “He what? And you are only telling me this now! We have been out of the office for fifteen mins and you are only telling me this now? And what do you mean not in so many words? Tell me his exact words.”
“He said he loved me, and he hoped to be on bended knee when he said it one day. Bended knee only means one thing to me. He didn’t outright propose, but I don’t think the time was right for that.”
“So back up the track. Did you tell him about going back to Paris before or after he said he wanted to get down on bended knee?’
“Before.”
“And how did you react when he told dropped that bombshell?”
“I told him I was anxious but a little excited.” Chloe failed to keep the excitement out of her voice. “I’m imagining what it would be like.”
“So he has told you he is thinking of a future with you and marriage is on the cards. You have to know that Todd would not say that if he didn’t mean it, and if he hadn’t thought it through. I think he told you so you would take some time to get used to the idea. Let’s be honest, if he asked you to marry him now, I don’t think he’d have the answer he wanted.”
“I think you are right. You know him better than I do. If he wanted me to think about it, then it’s worked. Because I can’t think of anything else now.”
“Well, for the next hour or two could you concentrate on what you need to buy for a basic wardrobe, and I will wield Todd’s credit card with gusto, and splash out on some pretty dresses and shoes to make you swoon.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Living with Todd had its good points, no denying that. It had also been easier this time around. The ebb and flow of the day had formed a routine and one week flowed into the next without incident. Most nights Todd cooked for them both. Although it had been a while since she had cooked for anyone other than herself, Chloe enjoyed occasionally experimenting with some French recipes. If the weather permitted they ate on the terrace. Sometimes they walked to a local restaurant, or had a quiet drink in the pub after work, with Sam and Malcolm. Chloe couldn’t remember feeling so at peace with herself and those around her.
She had started work with Josephine, the interior designer assigned to teach her and guide her in the right direction. Although internship had been a steep learning curve, she found it exhilarating and fascinating to watch the shell of the house become a thing of beauty. The next big task was accessorizing the interior. She couln’t wait to put her special mark on this house. It called out for love and attention, which she would happily provide.
While searching the web for carpets to match the dove-grey paintwork in the study after a long and tiring day at Portsea, Chloe found her thoughts drifting to Todd. An image of how he had looked this morning at breakfast, of how he had laughed when she recounted the mix up with the kitchen cabinets and the workmen who wouldn’t take no for an answer and wanted to install them, flashed into her mind. His blue eyes had twinkled with fun, spreading the tiny laugh lines around the edges. She had reached out and touched her fingertips to them. He had kised her hand.
Their lovemaking had also taken on a different tone. It had become languid and easy, and interestingly her arousal had intensified. Chloe only had to think of Todd to want to be in his arms, to want to feel his lips against hers, his heart beating fast under her palm, his eagerness wedged between them. She had gone over all the evidence multiple times and there could only be only one answer for the change that had come about of late.
She was in love. And it scared her to death.
Daniel held the office door open and allowed a little girl to enter ahead of him. This miniature diva came complete with designer jeans, a pink top with splashes of purple sequins, and matching pink sandals. Her soft blonde wavy hair had been styled into a high ponytail. A pair of tiny sunglasses sat atop her head. She would have looked perfect on any catwalk for mini celebrities. Gorgeous couldn’t begin to describe her.
“Oh my goodness. Who is this lovely young lady, Daniel?” Chloe stopped sorting paint samples, totally taken with this pint-sized fashion devotee.
“Bianca, say hello to Chloe.” Daniel deposited his daughter beside Chloe and headed for his desk in the corner of the office.
“Hello. Do you work for my daddy?” Bianca stared intently at Chloe.
“No, I work with your daddy. Don’t you look gorgeous? Did you pick these clothes yourself today, or did Mummy dress you?”
“Mummy picked them out, and Daddy helped me fix my hair.” Bianca fluffed up her ponytail. “Mummy says he is better at ponytails than me. But I’m learning to do my own hair.”
Chloe patted the seat beside her. “I’m impressed with Daddy’s hairdressing skills. Do you want to sit here with me while your daddy finds whatever he is looking for? What are you looking for, Daniel?”
“I thought I had a signed contract in my briefcase to drop off this morning on my way to work. Unfortunately I couldn’t locate it, and it’s not here either. I’ll have to make another copy. I’m running late to drop Bianca off at my mother’s, but this contract is more important.”
“You can leave Bianca here with me while you do that. Sam’s gone to the cafe but she’ll be back in a few minutes.” Chloe turned back to the child. “I have some coloured pencils in my drawer. Would you like to draw while Daddy is busy on his computer?” Chloe pulled out some pencils and placed a large drawing pad on her desk.
Samantha returned to the office, carrying a box of pastries and a carton of milk. She put them on the desk while she stowed her purse in the drawer. “Hey Bianca. Is it school holiday time already?”
“Yes. And Grandma and Grandpa are taking me to the zoo today.” Bianca’s tongue peeped out at the edge of her mouth, and her head bent in concentration as she attempted to draw a perfect circle on the paper. The task took her attention for a full two minutes before she spotted the pastries and began to fidget. “Can I have a croissant? Please.”
“Oh, we had better ask your daddy. I wouldn’t want to mess up your clothes.” Sam said.
“I’ll be very careful. Promise.” Bianca looked imploringly at Sam and Chloe.
“Come on, we’ll take it into the kitchen so we don’t make a mess of Samantha’s desk.” Chloe picked up the pastry box and held out her hand to Bianca. She felt inordinately pleased when Bianca placed her small warm hand in hers, and smiled up at her with genuine pleasure.
When Todd arrived back at the office, Chloe and Bianca were having morning tea in the kitchen. Their colouring and features were so similar, any passerby could be forgiven for thinking they were mother and daughter. He had a vision of the future, of Chloe with their daughter, and the clarity of that vision surprised him. The sudden longing for a family of his own wrapped around his heart and squeezed, rocking him with its intensity.
“Hello Bianca. Is it ‘bring your daughter to work’ day?” Todd pulled out a chair and sat opposite.
“No I’m going to the zoo with Grandpa and Grandma. I’m waiting on Daddy to take me. He’s working.” Bianca ate the last morsel of her croissant and pushed away her plate. She turned to Chloe. “Can I go and finish my drawing?”
“Sure you can.” Chloe watched Bianca settle at her desk, pencil in hand, head bent to her task.
“You looked right at home with her. You’ll make an amazing mother.” Todd reached over and squeezed Chloe’s hand.
“She is a delight. Very chatty and precocious. She is easy to look after.”
“Are you getting a teeny weenie bit clucky then?” He watched the colour rise in her cheeks, and she lowered her eyes. You’ve embarrassed her.
“I will bet that most people who don
’t have kids think that bringing up a child is a breeze. It always looks easy from the outside. Isn’t that right, Daniel?” Chloe swivelled to ask Daniel as he entered the kitchen.
“She can be a handful, but on the whole she is a good kid. Anytime you want to babysit, just let me know. You can road test your theory.” Daniel picked up a pastry and finished it in two bites. “Come on, Bianca. Say goodbye. Thank Sam for the morning tea. I had better get you to Grandma’s or you won’t make the zoo today.”
“Thank you, Sam. Thank you, Chloe. Bye, Todd.” Bianca waved as she was led away by her father, and continued to wave as he buckled her into the car parked right outside the front door.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Chloe told Sam. “She’s a sweet kid. I have already had the ‘are you clucky’ speech from Todd.
“I have never seen you look so starry-eyed before. She really got to you, didn’t she?” Todd leant against the doorframe appraising Chloe, his arms crossed, enjoying teasing her.
“As I said, she is a sweet kid. She was fun to talk to. I haven’t been around many, but she certainly seems mature for her age.”
“I love spending time with my nephews and nieces when we go to Queensland, but I am exhausted by the end of the day. I don’t know how my sister manages it.” Samantha turned on her computer. She reached over to take an incoming phone call, and switched smoothly to business mode, the last half an hour quickly and easily parked in social mode.
Chloe sat staring into space, remembering the warmth of the small hand placed in hers. Maybe I am clucky. All of a sudden she realised she wasn’t getting any younger, her biological clock was ticking. And she could hear it loud and clear.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Chloe had made good time on the drive down the peninsula and she was earlier than expected for her meeting with Patrick. They had intended to walk through the new extension together to pick up any flaws in the plasterwork or cornices before the painters arrived. She also wanted another opinion of the paint colours and blind swatches she had chosen for the huge floor-to-ceiling windows he had installed. It was important to bring everything on site as the light was different up on the isolated cliff top. It had purity about it, unaffected by streetlamps and the glare from neighbouring windows. Everything appeared sharper, crisp, and more authentic in this house, she couldn’t explain it. If truth be told, the house spoke to her, and she tried her hardest to listen and bring it back to its former glory.
She hadn’t expected to see Todd’s car parked beside Patrick’s ute when she pulled up in the driveway.
She gathered up the fabric swatches and walked around the back, towards the newly built extension, hoping to find them there. She could hear footsteps echoing around the empty rooms through the open door. At the entrance, a bundle of fabric swatches slipped out of her grasp, and she bent down to pick them up and took a few seconds to rearrange her armful of samples. She recognised Todd and Patrick’s voice. Patrick sounded agitated, and she considered going back to the car to beep the horn and announce her arrival. Eavesdropping felt wrong. Then she heard her name.
“So what’s the hold-up? Is Chloe selling?” Patrick asked Todd.
“I haven’t asked her.”
“Don’t you think you should ask? You could offer her a very good price.”
“I don’t think she’s ready to sell, and I don’t want to push her.”
“That would be a first. You’ve wanted that property for a very long time, and she’s surely not going to build another house on the block … or is she?”
“I honestly don’t know what her plans are … yet.” Todd voice diminished as he moved further from the door.
“For God’s sake, what’s the hold-up? It was a terrible thing to have happened, but you couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. The house isn’t retrievable. You want the land. The investors want a return on their money, and they are pushing now. It makes sense to buy it, take it off her hands, and build the damned apartments. You could offer her a share if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“No, that’s not what I am worried about.”
“I get that you love her, but you have to move on this. When this job is finished I could make a start and clear the site for development. “
“She needs a bit more time before I ask her.”
“Anyone would think you felt guilty or something. Tell me you didn’t arrange to have her old boyfriend bumped off, and torch the place to hide the evidence?”
“Very funny, Patrick.” Todd turned from the window and froze. Chloe stood in the doorway looking deathly pale.
“Yes, tell me you didn’t arrange to torch the place to hide the evidence?” Chloe demanded.
“Don’t be ridiculous. He was being funny.” Todd took a step towards Chloe, but she held up a hand to stop him.
“Yet no one’s laughing. You’ve wanted my house from the start, haven’t you? Is that what you planned to do? Knock it down to build apartments? There must be a lot of money for a beachfront apartment. How could I have been so stupid? All along you have tried to get this piece of land, and I thought you wanted to sell my house. Not destroy it. Not knock it down to make more money. It’s all about money for you, isn’t it? I loved that house and all it stood for. Now it’s gone. My treasured pieces are gone, my hard work is gone.” She turned to Patrick. “But it doesn’t matter, does it. Let’s just scrape away all that rubble and build a huge apartment block and sell to the highest bidder.” Chloe’s words trailed off as a sob caught in her throat.
“You can’t honestly believe I had anything to do with that fire. Or Paul’s death.”
Chloe’s lips trembled. Fear and anger sizzled in the air between them. “I don’t want to.”
“You don’t know me at all do you? Everything I have done, everything, has been for you. I renovated the Port Melbourne house for you. Because I knew that was what you wanted. After the fire, I offered my apartment as a home for you. It’s no secret that I’d hoped one day it would be your apartment too. Hell I even bought this house I know you love, for you.
Chloe straighened, chin raised. “Was this house supposed to be my consolation prize for acquiring my block of land?”
You could have heard a pin drop.
“You know what. I’m through. It’s all just too hard. If for one moment you believe I would put that land before our relationship, you’re not the woman I thought you were. Keep the land. It appears you need it more than me. I am done and dusted.” Todd marched past Chloe.
“Where are you going?”
“I have business in Sydney. I was going tomorrow, but under the circumstances I think it’s best if I leave tonight. I’ll find another piece of land to keep the investors happy, Patrick. Make sure you lock up and set the alarm.” Todd threw a set of keys to Patrick from the doorway.
“I want to talk to you.” Chloe blocked his exit.
“I’m through talking, Chloe. I’ll be in Sydney for a week. It’s up to you if you want to stay in the apartment.
“He lied to me. All this time he’s been lying to me.” Chloe’s tears overflowed and she angrily swiped them away.
“He hasn’t been lying to you. That crack I made. It was supposed to be a joke. I was yanking his chain. You surely must know that Todd would never do anything like that.” Patrick approached and laid his hands on her shoulders. “He loves you, and as he does with everyone he loves, he has been protecting you.”
“If he loves me, why didn’t he tell me about the investors? Be up-front about what he was going to do.”
“Would you have allowed him to buy it if you had known?” He looked into her eyes. “No, I didn’t think so.”
He led her over to two upturned plastic milk crates in the corner and eased her down. He sat beside her and took her hand.
“I have no doubt he was waiting for the right opportunity to ask you to buy your land. He would’ve told you about the development. He was probably just letting you get used to the fact that your house wa
s gone. That’s what he does. He looks after the ones he loves. He has been doing that ever since our parents died. He took on the role of head of the family, and he feels responsible for me and Audrey … and you … for all of us. Even his extended family of Samantha and Malcolm.” Patrick tucked a finger under her chin and made her look at him.
“I went a bit off the rails when our folks died, and I tried to quit uni. All I wanted to do was surf and bum around all day. Todd created the renovation side of his business for me, so I could get my act together. He sat me down and gave me a few home truths. It was tough going to begin with, but you know what, it made a man of me. I am proud of what Baker Renovations has accomplished over the years. And when Audrey decided she wanted to study medicine in Switzerland, he got the money somehow, and arranged a family to look out for her since he couldn’t be there. He was doing the very same thing for you, Chloe. He could have had anyone style this house. He has friends in the business, well-known designer friends. He created this job for you because he has faith in your ability, just like he had faith in mine. He’s a shrewd businessman. He would’ve known your talent could be used to enhance Baker Renovations.” Patrick studied her face, trying to determine if he was getting through. “He loves you, and this house was for you, just as he said. He wants a future with you, and this house is part of that future. Don’t throw it all away.”
“I said some pretty terrible things. He’ll never forgive me. It’s too late.” Chloe closed her eyes tight, and shook her head, misery written all over her face.
From Paris to Forever Page 19