by Maggie Brown
Meg gaped at her while Sheila chuckled. “Well said, Lindsey. Spoken like a true romantic. You might take a leaf out of her book, Meg. Now, excuse me a minute while I attend to lunch. Would you give me a hand please, Daisy?”
“Right, Mum,” said Daisy, giving Lindsey an apologetic shrug before she trailed off after her mother to the kitchen.
Meg went off to change the baby leaving Lindsey to chat with the men. As Evan was a civil engineer familiar with some of her father’s projects in the city, and Richard a research scientist, the three of them had much in common to talk about. By the time Sheila called them for lunch, she knew she had gained the acceptance of the men in the family.
Lindsey was pleasantly surprised. When she thought of family dinners, she imagined her mother’s lavish meals at a glossy cedar table laid with heavy Georgian silver. Where three-courses were accompanied by appropriate wines and conversation subdued and polite. Where the food was served by a maid in a starched white apron.
Not this meal.
They sat around a plain table setting, with dishes in the middle, and everyone helped themselves amidst jostling and laughter. She found it wonderful. When they settled down to eat, the conversation was fun until Meg asked, “How did you two meet, Lindsey? Daisy hardly would be running in your circles.”
Lindsey cocked her head at her in surprise. “My circles? What do you imagine those are?”
Meg shrugged. “We’re not exactly the rich and famous, and matchmaking is hardly a serious occupation.”
Silence fell in the room. Across the table, Richard was frowning at his daughter and she could feel Daisy go rigid in the seat next to her. With her gaze fixed on Meg, Lindsey placed a hand over Daisy’s to calm her and said in a low voice, “I’m afraid I don’t go out much so haven’t a circle as you put it. And you do your sister a great disservice if you think she can’t take her place in any society. She’s one of the most sociable people I’ve ever met.”
“She always knew how to suck up.”
Lindsey held her anger in check and tsked chidingly. “It sounds like you don’t know her well at all.”
“I know her a hell of a lot better than you probably do.”
“That’s enough,” growled her father.
Daisy gave her sister a sour look. “I asked Lindsey over to meet you all because she has become special to me, so stop being a jerk.”
When Meg opened her mouth to retaliate, Lindsey hastily intervened. “It’s an honour to be at your parents’ table sharing a meal so let’s not belittle the experience.” She flashed a smile at her hostess. “This roast is superb.”
Sheila gave a wry smile. “Thank you. It’s nice to have you with us today.” She turned to look at Meg sternly and said in a voice that brooked no argument. “It’s about time you and Daisy sorted out your differences. Your father and I have had enough of the bickering. Now…you owe our guest an apology, my girl.”
Meg opened and closed her mouth, casting a quick glance at Daisy. “Yes, Mum.” She turned to look at Lindsey then lowered her eyes to the table. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
Lindsey nearly laughed. If it was an apology, it was definitely the least enthusiastic one she’d ever heard. Thankfully, the mood was considerably lighter from then on and Evan appeared much happier. He was a quiet unassuming man and she guessed he must be sometimes embarrassed by his wife’s wilful tongue and appalling manners. They were just finishing dessert when the doorbell rang. “Are you expecting anyone, Richard?” asked Sheila.
“No.”
Daisy got to her feet. “I’ll get it.” She dropped a light kiss on Lindsey’s forehead before heading down the hallway. Lindsey felt a warm glow at the possessive gesture, conscious the family had watched the interaction closely. Daisy was making it plain that Lindsey was more than a casual lover. From the look of approval on Sheila’s face, she seemed quite happy with her daughter’s choice.
When a scream and then laughter floated from the front door, they all scanned the door to see who was going to appear. When a girl burst into the room, the family members immediately rose to greet her. “Beth,” cried Sheila in delight. “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming home?”
“Wanted to surprise you,” she said, grinning, then embraced her family one by one. When she came to Lindsey, she looked at her curiously. “Hello. I’m Beth Parker.”
Daisy immediately put her arm around Lindsey’s waist. “This is my friend Lindsey, Beth.”
Beth looked at the arm and broke into a wide grin. “You’ve brought a girlfriend home? Wow!” She gave Lindsey a wink. “You must be very special. She’s soooo fussy.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “That’s enough. Now tell—”
A squeal from Meg cut the sentence short. “You’ve got a bloody tattoo.”
“A tattoo,” exclaimed her father through gritted teeth, staring in disbelief at the rose on her neck.
“Isn’t it a beauty?” said Beth breezily, pulling her collar to the side for a better view. When no one spoke, she added, “and I’ve another surprise. He’s bringing our backpacks in.”
Someone clearing his throat made them all turn to the door. On the threshold stood a scruffy man with blond dreadlocks halfway down his back, dressed in faded jeans and a crumpled pale orange shirt. “Say hello to Oliver, everyone,” chirped Beth happily.
A giggle escaped Daisy. She leaned over and whispered in Lindsey’s ear, “You’re going to be viewed as royalty after this surprise.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Daisy and her parents joined the queue into the function room, excited the big night had finally arrived. Lindsey had become progressively quieter as the launch approached and yesterday when she had come over for dinner, she looked ready to have a panic attack. Taking her in hand, Daisy made her promise to stay out the back until after her speech and let her staff be the welcoming committee.
As the waiter led them to a table directly in front of the stage, Daisy took a moment to admire the venue. Kirsty had outdone herself. The place looked spectacular. Soft lights from the domed ceiling spread a warm glow over tables decorated in the blue and silver of LJF Robotics logo and gleaming with fine silverware and crystal glasses. The room was awash with glamour. The finest formal wear and jewellery in the city. Clearly this was not only viewed as a corporation launch, but an important media event on the social calendar.
There were as many women as men—evidently everyone was interested in meeting Lindsey now she was out of her self-imposed exile. The air was filled with the rich scent of a hundred different perfumes, all mixed to form a strong, heady musk. It was intoxicating.
Once they were seated, she let herself relax over a glass of champagne. She and her parents shared the table with Bernice, Joe and Raylene, Kirsty and Martin, Allison and Noel, and Mac and Rachel.
Lindsey had insisted her house staff attend, though Joe looked like he’d rather be anywhere than here. She was thrilled his romance with going so well—Raylene was proving the perfect partner for him. He was smitten with her, and seeing them together, it was obvious the feeling was mutual. Another matchmaking success, she thought happily.
Martin, though rather pompous, kept them entertained, constantly throwing back his head in laughter. Whatever troubles their marriage had been going through were now over. His eyes would rest fondly every so often on Kirsty, who had that radiant, flawless glow that comes with pregnancy. Daisy tried to imagine Lindsey with him. She couldn’t visualize the coupling even if Lindsey had been straight. They were chalk and cheese.
After the main meal was cleared away, the formal proceedings began. The new software was described in detail by the LJF Robotics team, five vibrant scientists who clearly enjoyed what they did. Daisy was pleased they introduced their products in lay language; there was nothing more off-putting as too much technical jargon. When a mobility suit was wheeled in, excited murmurs echoed around the room.
Then the audience applauded loudly when Lindsey appeared.
As soon
as she walked onto the stage, a lump formed in Daisy’s throat. She looked the embodiment of a highly successful woman in her prime. The simple knee-high black evening dress showed off her body to perfection and the blood-red ruby necklace added panache. Though she must have been nervous, it didn’t show. She stood casually at the podium beside the mobility suit, waiting for the applause to die down. For a second, she caught Daisy’s eye, nodded, then launched into her speech.
“This suit, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call an Exoskeleton. Or what the kids would say…awesome motorized pants. While some companies target industrial lifting with the technology, our product is specifically made to give mobility to the frail or less-abled. We are continuously trying to find ways to refine the suit, but like any new technology there are plenty of challenges. Energy storage is a problem, the batteries need to be smaller and last longer, the material should to be even lighter, and eventually the design needs to be aesthetically user-friendly. All this will come in time. The suit is equipped with sensors…”
As Lindsey continued, Daisy gazed at her with pride. The woman was awe-inspiring amazing. The speech was well-researched, to the point, delivered with just the right mixture of specialized terms and non-technical explanations.
But then something unexpected happened. As she was wrapping up the talk, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. The colour drained from her face. Daisy stared at her, horrified. By the way Lindsey’s hands were shaking, a panic attack wasn’t far off. She prepared to rush onto the stage. It had all the makings of a disaster and she wasn’t going to let her go through it alone.
But Lindsey managed to pull herself together and smiled at someone a few tables behind her. If you could call it a smile. It looked more like baring her teeth.
She swivelled to catch whom Lindsey was acknowledging. A woman in a dark blue evening gown sat bolt upright in her chair, her unblinking stare fixed on Lindsey. The perfect makeup was not able to disguise that she was well past middle-age. Though her face still held some of the beauty of her youth, it was pinched. Daisy had never seen her before, but she did recognize from the press clippings that the man sitting beside her was Lindsey’s father, Warren Jamieson-Ford. The woman was most likely her mother.
With insides churning, she waited to see what Lindsey was going to do next. She expected her to bring the presentation to an abrupt close and leave the stage.
Instead, she did the unexpected. She held out her left arm. “So now let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we.”
A hush settled over the audience.
“This is a prosthetic limb,” Lindsey continued. “I lost my arm in an accident when I was twenty-one. Until you experience the loss of a limb, you have no idea how demoralizing and gut-wrenching it is. Globally, there are more than one million people annually, who have amputations. That equates to one every three minutes. You might question the number but it’s quite true. Not all are from trauma. Over half are from diabetes and vascular disease: there are sixty-two million diabetics in India alone. And worldwide the number continues to rise. No one chooses to lose a limb or a foot or a hand, but having a choice about how the world sees you afterward is essential. Our company is striving to make that concept a better reality, so that people, especially children, don’t have to be ashamed. That they have a limb which functions as near to the original as possible. We will continue our work to bring prosthetics into the digital age so that amputees can become an awesome bionic person rather than someone with a disability. Our mission, through creative and innovative research, is to bring game-changing affordable devices to the world.”
The room erupted. After acknowledging the standing ovation with a bow, she gestured towards the back of the stage. “And now I’d like to present our future.”
A collective gasp rippled around the audience at the sight of the robot walking out from behind a curtain. If Lindsey wanted to make a grandstand play then this was the way to do it. The atmosphere in the hall was electric as Stephen made his way across the floor to stand beside her. She left him there for a minute, then spoke quietly to him. With a dip of his head, he picked up the mobility suit and carried it off stage. For a few seconds the entire room was silent, then it was as if the floodgates opened. Everyone started pitching questions at her. Daisy couldn’t hear herself think for the babble.
Lindsey ignored them, simply giving a quick wave. “That’s all, folks. Tomorrow we’re having an open house at our town laboratory for you to view our products more closely, so no more talking shop tonight. The bar’s open until late and there’s music to follow, so have fun.”
She appeared calm when she descended from the stage to their table, but Daisy could sense her turmoil. Instinctively, she rose and wrapped her arms around her, pressing her body against the warmth of hers. “Are you okay?”
“Not really. My mother’s here.”
“I know, I thought it must be her. Just remember I’m with you. You’re not alone anymore.” Deliberately, she took her head in her hands and pressed her lips against hers.
Lindsey let the kiss linger before she withdrew awkwardly with a rueful smile. “And now I’m out to the entire world.”
“Stuff them,” said Daisy fiercely. “I want everyone to know you are mine, including your mother. I’m so proud of you.”
Lindsey gave her another tight hug before she took a seat beside her. “You’re so good for the soul, Daisy.” Then she smiled across the table at Kirsty. “Everything looks wonderful. You’ve done a great job.”
“Thanks. I’m really pleased everything is going so smoothly. You stole the show with the robot. Very theatrical.”
“I thought it was time to introduce him to the world. Just enough to whet their appetite,” said Lindsey with a throaty laugh.
“Where do you go from here with your robots?” asked Richard Parker.
“I’m not quite sure yet. The technology is covered by rock-solid patents, so anything is possible. Did you know Daisy wrote both robots a comprehensive behavioural profile?”
“Good for you, Daisy,” said her father proudly.
Then the waiters appeared with dessert, bringing everyone’s attention back to food. When a chocolate raspberry torte was placed in front of her, Lindsey stared rigidly at it.
“What’s the matter,” whispered Daisy.
“Once these plates are cleared away, I haven’t any more excuses to ignore my mother.”
“Why don’t you wait until she comes over?”
Lindsey gave a little snort. “Things don’t work that way. She’ll expect me to go to her.”
Daisy frowned at her. “Then don’t.”
“I thought of that,” Lindsey replied, stabbing the fork into the sweet. “But that will just leave things still hanging. The sooner I face her, the sooner I can get on with my life.”
“Fuck her,” Daisy mumbled in her ear. “If you’re up to it, then let’s go upset her night together.”
The look on Lindsey’s face spoke volumes. Relief, determination, love. She gave Daisy’s thigh a squeeze, letting her fingertips linger. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” whispered Daisy, the intimate gesture sending tingles to her centre. She seemed perpetually horny now. As soon as she could, she’d have to get Lindsey into bed.
The party turned noisier as waiters continued to carry drinks around to the tables. In the background a singer crooned on the stage. Lindsey deftly fobbed off invitations to talk as they headed to her parents’ table. With a reflex action, Daisy grabbed Lindsey’s left hand when a good-looking guy stared blatantly at her lover’s long legs. Normally, she only held her right hand. Though the texture of the skin was the same, her artificial hand was firmer with less elasticity. She clasped it tighter as they approached the table, figuring that holding it would make a statement to the mother.
It did.
Ellen Jamieson-Ford stared at their joined hands before rising to greet her daughter. They eyed each other warily before Ellen broke the silence.
“How are you, Lindsey?”
“Good, Mother. And you?”
“As well as can be expected. When I heard you were coming out of hiding, I decided to accompany your father.” She ignored Daisy and pointed to the chair the man beside her had discreetly vacated. “Take a seat.”
Lindsey ignored the command. She leaned forward to her father who also had risen and pecked him on the cheek. “Hello, Dad. Mother, Dad, I’d like you meet my friend, Daisy Parker.”
“Hi there,” said Daisy brightly, casting off her annoyance with some effort.
“It’s good to meet you, Daisy,” said her father. “Now I’m sure we can find another seat.”
The elderly woman in the next seat rose immediately. “Take mine. I need to stretch my legs.”
Daisy nearly groaned aloud. If they sat down, it would be harder to leave quickly. She flicked a concerned glance at Lindsey. By the look on her face, all her crisp optimism had died away. She actually appeared frightened. Hell, the mother must be even more of an ogre than she envisaged. Well, she was going to have a fight on her hands if she thought she was going to browbeat her daughter again. She studied the woman as Lindsey and her father talked.
There was no doubt Ellen Jamieson-Ford had been a beauty in her day. Not even time could disguise that. But she would have had a lot of help along the way to retain those looks. Her face was too smooth not to have had Botox injections or a filler. For all the work, there was a tightness around her mouth that made her look sour.
“You’re looking much older, Lindsey,” her mother interjected. “And you’ve cut your hair. A pity. It was your best feature.”
Daisy leaned over and tucked a strand of hair behind Lindsey’s ear. “Do you think so? I think her hair is fabulous.”