Coming Home to the Sunflower Cliffs

Chapter 2

It was hard to know what to wear for dinner. Daisy wanted to be respectful and dress smartly, but at the same time she didn’t want Gabe to think she was trying too hard. Seeing him again was bittersweet. She hoped his initial cheerful reaction to seeing her continued, though he had every right to be angry with the way she’d left things between them.

Trying to remain positive, she took a quick shower and stared at the floral cotton dress she’d decided to wear. Wrapping her arms around herself, she thought back to Gabe holding her, if only briefly, back in reception. She couldn’t deny it had felt good.

‘Gabe,’ she whispered, sitting down at the fitted dressing table and pulling a brush through her damp hair.

She stared into space, remembering meeting him in Vietnam on a sun terrace in Ho Chi Minh City. She’d taken a seat at his small metal table because it was the only one available. He’d been laughing when she sat down.

‘What’s so funny?’ she asked, trying her best to sound self-assured after taking a sip of her drink. She couldn’t help noticing how good looking he was, but knew her lack of confidence meant that if there had been any other seats free she’d have rather taken one of those instead of trying to make small-talk with this intimidating stranger.

‘I’ve just messaged my dad to say where I am and he was shocked,’ he said. ‘I know the Vietnam War ended back in the seventies, but in my dad’s mind this is still a dangerous place, a war zone even. He was quite concerned to think I was in Saigon, as it was back then.’

Daisy understood his father’s reaction. ‘My mum said the same when I told her I planned to visit here. She said she remembers her parents listening daily to the news bulletins about the dreadful losses.’

They gazed down at the busy streets and cheerful faces around them.

‘It’s hard to imagine the chaos happening here back when the city fell, isn’t it?’ he asked, staring at her.

‘It is.’ She recalled a documentary she’d seen recently of grainy film showing an Air America helicopter resting on the top of a building with people crowding up a roof ladder, trying desperately to reach it.

That hot evening in the bar had been the first of many evenings spent in each other’s company. She’d readily agreed when Gabriel suggested she travel with him to see a few towns on their way to H?i An, where they’d both planned to stay for a while. By the time they reached their destination they were besotted with each other, but unfortunately her mother’s health had taken a nasty turn and she had to hurriedly return to England. Everything had disintegrated after that.

Now though, seeing him back here and giving up all that he loved to assist his family, she could see he’d meant it when he’d told her, ‘Family is the most important thing you’ll ever have, Daisy. If you need to go to your mum, then we’ll just have to deal with it. We’ll make a plan to meet up again when she’s settled.’ She’d reluctantly agreed with him, but things hadn’t turned out as either of them initially hoped.

The landline in her room rang, making her jump. She glanced at her bedside clock and saw she was late to meet him downstairs. Picking up the phone, she heard Fi’s stammering attempt at professionalism and could tell Gabe must be standing in front of her.

‘Thanks Fi,’ she said. ‘Please tell Gabriel I’m on my way.’ It seemed odd referring to him by his full name. She pushed the thought aside and hurriedly dressed, picking up her bag with one hand and running the other through her long, wavy fair hair. She hoped it would be dry by the time they arrived at Lydia’s house.

She pushed open the door leading from the staff quarters to the reception area and hesitated when she saw him leaning against the counter, laughing at something Fi was saying. He looked so relaxed and at home here. As he should do, she thought, but it was still strange seeing someone she associated so much with her travels and the heady colours and scents of Asia, standing at her workplace in Jersey.

He looked up, and seeing her at the doorway held up a set of car keys. ‘I’ve got transport and have been instructed not to dawdle, so we’d better get a move on.’ He waited for her to reach him, then smiled at Fi. ‘It’s great to see you again, Fi,’ he said. ‘Tell that brother of yours that I’ll take him up on his offer to go kayaking with him and his mate Ed one of these days.’

‘Will do,’ Fi said, winking slyly at Daisy as soon as Gabe turned his back to hold the door open for her. ‘Have fun,’ she mouthed.

Daisy pulled a face at her and followed him to the red sports car. ‘Wow, you must be special to Mrs Grey if she allows you to drive her car,’ she teased as she got in, happy that the roof was down and her hair would have a chance to dry during their drive.

Gabriel took his seat in the car next to her and started it. He put the car into gear and turned to her, smiling. ‘It’s not hers, it’s mine. You’re looking very lovely,’ he said. ‘Your hair’s grown a lot.’

‘Thank you. It probably needs a trim, but I haven’t got around to finding a hairdresser in Jersey yet.’

‘It’s small, but there’s a lot to discover here,’ he said, steering the car down the driveway. Checking nothing was coming, he pulled out onto the main road. ‘Does it feel strange seeing me here?’

She was relieved she wasn’t the only one experiencing that surreal sensation. ‘Yes, very.’

He drove in silence for a couple of minutes. ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how come you ended up working at the Encore?’

Gabe had never been one to hold back from facing anything awkward, so his question didn’t surprise her. ‘I’d never been here before, and after…’ She hesitated, not ready to share her story with him. ‘Well, after I decided to leave Devon, I remembered you mentioning how beautiful it was here. I needed somewhere to work and have experience working as a receptionist in a hotel back home. The Encore provided me with a job and somewhere to live.’

‘I can tell by the look on your face when I arrived at the hotel that you didn’t know it was run by my family.’ He studied her face briefly, then turning back to focus on the road ahead, added, ‘You wouldn’t have come to the Encore if you’d known I was connected to it, would you?’

‘No,’ she said honestly.

‘Then I’m glad you didn’t know,’ he said, turning the car into a small lane. ‘Why didn’t you answer any of my messages?’

As soon as she’d see him standing outside the hotel Daisy knew he would ask her this question. It didn’t help her come up with an acceptable answer for him though, and she certainly wasn’t ready to tell him about her issues with Aaron. ‘I’m not sure what to say, really,’ she said, racking her brains to come up with something that didn’t divulge her true story.

‘It’s OK,’ he said, giving her one of his smiles she remembered only too well. ‘I understand if you’ve moved on. It was two years ago after all, but our time away together was pretty amazing.’

‘It was,’ she said wistfully. ‘But our lives were going in opposite directions.’ She hoped he wasn’t going to question her too much, although he had every right to expect a few answers. She recalled the promises they’d made to each other to stay in touch and meet up again as soon as they could manage to, but she’d left him in H?i An and believed their relationship to be a beautiful memory from her past.

‘So, what have you been doing since I last saw you? I mean, after you returned home to Devon. You seemed so happy in Vietnam, it was hard to imagine you staying back in England.’

‘It wasn’t easy,’ she said truthfully. ‘But I haven’t been doing much,’ she fibbed. ‘I’ve been here in Jersey since April to help set up for the season and I’m loving it. Your grandmother is incredible,’ she said, hoping to divert his attention away from her. ‘I really like her.’

‘She is,’ he nodded. ‘I spent a huge amount of my childhood staying with her.’

‘Was that because Francesca and Rick were away working?’

‘Yes.’

‘You never told me your family had a hotel,’ she said, trying not to sound accusatory. ‘I never connected you with Francesca and Rick. You said your last name was Wilson.’

‘It is.’ He laughed. ‘It’s a little complicated. You see, my dad’s real surname is Wilson, but there was another Rick Wilson with an Equity Card, so he uses his mother’s maiden name of Malone. Mum uses her maiden name, Fiore. Nan used to be an actress back in the fifties and she reverted to her maiden name, Grey, the one she used for her acting career after she split up with her husband.’

Daisy followed what he was telling her until he reached the bit about Lydia. ‘I never knew your grandmother was an actress too!’

He gave her a wide smile. ‘You didn’t realise she was the Lydia Grey, fifties blonde bombshell and Jersey’s answer to Marilyn Monroe?’

Daisy laughed at his teasing. ‘My mum was a huge fan of hers and had all her films.’ She conjured up a picture of the actress at the height of her fame. He wasn’t joking – his grandmother was the Lydia Grey. ‘How did I not realise that before? I love her work.’ She stared at him, trying to recall what had happened to end Lydia’s career at the height of her success. ‘But she disappeared suddenly after only a few years. What on earth happened?’

Gabe slowed the car to turn into a long driveway. He sighed. ‘It’s a bit of a mystery, I’m afraid, and one she refuses to discuss,’ he said. ‘She fell in love with my grandfather, but things didn’t work out; that much I do know. She has said that I look very much like him.’

Daisy wished she could see a picture of Gabe’s mysterious grandfather and hoped she’d be able to find out more about Lydia’s past. She recalled her mother talking about the actress’s disappearance from the public eye and much had been speculated about it. At least she knew Lydia was OK now. ‘It’s exciting to finally have met her,’ she said eventually.

He shrugged. ‘She’s always seemed happy. I think whatever did happen was life-changing. Her marriage didn’t last all that long, but she’s never encouraged any of us to ask about it, always changing the subject if we do get a little curious.’

Daisy opened her mouth to ask him what Lydia had done next, but he parked the car and got out, holding her door open for her. ‘She’ll be waiting for us around the back on the terrace.’

They hurried round along the stone pathway and Gabriel raised his hand and waved at his grandmother, sitting at a table. Her step faltered as she was confronted by the exquisite view in front of her. She presumed Lydia’s home had been built sometime in the fifties and the garden, which looked as if it led straight out onto a beach, was awe-inspiring.

‘See, I told you I’d get her here safely,’ Gabriel called.

She hurried to catch up with him. She straightened her dress and tried to tidy up her unruly hair before greeting her hostess. ‘Hello, Mrs Grey,’ she said, looking around her at the perfectly manicured lawn that dipped gently towards a view of the bay, framed on two sides by two enormous pine trees. ‘What a spectacular view.’

Lydia stood up and gave Gabriel a hug, then motioned for Daisy to take a seat at the table. ‘I’m glad you like it.’ She stared out to the rolling waves on the navy sea out in the bay. ‘I’ve lived here for decades and still think I must be dreaming for the first few seconds that I’m awake.’

‘I can see why,’ Daisy said, imagining how idyllic it would be to wake up at this house every morning surrounded by the vivid colours from the garden and going to sleep with the sounds of the waves all around.

‘Darling, go and pour Daisy a Bellini, and get yourself a cool drink.’ She turned her attention back to Daisy. ‘I hope you like them. I make excellent Bellinis, so I’m told.’

She thought she spotted a hint of sadness in Lydia’s eyes. ‘I love them,’ Daisy said.

Gabe was soon back with her drink, which was delicious.

‘Good?’ Gabriel asked. ‘Nan only uses the best white peach juice,’ he said. ‘She insists that’s the difference between a perfect Bellini and an average one, don’t you, Nan?’

‘It’s heavenly,’ Daisy said, before taking another sip.

‘I’m glad you like it, Daisy,’ Lydia said, raising her glass to them.

‘So,’ Gabriel said. ‘What are you treating us to for dinner tonight?’ He leant forward slightly and in a mock whisper to Daisy, said, ‘Nan is an excellent cook and likes to try out different recipes, so be prepared.’

Daisy laughed. ‘You look perfectly healthy on Mrs Grey’s cooking,’ she teased.

‘Please call me Lydia,’ she said. ‘Being called Mrs Grey in my home is making me feel old.’ She rested a hand on Daisy’s forearm. ‘I don’t do all the cooking. I have Anna – she’s my housekeeper and cooks for me, as well as keeping everything in order. I mainly potter around my garden and take long walks on the beach.’ She laughed. ‘Gabriel doesn’t enjoy much of my cooking. He wasn’t impressed with the chocolate chilli sauce I concocted the last time he was staying.’

Daisy wasn’t surprised. She hoped she wasn’t being treated to a similar combination. ‘Oh?’

Gabriel laughed. ‘I think Daisy is a bit more of a traditionalist when it comes to food, Nan.’

‘Not necessarily,’ Daisy said, not wishing to offend Lydia.

‘You like the idea of chocolate and chilli in a dish?’ Lydia asked. ‘I can’t help thinking of it as rather an unnecessary combination.’

Daisy couldn’t help smiling. ‘No,’ she said.

‘I have to admit, I didn’t much like it either,’ Lydia laughed. ‘But it was worth a try. I haven’t made anything too unfamiliar for us tonight though.’

Daisy smiled, then sat back in the cushioned metal chair and looked out across the well-kept garden to the sea once again. ‘It’s very peaceful here, isn’t it?’

Lydia nodded. ‘It can be a little too peaceful when Gabriel is away. Sometimes, in the summer, I rent out rooms to Francesca and Rick’s acting friends who’ve come over on tour to the Arts Trust or the Opera House. I like the company and it’s good to talk to new people in the business.’

Daisy was delighted Lydia had brought up the subject of acting. ‘Gabriel and I were only just discussing your fascinating career on the way here in the car,’ she said. ‘I grew up looking at books on film and actors that my mum collected. There were loads of pictures of you.’ She hesitated before adding, ‘Do you miss that life at all?’

Lydia took a sip of her drink and stared at her thoughtfully before answering. ‘Sometimes.’ She placed her drink back down on table. ‘I’m far too old for all that now, but I loved it when I was filming and even the initial struggle to be discovered.’

‘I think my mum dreamed of being an actress and when she didn’t realise her dream she tried to encourage me to act,’ Daisy admitted. It wasn’t something she’d shared with anyone else. ‘She made me go to dance and acting lessons and even took extra jobs to pay for them all.’

‘What happened?’ Gabriel asked, resting back in his chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

Daisy smiled at the memory. ‘I was hopeless and so shy the last thing I wanted to do was perform in front of anyone. I hated the lessons.’ She thought back to that first time in the class with twenty other children, all of whom seemed to love what they were doing. ‘We had to be ants wading through honey, or something. I didn’t see the point and would have much rather been out with my best friend riding her pony.’

‘I don’t blame you,’ Gabriel laughed. ‘I was always in a swimming pool.’

Lydia turned her attention to her grandson. ‘I remember when your father was certain you had the voice of an angel and should audition for one of those church choirs on the mainland.’

Gabriel nodded. ‘Until Mum told him that if I was going to be an entertainer I should be an actor. That was when I decided to go into something far removed from their business.’

‘Marine exploration?’ Daisy asked. ‘That’s quite a different route to go down on the career front.’

Lydia got up. ‘He was in the water at every opportunity, this boy.’ She rested a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. ‘I’ll go inside and sort out the food and leave you two here to chat for a few minutes.’

‘Call me when you want me to come and carry out the plates,’ Gabriel said, before turning his attention back to Daisy. ‘Nan doesn’t often talk about her acting, you know. I think she misses it more than she lets on. I also believe it’s why she’s always been so supportive of Mum and Dad by taking over at the hotel and looking after me, so they could take on work.’

Daisy wondered how it must feel to have someone willing to do that whenever you needed them to. She envied Francesca and Rick their freedom. ‘She’s a wonderful lady.’

He looked towards the doorway through which his grandmother had just walked. ‘She is. I’m very lucky to have her.’

‘It must have been wonderful to spend so much time here when you were growing up.’

‘Yes, I always loved it. Nan is very relaxed and great fun to be with. If I’m honest, I used to look forward to my parents going away. They were always happier to be doing something they loved, and Nan was pleased to have me here with her. How about you, what was your childhood like?’

Daisy thought back to lonely days in Devon with her mum working long hours trying to make enough for them to live on, and the occasional visits from her father. She’d learnt from experience that lies hurt. Her mother had been let down by him before she was born and despite him running away then coming back after Daisy’s birth, insisting he wanted to make a go of their relationship, her mother had been so hurt by his initial cowardice that she’d said no. He’d gone off and married another woman within months, and her mother had never got over losing him.

Daisy recalled the humiliation of only being allowed to see her father when his family didn’t expect him to be around. She hated that she was his secret child, despite her mother trying to make her accept that being a ‘love child’ was in some way romantic. It wasn’t. She refused to be anyone’s second best ever again.

When she’d grown into a teenager her dream had been for her art to be good enough to hold her own exhibition, and that ambition had been on the point of realisation until Aaron had made life so impossible for her that she’d had to leave everything behind at barely a moment’s notice.

‘I lived in a pretty village near the sea,’ she said finally, not wishing him to know the full extent of her story. ‘So I spent most of my time on the beach, or wandering around the cliff paths, finding places to sketch or paint.’

‘Do you still paint?’

‘Sometimes,’ she said, not wishing to think about how much she missed those days.

There was a brief silence before Gabe asked, ‘Do you think that’s where you got your travel bug?’

‘Maybe. There were always so many holidaymakers around and I always wondered where they’d come from.’

Gabe stared at her in silence for a bit. ‘How come we spent so much time together in Vietnam and never talked about our pasts? What did we talk about?’

She shook her head, allowing herself to think back to those perfect weeks where she’d been happiest. ‘Probably the places we’d been to and what we’d seen.’ She had spent two years trying not to think too much about those blissful days and nights with him. ‘I should think Jersey and Devon were farthest from our minds when we were so far away.’

He nodded. ‘Yes, you’re probably right. And art, of course.’

Daisy smiled. Gabe had been a keen sketcher in Vietnam and they’d had many conversations about it and about how the light was different there to at home, making the colours of the earth and sky seem more vibrant somehow.

She twisted the ring on her finger.

‘You kept it then?’

She frowned, unsure what he meant. Then following his line of vision realised he was referring to the interlaced triple rings he’d bought her at a tiny jewellery shop they’d come across during the last week of their time together. The ring, with its yellow, gold and white bands. ‘Oh, yes, I wear it all the time.’ She didn’t add that it comforted her when she was feeling especially vulnerable. The thought made her glance down the garden towards the beach. She was being silly. She was safe here. No one knew her, so who could let him know where to find her?

‘I’m pleased,’ Gabe said, bringing her back to the present. He frowned. ‘You OK?’

She forced a smile. ‘Yes, I was just thinking.’

‘You looked troubled for a moment,’ he said. ‘Are you sure there’s nothing bothering you?’

‘Nothing,’ she lied. Aaron had ruined far too much of her life already; she was determined to overcome her fear of him, somehow.

She really must learn to hide her feelings if she didn’t want anyone to start questioning her about her past, she decided. If she was going to make a new life for herself then she needed to push aside her memories of Aaron and what he’d done to her. He’d ruined her life in Devon but she had a chance to make a life for herself here in Jersey. She placed her hand on the table, letting the sun glint on her ring. ‘I didn’t think there was a reason to take it off,’ she said, awkwardly bringing the subject back to happier memories. ‘It’s a beautiful ring.’

‘I’m glad you like it; I wasn’t sure if you were just being polite when I bought it for you, but when you told me you had to leave it seemed the perfect sentiment.’

She stared at the three intertwined bands. ‘They met, they fell in love, they parted,’ she said, thinking how sad they’d both been when she discovered she had to cut her trip short.

He raised his glass. ‘Come on, let’s not think about the past. Nan will go mad if she thinks I’ve ruined your evening. We’re here to enjoy her food.’ He laughed. ‘I hope.’

Relieved he’d lightened the mood, Daisy joined him. She was enjoying herself, not only because of seeing him again, but also for the chance to get to know Lydia a bit better and spend an evening away from the hotel and the constant noise that went with living on-site.

‘Gabriel, can you come and help me please?’ Lydia shouted from inside the house.

He gave Daisy a smile and got up. ‘It’s good to have you here,’ he said simply, before walking off to help his grandmother.

Daisy breathed in the rose-scented air in the pretty garden. She didn’t think she’d ever spent time in any private garden as beautiful as this one. She looked at the herb border and longed to smell a sprig of the abundant rosemary growing along the back. She would love to paint it sometime.

‘Here we are,’ Gabriel said, placing a plate of penne pasta in front of her and another on his grandmother’s place. He took the plate his grandmother was holding for himself. ‘I’ll go and fetch the salad and bread.’

‘It’s arrabbiata,’ Lydia said. ‘I hope you like it.’

Daisy did. In fact she thoroughly enjoyed the entire evening with one old friend and another newer one. Lydia asked Gabriel more about his latest project and Daisy could see how proud Lydia was of her grandson from the sparkle in her eyes.

‘I love it, but it’s very intense, which is why I can’t afford to be here for too long,’ he said, between mouthfuls. ‘I need to get back to the others and do my bit as soon as possible. We’re hoping for approval from a new sponsor to keep the project going.’

‘Where is it,’ Daisy asked, ‘and what does the project involve?’

‘It’s in South Africa. Down the south coast from Durban, just outside Umkomaas,’ he added. ‘We’re looking at newly discovered marine life and why it’s chosen that habitat to breed in.’

‘When will you find out if you’ve been successful?’ she asked.

‘Any day now,’ he said. ‘It’s taken months to get this far with it. We had enough to start the process and to take part in initial tests, which have come back with interesting results, so we’re hoping they don’t back out. They’ve assured us everything is almost in place, but I’ll believe it when the money’s in our account.’

‘I hope you get the funding you need,’ she said, acutely aware that for him to obtain the funding would also mean he’d be leaving again.

‘Thanks. We’ve all worked very hard for this, so it would be a shame for it to fall through at this stage.’

‘Let’s not discuss that now,’ Lydia said. ‘I’ve only just got you back here. Let’s eat this delicious meal and talk about something else.’

After they’d finished, Daisy asked if she could go to the bathroom and Lydia showed her into the house. They stepped into the kitchen, the scent of tea roses and jasmine wafting in with them as they passed the huge tubs on either side of open sliding doors. As they walked through the house Daisy noticed that the back of the building curved around a stone tower. ‘What’s that?’ she asked, intrigued.

‘That’s a Martello tower,’ Lydia said. ‘They were built here in the early nineteenth century to guard the island against an invasion from France. That was in Napoleon’s time, you see.’

Daisy had seen a few dotted along the coast of the island but had never been sure what they were. ‘You own it?’

‘I do,’ Lydia said. ‘Some are owned by the States of Jersey, I believe, or Jersey Heritage, but some are privately owned. That’s where Gabriel lives when he’s in the island; he has a bedroom and a bathroom and kitchen in there.’

Daisy couldn’t imagine what it must be like to live in a tower. ‘It’s amazing.’

‘I’m sure he’ll show you around after dinner, if you’d like him to. Although you’ll probably have to step over a few surfboards and things. Gabriel has a lot of stuff and there’s never enough storage in these places.’

Daisy wouldn’t know, but she nodded. ‘I’d like that very much,’ she said. The Gabriel she’d spent time with in Vietnam had had nothing more than a rucksack with a few changes of clothes inside, along with his sketchpad and pencils. It was strange to try to associate this clean-cut man who was obviously used to living in luxury with the long-haired, bearded one who’d shared cheap hostels with her.

She re-joined them at the table. He did look happy to see her back. The thought pleased her.

Lydia placed a plate with a cheesecake and a few small red berries in front of Daisy. ‘Leave what you don’t want,’ she said. ‘This is lighter than it looks. Anna made it for us.’

‘It’s New York cheesecake with raspberry sauce running through it,’ Gabriel said. ‘It’s her speciality and she always makes it when I come home.’

Daisy pushed her small cake fork into the dessert and tasted it. ‘It’s delicious,’ she said, licking her lips to clean off the dusting of icing sugar delicately coating the top of the sweet treat.

‘Have you been painting much since you got to Jersey?’ Gabe asked.

‘Painting?’ Lydia placed her knife and fork down on the sides of her plate, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. ‘Tell me a bit more about your painting, Daisy. And your time in Vietnam. Gabriel didn’t tell us much about it, really.’

‘Do you want to tell her?’ Gabe asked.

Daisy shook her head. ‘No, you go ahead,’ she said, wanting to know how he’d describe their time away to his grandmother.

‘Daisy and I met up on my first day in Ho Chi Minh City. We bumped into each other at a bar, got chatting and then discovered we were staying in hostels very near to each other. I spotted her in the street a couple of days later, so I shouted out and she was so surprised to hear someone calling her name that she dropped her artists’ pad on the floor.’ He looked over at her. ‘Do you remember, Daisy?’

She forced a smile on her face. She remembered only too well. She had never expected to hear anyone calling out for her so far away from her home. ‘I do,’ she said, still a little embarrassed.

‘Anyway, we went for something to eat after that.’

Daisy listened to his deep voice, tinged with a slight American accent. They hadn’t spoken much about their lives when they’d met previously but she did recall him telling her that he’d spent most of his childhood living in California with his mother and father, but now she realised it must have been while they pursued their careers in the entertainment world.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘And you told me all about the wonderful holidays you’d spent staying with your grandmother whose house was next to the beach in Jersey. I can’t believe I’m there now.’

‘I’m glad you are,’ he said.

She closed her eyes and he did sound just like the Gabe she recalled from her halcyon days in Vietnam, when anything seemed possible and she felt more in control of her life than ever before. Lydia was asking her something. She opened her eyes. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.’

Lydia smiled at her sweetly and Daisy could see that she had picked up that there was more to her story than she was letting on.

‘I was asking if you had any paintings that you could show to me?’

She shook her head. ‘I haven’t painted since I left Vietnam,’ she admitted quietly.

Gabe frowned. ‘Why not?’ he asked, leaning slightly closer to her, his concern obvious.

She shrugged. Now wasn’t the time to confide her private family matters. ‘Too much going on,’ she said, forcing a laugh. It wasn’t exactly a lie.

‘If you’ve got talent you should make the most of it,’ Lydia said, taking a sip of her wine. ‘I’d love to see what you can do. I used to paint but I was hopeless.’

Gabe laughed. ‘It didn’t stop you though, did it?’

‘Of course not,’ she said, a determined twinkle in her blue eyes. She looked at Daisy. ‘You can come here and paint any time you want to make the most of these views – if it’s landscapes you like, that is. You’ll be left in peace.’ She smiled at Gabe. ‘Won’t she, Gabriel?’

He nodded. ‘Yes, of course. If that’s what you want.’

She saw Lydia raise an eyebrow at him and had to struggle not to let them see how amused she was. If there was one person in the world Daisy wouldn’t mind disturbing her it was Gabe.

‘I’m so pleased you two know each other,’ Lydia said smiling. ‘Why haven’t I heard anything about Daisy before?’

‘Because I don’t report back to you on my private life, Nan,’ Gabriel teased.

Daisy could see an unmistakeable glimpse of pain in his eyes and had to look away, but then felt his hand brush hers as he took it. ‘We spent a couple of months together and travelled around a bit, but then Daisy had to return home.’

Did she hear an accusatory tone in his voice? Daisy wondered. Determined to keep the mood light, she ignored her suspicions. ‘Yes, my mum was unwell.’

Daisy pulled her hand slowly from his. He released his hold on her but kept up the eye contact.

Lydia looked from Daisy to Gabriel and back to her again. ‘You didn’t keep in touch?’ she asked. Daisy shook her head. ‘Oh. I hope I haven’t made things difficult for you, inviting you to dinner here with Gabriel tonight. I can be rather impulsive, but I thought it would be nice if we all had a catch up.’

Daisy shook her head. ‘Not at all,’ she said. ‘I think it’s a bit of a shock for both of us to see each other again after nearly two years.’

‘I’d say it was more of a surprise,’ Gabe said. ‘It was fantastic to find Daisy at the Encore this afternoon.’

Daisy couldn’t help relaxing in his company. ‘Thanks, Gabe,’ she said. ‘It was great to see you again too.’

Lydia straightened her place mat. ‘Sorry to harp on, but I’m intrigued. You both say you’re happy to see each other here and it sounds to me as if you had a splendid time in Vietnam together, so why haven’t you kept in contact?’

Daisy was astounded by Lydia’s directness, and when she glanced at Gabe she saw he too was struggling to answer. ‘I’d really wanted to continue travelling,’ she said, ‘but I heard from back home that my mum had had a stroke, and I had… um… a few issues that needed to be faced. I ended up having to make an emergency trip back home. It cost me the rest of my travel funds.’

Gabe’s dark eyebrows lowered. ‘What issues? Why didn’t you tell me about those?’

She took a deep breath. Now was not the time to try and explain her dramas with Aaron. She didn’t want to have to think about his nastiness on this perfect evening. ‘Mum has always been intensely private, so I wasn’t used to sharing any information about her, or our life. I suppose it never occurred to me to say anything,’ she said. ‘She had another stroke before I arrived home and from then on needed constant care.’

He took hold of Daisy’s hand. ‘I would have come back to help you, if I’d known.’

She believed him, but couldn’t tell him how mortified she’d have been for him to come to their home and be turned away by her highly defensive mum. She placed her hand on the top of his. He was still the same Gabe, caring and adorable. ‘I know you would and that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. You’d only just begun your adventures. I couldn’t expect you to give everything up and come to Devon.’

‘Yes, you could.’

She shook her head. ‘Thank you, that’s really sweet.’ It wasn’t something worth debating, not now.

‘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 Monroe 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 as 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 La Motte – Green Island, that is,’ Lydia said. ‘I used to come here as a child and spend hours by the sea looking out at that tiny island.’

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.’

‘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 for a few things and ended up being offered a job at the Encore.’

‘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 and 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 coffee. 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.

‘There’s no need,’ she said, not wishing to disturb him, fully 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 see now 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 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.’