Coming Home to the Sunflower Cliffs

Chapter 9

Daisy stood at the front door of the hotel, unable to believe the thick veil of fog that had descended overnight.

‘I hope this lifts by this afternoon,’ she said to Fi. ‘Most of the guests for the party are supposed to be flying in today.’

Fi chewed the top of the pencil she was using to annotate a text book. ‘No chance.’

Daisy frowned and returned to her position behind the reception counter. ‘What do you mean?’

Fi groaned and threw down her pencil in frustration. ‘I’ll never get this to stay in my head,’ she said. ‘I wish I didn’t have to study it.’

Daisy pulled the textbook closer to her and saw that it was about learning French. ‘I thought you all learnt French at school?’

Fi shrugged. ‘We do, but I skived most of the lessons and now need to brush up on it.’ When Daisy looked confused, Fi added, ‘We get paid more if we’re bilingual and working in the hospitality market.’

Daisy hadn’t realised that, which didn’t really matter because she couldn’t speak anything other than English. ‘The fog,’ she said, wanting to know why Fi was so insistent that it wouldn’t be lifting any time soon.

‘What? Oh, yes.’ Fi smiled knowingly. ‘This sort of thing happens occasionally. The fog descends out of the blue and stays a few days.’

‘Days?’ Daisy was horrified. ‘But what about the party? The guests need to get here.’

‘Well, it might lift,’ Fi said. ‘I wouldn’t really know, but I think they should make plans to take the ferry if they’re travelling from England or France, just in case.’

‘I agree,’ Gabe said, coming up to them. ‘This looks as if it’s here for the next few days.’

‘That’s what I said.’ Fi winked at Daisy.

‘What shall we do?’ Daisy asked Gabe, hoping he had a suggestion. ‘I suppose you’ll be getting in contact with as many of the guests as possible and suggest they make bookings for the ferry. Rather they arrive here late than not at all.’

‘I will,’ he said. ‘And the sooner they book seats the better. It’s a busy time of the year and they’re not the only ones who’ll be trying to get a place.’

‘Can we do anything?’ Daisy asked, as Gabriel walked to his office.

‘Not really. If any guests phone, tell them about the boat and give them the number to make the booking.’

She nodded and gazed out at the pale grey view, stunned that it was so dense and at the lack of any breeze to move it away from the island. ‘I’ve never seen anything quite this bad before,’ she said, thinking how eerie it seemed.

‘I remember a couple of years ago leaving college,’ Fi said, staring out the window. ‘I’d spent a gloriously sunny day sitting in a hot classroom and couldn’t wait to get home and sunbathe by the pool. Seb drove me home and literally all I did was walk into the house, run to my bedroom, and change into my bikini. When I stepped outside moments later there was a sea mist, as thick as this, billowing around from the back of the house and I had to go inside to put on some clothes because the temperature had dropped so much.’

Daisy shivered at the thought. ‘That must have been disappointing,’ she said. ‘How amazing, though, having your own pool. I wish we’d had one when I was growing up.’

‘I guess,’ Fi said, sounding less than impressed. ‘What else did you wish for in your home back in England?’

‘A front door,’ Daisy said, recalling her disappointment when a maisonette her mother had found for them years before fell through and her dream of having their own front door that stepped from inside their house out to a garden vanished.

‘Surely you must have had your own front door,’ Fi said, pulling a face.

Daisy nodded. ‘Yes, to our flat, but it always led to a corridor, never to our own front garden.’

Fi stared at her, eyes narrowed, as she thought about Daisy’s comment. ‘Seriously?’

Daisy nodded. ‘It’s fine,’ she said. ‘I suppose we’ve just grown up wishing for different things.’

‘You can say that again,’ Fi said. ‘You’re more than welcome to come and sunbathe at Seb’s house with me if you like,’ she added.

Daisy hoped she hadn’t caused Fi to be embarrassed. ‘Maybe one day,’ she said. ‘I really want to get on with my painting on my days off just now.’ She rested her hand on Fi’s arm and smiled at her. ‘I wasn’t having a go when I said what I did, you know?’

Fi returned her smile. ‘I know. I just hadn’t ever thought about something like a front garden before. Seb is always telling me how I should get out into the real world and experience other things, but then when I come up with ideas, he won’t let me try any of them.’

‘I’m sure he’s only looking out for you,’ Daisy said. ‘He sounds really lovely.’

Fi leant in closer to Daisy as if she was about to confide something very confidential to her. ‘He is,’ she whispered, laughing. ‘But I like winding him up. He can be a bit stuffy at times.’

Fi turned out to be correct with her prediction about the weather. The fog didn’t move from the ground and Daisy could tell that Gabriel was beginning to worry about the party. When he came through to reception just before the end of her shift, she asked if he’d managed to contact everyone on the guest list.

‘Most of them,’ he said.

‘What do we do if Bryn and Soraya can’t make it to the island?’ Fi asked. ‘They are the hosts, after all. Do we get on with all the work we need to do to get the orangery ready for tomorrow evening?’

‘We carry on as usual,’ he said. ‘Daisy, please call the girls from Lapins de Lune to check that they have everything they need to decorate the party room. Fi, you can call the musicians to make sure they’ll be there on time, and I’ll go and check that the kitchen and bar staff are ready for tomorrow.’

Daisy spotted her father hurrying down the corridor towards her. ‘Damn,’ she muttered under her breath.

‘What’s the matter?’ Gabe said, turning to see who she was talking about. ‘Ahh, do you want me to go and divert him?’

She shook her head. There was little point. She knew her father would find a way to come and talk to her if he wanted to, so she may as well get this over and done with. She checked her watch. ‘Only five minutes until the end of my shift,’ she said.

‘Go on,’ Gabe said. ‘I’ll stay here with Fi until the next shift takes over.’

Daisy got up and walked over to her father. ‘I can tell by the determined look on your face that you want to speak to me.’

‘Yes.’ He glanced over his shoulder. ‘It’s not often I get a chance to speak to you without Stella being there and she’s in the bath. So, I hoped you wouldn’t mind giving me a couple of minutes to try and clear a few things up between us.’

‘I’ll need to go and change. I’ll meet you out the back by the steps to the gardens in ten minutes. I doubt anyone will be out there in this weather.’

She hurried to her room and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, a thin jumper, and a cotton jacket.

‘That was fast,’ he said, when she joined him shortly after. ‘Shall we go this way?’ He indicated a pathway that would take them to the edge of the grounds.

‘Yes, sure,’ Daisy said. They began walking. ‘So, what did you want to talk to me about?’

‘The thing is, Daisy, I don’t want you to think that you aren’t important to me.’

‘I know that,’ she admitted, stepping over one of the small geometric pools dotted down through the valley gardens. ‘But it hurt when I met your wife and my half-brother and they had no idea I even existed.’ She’d been dreading speaking to him, not certain if she could keep her anger under control, but now it was happening, she was relieved to be able to share the feelings that had been troubling her.

They arrived at a small clearing where a weathered wooden bench nestled. ‘Let’s sit here,’ he suggested.

Daisy sat down and waited for him to do the same. ‘I know you’re in a difficult position, but it hurts to be someone’s secret.’

He sighed heavily. ‘I know and I’m sorry. Your mother and I were very much in love, but we were very young and I panicked and ran away. I’ll never forgive myself for leaving her when she needed me most. I wasn’t away long and did try to persuade her that we should be married once I’d come back, but she didn’t trust me not to run off again.’ He hesitated. ‘I wouldn’t have, you know?’

Daisy wanted to believe him. After all, he was the only family she had left, and hadn’t he always remembered her birthdays and Christmas? Sometimes he’d even managed to pop in on those special days; sometimes, but not very often. ‘Mum always said she didn’t mind you marrying Clarissa so soon after I was born and I believed her for years.’ She thought back to the time when she was in her teens that it occurred to her that her mother had only told her that so she didn’t fret about her. ‘She knew that I wouldn’t have agreed to see you if I’d known how you’d hurt her, and she was right.’

‘It was good of her,’ he said. ‘I was always grateful and it was why I tried to see you as often as I did.’

Daisy sighed. ‘I understand you not mentioning me to your first wife,’ she said, wondering how she would feel if she had discovered her husband had a whole part of his life that he hadn’t shared with her. ‘But why not tell Stella about me? She had a right to know I existed, surely?’

He nodded. ‘You’re right, I know you are, but I was frightened that she wouldn’t agree to marry me if she discovered that I’d kept such a huge secret from Clarissa for all those years.’

‘Then she doesn’t know the real you, and she deserved to before making the decision to spend the rest of her life with you.’

He stood up and pushed both hands through his short hair. Daisy softened towards him when she could see how upset he was. Then it dawned on her that maybe this was how he acted whenever things got difficult for him with his wife, and her sympathy waned.

‘Daisy, I know I’ve done wrong, but your mum didn’t want to share you with me most of the time. She liked the idea of me loving you and being there for you for birthdays and that sort of thing, but she was insistent that she was your only true parent.’

Daisy wanted to argue with him but could imagine her mother acting like that. Hadn’t she made a point of living an almost hermit-like existence for most of Daisy’s life?

‘Yes, but that doesn’t excuse your behaviour to Stella, or your son, does it?’

‘No,’ he said eventually. ‘It doesn’t.’ He picked a daisy growing through a hole in between two stones making up the top of the wall and began pulling off the petals, one-by-one. Daisy cringed. It was as if he was pulling her apart because she’d appeared in his perfect second marriage and caused issues with his pretty young wife.

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. Then glancing back down to the dismembered flower in his hand groaned. ‘Oh, that must look bad.’

Daisy shook her head. ‘Don’t worry about it.’ She stood up.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked.

‘Back to my room; I’ve got things to do and you need to get back to Stella if you don’t want her wondering where you’ve got to.’ Daisy began walking along the path, relieved to be getting away from him.

He called after her, but she ignored him. Seconds later she heard his footsteps as he ran to catch up with her. ‘Daisy,’ he said from behind her. She stopped and turned to face him. ‘Where do we go from here?’ he asked.

She shrugged. ‘I don’t know,’ she said honestly. ‘Maybe you need to talk this through with Stella. I’m not a part of your life. Let’s face it, I never really have been, and its fine,’ she said, when he went to protest. ‘I like being independent. You carry on and I’ll do the same, and if we meet again we’ll say hello and be civil.’

‘But you’re my daughter and I love you.’

Daisy closed her eyes, desperately trying to remain calm and not let him know now much this was taking out of her. ‘But I don’t really fit into your life any more, do I?’ she said, wishing he’d leave her alone.

‘You could, if you wanted to,’ he argued, his voice quiet and strained.

‘Let’s leave it for now, shall we? I’m still recovering from Mum dying and trying to make a life for myself. Maybe in a couple of years we could give it another try.’

‘But how will I know where to contact you?’

She thought for a moment. ‘Write to me here. I’ll make sure they have a forwarding address when I move on.’

‘Peter!’ someone called from higher up the pathway. He stiffened and Daisy realised it must be Stella.

‘You’d better go,’ she said. ‘You don’t want her to discover we’ve met up in secret.’

She watched him head off into the hotel, thinking that she had no intention of being second best any more. His wife and son now knew about her and she had no intention of meeting him behind their backs ever again. She would hate someone to do that to her.

The following morning Daisy woke before her alarm went off. Her first thought was the chaos that would be caused to the party guests if the fog hadn’t dispersed. Willing the fog to have lifted, she got out of bed and took three strides to her bedroom window. She pulled back the curtains and winced. She could barely see a few feet ahead of her. Her heart sank as she wondered how the party was going to turn out when most of its important guests wouldn’t be able to attend. She hurriedly showered and dressed and went to find Gabriel to see if there was anything she could do to help.

‘Not good, is it?’ he said, staring out of the front door of the hotel, his tanned arms crossed in front of his chest. ‘I spoke to Bryn and Soraya last night and explained that this sometimes happens. I tried to persuade them to book the ferry for them and their family to come across today. It’s the only way they’re going to get here. I hope they did as I suggested.’

‘Me too.’

‘I saw the Lapins de Lune van on my way through here,’ she said, recalling the two girls unloading their hampers with a tall fair man and two of the hotel bar staff. ‘I thought they did chintzy weddings, or that’s what Fi said anyway.’

‘They do all sorts of events,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘Shall we go and see if we can lend them a hand?’

They walked to the car park at the rear of the hotel.

‘They have vintage crockery with some nice Art Deco designs which they’ll use here,’ he said. ‘Izzy and Jess have only been going a couple of years, but they helped my parents out after the fire and they’re very hardworking girls,’ he said.

Daisy loved the idea of having her own business one day and said so.

‘What would you like to do?’ he asked, holding open the back door and stepping back to let her pass.

‘I’m not really sure. I’d love my own gallery, but I know that’s expensive and out of my league.’

‘You shouldn’t ever doubt yourself.’ He frowned. ‘You can do whatever you wish, you know. You’ll find a way, I’m sure of it.’

She smiled up at him. ‘I wish I had as much faith in my abilities as you seem to,’ she said, spotting the two girls still unloading their van and giggling with the men helping them.

‘I know what you mean,’ he said.

Confused by what he’d said, she stopped. ‘What?’

He shook his head. ‘Only that my grandmother was saying something similar to me the other day.’

She relaxed. She probably shouldn’t be so defensive. She was aware that for some reason she always assumed someone was trying to put her down or was making a derogatory remark. Especially Gabriel, but he’d only ever been kind to her, she realised. She wondered if it had something to do with the way her mum had always looked at things. She hoped she wasn’t becoming like her; it had been hard living with someone who only ever seemed to see the negative in things.

‘Lydia’s right; you should have more faith in yourself,’ she said eventually.

‘Ditto,’ he said, giving her a brief hug. ‘I think we could both learn a lot from her.’

‘Hey, Izzy, Jess,’ Gabriel called, taking Daisy by the hand and leading her over to the van to meet them. ‘Meet Daisy. She’s a friend of mine who’s working here on reception for the summer. We’ve come to help unload your stuff.’

‘We met at the Sunset Concert, remember?’ Jess said, noticing Daisy’s hand in his.

Daisy recognised her and pulled her hand away, embarrassed that he was being so friendly. After all, she had only met these people once and they’d been witness to her embarrassment when she’d met Bella for the first time. It hadn’t been the best start to a friendship.

‘We’ve got a lot to do in the next few hours,’ Izzy said. ‘We were hoping to come here and set up yesterday, but we’re running a bit late.’

As Daisy helped the others unload the crockery and linen, she began to feel something she’d last enjoyed when with Gabriel in Vietnam: a kinship with others her own age. It was a comforting feeling and one she wanted to last.

She looked up at Gabriel carrying three heavy hampers, one on top of the other, as if they weighed nothing at all. He must have sensed her watching him, because he glanced at her and gave her a quick wink.

Daisy couldn’t help smiling back at him, and noticed Izzy watching them. Gabriel took the hampers away and she bent to pick up a large bag containing linens when Jess whispered, ‘We were wondering who the lucky girl would be who’d capture Gabriel’s attention, but after the concert, well, we weren’t sure.’ She motioned her head to Izzy who immediately came over to join them.

‘What’s this?’ Izzy asked, her voice quiet.

‘You thought Gabriel was seeing Daisy.’

Daisy’s eyes widened, horrified that they had got the wrong idea. ‘No, it’s not like that at all. We know each other from our travels, that’s all.’ Even to her own ears her insistence sounded forced.

‘Yeah, yeah, we believe you.’ Jess’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

Daisy was about to tell them that they were wrong when she noticed Izzy pulling a face at Jess to get her to stop teasing. ‘Oh, very funny,’ she said, enjoying the banter. ‘I thought you were being serious for a moment.’

‘I did spot him winking at you though,’ Izzy said, picking up a hamper and walking with Daisy around the back of the hotel to the orangery. ‘He was looking at you before that too. I really do think he likes you, Daisy.’

Daisy felt her face reddening. She wasn’t used to confiding in others and didn’t want to have to admit to someone she’d only just met about their history together. ‘He is lovely,’ was all she’d say.

They arrived in the large room, with rounded windows on one side and a wall on the other. Daisy thought back to when she’d first arrived at the hotel and assumed this room must be a conservatory. She loved the plants growing up the back wall and the ceramic jardinières holding ferns that softened the sleek lines of the room. Fi had told her that even though this room was added only ten years ago, the light switches and chandeliers were authentic 1920s which Rick had sourced in a reclamation yard. The effect was stunning.

She watched as Jess and Izzy unpacked their stock then helped carry linen and crockery to where they indicated. A couple of hours later the room looked completely different and almost ready for the party to begin. It was like stepping into a scene from The Great Gatsby, but on a much smaller scale, with the abundance of pale pink hydrangeas brought inside from the garden in tall square planters, the old-fashioned champagne glasses placed in tiers for a waterfall of champagne to cascade down, and groups of silver and purple metallic balloons placed in different areas around the ceiling.

Gabriel had had to leave to go and sort out issues with guests who had been delayed by the weather, but sent through a bartender with a tray of lemonade for them to enjoy. The girls sat near the main door of the orangery and sipped at their cool drinks.

‘Blimey, I’m hot,’ Izzy said, fanning herself with a leftover napkin. ‘How can it still be this temperature when there’s fog sitting on the ground?’

‘No idea,’ Daisy said. ‘It does seem very humid.’ She relished the cool drink as the bubbles burst at the back of her throat. ‘Gabriel told me you cater for vintage weddings and parties,’ she said, wanting to know more about the girls and their business. ‘Do you do many Art Deco themed ones?’

Jess shook her head. ‘Not many, but we’re doing more now.’ She looked around the large room. ‘You couldn’t really do anything else in this place,’ she said. ‘It’s very glamorous here, don’t you think?’

Daisy nodded. ‘It is. I’d never been inside such a beautiful building before coming to work here. I still can’t get over the huge black and silver front doors each time I come into the hotel.’

‘It is a very beautiful old building,’ Izzy said. ‘My mum remembers it from when she was a child. She said it was so out of character from the granite farmhouses and cottages in the area that it caused quite a lot of consternation with the nearby locals as it was being built. Then they got used to it, but after a while it was neglected and the building decayed. She said it looks better now since Rick and Francesca renovated it. Apparently it took them a couple of years to ensure that everything was exactly how it should be. They sent off the light switches, door handles and other bits to be re-chromed, so that they could keep as many of the original pieces from the building as possible.’

‘It makes all the difference,’ Daisy said. ‘It’s like going back in time when you walk into this place. I almost feel like I should be dressed up in a pretty frock when I come in to work.’

‘What are Francesca and Rick like to work for?’ Izzy asked. ‘Fun I should think.’

Daisy thought about their slightly eccentric ways. She giggled. ‘They’re great to work for. They expect us to do our jobs well, which is only right, but they’re kind and hardworking themselves.’ She lowered her voice. ‘I especially love working for Mrs Grey.’

Jess sighed. ‘She’s so beautiful. It’s hard to imagine she’s in her eighties.’

‘My mum told me all about her and said I should look her up on the internet, which I did,’ Izzy said. ‘She was stunning when she was young, but I think she had quite a tough time of it when she disappeared.’

Daisy wasn’t going to confide in them about Lydia’s past. ‘She’s a lovely lady,’ was all she’d say.

Jess finished her drink and placed her empty glass on the tray. ‘Come along, we’d better keep going otherwise we won’t be ready on time.’

Daisy couldn’t imagine what still needed to be done to the room. Jess must have seen her confusion and said, ‘Table decorations. Sit there and watch,’ she said, looking very pleased with herself. ‘We have three different decorations with us, so there’s a variation to the settings.’

Daisy watched as Jess and Izzy took out square glass vases in assorted styles and placed them in the middle of the tables all around the room. In the taller vases they placed huge white feathers, three in each one. In the shorter ones, they placed cream-coloured candles, draped with golden strings of beads, and they filled the shortest vases with pearls of all sizes, pushing a small candle into the middle of the arrangement.

‘Wow, that looks so impressive,’ Daisy said, impressed with the transformation of the tables. ‘I’m beginning to feel like I should be dressing up for this party.’

‘We will be,’ Jess said. She looked Daisy up and down. ‘If you need to borrow a dress for tonight, just say so. We always dress up to fit into whatever occasion we’re hosting and have several flapper dressers each. You’re about the same size as Izzy so you’ll probably be OK.’

Izzy clapped her hands. ‘You can come back to our cottage with us, if you like. We can help you get ready.’

‘We’ve got some gorgeous head-dresses you can choose from, too,’ Jess added. She looked at Izzy. ‘I think the black one with the peacock feather will look perfect with Daisy’s hair. Although we’ll need to tie your hair up, put it in a tight chignon at the back. I think it’ll look very dramatic. What do you think, Iz?’

Izzy nodded. ‘Yes. Daisy, you’re going to look gorgeous.’

Daisy couldn’t help getting excited at the prospect of dressing up in something so different to anything she’d ever worn before. ‘OK,’ she said. ‘I’d love to.’

‘Brilliant,’ Izzy said. ‘Now we’d better get on, otherwise we won’t have time to go and change.’

Daisy, having seen what they’d done with the tables, helped them check that everything was exactly as it should be. She was distracted by a sound coming from the pathway to the side of the building, when she spotted Gabriel walking round, joined by the tall man that had arrived with the girls.

‘That’s Ed,’ Izzy said quietly. ‘Oh, you met him at the Sunset Concert too, didn’t you?’

Jess leaned over to Daisy and whispered. ‘It’s like love’s young dream with those two since they hooked up.’

‘Hah,’ Izzy said. ‘You can talk. You and my brother drive me nuts with all your mooning about.’ She turned to Daisy. ‘One minute she’s besotted with my brother, the next with Ed’s. I think she just likes the attention from both of them.’

Daisy laughed. These girls were so much fun. She was loving being in their company and realised she was feeling happier than she had since Gabriel’s revelation at the concert. ‘What do you think they’re carrying?’ she asked.

The three girls stared out of the window and watched as brass stands were placed by the entrance of the orangery, five in a row, then a chain was linked to each one.

‘Oh, wow, it’s for a red carpet,’ Jess laughed, as Gabriel unrolled one between the two linked rows. ‘This is going to be a brilliant party.’

Daisy thought so too. She was so busy watching Gabriel and Ed setting up the red carpet, she almost bumped into two waiters carrying through a huge cake. ‘Oh, sorry,’ she gasped, quickly moving out of their way as it teetered slightly on the tray they were carrying.

They set the three-tiered cake down on a circular table near to the back wall. Each tier was different. The top one was white and circular, the middle one silver and square and the largest one at the bottom square with rounded edges and gold with pearl beading. She’d never seen anything like it before.

Two bar staff carried in trays of glasses and arranged them in order on a table near to where the cake stood.

‘I think we need to get out of here now,’ said Izzy, studying the room. ‘It looks like we’ve covered everything and they’ll want to be bringing in the food and booze soon.’ She checked her watch. ‘Come on, Daisy, let’s clear these hampers away into the van and go back to the cottage and make ourselves glamorous.’

‘Here, we’ll give you a hand,’ Gabriel said, coming into the room and helping with their boxes and hampers. He took one of the hampers from Daisy’s hands, his finger grazing her own, sending shockwaves through her body. She glanced up at him and for a few seconds everything was blanked out as they locked eyes and stared at each other.

‘Er, you guys,’ Ed said, shaking his head. ‘We need to get a move on.’

Daisy could feel the blood rushing to her face. She looked away and hurriedly picked up another basket to carry. Everything was soon safely in the van.

‘You’re going?’ Gabriel asked, when Daisy stepped up to the vehicle. He looked, Daisy thought, rather disappointed.

She told him about the cottage and the girls lending her an outfit for the party. He smiled. ‘That’s brilliant. I’ll see you later then.’

As the van wended its way along the south coast, Daisy looked out at St Aubin’s Bay with its wide curved beach and Elizabeth Castle sitting proudly in the middle of the sea. The sun sparkled on the almost still water and she wondered why she hadn’t taken the time to come out and investigate more of this island by herself before now.

‘We live in Rozel,’ Izzy said. ‘Have you been there yet?’

Daisy shook her head. ‘No, I haven’t seen much of the island at all so far. I only arrived a few weeks ago and have been working as many hours as I could since then to try and save up.’

‘What are you saving for?’ Jess asked, stretching her arm out of her own window and yawning.

Daisy had to admit that she wasn’t certain yet. ‘I want to go travelling again, but most of all I want to be able to rent my own place at some point.’

‘Do you think you’ll stay over here?’ Ed asked.

She shrugged. ‘I do like it here,’ she said, thinking of Gabe. ‘But there’s so much I haven’t seen yet. I was told that it’s only an hour by boat to St Malo and there’s a train there that can take me straight to Paris in only a couple of hours.’

‘That’s right,’ Ed said. ‘If ever you want somewhere to stay when you’re travelling in France, let me know. My family have a home there.’

Jess and Izzy giggled at this comment, but Daisy wasn’t sure why. She assumed it must be some standing joke between them.

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’ll remember to do that.’

They drove past the town and up over Gorey Hill, past Mont Orgueil Castle, and up over another hill. ‘I’ll never find my way around this place,’ she said. ‘The roads are so narrow and windy it’s hard to know where I am.’

‘We get lost sometimes,’ Jess said. ‘Even though the island’s not very large, they say that there’s about two hundred miles of roads what with all the tiny lanes.’

‘I can’t see how that works,’ Izzy said.

‘Nor me,’ Jess agreed.

The van turned right eventually and down a long hill, getting narrower at the bottom. Daisy spotted the sea only a slightly darker blue to the sky, and at the bottom a beautiful stone breakwater. ‘Is this Rozel Harbour?’ she asked, intrigued.

‘It is,’ Jess said. ‘The cottage is right here,’ she said, parking next to a tiny garden at the front of a pretty white building.

‘Oh, it’s beautiful. You live here?’

The girls nodded. ‘It was my gran’s home,’ Jess said. ‘She left it to me when she died and we live here and run our business from here too.’

Daisy followed them out of the van and stood silently at the entrance of the pretty cottage. ‘You’re so lucky.’

‘We are,’ Jess agreed, locking the van and waiting for Daisy. They walked inside and Jess waved Daisy into the little living room.

‘Ed, will you get Daisy and yourself a drink while Jess and I go and fetch a couple of dresses for her to look at?’

Sitting down opposite Ed with a cool glass of orange juice, Daisy asked, ‘Do you live here too?’

‘No, when I’m in Jersey I have a place at the manor where I’m a groundsman. The rest of the time I live in France with my parents; they have a business there.’

‘Oh, right,’ she said.

The girls soon reappeared carrying several dresses each. They hung them all from the pelmet over the front window.

‘Well, which one do you like best?’ Jess asked, smiling. ‘Take a couple upstairs and try them on if you’d prefer. You can shower too if you want.’

‘What about you, Ed?’ Izzy asked.

‘I don’t think they’ll suit me,’ he joked. Shaking his head, he added. ‘I’ve left my suit upstairs. I’ll go and change and leave you three to get ready.’

Daisy chose three fringed dresses: a gold one, a pink one, and a black one. After a quick shower she decided on the black dress and hurriedly put it on and headed downstairs, her curly hair still damp.

‘You look stunning,’ Jess said. ‘Wait there while we go and change, and have a look in those boxes where you’ll find the headdresses.’

She picked up each of the headbands, all decorated differently with an assortment of beads and feathers. Unable to wait, she tried on the peacock feather one she thought most suited her dress and, staring at her reflection in the mirror, couldn’t help smiling. She looked so different, sophisticated somehow, and she loved it.

Someone walked into the room behind her. She turned to see Ed. ‘Looks lovely,’ he said. ‘The girls will be delighted you’ve found one you like.’

Jess and Izzy followed him in moments later. ‘Wow, you look fabulous,’ Jess said. ‘I knew these dresses would suit you.’

They lent her red lipstick and eyeliner to go with the outfit. The effect was startling.

‘What do you think?’ Izzy asked, when she didn’t speak for a few seconds.

‘I like it,’ she said.

‘You look very sophisticated,’ Jess said. ‘It really suits you.’

She thought it did too, but didn’t like to say so. Maybe this summer in Jersey was going to be the time that her life truly did change for the better. ‘You both look amazing,’ she said, smiling at Jess in a red dress and Izzy in gold. ‘I think this party is going to be great fun.’

‘Me too,’ Izzy agreed, linking arms with her and Jess. ‘Come on, Ed, take a picture of us three. I want to post it on our website; it’ll be good for advertising this style of party.’

Jess nodded. ‘Good idea.’

Daisy hated having her photo taken, but didn’t dare upset the girls by saying so. They’d been so generous to her and letting them take a picture of her was the least she could do.

Ed took his phone and waved for them to stand a little closer. ‘Smile, girls,’ he said, taking several pictures. He handed the phone to Jess.

‘We look gorgeous,’ she said.

Daisy and Izzy laughed. ‘If you do say so yourself,’ Izzy giggled.

Ed looked at his watch. ‘We’re going to have to get a move on if you girls don’t want to be late.’

‘Damn,’ Jess said, seeing the time. ‘We need to be there before everyone else,’ she said, eyes filled with panic. ‘We can’t be late.’

‘We won’t be if we leave right now,’ Izzy said, picking up her bag and the car keys. ‘Come on.’

They arrived at the hotel and hurried into the orangery. The only person there was Gabriel, doing a last-minute check of the room. A trio were playing lively music in keeping with the era over in one corner of the room near a temporary dance floor. Daisy felt like her namesake in The Great Gatsby when Gabriel turned around and smiled at her.

Her stomach flipped over and her breath caught in her throat. He looked incredible. He’d slicked back his hair, showing his tanned face off to perfection, and wore a dinner jacket with a white shirt and bow tie. He walked over to join her. Daisy cleared her throat and tried to think of something coherent to say.

‘You look incredible,’ he said his voice catching. ‘So…’

‘Over the top?’

He laughed. ‘I was going to say glamorous.’

‘Oh,’ she said, embarrassed by her instinctive reaction to be negative. Too many years being told she shouldn’t forget who she was. She was beginning to realise that her mother had been wrong on many levels.

‘Thank you,’ she said, when he didn’t say anything further. He didn’t speak but stared at her. She was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable by his silence. ‘Is anything wrong?’ she asked. Maybe her lipstick had smudged or something.

He shook his head. ‘No. I was just— Well, you look stunning.’

Daisy couldn’t take her eyes away from his. She had no idea how long they stood like that. Seconds, minutes… it was only when she realised someone was tapping Gabriel on the shoulder and he looked away to see who it was that she became aware they were still in the middle of the orangery, which was now filling with guests.

He rested his hand on her bare shoulder. ‘Sorry, I’ll just have to go and deal with this,’ he said. ‘It seems our party hosts have arrived. I must greet them.’

‘Of course,’ she said.

She spotted Izzy and Jess, smiling and chatting to other staff members and several guests who were making their way into the room. The red carpet gave them all something to talk about as they walked in. She saw Luke arrive with his wife, Bea. He looked a little uncomfortable in his dinner suit.

‘So, what do you think?’ She looked up to see Ed holding out a glass of champagne to her. ‘They know how to put on a party here, don’t they?’

She nodded. ‘The girls are very good at dressing a room. You must be very proud of them.’

He smiled. ‘They certainly do.’

The room was filling fast and getting noisier. Daisy tilted her head in the direction of an exuberant couple who had just arrived and were holding up their glasses to a group of friends. ‘They were in that period drama from last year,’ she said, amazed at how different the couple looked without their powdered wigs.

‘They’re probably good friends with Francesca and Rick,’ he said. ‘In fact, I’m surprised those two haven’t come back for tonight. Maybe they didn’t have time to catch the ferry.’

Daisy looked out of the glazed wall overlooking the garden to the orange glow formed by the garden lights in the dense fog. ‘It’s still terrible out there. What a shame, when there’s usually such an incredible view of the bay.’

‘I think it looks eerie,’ Izzy said, coming to stand next to them. ‘As if tonight is part of a hazy dream, where anything’s possible.’

Daisy could see what she meant. ‘It’s like we’ve been transported back in time to the twenties.’ She liked the idea.

‘Everything seems to be going fine here,’ Izzy said, looking around the room.

They spoke for a little longer until raucous voices could be heard coming along the pathway towards the party. She saw a couple who she recognised from many films, walking hand in hand. Gabriel followed them, his head bent slightly as he said something amusing to his grandmother.

The glamorous couple stopped at the door, letting Gabriel and Lydia walk ahead of them into the room. Gabriel called out for everyone’s attention.

When Daisy saw who was standing there she gasped, and turning to the woman standing next to her said, ‘That’s Brynmor Wensley Morgan, and his wife Soraya.’ She was unable to believe that she was in the same room as the great actor she’d seen in so many films and had never been able to afford to watch at the theatre.

The woman looked at her strangely. ‘I take it that you’re new here, otherwise you’d have probably come across them both before. They’re good friends of the family.’

Daisy shook her head. ‘Yes, fairly new,’ she whispered.

Gabriel held his hands up to quieten the excited chattering in the room. ‘Dear friends, we’re here tonight to celebrate fifty years in the business that is show, for this amazingly talented couple that all of us know and most of us are lucky to consider as close friends.’ He held up his glass in a toast. ‘I’d like you to join me in raising your glasses to our fabulous hosts, Bryn and his lovely wife, Soraya.’

The guests cheered and raised their glasses, chanting their hosts’ names as the couple made their grand entrance into the packed room.

‘Bryn would like to say a few words,’ Gabriel said, stepping back to let the larger-than-life actor and his wife speak.

Daisy watched Gabriel. Living with his theatrical parents seemed to have given him a confidence she couldn’t imagine possessing.

‘And,’ Bryn continued, bringing Daisy back to the present as his clipped, strong voice carried easily to everyone in the room, ‘to celebrate half a century in the business that Soraya and I love so much—’ he arched an eyebrow dramatically ‘—despite neither of us getting the merest sniff of an Oscar, Soraya and I would like to thank you all for travelling here tonight through the inclement weather to enjoy our special evening with us.’

The guests clapped and Bryn and Soraya took a bow, laughing and giving each other a quick peck on the lips.

Soraya clamped her free hand over Bryn’s mouth as he opened it to speak, and said, ‘I’d like to thank the Encore, and the girls from Lapins de Lune, and especially the divine Gabriel.’ She lifted her hand in a mock whisper. ‘Who really should have become an actor and delighted us all on the screen as well as in this hotel. You’ve all worked very hard to make tonight possible.’

Daisy joined in the applause. She beamed at Lydia who looked resplendent in her shiny dark grey dress and matching headdress with long opera pearls tied in a lose knot below her chest. Lydia spotted her and walked over.

‘You look stunning, Daisy,’ she said. ‘How lovely to see you here tonight. I wasn’t sure if you’d be on duty or not.’

Daisy shook her head. ‘Not tonight; Fi’s holding the fort but she’ll join us later.’

Lydia looked at Gabriel. ‘Is that elegant brother of hers coming tonight?’ She looked back at Daisy. ‘Young Sebastian Fielding caused something of an uproar here in the island last year. It was in all the papers, and not just the local one.’ She lowered her voice. ‘He can come across as a little fierce, but he’s a hardworking man who only wants the best for his employees, and he’s devoted to his younger sister.’

Daisy recalled Fi’s chatter about the brother who bossed her around but spoiled her. ‘She talks about him a lot.’

‘Gabriel,’ Lydia said, waving him over to join them. When he reached them, Lydia said, ‘Why don’t you relax for a moment and ask Daisy for a dance? You’d like to dance, wouldn’t you?’ she asked, her tone implying that a refusal would be out of the question.

Daisy smiled. ‘I’ve got no idea how to Charleston,’ she said, presuming that’s what Bryn and Soraya and their guests were doing on the dance floor.

Lydia grabbed hold of Daisy’s arm and one of Gabriel’s, and pushed them towards the dance floor. ‘Go on, you two.’ She shook her head. ‘In my day you never missed an opportunity to have fun.’

Gabriel took Daisy by the hand before she had a chance to argue and led her onto the wooden floor. ‘Sorry about that,’ he said. ‘But she won’t give up until we do. It can’t be that hard, can it?’ he said, watching the others for a second before beginning to do a vague impression of what they were doing.

Daisy laughed at his comedic attempts to copy the others. He was obviously more used to the water than the dance floor, but she decided that if he could have fun without worrying about making a fool of himself, then she could do the same.

‘There you go,’ he shouted, not attempting to hide his amusement at her. ‘You’ve nearly got it.’

Two dances later and Daisy, out of breath but happy, took Gabriel’s hand and led him over to one of the tables. ‘Can we sit?’ she asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

He turned his chair so that he was facing her a bit more and nodded at one of the bartenders, who immediately brought over a tray of drinks. Thanking him, Gabriel took two glasses from the tray and handed one to Daisy. ‘That was fun.’

She laughed. ‘It was. I’m a bit of a Strictly fan and love watching the different dances. I think the Charleston always looks great fun.’

‘I’m so glad you came tonight, Daisy,’ he said, before leaning forward and kissing her quickly on her lips.

Startled but pleased with what he’d just done, she smiled. ‘So am I.’

‘I want you to know that I’m doing everything in my power to sort out my divorce.’

Daisy’s mood plummeted. She hated to be reminded of his situation and that they couldn’t be a couple. ‘Let’s not talk about it tonight.’

He took her hand in his. ‘Having met your father and learnt something of your past, I can understand the way you feel about my situation much more. I probably shouldn’t have kissed you, but I want you to know how I feel about you. Our time together in Vietnam was special. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.’

‘And you don’t think it was just because of the magic of the surroundings?’

‘It helped, I suppose, but Vietnam was more mystical to me because I shared those experiences with you.’

She couldn’t help agreeing with his sentiment. ‘I know what you mean. I feel the same way about our time there.’

‘I wish you’d answered my emails. We still could have spoken on the phone, or I could have come to Devon and spent time with you.’ He looked so sincere. ‘Maybe met your mother.’

She shook her head. Not wishing to discuss her issues with Aaron and unused to sharing her private life, she didn’t like to admit that it had never occurred to her to introduce him to her mother. ‘My mother had issues,’ she said. ‘She was intensely private and a little ashamed of her home.’ She cleared her throat. ‘It was quite rundown and she hated living there.’

‘Didn’t she invite anyone there at all?’ he asked, looking stunned at the prospect. ‘What about her friends, or your friends?’

Daisy sighed. ‘I didn’t have any, and neither did she.’

He stared at her for a moment and Daisy could have bitten her tongue for opening up so much to him. She wished she could take back what she’d just said. Now he was bound to see her in a different light. She’d done so well up until now at reinventing herself.

‘Don’t look so horrified,’ he said, giving her hand a squeeze. ‘None of our lives are exactly how we might wish them to be.’ He tilted his head. ‘Yes, I know I’m speaking as someone who has enjoyed a better life than most, but it can be quite hard when you’re fourteen and your mum has acted a pretty risqué part in a movie.’

Daisy winced. ‘I hadn’t thought of that sort of thing.’ She could see the hurt in his eyes.

‘I love my mum,’ he said, lowering his voice so only she could hear him speak. ‘But I had to learn to stand up for myself at a young age. Not everyone’s parents’ lives are lived through the magazines. Some of the stories were… difficult to read knowing I had to go to school on the Monday morning and deal with some fool who thinks he’s funny for sharing details with the rest of my class.’

Daisy couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. ‘We’ve had pretty opposite upbringings if you think about it,’ she said, as it dawned on her that something halfway between the two was probably what most people experienced. ‘I’m not sure which was the most enjoyable.’

His expression softened. ‘Probably neither,’ he said, smiling widely at her. ‘At least we have that in common.’

Daisy smiled. He was right and for once she didn’t feel so much of an outsider. To think that his childhood might have been as difficult as hers, albeit in a completely different way, was reassuring somehow. She was about so tell him how much better he’d made her feel when there was an upsurge in the volume in the room. Both of them turned their heads to see what all the commotion was about.

‘Your parents – they’re back!’ she said, delighted to see they had been able to get to Jersey in time for the party.

He and Daisy stood up together. ‘Come on, let’s go and say hi to them,’ he said, taking her by the hand.

It felt so natural that it was only when Francesca made a point of spotting their hand-holding and raised a perfectly threaded eyebrow in their direction that Daisy felt at all awkward and let go. She could feel Gabriel staring at her and hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings.

‘Darling, so good to see you again,’ Francesca cheered, giving Gabriel a hug. ‘You look very handsome in all your finery.’

‘Thanks, Mum. You look amazing as usual.’ He smiled at his dad. ‘Great to see you back again. Will you two be here for a while or is this a flying visit?’

‘I’m flying out again first thing if this bloody fog lifts,’ his father said. ‘We had to get the ferry here. Still only three quarters of the way through my tour, so there’s no chance of a break for me yet.’

‘Yes, but you love it,’ Francesca said putting her arm around Rick’s waist. ‘I’m back for a bit now. Filming wrapped yesterday.’

‘That was quick,’ Gabriel said.

Daisy had no idea how long it took to shoot a film, so didn’t like to comment.

‘Not really; I was only in the final scenes of the filming, so they didn’t need me at the beginning. It was only a small part.’ She smiled at various people in the room. ‘Bryn and Soraya seem to be having a ball; they look like they’ve been dancing for ages. I’d better go and have a chat with them.’ Before leaving she added, ‘This all looks fabulous, darling, well done.’

Daisy and Gabriel watched his parents walking away, chatting to people as they made their way across the crowded room.

‘Why is she so surprised that you’ve pulled this together so well?’ Daisy couldn’t help asking.

Gabriel smiled. ‘Because she knows how I’d much prefer to spend my days down on the beach, or diving somewhere. Staying indoors for too long makes me restless.’

‘Won’t you ever want to settle down somewhere?’ Daisy asked. ‘I mean, have your own home, rather than being away on projects all the time and living out of a rucksack?’

He shrugged. ‘Maybe, but right now I love what I do and can’t see myself giving it up any time soon.’

Then we’re really not suited, thought Daisy. However much she might wish his divorce to be finalised and to have a home of her own where she could put down roots and make a life for herself, Gabriel was obviously not the person with whom she could ever hope to achieve this dream.

Before she could say anything further there was a shriek followed by a loud crash as a large tray of glasses was knocked from the bar area onto the floor.

‘Bryn, be careful,’ Soraya shrieked, staring at the splintered glass all around their feet. ‘You shouldn’t be so exuberant.’

Bryn raised his hands. ‘Not to worry, if someone will bring me a dustpan and brush I’ll clear this mess in a jiffy. Just put the breakages on our bill.’

‘Sorry,’ Gabriel said. ‘I’m going to have to go and sort this out.’

She nodded and took the opportunity to excuse herself and go to the ladies’. She was having a lot of fun, but couldn’t help being sad that she and Gabriel wanted such different things for their futures.

Feeling a little more settled, she returned several minutes later to see someone sitting on her chair in deep conversation with Gabriel. Unsure whether to interrupt them she hesitated, then when the woman looked over at someone in the crowd, Daisy realised it was Bella. She decided this was her cue to leave.