Chapter 14
Refusing to let her new colleagues discover anything about her difficult past, Daisy put on a brave face and tried to push the image of Aaron threatening her at the dam to the back of her mind. The following evening, she was determined to enjoy the fashion show as she and Fi took their seats in the front row.
‘I didn’t expect to have tickets to sit here,’ she whispered, as they placed their bags on the floor under their chairs. ‘This is amazing.’
‘I know, it’s so cool.’ Fi giggled. ‘Paige is fabulous. She’s the only one who manages to keep Seb in his place, and I can always rely on her to put my side of an argument across if he and I have fallen out about something.’
‘Has he met Phil yet?’ Daisy hoped Fi’s brother didn’t take a dislike to the man she was so besotted with.
Fi shook her head. ‘Not yet, thankfully. Seb has been away and I’m trying to keep them apart for as long as possible. I don’t need him to come down on me all serious and bossy.’
‘I know he’s probably annoying at times,’ Daisy said, ‘but I’d love to have an older brother to look out for me.’ More than anything right now, she thought, but refrained from adding.
‘Yes, you’re right, but he forgets that I’m not a kid any more. I can make my own decisions.’
‘I know, and he’ll understand that one day.’
‘You think?’ Fi joked. ‘Ooh look, I think they’re about to start the show.’
The lights dimmed in the hall and lit up the runway. The chilled music changed to something far more dramatic and the show began.
Daisy was entranced. She hadn’t expected such a small island to put on something as professional as she’d seen in magazines. The tall, angular models strutted down the runway, their bodies showing off the local designs, their feet encased in the most gorgeous shoes she’d ever seen. She noticed that each heel had a letter P embossed on it.
‘Wow, those shoes are to die for,’ she cooed, aware that she’d probably never have money to purchase a pair, never mind having anywhere to go to wear them. ‘I can’t wait to see the shoes she designs for you.’
‘Me neither,’ Fi said. ‘Look at that jacket.’ She pointed to a fuchsia pink cotton jacket being worn by one of the models. ‘I can see me in that, can’t you?’
Daisy smiled. ‘Yes, I can,’ she said, able to imagine her elegantly tall friend in almost every outfit she’d seen being shown.
A chill ran down her neck and Daisy glanced across the hall, thinking she’d seen someone who looked very much like Aaron amongst the seated crowd. She peered to get a better view, but realised she must have been imagining it. She hoped she wasn’t going to start thinking she could see him everywhere she went. She loved this new home of hers and wanted to be able to explore all its beaches and walks, but knowing he could be around any corner was very unnerving.
The show ended and everyone stood to applaud the designers. Daisy watched as Paige walked down the runway, hand-in-hand with the clothes designer, both bowing at the end and smiling to their appreciative audience.
‘She’s great, isn’t she?’ Fi said, clapping harder as Paige walked past, giving her a wink when she spotted her and Daisy standing next to the runway.
‘Do you want to try and go backstage to see the outfits?’ Fi asked.
‘You have to ask?’ Daisy waited for Fi to go first and followed her, both trying to walk against the crowd as they slowly left the hall.
Eventually they made their way backstage, to be stopped by a burly guard. ‘Sorry, ladies,’ he said. ‘Only those with passes are allowed back here.’
‘It’s OK,’ Paige shouted, hurrying towards them. ‘These two are family,’ she said, hugging Fi and shaking Daisy’s hand. ‘You must be Daisy,’ she said. ‘Fi has told me so much about you. Didn’t we meet briefly at the Encore party?’
‘Yes, that’s right,’ Daisy said, pleased that Paige remembered her.
‘Follow me and you can come and try on a few pairs of shoes. You’ll need to get to them before my sister does; she’s determined to persuade me to give her at least one pair.’
Daisy couldn’t wait to try them on. She gasped in delight when they arrived at the selection of shoes and picking up a red patent pair, she examined them in awe.
‘Try them on,’ Paige said. ‘See how they feel to walk in. I like to think that my shoes feel as good as they look.’
Daisy slipped off her sandals and stepped into the skyscraper heels. She so rarely wore high heels that at first it felt slightly surreal to be so tall. She was almost eye to eye with Fi who had yet to choose a pair.
‘Well?’ Paige asked. ‘How are they?’
Daisy beamed at her. ‘They’re heavenly,’ she said. ‘I love how they’re cushioned, especially at the ball of my foot.’
‘Good, I’m glad. They suit you, too,’ Paige said, staring down and admiring Daisy’s slim feet in her heels. ‘You’d make a great foot model.’
Buoyed by the fun she’d had at the fashion show, Daisy decided to put Aaron to the back of her mind and concentrate on her painting. She was also determined not to give Aaron another chance to surprise her and spent the rest of August making the most of Lydia’s garden where she felt completely safe. She found new vantage points from which she could reproduce unusual and colourful views, and not once was she disturbed by anyone other than Lydia’s gardener, or Lydia herself, asking her if she wanted to join her for lunch, a walk on the beach, or simply a chat.
She hadn’t seen Fi for a few days, but was happy to accept her friend’s invitation for her to spend an afternoon off sunbathing at her brother’s house. She’d put on her bikini in preparation.
‘He’s away again for a few days,’ Fi said, throwing towels onto three sunbeds and then straightening them out neatly. ‘Take any one you like. I’ll fetch some drinks.’
Daisy wasn’t sure who else would be joining them and not wishing to lie in between friends, she took the sunbed furthest from the large doors into the living room. She stepped out of her shorts and T-shirt and lay down. ‘This is wonderful,’ she said to herself, looking around the white walls and pale cream tiled area surrounding the large rectangular pool. Taking the lid off a tube of sun cream, she began smoothing it over her skin.
Fi came back outside a short time later carrying a tray with a glass jug of Pimm’s and three glasses. ‘Phil wants to meet you,’ Fi said. ‘I’ve told him to come here and say hi. You don’t mind, do you?’
Daisy shook her head. ‘Of course not,’ she said, excited to finally be meeting this mystery man Fi thought so much about.
Fi nudged her in the ribs. ‘When your man comes back, you’ll have him to drool over.’
Daisy wished Fi didn’t presume that Gabriel was her anything; it only made her daydream and refresh the hope she had that one day they’d find a way to be together. ‘Gabriel is not my man. Please don’t ever say that sort of thing at the hotel, people might get the wrong idea.’
‘I won’t, don’t worry,’ she said, pouring two glasses of the dark amber liquid and popping a strawberry from the jug into each glass. ‘Here you go, drama queen.’
Daisy took her glass and smiled. ‘I’m not. Do you think Francesca would be happy if she thought I liked Gabriel?’
Fi sat down on the sunbed next to Daisy and took a sip of her drink.
‘Yum. Listen, Gabriel is a grown man and I shouldn’t think he’s taken his mother’s advice for years. And as far as Francesca’s concerned, I think she’d be delighted if anyone managed to persuade her son to stay in Jersey. She doesn’t show it too much, but I suspect she misses him just as much as Lydia does. What do you think?’
Daisy knew how much she missed him. ‘Probably. She is his mother, after all.’ She noticed Fi glancing at her watch. ‘What time are you expecting Phil to arrive?’
‘Any time now,’ Fi said. ‘Do you think I look OK in this bikini?’ she asked, staring down at her perfectly toned stomach. ‘Or maybe I should wear one that doesn’t show off quite so much of me.’
Daisy shrugged. ‘I think you look great, but if you’ll feel happier in something else then change.’
Fi considered her reply and stood up, placing her glass down on the small table between them. ‘I’ll be back in a couple of secs,’ she said, running inside the house.
Daisy closed her eyes and dozed. She spent all her spare time painting and for once it felt good to simply lie in the sun and do nothing at all. She heard a sound next to her and smiled. ‘You were quick.’
‘I presume you mean someone else,’ said a familiar deep voice, the sound of which made the tiny hairs on her arms stand to attention and her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.
Daisy opened her eyes and had to cover her mouth to stifle a scream. ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked Aaron, seeing him sitting on Fi’s sun lounger, his feet up and hands resting behind his head as he lay back. ‘You can’t just waltz into people’s homes whenever you choose,’ she said, recalling how he had done just that at her mother’s small flat on several occasions, frightening them both. His uninvited visits had ended up with her mother insisting Daisy travel to Vietnam to try and stay away from him until he lost interest in her. She’d only agreed to go away because it was so out of character for her mother to want her to do something like that. Her heart ached at the thought that this obsessive fool, who she’d once thought to love, could still be chasing her so long after she’d ended their relationship.
‘I’ve been invited, just like you, sweet Daisy,’ he said, his voice so soft and loving it made her blood run cold. ‘Aren’t you pleased to see me here?’ Confused, Daisy opened her mouth to retaliate but Fi stepped outside. Instead of her looking shocked to see this stranger in her brother’s home, she beamed and ran over to greet him. ‘Phil, you’re here,’ Fi shrieked.
He lifted her up and swung her around, winking at Daisy as she crossed his line of vision. ‘I’ve just been making friends with Daisy here,’ he said. ‘You never told me she was this pretty.’
Daisy couldn’t believe it.
He put Fi back down and instantly Daisy noticed that her friend’s expression had changed. Why is she glaring at me like that, Daisy wondered?
He took Fi’s hand and led her over to the bar area. ‘This is delicious,’ he said. ‘Can I have a glass?’
Fi smiled at him, though Daisy noticed it seemed forced. She was pouring the liquid into the spare glass when he added, ‘Daisy kindly let me have a sip of hers. It’s delicious.’
‘What?’ Daisy couldn’t believe his cheek. He was so obviously trying to cause friction between them, but she hoped Fi knew her well enough to see through his nastiness. He gave her a sly smile over the rim of his glass when he took a mouthful of his drink, and to Daisy’s horror Fi noticed and glared at her.
Unsure what to do next and aware that he was well-practised when it came to being calculating, she tried to think of the best way to counteract his plan. Failing and hating the way Fi was being upset by his actions, Daisy stood up.
‘Fi, this man you know as “Phil” is actually an ex of mine. His real name is Aaron and he’s been stalking me for three years.’
Aaron shook his head, his eyebrows knitted together and his mouth dropped open momentarily. ‘Seriously? Are you quite all right, um, Daisy, is it?’
She pushed passed him and stood facing Fi. ‘Can we have a quiet chat, just the two of us?’ she pleaded, desperate to stop this nonsense before they were drawn more deeply into it.
Fi stared at her as if she’d never seen her before. ‘Why are you doing this, Daisy?’ she asked, her voice cracking with emotion and her eyes filling with tears.
Aaron walked up to stand at Fi’s side. ‘Maybe Daisy is a little jealous,’ he said, giving her a pitiful look. Daisy wanted to slap his smug face but didn’t have the courage, and knew from experience that he was far stronger than she was. She clenched her fists in an attempt to restrain herself from doing anything that could incite the situation further. Why wasn’t Fi listening to her? Surely she didn’t believe the nonsense Aaron was saying?
‘Shut up, Aaron,’ Daisy snapped. ‘I know your nasty little games.’ She focused her attention on Fi. ‘He’s making this up,’ she said, reaching out to place her hand on Fi’s shoulder.
Fi shied away from her touch. ‘I think you should go, don’t you?’ she said. ‘I’m not sure why you’re acting so crazily, but I won’t stand here and let you cause trouble between me and my boyfriend.’
Daisy sighed. ‘OK, I’ll go,’ she said, going to put on her T-shirt and shorts and slipping her feet into her flip flops. She picked up her sun cream. ‘But I’m telling you, I know him as Aaron. We were childhood sweethearts until his unreasonable behaviour pushed me to the brink. He’s far nastier than he seems, I promise you. He did things to me that left me no option but to get away from him.’ She could see Fi wasn’t convinced. ‘Fi, he might seem gentle and kind to you, and he was to me, too, at one time, but he’s also hit me.’
Fi glared at Aaron. ‘Is this true?’
He shook his head. ‘Fi, darling, how well do you know this woman? Seriously. You can choose to believe her if you want, but you know me well enough to trust me, surely?’
He looked and sounded so convincing, Daisy could see Fi was shocked and unsure who to trust. He was right, Fi didn’t know her well. ‘Listen,’ Daisy said. ‘I know it sounds obnoxious, but he’s only seeing you to get closer to me, to pay me back for leaving him.’
Fi gasped. ‘Stop it, Daisy!’ she shouted. ‘I don’t know why you’re doing this to me. Can’t you be pleased that I’ve found someone I like?’ She turned her head away, staring out onto the wooded garden. Aaron put his arm around her shoulder and gave Daisy a smile that was so chilling in its confidence she knew she would have to find a way to help Fi discover the depths of his cruelty for herself.
Daisy reached the door to go back into the house and turned to Fi. ‘I wish I could convince you to trust me. Please though, don’t trust anything he says,’ she said, before walking into the house and out of the front door. When she was sure she was far enough away from the house, she fell back to rest against the granite wall and cried.
Gathering herself, she decided to walk back to the hotel, hoping it wasn’t too far. She needed time to think things through. Hadn’t Aaron managed to tarnish too many years of her life already? She liked Fi, and despite her friend’s reticence to believe what she’d told her about him, Daisy couldn’t bear to think of him using her friend to get back at her. She had to do something, but what?
By the time she walked up the hotel driveway and around the back of the building to the staff quarters over an hour later, Daisy was so furious that she hadn’t come up with a reasonable solution she failed to notice the person standing by the doorway. She marched inside and up the hallway stopping in front of her bedroom door to find the key lurking deep in her bag.
‘Daisy?’ a deep voice said. ‘Are you all right?’
It took a second to register that Gabriel had just spoken to her. She spun round to face him. He opened his mouth to add something, but overcome with delight at seeing him standing there so unexpectedly, she bounded towards him and hugged him tightly. Resting her head against his chest, she sighed heavily.
‘I’m so glad to see you,’ she murmured, as his arms tightened around her back.
They stood silently for a few moments. She could feel his heart pounding rapidly and it dawned on her that her welcome was a little out of character and might have seemed a bit odd. She dropped her arms away from him and stood back.
‘Sorry about that,’ she said, clearing her throat. ‘I’m just so pleased to see you.’
‘Is everything OK?’ he asked, frowning. ‘You seem a little, erm, overwrought.’
Remembering where she was, she motioned for him to follow her. ‘Please come into my room for a moment, there’s something I need to tell you.’
He didn’t reply but waited for her to unlock her door and followed her into her room.
‘Sit down,’ she said, indicating the only chair in the room. ‘I’m afraid I’ve only got water to drink.’
‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘I don’t need anything.’ He peered over across the room to where her canvasses were stacked against the wall in two batches. ‘Are those your paintings?’
She could see even he thought that was a silly question and smiled. ‘No, they’re my shoe collection.’
He pulled a face at her. ‘Could I have a look at them, do you think?’
She frowned. She wasn’t ready to share them. They were far too personal to her and anyway, she mused, what if he hated what he saw?
‘Stop thinking up reasons why not and say yes,’ he said, waiting patiently.
‘Fine, go on then.’ She took a few strands of hair and twisted them through her fingers as he silently pulled back one, then another and finally all of her paintings.
He lifted two paintings and laid them on the bed. ‘Would you mind if I took some photos of them?’
‘What for?’ She stood up, ready to retrieve them from him, but he stared at her. ‘What?’
‘Daisy, you’re an excellent artist but you’re shy. Who knows when I’ll ever get another chance to see these again? I’d like pictures of them so that I can look at them again later. Would you mind if I showed my grandmother?’
She thought back to the times Lydia had come up to chat to her and look at her canvases while she painted. ‘No, I don’t mind you showing her.’
‘Let me photograph more of them,’ he said, replacing the two he’d extracted and replacing them with others.
She watched his broad shoulders as he bent down over her canvases. She felt so safe with him around. It dawned on her that the only other time she’d ever felt this relaxed was when they were on the other side of the world.
‘There, that should do it,’ he said.
‘You must have photographed them all,’ she said, waiting for him to sit back down again.
‘Damn, what’s wrong with me?’ he said. ‘I come here because something’s the matter and end up taking photos of your paintings.’ He stared at her. ‘You wanted to tell me something,’ he said, frowning. ‘What’s happened and how I can help?’
She sat down on the edge of her bed. She needed to share her fears with someone. He listened with intent silence as she told him all about Aaron; how they’d met at school and how he’d changed from a loving, caring boyfriend into a paranoid stalker.
‘His behaviour worsened the more my art took off. I had a few pieces in the local papers. He kept putting it down, saying things like they were only writing about me because there was nothing else to feature in the paper, that I shouldn’t take any notice because what the hell did they know about art, and so on.’ She shivered at the memory of what she was about to share next. ‘At first we’d argue and I’d stand up for myself, but then he started to hit me.’ She heard Gabe groan, but continued. ‘I didn’t dare argue with him after that. He began turning up at Mum’s place at odd times late at night or very early in the morning on some bizarre pretext that he didn’t even try to make plausible. I was terrified of Mum working out what was going on. I didn’t know how to make him stop and I couldn’t let her see me with bruises. She had enough to contend with, what with her being so unwell.’
‘Daisy, that’s horrific,’ he said, moving towards her.
She shook her head. ‘Please, just listen. If I stop telling you I might be too embarrassed to start again.’
He sat down and waited silently for her to continue.
‘I know I sound pathetic.’
‘You don’t.’
She closed her eyes briefly. ‘It all came to a head when I was offered my own exhibition. Aaron tried to persuade me that I’d humiliate myself if I put my paintings on display, but I’d painted my whole life and this was what I’d wanted more than anything. We rowed, he hit me, but this time I decided that I was going to stand up for myself and go through with the exhibition. It meant too much to me not to.’ She shrugged. ‘And anyway, Mum would never have understood if I’d turned down such a dream offer.’ She could see he was shocked by the things she was confiding in him but had to hope that he believed her more than Fi had done.
‘Go on,’ he said, his voice gentle.
‘Well, the day of the exhibition came and Aaron initially refused to go, which had been a relief. Even Mum managed to make it along with her carer who kindly brought her along in a wheelchair.’ Her voice wavered at the thought of her mother’s proud face as the mayor gave a speech about her being a future star of the art world. She coughed to clear her throat. ‘The man who’d arranged the exhibition then said a few words, ending with an announcement that he was offering to exhibit my art at his showroom in London later that year. I didn’t realise that Aaron had come to the exhibition but just as the announcement was made he began shouting about how ridiculous it all was, how my paintings were amateurish and how I’d only go and let the guy down by not coming up with the paintings he’d need for the London exhibition.’ She hesitated. ‘Which in the end I did, by running away. Everyone was stunned by Aaron’s outburst and my mother’s perfect evening was ruined. The mayor shouted for him to leave, but Aaron raced up to me before anyone could stop him and took hold of one of my wrists, squeezing so hard I thought he’d break it.’ She rubbed her wrist recalling the intense pain he’s caused that night.
‘He smiled at me and whispered that I’d better run, and run fast if I didn’t want him to do something that would ruin my life and that of my mother’s, and that if he thought I’d caused trouble that night I hadn’t seen anything yet. Two guests who also knew him and thought he’d either gone mad or was drunk, grabbed hold of him and took him home. I believed what he’d told me though, and when I turned to look at my mum I could see that she’d been harbouring her own suspicions about him. We spoke later at home. We were both scared. She told me to leave and so I did.’
Daisy continued, telling Gabe about thinking she’d seen Aaron the last time they’d spoken on the beach near Lydia’s house and how he’d confronted her at Queen’s Valley. Then she added, ‘My mum was terrified of him and his unexpected appearances at our flat. She was the one who insisted I go travelling in the vain hope that he’d tire of following me and move on. He didn’t, of course. Now he’s set his sights on Fi. She’s obviously got close to him in the last few weeks and although it hurt when she believed him over me, I suppose she doesn’t really know me or that I’d never do the things he was accusing me of. I just don’t know what to do next, but I do know that she needs to get away from him. He seems even more crazy now than he did before and it frightens me,’ she said, waiting for Gabriel to answer her.
He stared at her thoughtfully. She could see the muscles working in his jaw and could tell he was enraged on her behalf. As he sat there, she calmed down. It had been good to share her troubles with someone who believed her, someone she could trust.
‘I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with this by yourself, Daisy,’ he said. ‘But you’re not alone now. I think the first thing we need to do is tip off her brother. I don’t know Sebastian Fielding well, but I do know how protective he is of his sister and there’s no way he’d let this sly bastard use her to get back at someone else.’
Daisy agreed, relief flooding through her to have him backing her. ‘Yes, but what if Fi can’t see through him?’
‘We’ll have to make sure she does, somehow.’ He rubbed his unshaven chin. ‘Don’t fret, Daisy, we’ll resolve this. Let me think about this for a bit.’
‘Thanks, Gabe,’ she said, grateful to him for believing her so willingly. It dawned on her that she hadn’t asked him about his project. ‘How is everything with you? Were you able to source finance to continue with your work?’
‘A little, but only enough to finish the first stage, which we’ve now done. I’ve had to wrap everything up for now though, so I’m back here for a bit.’
‘I’m sorry it didn’t work out as you’d hoped,’ she said, feeling guilty for being so pleased to see him.
‘Not everything was a dead loss though,’ he said. ‘I was hoping you and I could go out for a walk later. There’s something I want to tell you.’
‘Can’t you tell me now?’
He smiled and shook his head. ‘Not yet. Shall we meet at the front of the hotel at, say, five?’
She nodded. ‘I’d like that,’ she said, delighted that her upsetting afternoon was turning into a much happier day than she’d expected.
He stood up and held out his arms. ‘Can I give you another hug?’
Daisy couldn’t help smiling as she stepped into his outstretched arms. ‘Of course.’
It felt so good to be held by him once again. An image of Bella began forming in her mind, but she pushed it away. She wasn’t doing anything wrong and right now she barely cared.
He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face to smile at her. ‘It’s good to see you again, Daisy.’
‘It’s good to see you, too,’ she said.
‘And you mustn’t worry. We’ll find a way to sort this out, I promise you. I’ll go and give Sebastian a call, see what he says.’