Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Daisy
D aisy shuffled into her dining room, flipped open the lid of her laptop, and shuffled back to her kitchen. She flipped the switch on the kettle and waited for it to come to a boil. The conversation called for tea. Coffee wasn’t anywhere near as comforting.
While the kettle was coming to a boil, she opened the cabinet in front of her and stared at the mugs. Different sizes for different hot beverages. She needed a bucket, so she chose the biggest. Dropping two tea bags into the mug, she poured the water while it was still bubbling and let it brew for a couple of minutes. Once she’d got rid of the tea bags, she added some milk. Daisy grabbed the biscuit barrel, stuffed it under her arm, and then picked up her mug.
She shuffled back to her laptop in the dining room to see her mum waiting for her.
“Hey, Mum,” Daisy said when she’d settled down in the seat and hugged her mug .
“Hey, sweetheart. Are you still in your dressing gown?” she asked, moving her head around the screen to get a better look.
“Yeah. Not feeling the need to get dressed right now.”
“And you’re drinking tea. The next thing you’re going to do is dip a chocolate digestive into the tea.”
Daisy smiled at her mum, then dipped her head and concentrated on making sure the biscuit didn’t get too soggy and plop into the tea. She gave her mum a side-eye glance and ate the soft biscuit.
“Things must be bad. Tell your mum all about it.”
“They hate me,” Daisy said once she’d finished her biscuit.
“Who do?”
“My brothers.”
“Still?”
Daisy dropped her head and hummed. She had told her mum the truth as soon as it happened. She needed to be warned. All her brothers had Imelda’s number, but only as a next-door neighbour. Someone who would water the plants to collect a parcel for them.
“Have you had any messages from them?” Daisy asked.
“No. But then I wouldn’t expect them to get over it anytime soon.”
Daisy put her head in her hands and willed herself not to cry.
“I know they didn’t take the news well, but they’ll come around. Freddie raised good sons,” her mum coaxed on the other end of the video call.
Daisy grabbed the box of tissues from the side table and blew her nose.
She shook her head and then looked at her mum with watery eyes .
“No. They were so angry with me.”
“We talked about this, but I have to admit I didn’t think they would walk away from you.”
“It’s all gone horribly wrong. I thought I could be happy here. Make a life, fall in love, get married—”
“Hey, did I hear you upset?” Nate said from the entrance to the dining room.
He was out of shot but could see the laptop screen. Nate gave an eek face and went to step back.
“Is that him?” Imelda asked, grinning.
“Yeah, do you want to meet him?” Daisy said, a smile splitting her face.
“Better had if you’re going to marry him in a few days,” Imelda replied. “The last time I saw him, he was a baby.”
Nate rolled his eyes and then smiled. He ran his fingers through his hair and then turned to the picture hanging on the wall. Daisy watched as he tried to make himself presentable. She couldn’t care what he looked like, but straight out of bed was his best look.
“Come and meet my mum,” Daisy said and reached her hand out to him.
Nate walked over and stood behind Daisy, then bent to kiss her cheek and wrap his arms around her neck. Daisy instantly felt better and draped her arms over his.
“Hi, Mrs Turner,” Nate said and waved with one of his hands.
“Hi, Nate. I knew your mother,” Imelda said with a sad smile.
“Yeah, she said she knew you too. She said you were great friends before you had to leave. She thinks the same thing the rest of the island thinks. I haven’t told her anything. ”
“I appreciate that, Nate. I’ll tell her some of it when I see her at the ceremony. Does she know I’m coming?”
“No. I’ve not said anything. Mum and Dad think they’re going to be witnesses with Maggie and Bailey.”
“Good. It will be easier if no one knows, then there is less pressure on them to keep it a secret. I hope to be gone before anyone gets wind that I’m on the island.”
“I understand. I think she’ll be thrilled to see you.”
“I’ll be happy to see her too.”
Daisy leaned to the side, looked up at Nate, and stared at him. He gazed back down at her and kissed her head.
“I’m going to make a coffee, then get a shower. I need to get to the workshop.”
“No problem, I have a few bits to do. I’ll meet you back here or at the workshop?”
“Here,” he said and then kissed her lips.
It was brief, but it warmed her to her toes.
“Later,” he said and then strode off the kitchen.
“I can tell you two are in love,” Imelda said when Daisy looked back at the screen.
“You don’t think it’s quick?”
“It was quick with your dad. I knew within days of meeting Freddie that I wanted to marry him, despite him being a Turner. I don’t regret a single day with him or when we were apart.”
“Wasn’t only seeing him three days every six weeks hard?”
“I think I saw him more than army wives see their husbands. They can go a year and not see their husbands. I may not have seen him for long, but we made it count. It was the cards the universe dealt us, and we made the most of it.”
“It makes me sad,” Daisy said. “It’s all such a mess, and I don’t think Archer, Jason and Luke will ever forgive me. ”
“They should be angry at me, not you. I think they forget that you’re the youngest, even though you’re probably the most put together, the smartest and the most adult out of all of you kids.”
“Thanks, Mum, but I don’t feel very put together. In fact, I feel like I could fall apart. If it wasn’t for Nate, I would wallow or run away.”
“Then I’m glad you met him when you did. Seems fate had her plans for you.”
“I am so looking forward to hugging you. I can’t believe I’m only going to see you for an hour.”
“Cynthia might be eighty, but I wouldn’t put anything past her. I don’t want to risk anything for you or the boys. Maggie will help you with whatever you need that I can’t sort out for you.”
“She’s been so lovely.”
“She cherished you when you were a newborn. I had to prise you away when you were nursing, then as soon as you had your fill, she had you in her arms straight away.”
“Am I mad marrying him?”
“What does your heart say?”
“He’s the one,” Daisy replied immediately.
“Then it doesn’t matter what anyone else says. He knows you could get kicked off the Turner Estate, he knows you might end up living above the workshop, and he doesn’t care. You both have oil under your finger nails, and it doesn’t deter either of you.”
“I miss you, Mum.”
“I miss you too, sweetheart.”
“Maybe you’ll sneak back again soon?”
“Maybe,” Imelda said with a watery smile.
“I’ll let you go. See you in a few days,” Daisy said, grinning .
“I’ll be the one in the ridiculously over-the-top hat.”
“Awesome,” Daisy said and put her palm on the screen.
Her mum did the same, and they said their goodbyes.
When the screen went back to the default setting for the video call software, Daisy felt the loss immediately.
Sighing, she drank her lukewarm tea and then shuffled back to the kitchen to make a coffee. There was a three-hour shift ahead of her on the financial helpline, and then she had Edward Hall work to complete. Warren was due to arrive the Monday after the wedding, and she wanted everything perfect so she could walk away with a clean slate.