Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Daisy
D aisy brought Nate to Turner Hall kitchens to get breakfast. It was to fortify herself to meet with her brothers in Edward Hall kitchens. They now knew Warren had played her, that she was married, and that she was led to believe they no longer wanted to know her. The girls had reassured her that was not the case, but it didn’t stop her from having a sleepless night.
“Are you sure it’s all right to be here?” Nate said, looking up at Turner Hall ominously.
“Of course. Maggie and Bailey only saw you for a few minutes after the wedding, so it will be a relaxed way to get to know them.”
They ducked in through the door and shook off the snow from their coats on the threshold before removing them and hanging them up on the new rack Bailey had nailed to the wall. He mumbled and muttered about constant traffic and needed the kitchen to be tidy and not have all their coats slung over the nearest piece of furniture. He’d even brought down special hangers to hook onto the fastenings so it didn’t ruin the line of the coat .
That got him an eye-roll. Daisy had laughed and reminded him that she and her brothers had worked where no one cared about the drape of a coat.
He replied he would teach them.
Daisy smiled at the conversation. Bailey always took care of them in any way he could.
“Hey Maggie, what’s cooking?” Daisy said, and she crossed the flagstone floor to where Maggie was at the kitchen sink.
“Oh, Daisy, how lovely to see you. I’ll cook you whatever you want. Nate, come and sit down. Let me know what you want to eat.”
“I don’t mind whatever is to hand,” he said and came across to sit on the bench seat at the old country-style kitchen table.
“That’s not how it works around here, Nathaniel,” Bailey said in his deep voice and unsmiling face.
Nate blanched and looked to Daisy for help. Maggie intervened.
“Oh, don’t mind Bailey, that’s his happy voice,” Maggie said, waving at him.
Bailey moved to their coats and re hung them while Daisy and Nate settled at the table. Daisy immediately got up and made them a coffee.
“Do you want me to make a pot of tea?” Daisy asked Maggie.
“Oh yes, I could do with a cuppa. What brings you here this morning?”
“I’m meeting my brothers for a pow-wow, and I’m terrified. Nate’s coming with me for moral support and to kick anyone’s ass if they’re mean to me.”
“I’ll come over with you. I have to drop some dishes over to Jason. It will break the ice a bit if I make conversation first.”
“I love you, Maggie,” Daisy said.
“I love you too, darling girl. Now what am I making?”
“Porridge for me if you have it on the go, or if not, then I’ll have a big fat bacon bap.”
Nate gave her a side glance and laughed.
“I’ll have the same at Daisy, although I’m veering towards the bacon bap.”
“No problem. I’ll get it made, and then we can go across.”
“I’m going upstairs, Maggie. Do you need me to do anything?” Bailey asked.
“No, we’re all set down here. She’s had her breakfast,” Maggie said and rolled her eyes.
“Nice to see you, Nathaniel. I hope you’re not a stranger to this kitchen. You’re welcome any time, with or without Daisy,” Bailey said.
“Thank you, Bailey,” Nate replied.
Bailey nodded and went through the archway, and ascended the stairs. When he was out of sight, Nate turned to Daisy.
“Why does he call me Nathaniel?”
“He’s old-fashioned. It’s taken us a while to get him to use our first names and not call us Mr or Miss Turner,” Daisy said.
“Oh, right. Then I’m glad he didn’t call me Mr Hill. I’d be looking for my dad.”
Maggie and Daisy chuckled.
“There isn’t a thing that man wouldn’t do for me. Just because I’m a Hill and not a Turner, makes no difference. That kindness now extends to you.”
Nate leaned in and kissed her cheek.
“It’s going to go fine with your brothers,” he said.
“I hope so. I’m so wired I think I might cry.”
Daisy let Nate and Maggie settle her nerves, and then she stuffed her face with Maggie’s food. They were soon wrapped up again and trudging across the snow-covered grass to Edward Hall. Maggie entered first, followed by Daisy, and then Nate came in last and pulled the door closed.
Daisy stopped when she saw the girls on one stainless steel table and her brothers on the other one opposite. They played catch with one of Isobel’s toys. Isobel was busy bouncing in her wheelie chair and watching the action with her alert eyes.
“Hey,” Daisy said.
She could happily throw up at the situation.
“Oh, Daisy, come over here. We need reinforcements. Nate, you’re on the boys’ team,” Erica said, pointing to the seat next to Luke.
“Actually, how old are you?” Heidi asked. “We sit in age order around here.”
“I’m younger than Luke,” Nate answered.
“And Daisy,” Freya replied and cackled.
“Really?” Erica said and gave Daisy an exaggerated wink. “Nice work.”
Daisy was relieved that the tension was broken but talking about her marrying a younger man, albeit two years, was not what she wanted her brothers to hear.
“All right, kids. I need to get back to the kitchen. Jason, here are the dishes I borrowed last week. They’re cleaner than when you gave them to me,” she said, giving him a stern look.
“Thanks, Maggie. I’ll have a word with pot wash,” Jason replied and grinned.
“You do that,” she said, giving him an adoring smile like he could do no wrong. “I’ve fed Daisy and Nate, so you’re off the hook for today, but it might be a good idea to resume your breakfast skills for tomorrow.”
“I’ve already made plans, Maggie. Don’t worry.”
Jason looked straight at Daisy, and her heart pounded. Did Jason’s look signify forgiveness?
“Don’t I get a hug?” Archer asked after hopping down and opening his arms wide.
Daisy flew across the kitchen and jumped into his arms, letting out a loud sob.
“Hey, Daiz, it’s all right.”
“Will you ever forgive me?”
“I think it’s us that need forgiving,” he said.
He let her down so she could stand, and she swiped at her eyes to get rid of the steady stream of tears.
“I’ve missed you all so much this past year, and when I got to live here permanently and then lose you all broke me apart,” she said.
“But had you had Nate, right?” Jason said while he gave her a cuddle.
“Yeah,” she said and looked over to Nate, who was cuddling Isobel, making faces at her.
Daisy’s heart melted at the scene, and she wanted more than ever to have kids with him.
“Right, we all made up?” Luke asked as he wedged in to hug Daisy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.
“Yeah, I think so,” Daisy said.
“Okay, well, now that you’re back, you need to help with finding my replacement because no one we’ve interviewed can organise shit,” Luke said.
“And you think I’ll find someone?”
“We’re hoping so,” Archer said. “There has to be someone on the island that wants to work for us.”
“I’ll see what I can do, but no promises. Those numbers don’t crunch by themselves. We may want to look at the mainland. We don’t have a good rep,” Daisy replied, hopping up onto the stainless steel bench. Everyone took their places, and for once, Daisy had someone to her right. She looked up and saw Nate cuddling Isobel.
“You look good holding a baby,” she whispered.
“We can start immediately,” he whispered back and kissed her cheek.
Freya sat to her left and passed her the cupcake box. “They’re to die for. I think he puts cocaine in them. They are so addictive.”
“I’ve missed these too,” Daisy said.
“I told you they’d come around, honey,” Freya whispered.
“Yeah, I know. I just didn’t see how it would happen. But then Warren’s lies didn’t help.”
“I fired him,” Erica said further up the row.
“What?” Daisy said and leaned forward.
“Yep, no one hurts my family and gets to benefit from me. He’s out, and so is the firm. So, um, I’m kinda looking for an accountant,” Erica said and gave Daisy an eek face.
“Anyone else need me to fix their problems?” she called out and laughed.
The row laughed and dug into their cupcakes. They passed Isobel up the row to Erica, who nursed her while they chatted. Jason looked at the interior door to the kitchen. They could hear footsteps. Then a rattle on the doorknob before it swung open. They all leaned forward. There were no staff due in, and they were all there.
“If it’s Stan and his fucking spanners, I’m running out the other door,” Luke said.
They didn’t have to wait long when a woman walked through the open door carrying two archive boxes.
“Oh my God, Mum,” Daisy said.
She jumped off the metal bench and ran to her mum. She wrapped her arms around her waist and buried her face in her neck.
“It’s so good to see you. How did you manage to avoid being seen?”
“I don’t care about being seen. I’ve been doing some thinking, and Cynthia Turner doesn’t get to bully me any more. I missed Archer and Jason’s wedding. I had to sneak in to see yours. I want to be there for Luke and Freya’s wedding day. So I’m here,” she declared.
Daisy looked back to her brothers and their partners. None of them showed anger, but they were pensive, to say the least. Isobel let out a string of unintelligible words and wriggled in Erica’s lap.
“You want to meet Granny?” Erica whispered into Isobel’s hair.
Isobel let out a noise and wriggled again.
“I think that’s a yes,” Archer said, picking up his daughter.
He walked to Imelda, leaned in and kissed his mother’s cheek. “Meet your granddaughter,” he said quietly.
Daisy clamped her hand over her mouth to stop the wail begging to come out.
“She’s beautiful,” Imelda said.
“You won’t get any argument from me. What’s in the boxes? ”
“They’re from your dad, in case Cynthia made your life difficult after he died and you came back to run the place. From what Daisy has been telling me, I think now’s the time I told you all the truth.”
“How long are you staying?” Daisy asked.
“As long as I’m welcome. I have brought my own food, though,” Imelda quipped.
The rest of the group laughed, but Daisy’s eyes widened. “That’s not funny, Mum.”
“Sure it is. I’m feeling optimistic.”
“I have no idea why you’re pissed, Daisy,” Jason said. “But if Mum wants to have her own food, then it’s not a problem.”
“I am kidding. I thought it was amusing. Looks like it’s too soon for Daisy.”
“It’ll be way too soon for these guys when you tell them too,” Daisy said and then turned to Jason. “Let’s see if you’re all smiles then.”
Daisy huffed and folded her arms over her chest, feeling like she would throw a tantrum. But then she remembered she might be the youngest of her siblings but still the most mature.
“All right. Why don’t we go back to mine? I made a whole batch of chilli for us to eat after we made friends with our sister. So one more and a bunch of boxes will make it more fun,” Jason said.
“Well, there are a dozen more on the other side of the door. If we all took one, and the guys took two, could we get them across?” Imelda asked, looking hopeful.
“How much did he sneak out of this place?” Archer asked.
“All the important stuff. But he wrote a lot of it out too. All his diaries are in there. He wrote diaries from a really young age and never shared them with anyone. He hid them in my bedroom to prevent discovery.
“Have you read them?” Jason asked.
“Yeah. They were dispatched with me when I left the island, and then as he filled each one, we left them at my house in Scotland. Far away from Cynthia’s paranoid prying eyes.”
“Right. Good job, we all have the day off,” Archer said. “Let’s go and get settled in.”
Daisy moved to where Nate was and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up and resting her chin on his chest.
“Still glad you married me?”
“Never been surer, Daisy. I can’t see my life ever being boring. I never had siblings, so to have three brothers-in-law and their wives and fiancé is crazy mad with the noise and the banter, but I’m really happy.”
“Not just because you love my bath?”
“Not just because of the bath, no,” he teased.
Nate quickly kissed her and then helped her with her coat.
“Come on, let’s go hear the bombshells,” Daisy said.