Chapter Ten
On her way home, Anna called into Tesco to buy food for the weekend. She knew her dad wouldn’t be happy about her going away, but she needed to do this and he would just have to put up with it. She thought that if she stocked up the fridge, cooked some meals for the freezer and did all the washing before she went, then maybe they wouldn’t be too put out. And if they were, it might show them how much she did for them, and that she wasn’t going to put up with doing it all on her own any longer.
By the time her father and Jack returned home, the house was clean, the washing had all been dried and ironed, and she was just about to dish up a beef casserole with mashed potatoes. Harry had said he was going to the library to study, so she plated some food up for him for when he got home.
The response from Jack was surly, but her dad came over and gave her a hug. ‘Thanks, love, I hate it when we argue and it’s good to know you want to make amends for last night.’
Anna was so stunned she couldn’t speak. And now was not the time to tell him the real reason she’d cooked dinner. That would be better said once he’d eaten.
After he’d had his fill, her father leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. ‘That was lovely, Anna, thank you.’
‘Glad you enjoyed it.’
Andrew looked to Jack. ‘Jack, say thank you to your sister for dinner.’
‘Thanks,’ Jack said gruffly. Anna and Jack had always squabbled, but recently he’d changed, becoming more chauvinistic, and he wasn’t a person she liked anymore. She tried to do as little as possible for him, purely because he expected her to do it and never offered any thanks for her efforts.
‘That’s better.’ Her father ignored how ungraciously Jack had said the words. ‘We’re family and we need to stick together. No point in us falling out with each other.’
‘I’m glad you said that, Dad, because you might not like what I’ve got to tell you.’
‘What’s that then?’
She took a deep breath and then splurged straight into it. ‘I’ve got to work this weekend.’
‘I don’t believe this! That man’s taking advantage of you.’
‘He’s not. But the fact is, we’ve got an urgent job on and the deadline is Monday morning. There’s not much he can do about it. And I’m sure he’ll give me time off in the week.’
‘He’d better.’
‘There’s something else, though. He’s got to be in Cheshire this weekend, so I’ll need to go with him.’
‘What!’ Andrew exclaimed.
But Jack laughed. ‘I knew it! I knew you were doing the boss. I have to hand it to you, Anna, you’re a quick worker.’
‘Jack! Take that back!’ her father said. ‘That’s a terrible thing to say.’
Jack smirked but didn’t apologise.
‘Mind you, I can’t say I’m happy about you going to Cheshire with him.’ Her father ignored Jack’s silence.
‘Dad, I’m a grown-up and I can handle myself. Besides, it’s all completely above board.’ While Anna was furious with Jack for his snide comment, now was not the time to confront him. It would only exacerbate an already volatile situation. ‘I’ve stocked up the freezer so you won’t go hungry. All you’ll need to do is take something out in the morning to defrost, then heat it through in the microwave.’
‘You want us to eat microwaved crap!’ Jack said.
Anna gritted her teeth. ‘No, it’s home-cooked food that has been frozen — nothing to turn your nose up at. And if you don’t like it you can always get a takeaway.’ She turned to her father. ‘I’ve done the shopping so there’s plenty of food in the fridge too, and all your washing is in clean piles outside your rooms. I doubt you’ll even notice I’m away.’
‘I’m sure we will,’ he said. ‘And thanks for doing that, love. I do appreciate what you do, even though I don’t always tell you. We all should.’
‘Thanks, Dad. But I meant what I said last night. The best way you could show your appreciation is by you all helping out a bit more.’
Jack scoffed, but her father said, ‘Yes, maybe you’re right. You deserve to have a life too.’
Anna was elated. Maybe her point of view had been understood after all. ‘Well, I’ve got an early start in the morning and need to pack, so I’ll go to my room now.’
Her father got up and gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek. ‘You take care now. And don’t let that man take advantage of you.’
‘I won’t.’
‘And if there’s anything you don’t like, you get on a train straight away and come home.’
‘I will, Dad,’ Anna said, although she didn’t for one minute think she’d need to.
* * *
Thankfully the shoot went much better the next day and, as Daniel headed towards the motorway in his white Range Rover, Anna had a quick look at the camera roll.
‘Oh, these are much better,’ she said. ‘There’s a number we could use just by a quick look at them.’
‘That’s a relief,’ Daniel said. ‘We can make a start on them tonight if that’s okay with you? Ben will be exhausted after his competition and he’s a good sleeper, so he’ll be out like a light.’
‘Right, okay then.’ She wondered where she’d be staying.
‘You don’t sound too sure. I can always make a start myself and you can carry on tomorrow morning while I look after Ben. He’s got a party in Chester in the afternoon so I won’t be around then, but if we can break the back of it by tomorrow afternoon, we can both have a bit of time off.’
‘No, I don’t mind working tonight,’ Anna said hesitantly. ‘I was just wondering where I’d be staying. Do I need to book a hotel?’
Daniel roared with laughter. ‘Don’t be daft. I’ve got a five-bedroomed house and you can take your pick of the spare bedrooms.’
‘Oh!’ she said in surprise. He’d told her before he had a house in Cheshire but she didn’t think it would be that big, especially when he only visited every other weekend.
‘When Lucinda moved back here with Ben, I ended up staying in hotels. It didn’t feel as though I could spend proper time with him like that, so I bought a house and made it a home from home. He’s got all his own stuff there so it makes it a little easier.’
‘That’s very thoughtful of you,’ Anna said. She wondered how much of a different side she would see to Daniel this weekend. From the way he talked about Ben, there was no doubt he loved his son very much.
‘Well, my split from his mother wasn’t amicable at first, but we realised how much our animosity was affecting Ben and had to sort ourselves out. It’s not always easy. Lucinda has a tendency to move the goalposts, especially when she wants to fit in with her new boyfriend, but I do my best to not let it affect Ben. He’s my priority.’
‘I can see that,’ Anna said. She hadn’t expected this softer side to her boss, but found that she liked it.
‘And what about you?’ Daniel asked when Anna had been silent for a moment. ‘I hope going away this weekend at such short notice didn’t mess up any plans with your boyfriend.’
‘I don’t have a boyfriend,’ she said quietly.
‘Really?’ He sounded surprised. ‘But I thought, the other night . . .’
‘No, you assumed. The reason I was late wasn’t to do with my social life.’
‘Oh, I see, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.’
‘That’s okay, I can see why you might think that.’
She didn’t elaborate and they fell into an uncomfortable silence. She felt that if she told him the truth, it would ease their working relationship, but she was worried he might think less of her if she did. Her family’s opinions were certainly old-fashioned — maybe he wouldn’t understand them. She’d rather make sure her job was secure before she opened up to him.
* * *
Daniel glanced across at Anna. She was staring straight ahead and had a closed expression on her face. He realised he knew absolutely nothing about the woman who was sitting next to him, who he’d be sharing his home with for the weekend. Normally he liked to keep business relationships and friendships completely separate, but there was something about Anna that made him want to cross that line. He could see already that she made a brilliant assistant. That she loved photography was an added bonus. But he was beginning to think that she’d make a very good friend, if he let her in. And if she let him in too, of course. It looked like the latter was going to be the hard part. He decided to ask her about something he suspected she’d be a lot more willing to talk about.
‘So, when did you become interested in photography?’
‘My art teacher at school. She was a keen photographer and shared her interest with me. Art was the only subject I was ever any good at, the only thing that kept me interested in school if I’m honest, and she could see I was willing to learn as much as I could.’
Her voice had softened and he knew he’d chosen the right subject to engage her.
‘I’m surprised you didn’t want to go on to art college.’
‘I couldn’t.’ The closed tone was back and he could see her jaw tighten as she spoke. He returned his eyes to the road, wondering what he’d said to make her so obviously annoyed.
‘If you remember,’ she continued, ‘I told you at my interview that my mother died when I was fifteen.’
‘Oh, yes, of course.’ He kicked himself. How could he have forgotten something as important as that? Because, at the time, he reminded himself, he hadn’t been interested in listening to her, as he didn’t think she was right for the job.
‘You didn’t really like me at the interview, did you?’ she asked.
He sighed. He could hardly deny it. ‘It was the end of a very long day, where I’d been interviewing people who were definitely not right for the job. And . . .’ He paused, remembering his disappointment about not seeing Ben. ‘I was supposed to be coming up here that day, but my ex-wife had just phoned to tell me that she was taking Ben away for the weekend. I wasn’t in the best of moods.’
‘Yes, I can see that,’ she said. ‘So what made you decide I was the right person for the job after all?’
‘I didn’t really. But Charlotte did. She wouldn’t let it drop until I offered you the job.’
‘I see.’
He realised he’d said the wrong thing again and cursed himself for being so honest. ‘But she was right. She saw something in you that I was too blinkered to see and I’m pleased she did. You’ve only been working with me for a few weeks, but you’ve picked things up really well.’
‘So I’m doing all right on my probation, am I?’ There was a hint of laughter in her voice.
‘You wouldn’t be here right now if you weren’t.’
‘Good, I’m glad about that, because I’m enjoying working for you.’ She paused. ‘When you’re not bawling me out that is.’
He looked across, worried, but when he saw that she was smiling, he felt a pang of relief. ‘Charlotte says I’m too hard, but I’m a perfectionist and I suppose I expect that in the people I work with.’
‘Well, you certainly keep me on my toes.’
They lapsed into silence until she spoke again. ‘So how old is Ben?’
‘He’s nine,’ Daniel said proudly.
‘And this competition he’s in. Athletics, you say?’
‘Yes, there’s only three of them from his school who’ve been picked for the county championships. He loves his sport.’
For the rest of the journey they chatted amicably, mainly about Ben, and before he knew it Daniel was turning off the motorway and heading for home.
* * *
Anna had thought the journey would be tiresome, having to sit so long next to someone who was a virtual stranger, but it had passed more quickly than she’d expected. She found she enjoyed talking to Daniel. When he wasn’t working he was much more relaxed. He was certainly besotted with Ben, who sounded like a lovely boy, but Anna wondered if Daniel was seeing him through the lens of a devoted father. And one who was trying to make up for the fact that he was no longer a full-time dad. She only hoped Ben turned out to be as nice as Daniel said he was. She wondered what he would think of her coming to stay. Even though this was purely a working relationship, would he resent her for being there on a weekend, when it should be just him and his dad? But if he did, there was nothing she could do about it. She was here to work because Daniel had asked her, so Daniel would have to deal with any repercussions.
Daniel turned the car into the picturesque village just outside of Chester and she almost gasped in wonder as they headed down the tiny main street. It was completely chocolate-box, with a smattering of brick cottages, a few shops, a church and even a village green.
‘Oh, this place is beautiful,’ she said as Daniel slowed to let another car pass.
‘I grew up in a similar village in Sussex,’ he said. ‘Back then I thought it incredibly dull and boring, and I couldn’t wait to escape to the city, but now I can see the appeal of villages like these.’
‘I’ve always lived in London,’ Anna said. ‘I didn’t know places like this actually existed. I thought they were just made up on a film set.’
She wondered if she would get any time to take some photographs — she could picture the shots in her mind. Photos of a countryside village would contrast perfectly to the ones she’d taken of the urban landscape.
They continued on through the village and out the other side, travelling along a winding country lane, until eventually Daniel indicated and turned into a small driveway that was blocked by a set of wrought-iron gates. He reached for a remote in the centre console, pressed it and slowly the gates began to swing open. Further down the driveway, which was flanked by lawns, was a huge white house. Anna could hardly believe this was Daniel’s second home. Most people, herself included, would give their eye teeth to have this as their first home.
Daniel stopped the car in front of the house and looked at his watch.
‘We’re a bit pushed for time. I need to pick Ben up and go straight to the athletics track. We’ll drop our stuff off and I can quickly show you round if you want to stay here. Or . . .’ He paused. ‘You could always come with us.’
‘Erm, I . . .’ She didn’t much fancy being in a strange house on her own, waiting for them to come back. ‘Would Ben mind if I tagged along?’
‘God, no.’ Daniel laughed. ‘One more person to cheer him on. He’ll love it.’
‘Then I’d love to come,’ she said.
Anna stayed in the car while Daniel grabbed their bags from the boot and put them in the hallway, then got back in the car.
‘Let’s go then,’ he said, and she could tell that he was dying to be with his son. She decided that, over the weekend, she would stay out of the way as much as possible so that she didn’t encroach on their time together.
She had a smattering of nerves as she waited in the car for Daniel to collect Ben from school, but she needn’t have worried. Ben jumped into the back of the car, thrust his hands between the front seats, leaned forward and said, ‘Hello, Anna. I’m Ben.’
Although surprised, she took his outstretched hand in hers and shook it. ‘Hello, Ben, it’s nice to meet you.’
Daniel put Ben’s belongings in the boot. ‘Dad said you work with him?’ Ben asked.
‘That’s right. We’ve got a bit of work to do this weekend, but I’ll try not to let it interfere too much with your weekend with your dad.’
‘That’s okay.’ He smiled. ‘I’ve got loads of homework to do. Dad’s rubbish at homework, so maybe you could help me if you’ve got time?’
She grinned at how easily he had accepted her. ‘Well, I don’t know if I’ll be any better than your dad, but I’m certainly willing to try.’
‘What’s this?’ Daniel got into the car and shut the door. ‘Ben, don’t tell me you’re already trying to pass your homework on to Anna? You know you need to do it yourself.’
‘It’s worth a try,’ Ben said, grinning, and Anna realised she could very easily get to like this little boy.
‘Dad, Mum said she’d meet us there, and Axel too when he finishes band practice.’
‘That will be nice,’ Daniel said, and Anna could tell he was trying to keep the hostility out of his voice. She knew Lucinda used to be a model and, from her photos, was incredibly glamorous. Anna hadn’t even had time to check her make-up since she’d slapped it on early this morning and goodness knows what her hair looked like. What would the lovely Lucinda make of her in all her scruff, she thought — but then banished it to the back of her mind. What did it matter what Lucinda thought of her? Anna was a work colleague and probably wouldn’t even meet the woman again. She’d have to push her feelings of inferiority away if she was going to be part of this world, as it looked like she might be.
The car park to the athletics ground was already filling up by the time they reached it and Anna realised this was no run-of-the-mill village competition.
‘Wow,’ she said before she could stop herself. ‘I didn’t realise how big this event was.’
‘It’s an annual thing,’ Daniel said. ‘There’ll be lots of scouts here for the county teams. It’s a big deal.’
‘I really want to get picked for the county running team,’ Ben said. ‘But I’ve only got a chance if I win all my heats. It’s a bit scary.’
‘Well, you sound to me as though you love running and that’s all that matters,’ Anna said, feeling guilty that her words might have added to his nerves. ‘Go out there and enjoy yourself, and if it’s meant to be the rest will follow.’
Ben nodded seriously as he took in her words. ‘Thanks, Anna. Yes, I’ll do that.’
‘And whatever happens,’ Daniel added. ‘Me and your mum are proud of you. It’s a big achievement to make it here in the first place.’
As they got out of the car and walked to where the rest of Ben’s schoolmates had congregated, Anna hung back. Ben rushed over to a woman, who was obviously Lucinda, and gave her a big hug. She bent down to hug him back, her long, glossy dark hair falling over him in a curtain. As she stood up, she casually brushed it behind her ear to reveal her face — high cheekbones, enormous eyes and perfect smiling lips. Anna looked from Lucinda to Daniel as he gave his ex a brief kiss on the cheek. She could see what a glamorous couple they had made. It was a shame it hadn’t worked out for them. But at least they were both supportive of Ben.
As Ben’s teacher herded the children off, Daniel turned round and motioned for Anna to join them.
‘Lucinda, this is Anna — she’s my new assistant. We’ve overrun on a project, so she’s going to stay for the weekend to help me meet the deadline.’
Lucinda held out her hand and said coldly, ‘Pleased to meet you.’ Anna shook her hand but noticed that Lucinda withdrew it as quickly as she could. Lucinda turned to Daniel. ‘I hope this doesn’t mean you’re going to spend all weekend working. If you’d let me know, we could have swapped.’
‘You know I don’t like doing that. It only upsets Ben and I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.’
‘All the same, it’s no good to him if you spend all weekend huddled up in your darkroom.’ Lucinda threw what Anna considered to be a hostile glance in her direction.
‘We don’t use darkrooms anymore,’ Daniel said, obviously annoyed. ‘And, besides, that’s why Anna’s here, so she can do most of the work while I spend time with Ben, then when he’s asleep we can finalise the submission.’
‘How very cosy.’ Lucinda looked at Anna as though she had just crawled out from under a stone.
‘Does anyone fancy a coffee? There’s a van over there,’ Anna asked, wanting to make her escape.
‘No, thanks,’ Daniel and Lucinda replied in unison.
* * *
Anna hoped that the queue for the drinks would be very long, so that she could delay her return. The less time she had to spend with Lucinda the better. Fortunately, by the time she got back, Axel had arrived and Lucinda was making a show of draping herself around him while Daniel stood at a distance.
‘I’m sorry about before,’ Daniel said quietly when she approached him. ‘Lucinda can be a bit . . . territorial.’
‘It’s okay,’ Anna said, trying to sound upbeat. ‘It’s understandable, really. I am going to be spending the weekend with her son.’
Anna lapsed into silence as she feigned an interest in the races that had now started to take place. The atmosphere was electric, but it was difficult to get involved as she didn’t know any of the participants. Until she spotted Ben’s race, and then she cheered as loudly as the rest of the parents, feeling inexplicably proud as he raced first over the finish line. She was so elated she almost turned to hug Daniel, but stopped herself just in time. The grin on his face was enough to show how proud he was of his son.
Ben was in another two races and then had to stay to the end to take part in the finals, where he came second. By the time they left, Ben was literally bouncing with adrenaline and Anna wondered whether they’d get a chance to start work tonight — she didn’t think he would ever go to sleep. Thankfully she’d managed to avoid Lucinda for the rest of the afternoon and felt a wave of relief as she buckled up her seatbelt and Daniel drove them home.
‘My teacher said the scout for the county team was interested in me joining the club. He’s going to speak to Mum later in the week. Is that okay with you, Dad?’ There was no doubting the joy and pride in Ben’s voice, which was matched in equal measure by Daniel’s.
‘Of course, you did really well today. Mum and I are very proud of you.’
‘Thanks, Dad,’ Ben said. ‘What’s for tea?’
Daniel groaned. ‘That’s all that boy thinks about. Sport and food.’ But he said it jokingly. ‘Well, it’s getting late, so it will have to be something that’s really quick or . . .’
‘Or we could get a Chinese?’ Ben asked hopefully.
‘Chinese it is, then, if that’s all right with you, Anna?’
‘Of course it is. I’ll eat anything.’
‘That’s good.’ He paused. ‘Is everything okay? You’re frowning.’
‘I was just wondering how you organise everything. If you haven’t been here for two weeks, won’t you need to go and do a food shop?’
‘I have a lady who comes in every fortnight to keep the house tidy, and I do an online delivery and arrange for it to arrive when she’s at the house. Debbie, bless her, puts it all away for me. I don’t know what I’d do without her, but it means I don’t have to spend all weekend doing chores when I want to spend time with Ben.’
‘That’s very organised,’ Anna replied, impressed. Yes, he was still relying on a woman to do things for him, but Anna would bet she was well paid and he certainly seemed to appreciate her. The fact that he did the shopping himself, albeit online, was more than any of her family ever did. She was certainly getting a different impression of Daniel Redfern this weekend to the one she’d been expecting.
* * *
They sat around the table in the large open-plan kitchen, which gleamed with white cupboards and black granite surfaces, just like his kitchen in Knightsbridge. As she often did when she was at work, she compared it to their tiny shoe cupboard of a kitchen at home, which badly needed redecorating.
While Daniel was sorting out the food, Ben had shown her to a spare room that overlooked the garden. It was as large as their living room at home and had its own ensuite. Everywhere in this house screamed money, and she only hoped that when she got home she wasn’t spoiled by the experience. But if the house was luxurious, the conversation over dinner was very down to earth, with Daniel catching up with what had been going on in his son’s life since he’d last spoken to him, and what was going to happen over the next few weeks. Daniel certainly did his best to make up for lost time when he was with his son, and that really impressed her.
Later that evening, once Ben was asleep — contrary to Anna’s earlier predictions, he had been more than ready for his bed — Daniel poured two glasses of wine. ‘I know it’s getting late and it’s been a very long day, but do you think we could make a start on the editing?’
‘Of course, that’s what I’m here for after all.’
‘Good. We don’t have to spend too long on it, but if we make a start at least you’ll know what you need to do in the morning.’
Anna reached for her laptop. ‘Let’s get to it, then.’
While Daniel had been dishing up the Chinese, she’d started to upload the pictures they’d taken that morning. Although she’d been tired when they’d first started work, the next few hours sped by as they both concentrated on the thing they loved doing.