Page 28 of The Only Way Is Up

Daisy gave her a reassuring smile. ‘I’m not going to pretend. That would be embarrassing for both of us. I do know.’

Melanie smiled weakly, a pink glow on her cheeks. ‘I’m sure you’ve gathered what he’s like. Things . . . haven’t been easy for a while.’

Daisy nodded encouragingly. She got the impression Melanie didn’t speak to many people and, Ruby and Will aside, she genuinely hoped they could be friends. Both of them knew what it was like to be with someone famous with a roaming eye. ‘I guessed that much.’

Melanie took a deep breath. ‘He can be difficult. Moody. Cold, sometimes. I’ve learnt it’s easier just to stay as invisible as possible.’ She glanced down at herself miserably. ‘I didn’t used to be like this. But Will . . . well, he gets me through the day.’

Melanie stopped walking and turned to face Daisy. ‘And I do still love him. I know people think I stayed for his money or for Will, but it’s more than that. We used to have something really special.’

Daisy nodded. ‘I get that.’ She thought about Simon, and how much she still cared about him despite everything. That thing they’d had at the very beginning couldn’t be erased, no matter what followed. She wouldn’t want to because without it there’d be no Ruby. She imagined Melanie felt the same about Will, even if they seemed a little distanced from each other.

‘So now it’s my turn,’ said Melanie with a mischievous smile. ‘Is any of the stuff in the papers true?’

Daisy gave a hollow laugh. ‘Which bit?’

‘About your fiancé – and you having a fling with Tom.’

‘Well, things with Christian have been difficult, but I’m afraid there’s nothing to report on the headmaster front. He’s just helping me out with my latest project.’

Daisy relaxed a little when she realised Melanie wasn’t judging her, just seemed genuinely interested. She was surprised at how easy she was to talk to, and it was nice to chat to another woman. Other than Katie and her mother, things had been a bit dry in that department.

Melanie nodded happily. ‘I knew it was just gossip. Still, he deserves to be happy.’

They were almost at the village tennis court, so Daisy realised she needed to get to the point. ‘So look, Melanie, you know by now that Ruby and Will are an item?’

Melanie smiled. ‘Yes, Will told me. I have to say, he seems rather smitten.’

‘I think they’re both rather smitten,’ laughed Daisy, ‘which by the way I have absolutely no objection to. Will seems like a lovely young man.’

Melanie beamed. ‘He really is. I’m very proud of him.’

Daisy took another deep breath. ‘The thing is, we’re going skiing for the first week of the school holidays, to celebrate Ruby’s sixteenth birthday. And she’s told me that what she really wants for a present is for Will to come with us.’

Melanie stopped dead in the car park. ‘Skiing? With you?’

‘Yes,’ said Daisy helplessly. ‘A week on Friday.’

‘Where?’

‘Austria,’ Daisy said, wondering, not for the first time, why Ruby couldn’t have asked for a bloody pony.

Melanie wrung her hands and shuffled her feet, her face full of anxiety. ‘Well, I don’t—Gerald wouldn’t . . . We can’t . . . Oh, goodness! I don’t know what to say.’

Daisy put her hand on Melanie’s arm. ‘It won’t cost you and Gerald a penny,’ she reassured. ‘The chalet belongs to a friend and it has loads of spare rooms.’ This was true. ‘A couple of friends have dropped out at the last minute, so Will can have their ski hire and lessons and things.’ This was absolutely not true, but it was for a good cause. ‘And I can transfer one of their flights to Will’s name.’ Also a lie, she’d have to buy him a seat.

Melanie looked panic-stricken. ‘But . . . but he’s never been skiing, he doesn’t have the right clothes or anything.’

‘There’s a big cupboard full of ski wear, we can kit him out when we arrive—’ That was actually true: the chalet was home to twenty years’ worth of outgrown and unused ski clothing.

‘—Honestly, everything is covered,’ continued Daisy, ‘and I will look after him like he’s my own son. I’m picking Ruby up from school on the Thursday, then flying first thing on Friday and we’ll be back on the twenty-first, so you’ll have Will back in time for Christmas. All you need to do is give me his passport.’ Daisy smiled hopefully. ‘I know it’s a lot to ask, but you’d make my daughter very happy. Your son too. And Ruby’s had such a tough time recently.’ Emotional blackmail – why the hell not? In for a penny.

‘Goodness,’ said Melanie, obviously flustered. ‘It’s just so much to take in.’ She looked around awkwardly. ‘Look, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but can I think about it? I’ll come and see you first thing.’

It wasn’t an outright no, and probably the best Daisy could hope for right now, so she smiled at Melanie.

‘Of course. Absolutely no problem.’ Quite a big problem, actually, but what’s another lie?

Daisy was mooching around the cottage, making notes for a new recipe, when there was a loud knock at the door. She found Melanie on the porch looking stricken but determined; she was still dressed in her tennis gear.