AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The thought of her with someone else kills me, and I don’t know how I’m going to get through it. Then, one morning at breakfast, Daisy brings up the summer holiday topic again and asks if we can go on holiday with Nathalie. Guilt grabs me by the throat as I think of what she’s missing out on by not having her mother and father together. Her mother has cancelled the last few visits and is away on a trip with her new husband again.
Daisy asks if we can go for a holiday by the sea, like I said. I don’t even remember, but she’s got it firmly in her sights, and her eyes shine as she talks about us going on holiday to the seaside with Nathalie.
My heart drums and I’m apprehensive, but I know I need to break the news to them that there is no holiday on the horizon. If I wasn’t avoiding mentioning it, I would tell them I’m away on business soon, and I must tell them before Daisy gets her hopes up any further.
Man up, Rochester.
We finish dinner and I pull Daisy onto my lap and glance at Nathalie to see if she’s listening. Daisy’s allowed to stay up for a later dinner in the summer holidays. Nathalie is actually here for dinner, for once, which is a pleasant change, and her eyes are on me as if she senses I’m about to say something important.
I wonder if she’s dating that guy from the centre, and that’s why she’s out so much. Bile rises in my throat at the vision of them together. There’s no one to blame but me, and I wish I didn’t care so much about my position. I’d tell Grandfather he can do whatever he likes, and I refuse to marry someone of his choosing. But I’m too ambitious and have invested so much of myself into Rochester Hotels. It isn’t workable and seems like an unfair choice.
Clearing my throat, I say, ‘I’m going on a business trip soon, so I won’t be able to take time out from work this summer holidays, but we’ll definitely arrange a trip later in the year, okay, pumpkin?’
Daisy’s eyes well up, and her disappointment eats at me. I feel torn, but I push on as I need to get this off my chest. Now I feel guilty about Nathalie, as well as neglecting Daisy, and it doesn’t sit right with me. I have to make it up to them somehow, arranged marriage or not.
My eyes move to Nathalie’s face, and I think I see disappointment in her eyes, too, until she looks away. I say, ‘How do you feel about you and Daisy going for a seaside holiday without me?’
Surprise registers in her expression and I can tell she didn’t expect that. ‘Of course, we can do that if that works best for you,’ she says carefully. She’s been distanced and professional ever since our night together, and it’s crucifying me.
‘It’s not that I wouldn’t love to come, but I’ll be out of the office for a week on this business trip, and although it’s not a holiday, it will still be tricky for me to take more time away. We’re in major expansion mode,’ I say.
‘Daddy, where are you going on your trip?’ Daisy wriggles on my lap and stares up at me, waiting for my reply.
This is when I need to tell them. I still hesitate and wish the hotel opening was anywhere but France. It feels doubly treacherous, and like I should take Nathalie and Daisy, not Lizzy.
‘The new hotel is in Cannes.’
Nathalie’s eyes light up. ‘I love Cannes! My parents took me and my sister there on holiday when we were little. Before my mother got sick.’ Her gaze drops to Daisy, and she tells her, ‘It’s a beautiful place in France by the sea. In French it’s calledCote d’Azur.’
Daisy repeats the words after Nathalie, and I marvel at how easily she’s taken to speaking snippets of French.
Nathalie throws me a sweet look. ‘If you like, I could travel to Cannes with Daisy, and we could meet you for a few days when your business is completed? It would be great for her to practice her French. She’s been making good progress, but there’s nothing like speaking in real-life situations.’
My heart hurts. This is even worse than I imagined. Clearly, she’s ignoring our personal situation in favour of making it work for Daisy. I appreciate it, but this is just making things harder.
‘Yes, Daddy. Pleeeeese, Daddy,’ Daisy pleads, almost slipping off my lap in her excitement. ‘Let’s stay by the sea and speak French,s'il vous plaît.’
I hold my hand up, before she gets any more carried away, and say, ‘Your French is coming along beautifully, but I’m afraid that isn’t going to be possible as I’ll be tied up with work.’
Nathalie says, ‘Never mind. It was just an idea. Daddy needs to work, Daisy, so it will be just you and me. Don’t worry, we will do some fun stuff, like we always do.’
Tears spill from Daisy’s eyes now, and I feel wretched.
‘But you’re the boss,’ says Daisy. ‘Why do you always have to work?’ She slides off my lap and gallops out of the room and I hear her little feet pounding the stairs as she rushes up to her bedroom.
‘I’m sorry,’ says Nathalie. ‘I didn’t mean to make it worse. That was my fault.’
‘No, no, it’s okay. She has to learn that things don’t always go her way. If I could do it, I would, but the hotel opening will be full-on and then I’ll need to get back to play catch up at the London office.’
‘I understand,’ she says, her blue eyes guarded, but her voice gentle.
‘Thank you,’ I say. I want to reach out and touch her hand, but I stop myself.
‘For what?’
‘For being so fantastic with Daisy and for trying to make her seaside holiday dream come true.’
‘Of course,’ she says. ‘I can take Daisy somewhere without you, like you suggested if that’s better, although I think she is set on us all going.’
