‘If you come around here quickly,’ Fi said, waving him to the other side of the reception desk, ‘I’ll show you Gabriel’s website. It’s fascinating. He’s done so much stuff. Have you seen any of this yet, Daisy?’ she asked, addressing Daisy for the first time that day.
‘No,’ Daisy said, relieved that Fi was being friendly once again. She wondered why she’d never thought to look up Gabriel’s website for herself. Seeing it now, Daisy couldn’t believe how impressive Gabriel’s work was. No wonder he was devoted to it. He’d really done a lot to help others, she noted. As well as his current programme there were volunteer researcher and conservation posts for students and others wishing to gain experience and internships. ‘This is much bigger than I’d expected,’ she whispered.
Fi clicked on the page showing Gabriel’s previous expeditions and projects. ‘Look, he’s pretty well-known.’
He was. Daisy couldn’t take it in. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to see, but it was nothing of this scale. She could see Sebastian’s interest had been piqued and said, ‘He really is passionate about what he does, and it’s so worthwhile, too.’
Sebastian didn’t say anything. He rested his palms on the desk next to his sister and studied each page as Fi moved through them.
‘Click on the present and future projects,’ he said. ‘Let’s have a look at those.’
After reading through all the pages on Gabriel’s website, they had a brief chat and Sebastian handed Daisy a business card.
‘Please give this to Gabriel and ask him to give me a call. I’ve got a proposition for him.’
Daisy nodded and took the card, concentrating on not letting her excitement show. She barely dared to hope that Sebastian would offer Gabriel sponsorship for his project. ‘Thank you, I will.’
They watched him leave. Daisy read his card and put it on her desk so that she wouldn’t forget to pass it to Gabriel when he came through reception.
‘Thanks, Daisy,’ Fi said quietly.
Daisy knew this was the moment they needed todiscuss what had happened between them. Part of her dreaded it, but she also wanted to clear the air between them and get back to how they’d been before Aaron’s arrival in Jersey.
‘I’m so sorry you had to get caught up in his snide mind games,’ she said. ‘I don’t even think he fancies me any more. I suspect it’s more that he’s so used to following me and tormenting me that he didn’t know how to stop.’
‘I’ve no idea what Seb said to him,’ Fi said, pulling a face. ‘But I know that the shock of him arriving home a day earlier than we’d expected and catching Aaron with his hand around my throat probably wasn’t the best way for them to meet.’
‘Oh Fi, that’s horrible,’ Daisy said, shocked to hear this news. ‘He was probably taking Gabriel’s put-down on the beach out on you. I’m so sorry.’
Fi absent-mindedly rubbed her throat, around which she’d loosely tied a scarf. ‘It’s fine now. He’s gone and I have a feeling he won’t be back in a hurry. The fact that he used to bother you and your mum only tells me that he picks on those he considers weaker than himself. Now he’s met Gabriel and Sebastian, I can’t imagine he’ll be bothering either of us again in too much of a hurry.’
Daisy didn’t care that they were on duty. She stepped closer to Fi and gave her a tight hug. ‘I’m so relieved we’re friends again; I hated it when we fell out.’
‘Thanks to the guys it wasn’t for long,’ Fi said. ‘I feel such an idiot for believing some moron over you. I think I was a bit jealous by the things he was saying about you.’ She sighed. ‘I’m never going to believe a bloke over a friend again.’
They sat back down at the counter. ‘Seb showed me the magazine that Aaron had in his rucksack after Sebastian had his driver take him to the airport and put him on a plane,’ Fi said.
‘Why? What was in the magazine?’ Daisy had seen afew copies ofThe Jersey Scenesince her arrival but couldn’t understand how that might have got into Aaron’s hands.
Fi lowered her voice. ‘Apparently there was a write-up in one of the English newspapers about Jersey being the place to visit, great local seafood, loads of brilliant restaurants, that sort of thing. There was a picture of you in it. You were painting at Beauport and someone had taken your picture. They didn’t put your name but Aaron noticed you. He was boasting about contacting the journalist who did the write-up and how he persuaded him to give him the photographer’s email address. The guy probably had to listen to one of his convincing stories and eventually told him where you’d been painting. I suppose it was a process of elimination knowing you’d been a receptionist at a hotel before and tracking you down from that. After all, Beauport isn’t far from here and it was somewhere you could walk to paint.’
‘Sly bastard,’ Daisy said, stunned at his resourcefulness. ‘Mind you,’ she said. ‘If him coming here meant he’s now been deterred from following me ever again, then it was probably worth it.’
‘Too right,’ Fi said. ‘I still can’t believe I was taking in by all his crap.’
Daisy sympathised completely. ‘I’ve been where you are, so don’t feel guilty. Aaron is very plausible. He’s good looking and can be so kind and funny. It’s a shame he has this other, darker side.’ She gave Fi a nudge. ‘You’re lucky your brother and Gabriel warned him off; I’ve had a nightmare with him for the last few years.’
She thought back to the times he’d barged his way into their flat, watching her as she tried to remain calm in front of her mother.
‘He’s sick,’ Fi said. ‘By the sounds of it I’ve had a close call with him.’
‘You have,’ Daisy said, relieved. ‘I’m sure we’ve seenthe back of him now.’ She willed it to be the case. She couldn’t bear the thought of having to keep watching over her shoulder any more.
‘He’s gone now,’ Fi said, a concerned look on her face. ‘But it must have been frightening having him turn up here and then lie like he did about you.’
‘It was as if I’d fallen back into a nightmare,’ she admitted, shivering at the thought of him.
‘It must have been,’ Fi agreed. ‘He really is good looking,’ she added thoughtfully.
