PROLOGUE
THE MAJESTETISK HOTEL, SOGNEFJORD, NORWAY, 1950
Oskar stopped rowing the boat, his oars gliding through the crisp blue water one final time before he set them down. Amalie wriggled backwards and let her head fall to his chest. She listened to the steady beat of his heart, sighing when his arms came around her. She’d waited all day for this.
Amalie was at her happiest when it was just the two of them, surrounded by the beauty of the fjord, wrapped safely in Oskar’s embrace. Usually she loved the silence; but today, the secret she’d been keeping pressed on her chest, an invisible weight that she couldn’t hide any longer. All day she’d wrestled with whether to tell him or not, but now they were together again, she knew there was no keeping it from him. It was his news as much as hers.I don’t want to have secrets between us. I need him to know.
‘You’re very quiet today,’ Oskar said.
She tucked herself even closer to him, tears stinging her eyes when his lips pressed against her head. Oskar ran his fingers gently through her long hair as she fought for the right words, her secret tightening inside her.
‘Amalie? What’s wrong? Is it my family? Because I’ve made it abundantly clear that?—’
Amalie took a deep breath before her words came out in a sudden gasp. ‘Oskar, I’m pregnant.’
The words clung to the silence around them, echoing in Amalie’s mind as she wished she could take them back, that she’d kept the secret to herself. But Oskar only held her tighter as she began to cry, tears slipping one after the other down her cheeks until she was powerless to stop them.
‘Don’t cry. Please don’t cry,’ he said, turning her so that she faced him, his eyes meeting hers as he gently smoothed his thumb across her cheeks, wiping away her tears. ‘Everything will be all right, I promise.’
‘But how can it be?’ she whispered, searching his face. ‘Your parents will never accept me, they’ve made that clear, and mine?—’
‘I love you, Amalie, and that’s all that matters,’ he whispered back, his lips meeting hers in a kiss so soft, so impossibly gentle, that it took her breath away.
When she finally pulled back, Oskar touched his forehead to hers.
‘I promise I’ll take care of you. We’ll marry quickly, in autumn, before anyone can find out. There’s nothing to be afraid of.’
Tears filled her eyes again, because as much as she believed in his earnestly spoken words, as much as she knew that he’d do anything to protect her, she was no fool. No matter how much they wanted to be together, no matter the dreams they’d shared, their future wasn’t theirs alone. Not to mention they’d had a plan—they were supposed to wait until next summer, until he’d finished university, and he was free to choose his own path.
‘Oskar, your parents will never let us marry. We’re from different worlds, it could never?—’
Her voice caught as his hands cupped her face, his eyes meeting hers.
‘I would give up everything for you. I love you, Amalie, and no one will stop me from making you my wife, not even my parents.’
Amalie gazed back into the eyes of the man she loved, and hoped with all her heart that their love would be enough.
1
LONDON, PRESENT DAY
Charlotte loved this time of day. The kitchen was silent, every surface wiped down and gleaming, and as she so often did before beginning her work, she placed her hands on the stainless steel counter and gave herself a moment to take it all in. It was always first thing in the morning that she was able to catch her breath, close her eyes for a beat and prepare for the day ahead. But today was different. Today was her last day as executive chef at one of the trendiest hotels in Chelsea, and she wanted to savour every last minute; most especially the quiet before the space filled with other chefs and noise and the aroma of food.
She opened her eyes and took out her knives, placing them in front of her. There was no need for her to be there so early, but she wanted to leave one final, special new dish behind—a legacy of sorts—and her intention was to have it waiting for the other chefs and servers to enjoy when they arrived. Charlotte had always preferred to show her feelings through food, and she only hoped they could tell how much she loved them all from her final gesture.
Just as she was reaching for her apron, Charlotte’s phone buzzed in her back pocket. She smiled, knowing instinctively who it would be. There was only ever one person who wouldcall her so early, before most people had even had their morning coffee.
‘You should still be in bed,’ Charlotte said, positioning the phone between her ear and shoulder.
‘Ha! Says the girl who’s already been for a run, showered and arrived at work,’ said the slightly husky voice on the other end. ‘Tell me I’m not wrong.’
Charlotte laughed. ‘You’re not wrong,’ she said.
‘Let me guess. You have your knives spread out on the counter in front of you, and you’re staring at them thinking about what ingredients you need. And you probably only got five hours’ sleep.’
Charlotte crossed the kitchen to get out the eggs, potatoes and beef that she needed, pulling open the door to the cool room. ‘Are there hidden cameras in here that I don’t know about?’
They both laughed this time, but Charlotte’s laughter died in her throat when her grandma began to cough. It sounded worse than last time. Or maybe it was just her conscience telling her how long it had been since she saw her.
