Daniel and Daughter

'Don't move,' he said in a quiet voice. 'Keep absolutely still, darling.'

She obeyed, and he reached out a gentle hand towards her face. She felt the soft brush of his fingers sliding down her neck, then his face tightened suddenly, he gave a sharp exclamation and pulled away from her.

'Got it!' he said triumphantly.

Lee stared at his hand, where a tiny insect was squirming between his fingers. Daniel released it onto the deck.

'It was climbing your collar,' he explained. 'I know how you hate creepy-erawlies so I- Lee, whatever's the matter?'

'Was that why you were staring at me?' she demanded.

'Was I staring? I was trying not to alarm you into moving in case it slid down the inside. Lee, please, don't get hysterical. It's gone now, I promise. Lee- please-'

Lee was almost weeping with laughter. She clutched herself and rocked back and forth as the fractured tension released itself in wave after wave of mirth. Daniel scratched his head and regarded her in bafflement.

'Darling,' he said, joining in her laughter without knowing why he did so, 'for heaven's sake, tell me what's so funny.'

'I can't,' she said, wiping her eyes. 'I'm sorry, but I really can't. Not yet. I'll tell you when we're old and grey.'

'Well,' he said ruefully, 'that has a nice, cheerful sound. It's the first time you've ever mentioned being old and grey with me.'

'It was just a manner of speaking,' she prevaricated.

'Don't be unkind. Leave me my illusions. I didn't know I'd got that far.'

To her relief he didn't mention the subject again. Instead he started to talk about Phoebe's approaching sixteenth birthday party, with which Lee was helping him. They strolled up to some seats in the bow of the boat, and settled themselves.

"There's something I've got to tell you,' she said. 'Phoebe dropped in at the studio yesterday. She wants to hire me to take some photographs of her.'

'What did you say?'

'I told her I'd do it for free, as a birthday present. You know what she wants, don't you?'

'Yes, she wants you to make her look like a model. I'd hoped she was getting over that. Ah, well, maybe when she has the pictures she'll be happy. Thank you, Lee. It was a sweet thing to do.'

'You're not annoyed?'

'Did you think I would be?'

'A bit-yes.'

'But that didn't stop you?'

'Of course not. Why should it? This is between Phoebe and me. It has nothing to do with you.'

He grimaced slightly. 'I suppose I brought that on myself. You don't know how hard it is to exercise a little fatherly authority after all the things I've said and written. The other day I dared to suggest, in the mildest possible terms, that she might keep her stuff in her own room and not drape it all over the house. The little wretch quoted one of my own columns back at me-something about allowing the creative instinct to flower.

'I tried to explain that this didn't translate into the right to break my neck by leaving her heated roller on the stairs, but I don't think I got through.'

'You probably never said it at all,' Lee mused. ' expect she made it up and counted on your not remembering.'

'Oh, no. I got the piece out and checked. She'd quoted me word for word. Phoebe's memory is superb.'

'I can see why you're so certain she'll pass all her exams.'

'Exactly. That's why I wish she'd get rid of this bee in her bonnet about modelling. But I'm glad you're taking these pictures for her. I know my daughter's stubbornness. If you'd refused she'd have gone to someone else, and I'm happier if it's you. Don't encourage her, will you, darling?'

'I won't be sending her pictures to any model agencies, if that's what you mean, but if she asks me outright whether she's any good I'll have to give her a truthful answer,' Lee said firmly.

His mouth tightened with a look of displeasure that she hadn't seen before. 'And the truthful answer has to be "yes", does it?' he said.

'Of course it does. She's beautiful, she's fantastically photogenic, she moves well and she's got personality.'

'She also has a brilliant brain that ought to be used in her career.'

'But surely that's up to her?' Suddenly Lee's eyes gleamed with fun. 'Didn't you once write a piece called Bigger and Better Choices that said-?'

'Never mind that,' he interrupted hastily. 'If you're going to start quoting me as well my life won't be worth living.' He growled at her in mock ferocity. 'Get back in the kitchen and start planning little savoury things for Phoebe's party. That's women's work!'

He jumped as a bony female finger jabbed him in the back. A large, angry-looking woman sitting immediately behind him had heard his last remark.

'Here, you,' she denounced him loudly. 'Haven't you heard it's the twentieth century?' Ignoring Daniel's stunned face, she leaned across to Lee. 'I don't know how you put up with him, dear.'

Carefully avoiding Daniel's eye, Lee assumed a mournful face and nodded to the woman.

'Well, you've got to be reasonable, haven't you?' she said with a sigh. 'He buys me a new apron now and then, and takes me out twice a year. And besides-' her voice dropped conspiratorially '-his old vests do make lovely floorcloths.'

She got no further. Daniel, wild-eyed, was hauling her firmly to her feet. He gave a brief nod to the angry woman.

'Excuse us, madam,' he said tersely. He strode off along the deck with Lee's hand clasped in his, moving so fast that she had to scurry to keep up with him. She found herself taken, perforce, onto the lower deck, which was almost deserted.

'Lee, you wretch!' Daniel exploded. 'What are you trying to do to me? If that story ever gets about-' He covered his eyes.

'It won't,' Lee assured him solemnly. 'I won't re peat a word of it, I promise. It'll be more fun to keep quiet and blackmail you with it. Oh, Daniel, wouldn't have missed the last five minutes for anything you could offer me.'

He started to expostulate but stopped as he looked down at her face, full of mischief. Into his mind came the face of the tense, reserved woman she'd been when they first met. He smiled tenderly.

'Ah, well,' he said, 'if my career crashes in ruins about me, I suppose we can live off your photography. I'm modern enough not to mind letting you support me.'

'You see?' she teased him. 'Being modern has some unexpected benefits.'

Daniel took a quick glance round to make sure there was no one near them before dropping his head to kiss her lightly just below the ear.

'Well, I always warned you, didn't I?' he murmured. 'You can't trust any of us.'

Phoebe's birthday party passed without incident, barring the awkward moment when Mark and Phoebe, seeking to snatch a hurried embrace in the kitchen, disturbed Lee and Daniel similarly occupied. The young lovers saw the humour in the situation; Lee's main worry was Sonya. But when they were getting ready for bed that night her daughter disposed of the problem in brisk fashion.

'Honestly, Mum, I may not be as brilliant as Phoebe, but I'm not dense. I knew all those meetings with Mr Raife weren't just to discuss Romeo and

Juliet.' She added mischievously, 'Not the teenage version, anyway.'

Lee pretended not to hear the last bit. 'You don't mind, do you, darling? I mean-about your father…?'

Sonya considered this for a moment. 'No, honestly I don't. He's a smashing dad, but that's between him and me.' With a gentleness that made her seem much older than her thirteen years, she added, 'He wasn't so smashing to you, was he?'

'We didn't get on too well,' Lee said cautiously. She was almost holding her breath, hardly daring to believe her luck that Sonya was going to understand.

'I've still got Dad. I won't lose him, Mum, just because you marry Mr Raife.'

'I haven't said I'll marry him,' Lee said hastily.

'But you will. Anyone can see you're potty about him. When you started going out with him your temper improved all of a sudden.'

Lee gave her a wry look, then remembered something. 'What did you mean about Romeo and Juliet?' she asked.