Daniel and Daughter

Daniel didn't answer this directly. He left the room and went into his study. When he returned he was holding a paper which he held out to Lee. Her eyes widened as she read the contents.

'A scholarship to Oxford. Phoebe's a young genius,' she breathed. 'When did this arrive?'

'This morning, while Phoebe was out. When she came back she told me she'd spent the morning with Mulroy & Collitt, that they'd taken her on and that she was starting work as soon as possible.'

'Didn't this make any difference?'

'She said she wouldn't be seen dead at Oxford,' Daniel said bitterly.

Lee felt a pang of pity for him. His face was haggard at the memory of Phoebe's dismissive words. Daniel had dreamed of this moment for years, and now the daughter he adored had hurled it back in his face.

'Darling, I'm sorry,' Lee said helplessly. 'I think Phoebe's quite mad, but-'

'Well, I'm very interested to hear that,' he said with a return of anger, 'considering that you, more than anyone, have helped to bring about this disaster. Phoebe asked your advice. You could have put a stop to it, there and then-'

'By lying to her? By telling her she had no talent when she's actually one of the most dazzling girls I've seen in years? Oh, no, Daniel. Not even for you.'

'Thank you! That tells me where I stand, I suppose.'

'I warned you that I'd tell her the truth if she asked for it.'

'Lee, let me tell you something. When someone you love stabs you in the back, it is not made more acceptable by the fact that she warned you in advance.'

White-faced, Lee stared at him, wondering if this was the same gentle, endearing man she'd thought she knew. Daniel's face was hard and set with fury, and he'd quickly reached a stage where he no longer cared-or even knew-what he was saying.

'I'm not taking that from you,' she said at last. 'I've never stabbed you in the back and I'm damned if I'm going to stay here and be abused.' She slammed her glass down and turned to the door. 'You can call me when you feel able to talk in a civilised fashion.'

She'd got only two steps before Daniel's arm came out and stopped her. 'All right,' he said in a curt voice. 'I shouldn't have said that. I apologise.'

Lee turned back into the room. There was nothing else to do since Daniel was between her and the door. His apology hadn't improved the atmosphere since plainly it had only been a formality to prevent her leaving.

'You must see that I couldn't have lied to her about how good she is,' she said in a placating voice.

'It's a matter of opinion, isn't it?' Daniel said, tight-lipped. "You think she's talented-'

'So do Mulroy & Collitt, who've seen models come and go. And my opinion is a professional one. I have my ethics too, you know. Phoebe knew you were peering over my shoulder. If I'd given her the thumbs-down she'd simply have gone elsewhere for an unbiased opinion.'

He made a sound that was perilously near a snort.

'Be reasonable, Daniel,' Lee pleaded. 'You're so proud of her intelligence, you shouldn't be surprised if she uses it to get her own way-just as you do. You couldn't have stopped her discovering her own talents and nor should you try. You once talked about her fulfilling her potential, but she has more than one potential and you have no right to dictate to her which one she fulfils.'

'I'm acting for her own good-'

'That's a hoary old excuse. You should be ashamed to use it.' Lee stood back and regarded him wryly. 'The "women's champion" is a bit of a fraud really, isn't he?'

'For the love of heaven, will you forget all that stuff?' Daniel roared. 'This is reality. I'm not just talking about Phoebe's talents as a clothes-horse. Before she stormed out of here today we had the grandfather of all rows, in the course of which she let slip that you'd told her she was entitled to decide her future for herself.'

'Well, she is! She has plenty of common sense-a lot more than her father, if you ask me.'

'I did not ask you, however, and I want you to stop undermining my authority with my daughter.'

'You mean, don't encourage her to differ from you,' Lee said indignantly. 'No one's allowed to express an opinion that contradicts yours in case your daughter starts to suspect that you could be wrong. But she already knows that. She's only gone through this academic charade to please you. And that's as traditional,as anything I ever heard.'

'That is utter nonsense!'

'For heaven's sake!' she cried. 'Let the girl do what she likes with her life. That's what freedom means.'

'My daughter has total freedom, but she's not old enough to make the best use of it and so-'

'In other words, she has freedom to do what you want her to. Real freedom means making her own decisions. It's not wanting to become a judge; it's being able to become a judge if she wants to. It must be her choice.'

'So it will be, when she's old enough to make one.'

'If modelling's the right career for her, she'll do as well starting at sixteen as any other age.'

'You made your decision at sixteen, didn't you?' he snapped. 'Was that the right one?'

She drew a long, painful breath. 'That's unforgivable, Daniel. To drag up private matters that I told you about because I trusted you-'

'I trusted you as well, Lee, and I think you've betrayed that trust. Because of your interference Phoebe can defy me. At sixteen she's legally entitled to leave home as long as she can show that she can support herself. She won't have any trouble proving that now she's on this agency's books, will she? Plus all the work she'll be getting from you.'

'She won't necessarily get any work from me-'

'Oh, come on,' he cried derisively. 'You're not going to let the others use your discovery while you-'

Daniel's voice trailed into silence as he found himself confronting empty air. Lee had walked out.

CHAPTER SEVEN

So now she knew what she'd wanted to know about Daniel Raife, Lee thought sadly as she lay awake that night. And the answer was at least as unpleasant as she'd feared.

Daniel was used to having his own way in all things, and subconsciously he'd come to expect it as a right. Now Phoebe, with Lee's unwitting help, had stood up to him and said no. The facade of sweet reason had cracked with a swiftness that would have been comic in any other circumstances. Behind it stood revealed an old-fashioned bull male, bellowing with rage at being defied.

Lee sighed and told herself that she ought to be reasonable. She herself was far from perfect, and it wasn't fair of her to demand perfection from Daniel But she found that reason was useless to ease an aching heart. She wondered if Daniel was managing any better.

She had some sort of answer the next afternoon, when she was interrupted in the middle of work by a messenger. He carried a long box containing one exquisite orchid. There was no card.

Lee contemplated the orchid at home that evening, wondering why she hadn't just picked up the phone and called Daniel. Even without a card the flower's perfection was a message in itself. Twice she put out her hand to the phone, but each time she pulled back,

The following afternoon she was in the middle of a stormy session with Roxanne when Gillian came over to interrupt.

'Not now,' Lee said impatiently.

'Lee, I think you'd better come.' Gillian's voice was urgent but she was struggling to hold back her laughter. 'There's been a special delivery.'

'Another orchid?'

'You could put it that way,' Gillian said cautiously.

At the door to her office Lee halted, unable to move further for the profusion of orchids. They covered everything, including the desk and chair. A large basketful stood on the floor by the far wall and another one blocked the entrance. Lee had to squeeze past it to get to the phone. Daniel answered so quickly that she knew he'd been sitting there, waiting for it to ring.

'You great clown,' she said tenderly.

'I thought you'd call me yesterday. When you didn't, I was sure you'd never forgive me.'