Daniel and Daughter

'Darling, you won't tell her, will you?" he asked anxiously.

'No, I won't tell her. But I'm not going to do anything to blight her career, either, so don't even ask.'

'I wouldn't dream of it.' Daniel was becoming more cheerful, with his old conviction that the world would dance to his tune. 'Just-let things take their course and hope it all fades away.'

At ten o'clock he insisted he must watch the news, and they came downstairs. The next season of his TV show was due to start soon, so it made sense for him to keep abreast of current affairs, but Lee noticed the way he glanced at the clock at five-minute intervals.

'It's early yet,' she said encouragingly. 'My parents hit the roof if I stayed out until ten, but today's youngsters think nothing of it.'

'Do you mean Phoebe?' he asked casually. 'I hadn't given her a thought.'

Liar, Lee thought tenderly. Oh, darling, you're such a rotten actor.

Ten-thirty! Eleven! No sign of Phoebe. Daniel caught Lee glancing at the clock-face.

'It's much too soon for you to go home,' he said desperately. 'I'm just making some coffee.'

'Don't worry,' she soothed him. 'I'll stay with you until she comes in.'

'I don't know why you persist in thinking I'm wor-ried. Phoebe's an independent young woman now. Where the hell is she?

'With Mark,' Lee reminded him. 'He wouldn't let any harm come to her.'

There was a sound outside the front door. The two inside held their breath, trying to hear the softly murmuring voices. Then a key turned in the lock. Lee and Daniel went out into the hall to find Phoebe there with Mark. She looked at her father with an expression made up of defiance and appeal. Lee crossed her fingers, hoping Daniel wouldn't make a fatal mistake now.

For a moment the tension in the air was palpable. Then Daniel crossed the floor in two quick strides and enfolded his daughter in his arms. She hugged him back in passionate relief.

'I'm sorry about all those terrible things I said,' she whispered. 'I didn't mean them.'

'I didn't mean what I said, either,' Daniel told her in a ragged voice. 'But I haven't changed my position, darling.'

Phoebe raised her head from his shoulder and gave him a straight look. 'Nor have I, Daddy. It's my life and I'm going to do what I want to do with it.'

'Let's talk about that later-' he began.

'Yes, we'll have a nice long talk. I want you to understand why this is so important to me, and why I'm going to do it even if it means making you cross.'

His lips tightened a fraction. Lee held her breath.

'I thought you might have started to see sense-' he began.

Phoebe stepped back abruptly until she was stand-ing beside Mark. Their fingers entwined. 'Daddy, if living here is just going to mean being hassled-'

It was as if red warning signs had lit up all around, telling Daniel that he was on the edge of the abyss.

'It isn't,' he said hastily. 'You've had your say and I've had mine.' Even at this moment a gleam of almost amused understanding passed between father and daughter, giving Lee a glimpse of the bitter quarrel they were now trying to bury. 'We'll just have to agree to differ. I want you safe at home. If I can't be happy about what you're doing, I can still promise no aggro.'

When she still hesitated a note of desperation came into his voice. 'This is very hard for me, Phoebe, but I'm trying. Don't make it more painful by going away. I'll lose you soon enough as it is, but I couldn't face a sharp break now. You can do this last thing for your poor old dad, can't you?'

A faint smile touched Phoebe's perfect mouth. As Lee had guessed, an appeal to the heart had swayed her where reasoning would have failed. She disentangled her fingers from Mark's and returned to Daniel, looking intently into his face. 'You promise not to nag and criticise me?'

'When have I ever-? I promise, I promise.'

'No sitting up to wait for me?'

'I can't promise that, but I won't make a big deal of it.'

'No interrogations?'

'No interrogations. But am I allowed to ask questions about your new life, out of curiosity?'

'Of course. But no pressure.'

'No pressure. I know you'll be sensible and not accept bookings that are a bit-you know…'

'A bit what?'

'You know,' he floundered. 'Posing in skimpy clothes with men who aren't wearing much either…'

'You mean underwear?' Phoebe asked, scandalised. 'I'm not going to model underwear. I'd die rather.'

'That's fine, darling, I'm glad you've got a sense of modesty and-'

'Brenda says that kind of work is a dead end,' Phoebe interrupted him earnestly. 'I'm going to the top, Dad, and you don't go to the top by modelling knickers and vests.'

They were still poles apart, but Daniel was fast learning the lesson of resignation and said meekly, 'I'll keep my opinions to myself in future. Besides,' he added with a wry touch of humour, 'if you're going to make a fortune, I may need to touch you for a handout.'

Phoebe's laughter pealed out and she hugged him fiercely. In her young, egotistical delight, she enjoyed her victory without conscience, unaware that her defeated opponent was hanging on the ropes. Only Lee saw the strain and sadness in Daniel's face before he bent to kiss his child.

Brenda Mulroy did her best to ease Lee's plight, inviting Daniel to her office and talking to him in a down-to-earth way about his daughter's prospects. She painted a realistic portrait of Phoebe's future career, which included the fact that several well-known photographers had already seen her pictures and been impressed. She meant to reassure him, but Lee knew that every encouraging word twisted a knife in his heart.

What reassured him more was Brenda herself, a plump, motherly woman in her fifties with a ready laugh. Even so, it took a while for his bristling defensiveness to subside, and that evening it all returned in a wave of black gloom.

'What about this course Phoebe's started?' he demanded of Lee as they stood in his kitchen watching a pot simmer.

'She needs to learn the tricks of the trade. The course will teach her what make-up to use and how to apply it for the camera. She'll learn things about her hair, her diet, her skin type, how to take care of herself-how to be a professional.'

'It sounds expensive.'

'A couple of thousand.'

'I knew it!' he said, outraged. 'It's nothing but a con trick to delude innocent girls into parting with their money.'

'Nonsense! Phoebe will pay it back out of her future earnings over the next year. I promise you, she'll earn a great deal more than two thousand. Please, Daniel, stop being paranoid.'

'Paranoid?' he growled. 'Of course I'm paranoid. I'm the father of a sixteen-year-old girl. It goes with the territory.'

Phoebe herself was blissfully happy, lost in graphs and colour charts, experimenting with a wide new range of products and techniques. She'd arrived home an hour earlier, greeted them cheerfully and hurried up to her room. When Daniel called that the meal was ready she descended with her face covered in green paste.

'It's a face mask,' she explained to her stunned father. 'I have to keep it on for a couple of hours.'

Daniel swallowed. 'Sit down at the table,' he said faintly.

Something was troubling Lee. 'Phoebe, weren't you supposed to be-?' The ringing of the front doorbell interrupted her.

Daniel answered it, and a moment later ushered Mark into the room. He was formally dressed and had started to say 'Is Phoebe ready yet-?' when he saw the green apparition and blenched. Phoebe's hands flew to her mouth.

'Oh, Mark, I'm so sorry. I forgot.'

'Forgot? After all the trouble I took to get the tickets-you forgot? Well, never mind. If you hurry we'll just make it.'

'But I can't take this off,' Phoebe said with a little scream. 'I've only just put it on.'

'Can't you put it on again when you come home?' Mark demanded in outrage.

'No, I've only got this one pot. Tomorrow I have to tell my instructor how it affected me.'