so I had to call him.’
‘I didn’t do anything with them,’ she said sullenly, to him rather than Belle.
‘Go home with Belle, now, and I’ll forget it ever happened.’
She got to her feet, stuffed her hands in her pockets and headed for the door. Then, when they didn’t follow, she stopped, looked back. ‘What?’
He indicated the loot, scattered over the floor. ‘Haven’t you forgotten something?’
She stomped back, picked up the cards, the necklace, the earrings. Then began to search frantically. ‘There was a ring. It was here. I know it was here.’
He felt almost proud of her. He’d expected her to brush over the fact that it wasn’t there, deny she’d ever taken it. Maybe even believe she could come back and look for it later, if she needed a way out.
‘I have it,’ he said, opening his hand. And, taking Belle’s left hand, he slipped it back on to her finger, holding it there for a moment. ‘Maybe it’s safer there.’
Belle felt the weight of the ring. Remembered the moment Ivo had placed it on her finger. How right it had felt, how happy she’d been. She tightened her hand as if she could recapture that precious memory.
‘I won’t lose it again,’ she promised, her voice little more than a whisper. And for a moment it was as if they were back on that beach with a lifetime of possibilities ahead of them. Then, briskly, she turned away from him. You could never go back. ‘Well,’ she asked, ‘what are we waiting for?’
‘Don’t you want these?’ Daisy held out her hands, full of the things she’d picked up.
Belle glanced at them. ‘Just stick it all in your pocket. We’ll sort it all out when we get home.’
Ivo squeezed her hand, then released it. ‘Come on, I’ll take you home.’
‘No…’ Then, more firmly, ‘No.’ His approval meant a lot to her, but she wanted, needed to stand on her own feet. ‘Daisy and I are going to walk home through the market.’
‘Are you sure?’
Her wedding ring warmed against her finger. ‘Quite sure. Thank you, Ivo.’ Then she reached out, touched his arm. ‘Call me.’
CHAPTER NINE
‘WHERE is she today?’
Belle was saved from answering by the appearance of the waiter, bringing them water, taking their order.
‘Daisy,’ Ivo prompted, when he’d gone. Picking up as if they hadn’t been interrupted. As if there was any other ‘she’.
‘I don’t know,’ she finally admitted. ‘Don’t look at me like that, Ivo…’ frustrated, angry ‘…she was gone when I got home from the studio this morning.’
‘Punishing you for putting work before her too?’
‘She knows it’s just until the end of the week.’
‘Not like…’ He stopped himself from saying the words.
‘She’s an adult. She doesn’t have to account for her time.’ Then, a touch desperately, seeking reassurance. ‘I have to trust her.’
He reached out, covered her hand with his own. ‘I know. It’s the hardest part.’ He sat back, taking his hand with him. ‘I’m not complaining. Having you to myself is more than I’d hoped for.’
Ivo had brought her a package that had been delivered to the Belgravia house, the first time in a week that he’d come to the flat, although, taking advantage of her invitation, he had called her every day just to chat. Ask how things were going. Supportive. Offering advice only when it was requested. There for her, but giving her space too. Giving her…respect.
But the truth was that she’d been going out of her mind with worry when she’d got home and Daisy wasn’t there. Had practically fallen on his neck in gratitude when he’d suggested lunch. When he hadn’t insisted on one of their usual fashionable haunts, the kind of place where everyone would know them, but agreed to her choice of this tiny Italian trattoria on the other side of Camden Market.
‘How is it? Really?’ he asked.
‘Not easy,’ she admitted. ‘Apparently the adoption broke down after a couple of years and Daisy’s been in more foster homes than she can count, then a halfway house. That’s where she met this boy whose baby she’s expecting.’
‘Is he still in the picture?’
Belle shook her head. ‘Daisy just wanted a baby.’
‘He has the right to know.’
She looked up, surprised by the fierceness of Ivo’s response. ‘One step at a time, Ivo,’ she said.
‘Yes, of course. I’m sorry. I wasn’t criticising. You’re doing amazingly well.’
‘Am I? The mood swings are difficult,’ she admitted. ‘She’s up and down. Prickly one minute, loving the next.’
‘Maybe it’s her hormones.’
‘It can’t be helping. The doc’s given her a clean bill of health at least and she’s looking better. There’s nothing wrong with her appetite.’
‘So what’s bothering you?’
She shook her head.
‘There’s something.’
‘Nothing that can be solved with a new coat or a vitamin pill.’ He waited. ‘It’s nothing at all. Stupid. She just hates that it’s all one way. Seems to think she’s a charity case. I can’t get her to understand how much it means to me to be able to do stuff for her.’
‘She thinks you’re going to lose interest. That she daren’t care too much in case you dump her like everyone else in her life.’
‘But that’s…’ About to say ridiculous, she realised that it wasn’t. That somehow Ivo knew exactly how Daisy was feeling. She realised just how little she knew about his past beyond the privileged lifestyle, the fact that his parents had been killed just after he’d graduated. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d read Psychology at Uni, instead of Economics. How come you understand her better than I do?’
‘You’re doing fine.’
An evasion.
‘Maybe what she needs is a job. Something to make her feel useful. Give her something of her own so that her entire life isn’t invested in you.’
‘Or make her think I’m getting ready to pitch her back out into the big wide world. Especially if she thinks the idea has come from you.’
‘She thinks I’m some kind of threat to her?’
Ivo sensed rather than heard Belle’s sigh and it provoked mixed feelings. The fact that Belle was still wearing her wedding ring had given him hope. And if Daisy sensed a threat, then it meant that Belle talked about him.
‘She’s fragile, Ivo. Needs to be the sole focus of attention.’
She didn’t have to tell him. He knew how needy, how self-centered, how destructive the damaged psyche could be.
‘Maybe it would be better if I left Manda to suggest it.’
‘Manda!’
He smiled at her horrified response. ‘Trust me. She knows what she’s doing.’
He understood her lack of enthusiasm; Manda had given her a hard time, he knew. ‘Really,’ he assured her. ‘In fact, I suspect you have a new fan.’
‘Now I’m really worried. What exactly have you told her, Ivo?’
‘Just enough, so that when this hits the headlines she’ll be prepared to be door-stepped by the press.’ He glanced at her. ‘Any news from your Aussie friend?’ She shook her head. ‘It’s like waiting for the other shoe to drop, isn’t it?’
