At first it almost seemed as though they might succeed. The passion was there, undimmed, that fever in the flesh that briefly blotted out all else. Daniel made love to her more tenderly than ever before, whispering his love and need as he kissed her repeatedly. Yet gradually she sensed that something was still wrong. They were repeating the caresses and words of other lovings with a kind of ritual intensity, as though trying to recall memories. As though they were afraid of the here and now.
At the moment of greatest passion, the moment when their union had always been most complete and beautiful, she looked into his face and saw something like desperation, as though he would force everything to be right between them by sheer effort of will. Yet it couldn't be done, and they both knew it. The crack had been papered over but not mended.
Afterwards, as the pounding of her heart subsided, she lay in his arms, clinging to him tightly, not wanting to face the truth. They'd come back together because it was too painful to be apart, but their differences could still drive them asunder.
For now, they could pretend. They could speak in normal voices, laugh and kiss and carry on their lives, hoping that, with care, the fracture wouldn't grow larger. And if they didn't look too deeply into each other's eyes they might not see their mutual fear reflected.
At last Daniel sighed and said, 'There's nothing I can do about Phoebe, is there? We had another row today. I put my foot down but it simply went through the floor, so to speak. She's determined to defy me
But it's not your fault,' he added quickly. 'I must have gone wrong somewhere.'
'She's not defying you because you went wrong,' Lee explained gently. 'She's defying you because you're trying to stop her pursuing her heart's desire. You can't do that, and you shouldn't want to. But you can stop her leaving home.'
'Not now she's sixteen and can earn her way,' he said in a brooding voice. 'She had the law about that at her fingertips.'
'Daniel, forget about the law. I mean you must stop her wanting to leave home. Don't drive her out with hostility. Be friendly and understanding-'
'You mean put up with it and smile? Pretend it's all right when it isn't?'
'Yes, that's just what I mean. It's part of being a parent, especially when your child has achieved independence. If you make the wrong move now you could lose her for life.'
He groaned. 'I suppose you're right, but how do you know all this? Sonya isn't old enough for you to be talking from experience.'
'In one way she is. Whenever she goes to visit Jimmy I have to fight the temptation to plead, 'Don't believe anything he tells you'. I plan excuses why she can't go, because I'm afraid she might not come back.'
'And do you ever actually try to stop her?'
'Never. And she always comes back. Sooner or later there's a point when the only way you can keep your children is to open your hands and set them free.'
'It might not be so bad,' he conceded reluctantly,'if she goes on living here-and when she's working for you, you can keep an eye on her.'
'Yes, but Daniel-'
'You know who all the bad apples are, too-I mean the photographers that a young girl ought to avoid. You could tell this agency not to get her jobs with them.'
'I won't need to. It's a good agency. They'll protect her.'
'But if you tell them to assign her exclusively to you-'
'I thought you didn't want her working for me?'
'That's all changed,' he said impatiently. 'Yes, now I see how it can be-'
'Daniel, stop this!' Lee said firmly. 'You're doing it again.'
'Doing what?'
'Arranging Phoebe's life-and organising my professional diary as well. Darling, you can't do that. I'll use Phoebe if she's right for what I need, and if she isn't, I won't. And I certainly won't be telling Mulroy & Collitt what to do with their own client. The best way to protect Phoebe is for you to be nice to her so that she comes home to you every night. Make sure she knows you're always there for her. And then let go and shut up!'
He glared at her in displeasure. But at last a reluctant grin broke over his face. 'Maybe I'm being unnecessarily gloomy,' he conceded. 'How many new models try to break in every year?'
'Hundreds,' Lee said.
'And how many hit the big time?'
'One or two.'
'So with any luck she'll get just a few bookings and the whole thing will trickle to a halt.'
'So you're hoping for her to fail?' Lee said indignantly. 'That's nice, isn't it? How would Phoebe feel if she knew?'
'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
