Vicki sat back once she had finished her ice-cream. ‘Could you tell me the time, please?’
Velvet had to stop herself smiling, the little girl’s manner was so grown-up. ‘It’s ten past five.’
‘Then we should be getting back.’ Vicki got down off her stool, looking up at Velvet expectantly. ‘My father will be back now. He’ll be getting worried about me.’
Velvet raised her eyebrows, taking Vicki’s hand as they went out to get in the taxi she had ordered. ‘You’re here with your father?’
‘Oh yes,’ Vicki nodded. ‘My mother d-died, and—and Faye takes care of me.’
‘I’m sorry, darling,’ Velvet squeezed the hand that had trustingly stayed in hers. ‘But Faye is nice, isn’t she?’
‘I don’t know. She hasn’t been my—my friend very long, just a few months, only since Mummy died really.’
The loss was obviously a recent one, and by Vicki’s age she would guess her mother couldn’t have been very old. It was also natural to assume that she had died in a hospital, hence the child’s aversion to them. It must have been very rough on a little girl of this age, old enough to understand what was happening, but not old enough to understand why.
‘Are you going to be my friend?’ Vicki asked her shyly.
‘Of course I am,’ Velvet smiled, as the two of them got out of the taxi as they reached the hotel. ‘I can always do with an extra friend, Vicki.’ She led the way into the hotel, already feeling a bond developing between them.
Vicki let out a squeal of delight, letting go of Velvet’s hand to run over to the man pacing up and down the reception area. ‘Daddy!’ she cried before launching herself into his arms.
Velvet swallowed hard, keeping to the background. The man now holding Vicki in his arms was none other than Jerard Daniels, which meant that Vicki must be the eight-year-old daughter he had spoken of.
He turned and saw her, his eyes narrowing to icy slits, his face harsh. His long strides brought him quickly to her side. ‘Do I take it you’re the young woman that stupid idiot entrusted my daughter to?’ he rasped.
She gulped. There could be no doubt about his fury, he was absolutely white with it, although his voice was controlled enough, probably for Vicki’s sake.
She had thought he had left the hotel, gone back to England. ‘You’re still here,’ she said dazedly.
‘Of course I’m still here,’ he snapped. ‘Where the hell else would I be?’
‘But I—You went to the airport.’
He nodded grimly. ‘To collect Vicki, and that idiotic woman who will leave my employment as soon as she’s well enough to walk.’
She blinked. ‘Faye?’
‘Yes.’
‘How is she?’
‘She has a broken ankle,’ his mouth twisted. ‘She’s lucky she doesn’t have a broken neck to go with it!’
Velvet shook her head. ‘Sorry?’
‘So will she be when she’s well enough to listen to what I think of her, just dumping my daughter on a perfect stranger!’
She gasped. ‘She didn’t dump Vicki on me. She was in pain, her ankle obviously needed expert attention, and Greg—’
‘Who the hell is Greg?’ he cut in furiously.
‘The assistant manager here.’
Jerard Daniels gave a deeply impatient sigh. ‘And where does he fit into all this?’
‘You mean you don’t know?’
‘Would I be asking if I did?’ he asked with veiled violence, Vicki still held firmly in his arms.
‘No, I suppose not.’ He had intended making her feel foolish—and he had succeeded. ‘Greg and I were at Ocean World when Faye fell. Greg took her to the hospital. I thought he must have called you.’
‘No, Miss Rogers did that,’ he said grimly. ‘Babbling on about leaving Vicki with some woman who just happened to be there.’
‘Velvet, Daddy,’ Vicki put in. ‘She’s nice,’ she told him conspiratorially.
Velvet felt grateful for the support of one of the Daniels family; she obviously wasn’t going to get any support from Jerard Daniels. He was treating her almost like a criminal.
‘Faye—Miss Rogers didn’t just leave Vicki with a stranger,’ she told him coldly. ‘Greg recognised her, and she recognised him. She probably thought I worked at the hotel too—’
‘Instead of which you’re his girl-friend,’ he scoffed.
‘I’m a friend,’ she said firmly.
‘She’s my friend too, Daddy,’ Vicki put in innocently.
‘How nice!’ he scorned.
‘I bet she’d be your friend too, Daddy, if you asked her.’
He looked up at his daughter, his face softening into a smile. ‘I already did ask her, poppet,’ he said huskily. ‘She said no.’
Vicki thought for a moment, frowning. ‘Maybe you didn’t ask her properly,’ she said slowly. ‘If you pulled a face at her you probably frightened her.’
‘Pulled a face?’ he queried softly.
‘Yes, you know, like this.’ She did a good impression of his furious expression of a few minutes ago. ‘Like that, Daddy,’ she told him seriously.
Velvet had to once again stop herself from smiling, but the impulse quickly died as Jerard Daniels scowled at her.
‘Yes, just like that, Daddy,’ Vicki cried excitedly.
It really was too much for Velvet, she couldn’t contain her amusement any longer, chuckling softly.
‘I’m glad you find it amusing, Mrs Dale,’ Jerard Daniels rapped out. ‘But I didn’t find it in the least amusing as I waited here for the return of my daughter—if she did return. Say goodnight to Mrs Dale, Vicki,’ he ordered tautly. ‘We have to go now.’
Consternation washed over Velvet. ‘Mr Daniels—’
‘Say goodnight, Vicki.’ He was unrelenting.
"Night, Velvet.’ The little girl yawned tiredly, her head dropping down on to her father’s shoulder; her long flight had obviously tired her as much as anything. ‘Will I see you tomorrow?’
‘I—’ Velvet looked at Jerard Daniels’ haughty expression. ‘You might,’ she compromised.
‘I hope so,’ she murmured, already half asleep.
Her father’s expression as he walked off with her in his arms left Velvet in no doubt as to his opinion of her seeing his daughter again tomorrow or any other time.
Long after she reached her room she remembered what Vicki had said about her mother dying
