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‘Eric was needy.’ Pippa scoffed.

‘It’s called loving, Mum. And what about Artie, the landscape gardener?’

‘Oh yes, who liked to spend weekends trawling garden centres because he couldn’t switch off from his job.’

‘Or because he wanted to share a part of his life that he loved with you?’ Daisy countered. ‘Did you ever think that could be a reason he wanted to do that with you all the time?’

With a loud huff, Pippa stood up.

‘I didn’t come here to be attacked, Daisy. I thought I taught you better than that.’

‘I’m not attacking you. I want you to be happy. I’m trying to make you see you don’t have to just give up every time things get tough. Maybe if you’d just try to compromise a little bit?—’

‘Compromise is just a nice way of saying no one gets what they want,’ her mother scoffed. ‘And thank you for the pseudo-psychology analysis of my love life, but quite frankly, I’m not in the mind to take relationship advice from someone who can’t even see that their own situation is going to end in heartbreak.’

‘Sorry?’ Daisy tipped her head to the side, not sure she had heard her correctly. ‘What did you say?’

‘You heard me. I said that you and Theo are destined to be a disaster, and the fact you can’t see it makes it all the more painful to watch.’

57

It was Daisy’s turn to be dumbstruck. She glanced at the empty bottle of wine on the side table. She had known her mother to drink more than that over the course of an evening, but considering her mother hadn’t opened the bottle until she’d boarded theSeptember Rose,she had got through it unusually quickly. As if knowing what her daughter was thinking, Pippa spoke again.

‘I’m sorry, Daisy, it’s nothing to do with the drink. I’ve thought it all along. You know I have.’

‘And you pick now to tell me?’ Daisy asked. ‘Now, when I’ve got engaged? After we’ve been together for over two years?’

‘Well, it’s not exactly the first time I’ve mentioned my concerns to you, is it?’

‘Yes, yes, it is!’ Daisy couldn’t believe she was having this conversation, and yet her mother simply sniffed dismissively.

‘I tried to tell you when you had everyone over for drinks and terrible mini quiches.’

‘My engagement party, you mean?’ Daisy said. She was growing more and more flabbergasted by the second. ‘What perfect timing that would have been!’ She drew in a long streamof air and tried to force her pulse to lower. ‘I’m sorry, Mum. I obviously upset you, but you can’t just start insulting my relationship with Theo because you’re angry. You have never mentioned it before. As far as I was aware, you loved Theo. At least that’s what you’ve always said.’

‘Yes, I think he’s a great guy,’ her mother said, continuing to lift her wine glass to her lips, despite it being empty. ‘But I don’t think he’s right for you. Not long term. I told you that when you went chasing after him down the Thames. I said it was too soon to be running after a man.’

‘I wasn’t running after him,’ Daisy protested. She was shaking her head, struggling to believe what she was hearing. ‘I was surprising him. It’s something you do when you love people. And that was two years ago. If you’d really been that concerned about him, then why didn’t you say anything before?’

‘Well, because I thought you’d grow out of it. You know, the way people do. I mean, really Daisy, he’s the first relationship you’ve had since you were a teen. You can’t possibly think you know enough about love and relationships to get married.’

‘You mean like you did when you married my dad?’ Her disbelief was turning into anger. It had been years since she had been this furious at her mother, but just like then, this felt fully deserved.

‘Yes,’ her mum said, now standing with her hands on her hips. ‘That’s exactly what I’m talking about. I know what a mistake I made, thinking I was in love with your father. Or rather, thinking that what I felt for your father was enough for us to make it through the tough times. But it wasn’t. It was puppy love. That euphoric feeling that makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. I see the same thing with you and Theo. The pair of you are ignoring reality, tucked away here on the canal. Believe me, it’s like watching the past relive itself, and it’ll end in heartbreak for you, just like it did for me.’

Daisy was shaking her head, still struggling to comprehend what her mother was saying. It was the drink. It had to be. That was the reason she was saying all these things.

‘You were depressed, Mum. You told me that. Several times. You left me, went to a different country because you couldn’t deal with giving up on your dreams the way that having me had forced you to do. The reason your and Dad’s marriage broke up had nothing to do with a lack of love or not having foresight. It was because you bolted. The way you always do. The way you’re doing now. And I’m sorry, but I’m not you. I don’t plan on bolting from Theo.’

‘Really? Well then, you’re a fool.’

‘Sorry?’

‘Why did you come back here tonight, Daisy? Why didn’t you stay with Theo?’

‘Because I was worried about you.’

‘Is that right? Then what’s that on your finger? That’s not the ring Theo bought you.’