Page 17 of The Hidden Daughter (The Lost Daughters #7)
The days were racing past, and Amalie couldn’t stop counting the weeks they had left together.
The summer had become a blur of work and time spent with Oskar, and even though she knew her friends missed her, she wanted to spend every spare minute she had with him.
Whenever he finished a shift, no matter how late, she was waiting for him, sitting on the low wall outside the hotel as she stared at the water, knowing he would always bring something delicious for her to try.
And then they’d walk or go out in the little rowing boat he’d commandeered, or lie on the grass and stare at the sky.
Sometimes they talked, sometimes they just lay there in silence, content in each other’s company, fingertips touching as they stretched out their arms. Other times Oskar would wrap her in his embrace and they would kiss until they were breathless, their bodies intertwined, making her wonder how she could ever live a day without seeing him.
Tonight though, it seemed that Oskar had other plans, and she could tell from the mischievous look on his face that he was up to something. He had a spring in his step and the corners of his mouth were tilted up into a smile.
‘How was your night?’ she asked, grinning when he passed her a small plate with a slice of bl?tkake on it.
She loved his layered cream cake, and she took the dessert fork he gave her and quickly ate her first mouthful, closing her eyes as it dissolved in her mouth.
It was divine, as was everything he brought for her.
‘Do you want a piece?’ she asked, offering him the fork back.
‘No. I just want to watch you as you eat it.’
‘This is truly the best cake I’ve ever had, and I’m not just saying that because I love you.’
He leaned in and kissed her forehead, his lips soft against her skin. ‘Good, because I’ve made a decision.’
She stopped eating and looked up, hearing how serious he was.
‘I want to be a dessert or pastry chef,’ he said, and she could tell from the contented look on his face how pleased he was with his decision.
‘I am at my happiest when I’m making something sweet in the kitchen.
I love the artistry of it and the ingredients, and I love watching you eat what I’ve created.
I want to make desserts and cakes and pastries for the rest of my life, with you by my side. ’
Amalie set down her plate and put her arms around his neck, drawing Oskar in for a kiss.
‘I’m so proud of you.’ She didn’t ask how he was going to do this or what he would tell his parents, because she preferred their little bubble of pretending it was just the two of them, and that whatever they dreamed of or talked about existed only between them.
She didn’t know whether this was even something he could make happen, but if he thought he could, then she would support him.
When their lips parted, he smiled down at her, his gaze warm and kind. ‘Finish that cake and then let’s walk down to the water’s edge.’
She didn’t need to be told twice, eating her dessert and laughing as he recounted tales of the grumpy old chef he worked under, and how the man’s face had turned beetroot red when he’d tasted the truffle sauce and found it to be so salty it could make his moustache stand on end.
When she was finally finished, Oskar stepped forwards and brushed his thumb against the edge of her mouth, wiping away a little bit of cream.
The way his eyes fixed on hers made her feel as if he had a window straight to her heart.
‘Come with me,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘I’ve waited all night for this.’
Amalie placed her palm against his and expected Oskar to lead her away from the hotel, but instead he pulled her close once they reached the little courtyard adjacent to where she’d been sitting.
‘Listen carefully,’ he whispered.
She did, and she heard it straightaway. There was the faintest sound of music coming from the hotel, and Amalie smiled against his shoulder as he looped his other hand around her waist. Usually they basked in the silence of the fjord when they took the little boat out, but tonight, it was music.
‘There’s an event in the dining hall tonight,’ he said, as he held her out and twirled her, making her laugh. ‘When I realised we’d never danced before, I knew it was our chance.’
Oskar pulled her in close again after the spin and she placed her head to his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as they moved slowly from side to side.
She could barely even hear the music now, but she swayed in time with his body, loving the way his arm encircled her.
She’d only ever danced with boys at her town’s dances, and she’d always been careful to keep her distance, not wanting to even accidentally bump her body into theirs.
She imagined that Oskar had grown up going to balls or watching his parents dance, that he’d lived a life so different to hers, which made her wonder what their life might be like if they found a way to stay together.
‘When we’re married, we’re going to dance like this every night,’ he murmured against her ear. ‘Just you and me, in the middle of our house. When we have children, they’ll have to watch me dance with you every night after dinner.’
She tilted her head back and looked up at him, wanting to believe him but also knowing how much it was going to break her heart to have these memories, if the summer was all they had together.
‘Stop teasing me,’ she said. ‘You’re going to go back to university and forget all about your summer romance. ’
‘Never,’ he said, stopping her from saying anything by covering her mouth with his.
‘Oskar!’
The call was so sharp and unexpected in the almost silent night air, that it cut straight through them and made Amalie leap back in surprise. Oskar stared down at her for a fleeting second, his eyes filling with what she could only imagine was disbelief before looking over his shoulder.
‘It’s my mother.’ His words were barely audible, but she heard them. ‘What is she doing here?’
Amalie closed her eyes, taking a breath before slowly turning to follow his gaze.
His mother was exactly as she’d imagined she might look, with her blonde hair brushed off her face and piled high, diamonds glittering at her neck and dressed in clothes that, even from where she stood, reminded Amalie just how different Oskar’s family, his life, was to hers.
Amalie felt like a poor church mouse in comparison, and she hated that this woman had seen her kissing her son so passionately.
If she’d known there was even a chance of them being seen by a member of his family, she’d never have so much as held Oskar’s hand.
‘Oskar! Come inside, your father is waiting.’
Amalie was surprised when Oskar took her hand, and when she tried to pull away, he held firm.
‘Oskar, you don’t need—’
‘I’m not leaving you out here as if she’s caught me doing something wrong,’ he said. ‘Amalie, it’s time for you to meet my mother. The timing isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t matter.’
I don’t want to. I know how she’s going to look at me, what she’s going to think of me. I don’t want to feel her loathing.
‘Oskar, it’s fine. You don’t have to,’ she said.
He surprised her by lifting her hand and pressing a kiss to it, all while his mother’s gaze rested on them from afar. ‘I do, and I am. We have nothing to hide.’
It was a mistake, she knew it was, but Amalie didn’t have the heart to tell Oskar no. Not to mention that part of her wanted to see if she was wrong. Maybe his mother won’t be so bad, after all? Maybe I’ve over-imagined her reaction.
‘Oskar, what are you doing out at this time of night? Surely you have better things to do than—’
‘Mother, it’s good to see you,’ he interrupted, leaning in to kiss his mother’s cheek and embrace her. ‘You should have sent word that you were coming.’
Amalie found herself studying the woman’s face for any likeness to Oskar, and finding none. She also knew what she’d been about to say, or close enough to it.
‘Your father wanted to visit, and I wanted to make certain my youngest son was behaving himself.’ His mother gave her a pointed look, and Amalie’s cheeks flooded with heat.
‘I don’t know why you insist on working here when you could be enjoying the summer with us, or just staying here as a guest, although you’ve clearly found a way to entertain yourself. ’
‘Mother, I’d like to introduce you to Amalie,’ Oskar said, taking a step back so that he was standing beside her, as if he hadn’t even heard her words.
His mother gave her son a long, steady look, as if to question why he was making her say hello, before fixing her gaze on Amalie.
Amalie knew then that her fears had come true.
She’d never felt as small in all her life as she felt in front of Oskar’s mother in that moment.
She’d come from a nice family, surrounded by hard-working people who loved their children and strived to do what they could for them.
But when she stood in front of Oskar’s mother, it was the first time she’d understood how insignificant she was.
That she would never, ever be enough for this woman’s son.
‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ Amalie said, forcing the words out.
His mother didn’t even bother to acknowledge her. It was as if Amalie hadn’t even spoken.
‘Oskar, come and join your father and me for a late supper. The kitchen has reopened for us.’
‘Mother, this is Amalie,’ Oskar said again, his voice louder this time. ‘We’ve spent the summer together so far, and I’ve been looking forward to introducing you to her.’
His mother raised an eyebrow and gave Amalie a fleeting glance that consisted of looking her up and down, before audibly sighing.
Tears pricked at Amalie’s eyes, and she wished that she’d just stayed in her little bubble with Oskar, that she hadn’t had to meet this awful woman who made her feel as if she wasn’t even worthy of speaking to.