Page 22 of The Hidden Daughter (The Lost Daughters #7)

Amalie had butterflies in her stomach as she walked beside Oskar.

He was holding her hand, which was the only thing stopping her from running in the opposite direction.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the last time she’d met his mother, and although she’d begged Oskar not to bring her this time, he’d insisted.

He didn’t want to hide her, and although Amalie loved him for that, she wasn’t convinced that it was even worth trying when it came to his parents.

‘Just keep smiling,’ Oskar whispered as they neared the table. ‘You deserve to be here—don’t let them make you feel that you don’t, no matter what is said.’

But her smile had already begun to falter when she saw that the table was only set for three. She hesitated, trying to pull away from Oskar, but his grip on her hand was firm.

‘Everything will be fine,’ Oskar murmured, leaning in slightly so that his words were only for her. ‘All you have to do is trust me.’

His father rose when they approached the table, and a little something inside of Amalie flickered with recognition. He was an older version of Oskar, albeit one with flecks of grey peppered through the sides of his otherwise dark hair.

‘Father, I’d like you to meet Amalie,’ Oskar said, shaking his father’s hand before gesturing to her.

His father at least gave her the courtesy of a smile. ‘Pleased to meet you, Amalie,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately, this is a family dinner, but perhaps—’

She glanced at his mother as Oskar interrupted.

‘I booked the table for four this evening,’ Oskar said, before waving out to one of the waiters. ‘We’ll need another place set, when you have a moment.’

Amalie watched as Oskar faced his father, his stature defiant but his demeanour friendly. ‘It’s very important to me that Amalie joins us.’

His father cleared his throat, but as if on second thoughts, nodded. ‘Of course. Please excuse me, Amalie, I expected to discuss family matters tonight and wasn’t aware you’d be joining us.’

A lie, she was certain, but she smiled politely and took the seat that Oskar pulled out for her. He sat beside her, his hand comfortingly on her knee as he spoke to his mother.

‘Amalie and I met soon after I arrived here,’ Oskar said. ‘I thought I’d have to bring her home to meet you both, but I’m pleased it was able to happen sooner.’

His mother finally looked at her, and Amalie felt like a spotlight was shining on her.

‘Amalie, it isn’t that we didn’t expect our son to have a summer fling while he was here—it’s best for young men to get these things out of their system while they’re young and carefree, after all.

I just didn’t expect to have to meet the object of his lust.’

Amalie froze, her eyes widening as she realised what this woman had just said to her. She may as well have slapped her, she was so shocked.

‘Don’t you dare speak to her like that again,’ Oskar said, his voice rising. ‘Amalie deserves your respect.’

His mother raised an eyebrow and smiled, shaking her head as if the entire situation was somehow amusing to her.

‘And what, precisely, will you do if your mother doesn’t heed your words?

’ Oskar’s father asked, taking a sip of an amber-coloured drink that Amalie presumed was whisky.

She wasn’t much of a drinker, but she almost wished for a whisky of her own.

‘It sounded very much like a threat, son, if I’m not mistaken. ’

Oskar was silent then, and Amalie spoke, filling the ominous silence between them all. ‘If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I’ll go,’ she said, lifting her gaze and looking first at his father, then his mother. ‘I love your son very much, and I respect you as his parents, so please, if—’

‘Enough!’ Oskar muttered, taking her hand again.

‘I have spent the most magical summer with Amalie, and all I wanted was for you to show her a little respect for one night. Is that too much to ask? Because all my life you’ve told me to show gratitude and respect, to behave politely and understand my place in the world, and yet you, Mother, you’re behaving like a petulant child. ’

His mother looked as if she’d sucked a lemon, her face sour as she stared at her son. But it was his father who settled everything, his gaze never wavering.

‘Oskar, you’re right,’ he said. ‘Amalie, I owe you an apology. A friend of Oskar’s is a friend of ours. Let me order you both a drink and then we can look over the menu.’

His mother was still silent, but something inside Amalie softened. It wasn’t acceptance, but it was something, and if she could win over his father then she might just have a chance.

‘Sir, I’d like to commend you on your hotel,’ she said. ‘It’s the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and the guests here are always commenting on what a wonderful stay they’ve had.’

His smile seemed genuine, but all he gave her was a nod, before going back to studying the menu.

‘Oskar has gathered quite the name for himself in the kitchen,’ she continued, undeterred. ‘His desserts really are something.’

‘I’m pleased he’s enjoying this last summer here,’ his father said. ‘Next summer he’ll be interning at my office, so he’ll have to find a wife to cook for him. There’ll be no time for being in a kitchen once he’s a businessman.’

Amalie held her tongue and looked down at her plate, feeling the anger radiating from Oskar beside her. Her heart broke for him.

‘I’ve already told the kitchen staff that I’ll be back next summer. Father, this is my—’

‘Passion?’ His father laughed. ‘Son, this is a hobby. Men like us don’t spend our lives toiling away in a kitchen.’

‘I told you we shouldn’t have indulged him like this.’ His mother finally spoke, finishing her drink and staring at Amalie. ‘He should have worked for you all summer instead of—’

‘Enough,’ Oskar said, quietly but with enough force to stop them both. Everyone at the table had turned to face him. ‘We can discuss all this later. I suggest that I order for us all, and that we change the subject to something less heated for the sake of not causing a scene.’

His father nodded, but the look his mother gave Amalie told her that nothing would ever change the woman’s opinion of her.

When she glanced over at Oskar, she could sense that he was still hopeful, and his hand on her knee beneath the table reminded her that he cared enough for her to bring her to dinner, to at least try when it came to his family.

Even if she did think that there was nothing his mother wouldn’t do to keep them apart.

Their entrées arrived soon enough, but Amalie found that her stomach clenched the moment she smelt the stekt fish in front of her. It’s only nerves, you’ll be fine, she told herself. But the moment she had a small mouthful she knew it wasn’t sitting right with her.

‘Please excuse me,’ she said, placing her napkin on the table and forcing herself to walk as sedately as possible.

She could usually eat anything, and fish had always been one of her favourites, but his family had clearly done more than twist her stomach into knots, and when she reached the restroom she only just made it to the stall before being violently unwell.

Amalie had kept her distance from Oskar since dinner, and thankfully the hotel had been so busy she’d been fully occupied with work, but once his family left, they finally had time to be together without being under his mother’s watchful eye.

Oskar stopped rowing the boat, his oars gliding through the crisp blue water one final time before he set them down, and Amalie wriggled backwards and let her head fall to his chest. She listened to the steady beat of his heart, sighing when his arms came around her. She’d waited all day for this.

Amalie was at her happiest when it was just the two of them, surrounded by the beauty of the fjord, wrapped safely in Oskar’s embrace.

Usually she loved the silence; but today, the secret she’d been keeping pressed on her chest, an invisible weight that she couldn’t keep hidden any longer.

All day she’d wrestled with whether to tell him or not, but now they were together again, she knew there was no keeping it from him.

It was his news as much as hers. I don’t want to have secrets between us. I need him to know.

‘You’re very quiet today,’ Oskar said.

She tucked herself even closer to him, tears stinging her eyes when his lips pressed against her head. Oskar ran his fingers gently through her long hair as she fought for the right words, as her secret tightened inside of her.

‘Amalie? What’s wrong? Is it my family, because I’ve made it abundantly clear that—’

Amalie took a deep breath, before her words came out in a sudden gasp. ‘Oskar, I’m pregnant.’

The words clung to the silence around them, echoing in Amalie’s mind as she wished she could take them back, that she’d kept the secret to herself a little longer.

But Oskar only held her tighter as she began to cry, tears slipping one after the other down her cheeks until she was powerless to stop them.

‘Don’t cry. Please don’t cry,’ he said, turning her so that she faced him, his eyes meeting hers as he gently smoothed his thumb across her cheek, wiping away her tears. ‘Everything will be all right, I promise.’

‘But how can it be?’ she whispered, searching his face. ‘Your parents will never accept me, they’ve made that clear, and mine—’

‘I love you, Amalie, and that’s all that matters,’ he whispered back, his lips meeting hers in a kiss so soft, so impossibly gentle, that it took her breath away.

When she finally pulled back, Oskar touched his forehead to hers.

‘I promise I’ll take care of you. We’ll marry quickly, in autumn, before anyone can find out. There’s nothing to be afraid of.’

Tears filled her eyes again, because as much as she believed his earnestly spoken words, as much as she knew that he’d do anything to protect her, she was no fool.

No matter how much they wanted to be together, no matter the dreams they’d shared, their future wasn’t theirs alone.

Not to mention they’d had a plan: they were supposed to wait until next summer, until he’d finished university, and he was free to choose his own path.

‘Oskar, your parents will never let us marry. We’re from different worlds, it could never—’

Her voice caught as his hands cupped her face, as his eyes met hers.

‘I would give up everything for you. I love you, Amalie, and no one will stop me from making you my wife, not even my parents. Will you marry me?’

Amalie gazed back into the eyes of the man she loved, and hoped with all her heart that it would be enough.

If they were to marry, he’d have to give up so much, leave behind the life he’d always known to walk his own path, if his family didn’t accept her or the baby.

Once they were married, there was little his parents could do, but they could certainly cut him off financially.

‘Amalie,’ he said. ‘Will you marry me?’

‘Yes,’ she whispered back. ‘Yes, Oskar, I will marry you.’

‘We’re going to be parents,’ he whispered, his palm covering her stomach, which was still flat and taut, not showing any signs of the life growing inside of her. ‘You’ll be the most beautiful mother, I can already see you cradling our baby in your arms.’

Oskar kissed her, his hand stroking her hair as his lips tenderly met hers, the boat rocking gently from side to side beneath them.

Maybe dreams do come true.

‘There’s nothing to be scared of, Amalie. It’s just you and me against the world.’