Daisy Darker(69)
‘You do know that my nana’s stories aren’t real, don’t you?’ I asked him. ‘What she writes is called fiction.’
The agent smiled. ‘Yes, I am aware of the term.’
‘Then you should really understand that I am not the Daisy Darker in the books. Nana just borrowed my name, that’s all. A book about the real me would be far more interesting.’
He laughed at that, and it made me cross because I thought it meant he didn’t think that I was. Interesting. But then Nana’s agent gave me something wonderful, which made me like him again. He reached into the top pocket of his jacket and took out a silver pen. Then he took out a business card and wrote on the back of it:
Looking forward to reading about the real Daisy Darker.
What was most remarkable was that, with a simple click, the pen could write in different colours: red, green, blue and black. I’d never seen anything like it. He gave me the business card, and when he saw me staring at the pen, he gave me that too.
‘Here you go. Write your own story with this if you like, and I’ll read it if you do.’
Then Nana tapped her champagne glass to get everyone’s attention, and our conversation was over almost as soon as it had begun. I put the pen and the card in the top pocket of my dress. I see on the video that it was a dress of my own – rather than a hand-me-down – a denim dungaree dress, not unlike the ones I still like to wear today. I also had my first shoes that had only been worn by my feet: a pair of white trainers that Nana had painted with daisies.
‘Now then, I know it’s Halloween, and some people have a party to go to,’ Nana said, looking at Rose and Lily. ‘But I’m glad we could be together for a little while. It means a lot to have my family in one place all at the same time for my birthday. Cheers to all of you, and special congratulations to Rose for getting into Cambridge University. We’re so proud of you.’
I was only thirteen, but even I was allowed a glass of champagne. I liked it, and tried to sip it as slowly as possible to make it last.
‘Shall we do presents before dinner?’ Nana asked, and everyone looked uncomfortable. It had always been her rule that nobody was allowed to buy proper presents on her birthday, only sweets, with it being Halloween. I’d already given her a Cadbury’s Dairy Milk miniatures dispenser, which she had seemed thrilled with, and Rose gave her chocolate frogs. Dad brought an expensive box of chocolates all the way from Switzerland, where he’d spent the summer with his orchestra. Lily forgot as usual, so Nancy pretended her gift of Milk Tray was from both of them. ‘Don’t panic, I’m only teasing. You all being present is present enough,’ Nana said.
Her agent cleared his throat. ‘I didn’t know about the “no big gifts” rule, so I’m afraid I did get you something, I hope you’ll forgive me.’ He reached beneath the table, and put a large, beautifully wrapped gift box on it.
‘Oh my goodness!’ said Nana, beaming like a child. ‘What is it?’
‘Open it and see.’
Nana lifted the lid, revealing the hand-carved wooden Scrabble set that Trixie and I were playing with earlier this evening. Her agent even had some of the small square letters made with real sea glass on the bottom and driftwood on top, with a letter and value carved into each one – I thought they were beautiful. ‘It’s hard to know what to get someone who loves words but already has all the books they want in their own little library. You always say it’s important to use your words, and I know you like the game,’ he said, sounding more like Nana than himself. His eyes seemed to twinkle again, and I noticed how very blue they were, just like hers. They wore similar smiles on their faces too. They looked like a mother and her son celebrating a special moment together.
‘It’s the most wonderful gift I have ever received,’ she replied, and I think we all felt a bit sheepish about what we had given Nana. Her agent had made more of an effort than her own family. I had forgotten until now that he gave her the beautiful wooden Scrabble board. Before I can think too long about the significance of that, the home movie continues.
‘Thank you, I’ll treasure this always,’ Nana said. ‘I actually bought myself a gift this year too, and I wanted to share it with all of you before we start eating,’ she added with a mischievous grin, then shuffled out of the room. I noticed that her slippers matched her new dress, which was pink and purple and covered in tiny hearts. We all watched from the kitchen table as she wandered out into the hall before disappearing inside her library. She continued to talk to us the entire time, shouting a little in order to be heard.
‘Now, as all of you know – because I’ve complained about it often enough – things can get a little lonely here at times, when none of you come to visit and I am left alone with just my characters for company. I’ve checked the dates on all of your cards by the punch clock, and I’m not imagining being on my own more than before. So my gift to myself this year is a rather special one. I’d like you all to meet Poppins.’
The puppy on the TV screen is ridiculously cute, and so small, it’s hard to believe that she grew into the giant Old English Sheepdog currently sleeping in front of the fire, with hair so long now that it is plaited with ribbons to keep it out of her eyes. It’s also hard to believe that she first arrived at Seaglass all those years ago. The old dog managed to outlive Nana, which is something nobody would have predicted, not even a palm reader in Land’s End.