‘I don’t think Raphael likes me very much,’ Sapphire ventured.
Maggie smiled. ‘Don’t take it personally. Raphael’s…complicated. He doesn’t find it easy to relate to people.’
‘Right,’ said Sapphire. Like that explained anything. Maybe he just didn’t like brunettes or something. She asked a question that had been troubling her instead.
‘Maggie, where are all the other guests?’
The housekeeper smiled knowingly. ‘All good things come to those who wait.’
The three girls were waiting expectantly in the drawing-room. Madison had already surveyed Sapphire’s outfit with distaste. Now she looked Simonetta’s black silk jumpsuit up and down.
‘You say it’s Gucci? Looks fake to me.’
Simonetta made a ‘pff’ sound, giving Madison the once-over back. ‘I didn’t realise it was prom night.’
Madison looked down at her baby-blue sequinned mini-dress. ‘Er, hello? This is Dolce and Gabanna.’
‘They must have been having an off day,’ Simonetta sniffed.
It was a minute past seven when Brad walked in. ‘Girls, you look fabulous. Shall we?’ He gestured towards the door. In curious silence they followed him out of the house and down the garden path towards the beach. Hundreds of candles lit their way and at the end of them, Sapphire could see a gazebo ablaze with fairy lights and more candles. In the gathering gloom it looked magical. Brad led them inside, to where an ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne stood in one corner, along with four glasses.
‘When’s everyone else arriving?’ Madison asked, her eyes scanning the sweeping gardens.
Brad smiled. ‘Everyone’s here.’
‘But…’ Madison looked in confusion at Brad and then at Sapphire and Simonetta. ‘I don’t understand.’
There was a long silence before Brad spoke again. ‘Girls, I’m going to cut to the chase. I’ve brought you here under false pretences.’
Sapphire’s heart began to quicken. The atmosphere could be cut with a knife as the three girls listened to what he had to say.
‘It is my fiftieth birthday party,’ Brad said. ‘That much is true. But the reason I only invited the three of you is…’ He stopped, seemingly stuck for words. ‘That is to say…The reason you’re here is because I thought it would be a good chance to meet my…’
He looked at them all, face serious.
‘A good chance to meet my daughters.’
There was a stunned silence.
‘O. M. Fricking G!’ Madison crowed. ‘I always knew that loser Frank was way too un-cool to be my dad!’
Sapphire was barely aware of Madison’s shrieks. Her heart was pounding, blood rushing through her ears as she tried to take it in. Brad Masters, her father? He couldn’t be! Her father was Bill! She thought of the cherished photo up in her bedroom. Suddenly the image of Bill’s face in her mind seemed blurred, as if her whole world was slowly sliding away from her.
‘You’re not my dad!’ she cried, aware of the tears pouring down her cheeks.
Brad took a step towards her, his face pained. ‘Sapphire…’
‘Don’t touch me!’ she yelled and turned to run out of the gazebo. She pelted up the garden path, kicking her heels off halfway, stones and grass scratching her feet. As she rounded the corner, she ran into something warm and solid.
‘Whoa there!’ said Cam. He grabbed hold of both of her arms and then saw her tear-stained face. ‘Hey, are you all right?’
Sapphire wriggled out of his strong grip and ran. When she got through the front door, she whirled up the stairs to her bedroom. The photo was sitting there on the bedside table – Sapphire picked it up and clutched it to her chest.
‘You’re not my dad!’ she shouted out towards the open window. Curling up in a ball on the bed, she started sobbing.
A few minutes later she became aware of another person in the room. Maggie was standing there, her pleasant, wrinkled face full of concern. ‘Oh, duckie,’ she said. ‘Mr Masters asked me to come and see if you were OK.’
The kindly tone of her voice set Sapphire off again. ‘He’s not my dad, he can’t be!’ she sobbed. ‘Bill is my dad. He rode a motorbike and he used to tell me bedtime stories. He loved my mother and me very much and he died when I was ten…’
Maggie came and sat down on the bed and put a warm hand on her shoulder. ‘No one is going to take Bill away from you,’ she said. ‘Mr Masters knows he hasn’t been a part of your lives, but he would like to start now, if you’ll let him. You know, as far as fathers go, you could do worse than him. He’s a good man.’
‘This is my dad,’ Sapphire said, showing her the photo of Bill. ‘My mum met him at a music festival.’
Maggie smiled sadly. ‘Oh darlin’.’ She hesitated. ‘Maybe you should call your mam and talk to her about it.’
Sapphire nodded. Leonie would tell her it wasn’t true.
‘I’ll bring you a nice hot cup of tea,’ Maggie said. Giving her another pat on the shoulder, she left. Sapphire got her mobile and switched it on. As she scrolled down to ‘home’ and it started ringing, her hands were shaking so much she almost dropped it.
Leonie answered after ten rings, sounding a bit out of breath. ‘Hello?’
‘It’s me.’
‘Hello, darling! I was just putting some things away.’ Her tone sounded anxious. ‘How are you getting on?’
‘Is Brad Masters my dad?’ Sapphire asked, voice trembling. Her mother was going to tell her it was all a sick joke, she knew it.
There was a short silence.
‘So he’s told you then.’ Her mum’s voice was tight with worry and expectation.
‘He’s told me, but that doesn’t mean it’s true, Mum!’ she shouted. ‘Tell me it’s not true. Bill’s my dad!’
Leonie’s voice wavered. ‘Oh, Sapphire, I wish you didn’t have to hear it like this, but I thought it was the best way. Please believe me, darling, Brad and I talked about it…’
Shock rippled through Sapphire. ‘You’ve known all along?’
‘Yes, but Sapphire, we weren’t going behind your back or anything. I just thought you could get to know your father a bit first…’
My father? Her mother had actually said the word. Sapphire knew Leonie was telling the truth.
‘Leave me alone,’ she cried and threw the phone across the room.
In all the fuss with Sapphire, no one noticed that Simonetta had slipped away quietly. When Brad had told them he was their father she had received the news with typical haughtiness, but her mind had been whirling. Brad Masters, her father? But how? Her mother had never left the village in her life! Simonetta knew what she had to do. Walking along the beach until she found a spot with good reception, she dialled her family home. Her sister Vera picked up.
‘It’s me. Can you get Mamma?’
Her sister