The Beekeeper's Daughter Read Online Free PDF Page A

him feel good. Her devotion was like the sun’s rays burning through the shadows of his self-doubt. He began to hum a tune. As he walked, the sound of the waves gave him a gentle sense of rhythm and little by little the tune evolved into words. Inspired by the warm feeling that thoughts of Trixie evoked, he sat cross-legged on the sand with his guitar and set the lyrics to chords, which he played over and over until the song was composed and committed to memory. I held you in my arms for one last second, and then I watched you slowly walk away. I felt a sudden yearning to run after you, and hold you once again and never let you go.
    From her bedroom window Trixie was sure she could hear the distant sound of a guitar, but it could just be the murmur of the sea. She stood there a moment, letting the cool breeze brush her face. She gazed out at the night’s sky. It was dark now, but for the moonlight and the mysterious twinkling of stars. Below, the garden was silent. The birds were sleeping. The bees had returned to their sticky cells. The rabbits were deep in their burrows. In the eerie silver light the shrubs and flowers looked other-worldly. Her heart expanded with the beauty of it all, and the knowledge that Jasper was out there only enhanced the splendour. His arrival on Tekanasset had changed the way she saw everything. The world looked more beautiful because he was in it.
    A moment later her mother knocked softly on the door. ‘Trixie, can I come in?’
    ‘Hi, Mom,’ she said, stepping away from the window and slipping her arms into a long Aran cardigan.
    ‘We need to talk,’ Grace began, remembering Big’s advice to be firm.
    Trixie was quick to apologize. ‘Look, I know I let you down and I’m really sorry.’ She folded her arms defensively.
    Grace noticed the flower in her daughter’s hair and her solemn expression melted into a smile. ‘Did you have a nice time?’
    ‘I was just hanging out with the band. It was all very innocent, I promise. Suzie and I had our own bedroom and we were guests of Joe Hornby’s friend, Mr Lipmann, who’s a powerful man in the music industry. He predicts they’ve got a good chance of making it really big.’
    Grace sat on the bed and folded her hands in her lap. ‘You like Jasper very much, don’t you?’
    Trixie grinned as her enthusiasm broke through her hostility. ‘You’d like him too, you know. He’s a real gentleman. He walked me home. It’s not what you think.’
    ‘And what do I think?’
    ‘Well, he’s going to be a rock star.’ She said it as if being a rock star was a crime.
    ‘There’s nothing wrong with being a musician, Trixie.’
    ‘Even his own mom disapproves.’
    ‘ I don’t disapprove. You can love whoever you like, darling. I certainly don’t care what anyone else thinks about it.’
    ‘Then what is there to talk about?’
    Grace hesitated a moment, unsure of her conviction. ‘I want you to remain on the island for the rest of the summer,’ she said evenly.
    Trixie looked horrified. ‘You can’t be serious!’
    ‘I am, darling. You can’t expect me to condone what you did.’
    ‘I’m nineteen. I have a job, for goodness’ sake. I’m earning my own money. I’m an adult. I should be allowed to do whatever I want. You were married at my age!’
    ‘That’s irrelevant. You’re my daughter and as long as you’re under my roof and unmarried I have a right to know where you are. Your father and I are responsible for you. What you did was inexcusable, Trixie. What if something had happened?’
    ‘I was perfectly safe with Jasper. He’s twenty-four. We were guests of Mr Lipmann, it wasn’t like I ran off with him.’
    ‘You should have asked my permission. You should have been honest about where you were going.’
    ‘You would have stopped me.’
    ‘Yes, I probably would have,’ Grace conceded.
    ‘Well, that’s why I didn’t ask.’ Trixie perched on the edge of her dressing-table stool and brought one knee up to hug.