Daydreamer

Lucy

We couldn’t handle Luca Moretti. I doubted that Satan himself could handle Luca Moretti. He was an unbelievable prick. If life was fair, Luca would be as ugly and awful as his personality, but unfortunately that was not the case. No, he was basically an older version of Felix: tall and powerful despite his advancing years, his salt and pepper hair perfectly styled. He was in a suit and his lip actually curled when he took in us Mayweathers: Mikey and I were both wearing jeans and thick jumpers, Mikey still had his work boots on, and my trusty Uggs were warming my feet.

I suppose I should have changed, but when I asked Felix how fancy his mum would expect us to be and if I should wear a dress, he’d frowned, saying it was too bloody cold for that and that I looked perfect as I was. That was a stretch seeing as I was wearing thermals and a ridiculously thick jumper. But judging by the way he subtly tried to crowd me towards the Aga in the kitchen at every opportunity, I think my thermoregulation trumped all other fashion considerations in his mind.

There were still times when he glanced at my hands with a worried expression. The red marks had faded now, but it was like he had to keep checking. That tortured look would come back into his eyes, his jaw would clench and he’d grind his teeth. Yesterday, when I reminded him that I was absolutely fine, he lost his shit, ranting on about the danger of prolonged cold exposure to people with Raynaud’s, spouting all sorts of facts I’d never heard of. He’d clearly been researching and working himself up into a right tizzy.

“Felix, enough!” I’d snapped, and I think my commanding tone shocked him into silence. “Enough now.” His hands were clenched into fists at his sides. I stepped to him and covered them with mine. He immediately relaxed his fists and took my hands in his, his expression softening. “You’ve got to stop worrying. There wasn’t any permanent damage and⁠—”

“But there could have been, love,” he said, back to that tortured tone of voice. “There could have been all sorts. I read an article that said⁠—”

“Enough of the articles, you nutter!” Honestly, he needed to calm down. “My hands are fine. I’m fine. But you won’t be if you carry on obsessing on what could have happened.”

He’d promised to calm down about it, but it seemed that didn’t extend to allowing me to wear anything less than Arctic clothing to walk half a mile to his mum’s house.

Mum was in one of her boiler suits with a wax jacket over it that she was yet to take off. Even Felix was relatively casual, looking edible in jeans that sat so perfectly on him it actually made my mouth a little dry. After a string of awkward greetings, Luca turned to Felix.

“Couldn’t have put a shirt on for your mother?” he asked. The guy hadn’t spoken to his son in five years, and this was the first thing he said?

The one bit of satisfaction I had was when the dogs jumped up on him, and Samwise licked his smug face. The expression of pure disgust was something I wished I’d caught on camera (it was just as well that I’d made an executive decision to keep Legolas in the hallway). But that was the only highlight so far.

Bianca made being on edge into an art form. She was so obviously thrilled to have her son home that she was vibrating with nervous energy. Bianca didn’t care what we were wearing or that she was in a full evening gown; she just cared that we were there. And she greeted us as though she hadn’t seen us in years rather than just a couple of hours ago, hugging us all in turn, even a surprised Mikey. Luca seemed to want to ignore the fact we were even there. Instead, he took every opportunity to get digs in with his son.

“I hear you lost the Framlingham Estate,” he boomed out at Felix. (Luca did a lot of booming, and the drawing room, as they called it, was so big that it echoed off the walls, stopping all other conversation.)

Felix narrowed his eyes as he considered his father. He was clearly furious but holding back, no doubt for his mum’s benefit. His knuckles were white where he was gripping his beer bottle (the fact he and Mikey had asked for beers and proceeded to drink them straight out of the bottle had also drawn a sneer from Luca for some fucked up, posh person reason, no doubt) and he had that small ‘v’ in between his brows, which I knew was a sign he was under stress. I tried to tell myself that worrying about Felix’s stress levels wasn’t my job anymore, but all I could think about were the times I stroked his head to calm him and make that v disappear in the past.

“Let’s not talk business, Dad,” Felix said in a low, controlled voice, and Luca boomed out a laugh.

“Yes, no business now boys,” Bianca said in a high-pitched, nervous tone. “I’ll be back in a jiffy. Just need to check the beef.”

“Right, yes I thought you wouldn’t want to talk about losing out in front of your new little girlfriend.”

“Her name is Lucy, Dad. She’s standing right here.”

“I’m not his girlfriend,” I put in but then wished I hadn’t when I saw a cruel smile spread across Luca’s face.

“Oh really? That is interesting. Your mother told me different, Felix. Dump him, did you?” He took a step towards me with that creepy smile on his face and I couldn’t help myself take a corresponding one back.

“Yes, Dad, she dumped me.”

Luca snorted. “Not the first and won’t be the last.”

Felix turned to him and took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly. His knuckles were white where he was gripping his beer.

“Well, yes. I suppose you’re right. But Dad, not quite sure I could have anticipated the last one. Why would I suspect that my own father would bribe my girlfriend to pass details of a land deal I’d been working on for two years to a competitor?”

I gasped. Mum started coughing on her gin and tonic. The room went silent. Is that what happened five years ago with Felix’s ex? Bloody hell, what kind of monster was this man?

“I did you a favour there, boy,” Luca said, absolutely no remorse in his voice. “You certainly do pick them, don’t you? What about that other one? The famous one?”

“You know her name Dad,” Felix said through his teeth.

“She dumped you as well, didn’t she? Went off with that actor fellow.” He snorted.

Felix opened his mouth to reply but just when he was about to speak, Bianca swept back into the room, her smile faltering at the palpable tension in the air.

“I’m sorry, Mum,” Felix said, his voice thick with anger as he put his bottle of beer down on the side. “Fun as this had been I can’t stay any longer and put up with this.” Bianca’s face set with determination as she looked between her husband and her son.

“Oh no, please, darling,” she said. “Luca, we talked about this.” There was a real bite in her voice that I’d never heard before and she was staring daggers at her husband, who just shrugged a shoulder.

“Calm down, both of you,” he said. “You always were too sensitive, Felix.”

“Please stay, darling,” Bianca said in a pleading tone. Felix hesitated then gave a tight nod and picked his beer up again. Bianca gave him a shaky smile. “Right, well come through in five minutes. Liddy and I are just finishing setting the table.” Liddy had been the Morettis’ cook for many years.

Once Bianca had swept out of the room again, Mum took a step towards Luca, putting her own drink down before she spoke.

“I’ve looked after a lot of children in my time,” Mum said, and all eyes turned to her in surprise at her slightly random statement.

Luca smirked. “Ah, do go on, Hetty. I’m sure this will be a fascinating anecdote.”

Mum returned his smile, totally unperturbed by his condescending tone.

“Well, what I was going to say was that I’ve looked after many, many children, and your son was certainly not an oversensitive child. In fact, he was one of the most resilient and determined children I’d ever come across.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree there,” Luca said. “But as he’s my son I think I’m a bit more qualified to comment as I know him significantly better than the hired help.”

Hetty’s eyebrows went up. “Oh right. So how does Felix like his tea?”

“What the hell has tea got to do with anything?”

“Hmm, favourite food, then? Or what was his best-loved toy as a child? What was his first fight over? What is his worst childhood memory?”

“Is this some sort of bullshit test?” Luca scoffed, his face going bright red with anger.

Mum held up her fingers one by one as she listed off the answers. “Milk, one sugar. My chicken pie. Mr Cristos – a furry monkey he took everywhere until you caught him with it on a rare family trip out. I think it was actually a business lunch where you and your colleagues were all supposed to bring family. You said Mr Cristos was a “bloody embarrassment” and chucked him in the bin before leaving the house. Luckily I was prepared to fish him out again, wash him and then replace him in Felix’s bed before he got home. But the poor child spent the entire day thinking his most precious possession was gone forever. And you screamed at him for over an hour when you got home from the lunch because he’d cried. He was five.”

“I–I–I…” Luca spluttered. “He couldn’t drag that mangled old thing all over the place. It was embarrassing.”

“Luca,” Mum said in a low voice. Luca flinched at her use of his first name. I’d never heard Mum call him anything but Mr Moretti. “He. Was. Five.”

“This is all ancient history. Who cares what⁠—?”

“I have not finished,” Mum said and to my surprise, Luca’s mouth snapped shut. She held up a fourth finger. “Felix’s first fight was with one of his posh boarding school chums who called my son a ‘token townie’ and my daughter a ‘weird little freak’. Your sensitive son broke that boy’s nose. We had to have a long chat about anger management and not solving things with your fists or flying into a rage at the drop of a hat. It’s something Felix had to unlearn. Something someone had been modelling at home for him from the start.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying but⁠—”

“His worst childhood memory.” Mum held up a fifth finger and then paused. Bianca, who had been in the kitchen, was now standing in the doorway, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. Felix glanced at his mum, then moved to Mum and laid his hand on her arm.

“Hetty, that’s enough now,” he said softly, then lowered his voice even further. “Mum can’t…” he trailed off. Mum looked at Bianca and then gave Felix a sharp nod of agreement.

“Well, maybe we can bloody well eat if we’ve finished going over ancient history,” said Luca.

“Right, yes! Let’s go through,” Bianca said in a falsely bright tone.

The tension hanging in the air was almost unbearable. I wasn’t sure how Felix survived it as a child. I’d never felt so angry in my life. The white-hot rage building inside me towards Felix’s father was actually a little scary. Containing it was becoming more and more of a challenge. Felix must have noticed because on the way through to the dining room he leaned into me.

“Are you okay?” he whispered. Yes, that’s right, this man who’d just been put down and attacked by his father for the last half hour was asking me if I was okay. I took his hand in mine, gripping it firmly.

“I’m fine,” I replied in a low, tight voice. “But your dad is a total dickhead.”

He smiled down at me, flashing his white teeth against that tanned skin. “I’ve noticed.” His smile dropped as we finally made it to the dining room door. “Best to not rise to it, though. For Mum.” Of course, he’d want to protect his mother. I’d never really appreciated how fragile Bianca was until now or how much of a strain that must put on Felix. I gave him a stiff nod, resolving to tamp down the rage and not give in to the strong desire to punch Luca in his smug, condescending face.

Unfortunately, I didn’t realise how much worse Luca could get. I didn’t brace nearly enough. The next hit, whispered slyly to Felix on the way into dinner, but in a stage-whisper meant for everyone to hear, was directed at me. That I could handle.

“Would’ve thought you’d manage to keep hold of the help’s kid, boy,” Luca said through a smirk. “But then, even batting well below your weight, you still can’t hold their interest, can you?”

Felix, who’d kept his cool throughout all the character assassination directed at him, was clearly at the end of his tolerance for his dad’s bullshit when it came to me. He spun around in a sudden movement, so fast it was all a blur for a moment and the next thing I knew he had his dad pinned against the wall under a fancy painting. He did it as silently as possible, and they were hidden from the entrance to the dining room where his mum was waiting to serve dinner.

“Listen, you piece of shit,” he hissed, keeping his voice low enough that his mum couldn’t hear, gripping his father by the top of his shirt and then giving him a shake. “Don’t ever turn your venomous bullshit on Lucy. Don’t look at her. Don’t talk to her or about her. If I catch you breathing wrong in her direction, I’ll do what I should have done years ago and kick your arse from here to The Badger’s Sett.” He released him in another sudden movement that had Luca stumbling forward, gasping for breath.

“How dare you,” he spluttered, his voice hoarse. “How dare you attack me in my own home.”

“Not a great feeling, is it Dad?” Felix said in a tight voice. “Being attacked in your own home. Welcome to my world.”

“You can’t do this. Your mother won’t⁠—”

“I can do this, and if you don’t want Mum to hear the full story about what happened with Lily, then I’d shut your mouth. It wasn’t just secrets she was selling to you, was it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Luca said, straightening up and shifting on his feet.

Felix’s eyebrows went up, and Mikey cleared his throat. “Mr Moretti,” Mikey said in a low but conversational tone. “You fucked her on the reg behind Felix’s back. Don’t you remember I found you fucking her when I delivered your kitchen table five years ago? Bianca was away.”

“You can’t prove anything.”

Mikey shrugged. “Er… not strictly true. I took pictures on my phone.”

Luca’s face paled then, a hint of panic creeping into his expression. “You wouldn’t tell Bianca,” he said, the confidence in his tone wavering. “It would break her.”

“She’s already broken, Dad,” Felix said, the anger had drained out of his voice, and he just sounded tired now. “You broke her a long time ago. But for the moment, we can hate each other in private rather than upsetting Mum.”

“I don’t hate you,” Luca said, and Felix sighed.

“Dad, let’s not get into this now.”

“But, I don’t. I did you a favour with that woman.”

“What’s going on out here?” The sound of Bianca’s voice made everyone freeze in the corridor. Legolas chose that moment to trot past us all, weaving around us and conveniently stepping on Luca’s foot.

“That was a horse,” Luca said as he watched Legolas’s backside disappear into the corridor in the direction of the drawing room. “There’s a goddamn horse in my house.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Luca,” Hetty said in a brisk tone. “Horses in the house? Honestly, whatever next.” Luca’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times like a goldfish before he glanced at his son and snapped it shut.