Valentine's Dinner?

14. The Talk

Valerie told the nanny and the tutor to take the afternoon off. Then after a quick shower and a change of clothes, she took Chloe for a walk in Hyde Park. They discussed school lessons and the projects Miss Moore had her working on, and then Valerie asked. "Do you miss going to school?"

"I like not seeing Nancy and Edna and their gang, but I miss the others. It's weird being inside all the time with only Miss Serious and Mrs Strict." She giggled. "Like, they're no fun at all. When can I go back?"

"It's complicated."

"You always say that when you don't want to answer."

Valerie nodded. "Yeah, I do. It's not a useful response, is it?"

"Nope. Just confusing."

"Some things are difficult for me to explain."

"Is that because you don't understand them?"

"Yeah, that's part of it."

"And what's the other part?"

"There are many other parts. That's why I say it's complicated."

Valerie pointed to a bench at the edge of the Serpentine. "Let's sit and watch the ducks. We haven't done that for a long while."

After they had settled on the bench, Chloe said, "I still want to know."

"You're getting harder to distract." Valerie chuckled. Then she blew out a deep breath as she thought. Have to tell her sometime. Is this it? If not, when would the right time be? She looked down at Chloe's angelic face as her mind continued to spin.

"You look sad, Mummy."

"Yeah. Let's cuddle while I tell you a sad story." She wrapped an arm around Chloe and pulled her to her chest. They sat in silence for a long while, and then Valerie asked, "Do you know what rape is?"

"Of course I do. We learned about that in school. It's when a person has sex with someone without their permission." Chloe tilted her head up and looked into her mother's eyes. "Did your new boyfriend do that to you?"

Valerie laughed. "No, Sweetheart. Very far from it. Mr Benton is tender, kind and respectful."

"So he didn't touch you?"

"I didn't say that."

"So, he did touch you, then." Chloe gave her mother an impish grin. "Did you like it?"

"I did."

"And did you touch him?"

"Yes, I did. And we both liked it." Valerie sighed. "It took us six weeks before we felt safe enough to hold hands the first time. Strong relationships come from a slow, careful approach."

"I thought you said this was going to be a sad story."

"We got distracted." She blew out a loud sigh. "Do you want me to continue into it, or do you want to talk about happier things?"

"It seems to be the complications around why I'm not in school and why we can't live at home."

"You're a perceptive girl."

"And I'm also a curious one."

Valerie nodded as she pulled Chloe tighter to her chest. Okay. Hope she's ready for this. "When I was in my last year of university, I was drugged and raped."

They remained silent for a long while before she continued. "The man who raped me was released from prison a few months ago. He wants revenge for my pressing charges and sending him away for ten years."

"So, we're hiding from him?"

"Yes, we are, Sweetheart."

Again, they remained silent for a long while as Chloe slowly nodded. "He's my father, isn't he?"

"Yeah." She cupped Chloe's head and pulled it into her breast. "I wish you had had a better one."

They were silent for another long while, and then Chloe whispered, "You're dripping on me, Mummy."

"I know. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. And you?"

"Yeah." Valerie sniffled. "I've wanted for a long time to tell you this, but I never found the right moment."

"So, what is he trying to do now? Like why are we hiding?

"During his first trial, he dragged my reputation through the gutter to show I had likely encouraged him. I was painted as a pornography model and a gold-digger. Now he's doing it again in an attempt to have the court take you away from me."

"Oh, God!" Chloe buried her face between her mother's breasts and shuddered. A long while later, when she had calmed, she lifted her face to speak. "He can't take me from you, can he?"

"Not a chance in Hell. But he appears so deranged; there's no predicting what he might do."

After a long silence, Chloe nodded. "Okay, I understand now why it's complicated. It's time for a happy story. Tell me about your boyfriend."

Valerie released a long sigh. "His name is Lorne — you'll call him Mr Benton. He's the same age as I, and he's three and a half inches taller. His eyes are pale blue, like a clear summer sky, and he has a constant two-week stubble on a gorgeous square-jawed face which is topped with unruly blonde curls."

"He sounds like one of my dreams. How do you know he's not after your money?"

"He likely has as much as me — or more." Valerie smiled. "He picked me up on Saturday in his chauffeured Bentley; then we flew to Switzerland in his private jet."

Chloe giggled. "Okay. I approve."

Valerie ruffled Chloe's red curls. "So, that means you'll allow me to continue seeing him?"

"For as long as he makes you happy." She wrinkled her nose. "I don't like it when you're sad. So, when do I get to meet him?"

"He's picking us up at five o'clock, and he'll show us his house, then we'll have dinner there."

"What about the animal shelters?"

"I got Barbara to do that tonight."

"Yeah." She giggled. "From the way you talk about Mr Benton, I would also have chosen him over the dogs."

As they walked back toward the hotel, Valerie asked, "Would you like to fly to South Africa tomorrow night?"

Chloe grabbed her mother's arm and looked up. "Really?"

"Yup. Really, really, as we used to say when I was a kid. Mr Benton has a meeting in Cape Town, and he's invited us along."

"He really likes you, doesn't he?"

Valerie sighed. "Yeah. Really, really."