‘Oh, that’s a relief.’ Charlotte visibly relaxed. ‘For a moment there I thought—’
‘You’ve got a filthy mind,’ he interrupted her.
‘It’s all working out, then?’
‘And then some.’ He smiled again. ‘Not only is she a good assistant, and I have to admit I was wrong about her being difficult to work with, she’s the complete opposite, but she also has considerable talent as a photographer.’
‘Really? You’ve seen what she does?’
‘Oh, yes, it’s amazing. She’s completely self-taught, but a good photographer needs to have instinct and she’s got plenty of that.’
‘And why does the fact that she’s a good photographer make you so happy?’ Charlotte looked puzzled.
‘Because . . .’ Daniel paused before continuing. ‘She’s given me my spark back.’
‘For your own photography?’
‘No, well, yes, maybe, but I was thinking more for other people.’
Charlotte frowned. ‘I don’t follow.’
‘I’ve been getting bored with the amount of photoshoots I’ve been doing recently.’
‘You’ve got such a good reputation. Everyone wants your photos to grace their magazines.’
‘I know, but seeing what Anna is doing has made me realise how lacking in creativity my work is these days.’
The waiter took their order and left them to continue their conversation. ‘Without influence and without contacts, it’s not easy to be successful in the art world. I was lucky I had my uncle to mentor me and I’ve realised that I want to give some of that back.’
‘So you’re going to mentor Anna?’
‘To start with, yes. But I’m thinking about setting up a photography school for underprivileged kids.’ He paused, but before she could answer he continued. ‘In Manchester.’
She gasped. ‘You’re moving!’
‘No, at least not at the moment. I still need to be in London, because I’ll need my commissions here, but I want to spend more time in Cheshire . . . I miss Ben. He’s growing so fast and I don’t want to miss out.’
She reached out and put her hand over his. ‘I know you don’t.’
‘So this way I get the best of both worlds.’
‘It will mean more travelling.’
‘I don’t mind that.’
‘And what about Anna? Will you expect her to travel with you?’
‘Sometimes, maybe. But everyone’s working so much more remotely since Covid, I don’t see why she can’t keep things ticking over here while I’m away.’
Charlotte gasped for the second time. ‘I don’t believe it. Daniel Redfern, control freak extraordinaire, is actually loosening the reins.’
He grinned at her. ‘Complete personality transplant.’
‘You’re telling me.’
The waiter came with their food. As they started to eat, Daniel said, ‘Besides which, with my help, I think Anna will be busy in her own right.’
‘In what way?’
