Page 76 of From Notting Hill with Love…Actually
I was just about to give up when I remembered the photo. “Is this her?” I asked, producing the photo from my bag. I pointed to my mother in the picture. “Vivien?” I asked Marie, kneeling down beside her.
Marie peered closely at the photo and then she looked at me.
“Oui.” She nodded, looking down at the photo again. “Vivien.” Then she smiled at me. “Vivien,” she repeated as she took my hand in hers.
“Bingo,” Sean said, grinning.
***
With Chantal translating in between customers, I asked Marie as much as she could remember about my mother.
She described her to Chantal as being full of spirit and life,and with a passion for the cinema, which Marie also shared. She had not worked in the shop for long before she had once again moved on. But this time Marie seemed sure she had not stayed within Louis Vuitton but had gone to work elsewhere. “Mysterious circumstances,” Chantal translated it as.
The shop was starting to get busy now, so we decided we should leave. It was obvious to me Marie had indeed known, and liked, my mother very much, but yet again we had reached a dead end. We thanked Chantal and Marie profusely for all their help, then bade them farewell.
“So there you go,” I said to Sean as we stood outside on the pavement again. “That’s that.”
Sean fixed me with one of his disapproving looks. “Scarlett, you have to stop saying that every time we come up against a small hurdle. You can’t just give up so easily all the time.”
“What else are we supposed to do? We have no other leads. My mother worked here for a while, and that’s all we know. Marie has no idea where she went after she left. She could be anywhere, Sean.”
“But we were so close,” Sean said in frustration.
“I know, but at least I can take something away from all this—I’ve found out the kind of person my mother was. Everyone we’ve met has had good memories of her. She left her mark on people’s lives, Sean, and she’s obviously lived her life to the full.”
JustasI’m going to from now on, I vowed to myself.
“But we’re giving up, admitting defeat, Scarlett. You can’t want that.”
“No, Sean,youdon’t want that. I’ve found out so much more in the last week than I ever dreamed I’d find out aboutmy mother, and I’m happy with that. Meeting her again just obviously wasn’t meant to be.”
Sean looked like he didn’t agree.
“Look, I know this isn’t how you would usually go about things, Sean—you’re the type of person that never gives up until he’s won—but on this occasion we can’t win, we can’t be the best, and we have to admit defeat.”
Sean still didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure that’s what you want, Scarlett? I mean it isn’t just because of what David said, is it?”
“No—no, it’s not.”
Sean raised an eyebrow.
“Honestly,” I insisted. “This is what I want. Besides,” I said, trying to sound cheerful as I changed the subject, “this means we now have the rest of our time free to see Paris properly. That’s if you’d like to spend the day with me, of course?”
Sean smiled. “You know I would.”
“Right then, let’s go somewhere now. And, if you promise to be good, I’ll try really hard not to find any movie moments while we’re here—how about that? Come on, Sean,” I urged, taking hold of his hand. “It’ll be fun.”
Sean’s face fell. “Oh, Scarlett, I’d love to—really I would. But I’m afraid I’ve got some business to attend to this afternoon.”
“Oh…oh right.” I tried not to sound too disappointed as I felt his hand fall away from mine. “Well, no matter. I’m sure I’ll be fine on my own. I bet you’ve seen most of it before anyway. You’d probably have been bored.”
“No, of course I wouldn’t. I would have loved showing you around Paris.” He glanced at his watch apprehensively. “What about if you wait for me back at the hotel? I could call you aftermy meeting and we can go somewhere then. It shouldn’t take too long.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll be fine on my own. I’m a big girl. I can cope.” I was joking to try and lighten the moment, but Sean didn’t smile. “I’ll just meet you for dinner tonight back at the hotel, shall I? Then neither of us will feel the need to rush around this afternoon.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, perfectly.”
