Page 57 of A Riviera Retreat
Matilda looked at him, puzzled, before following him out on to the street. When he crossed the road and opened the gate of the villa with the beautiful garden and ushered her in front of him, she looked at him and started to laugh. ‘I should have realised you were behind this beautiful garden. This is your villa, isn’t it?’ She felt unexpectedly pleased at the thought of them being neighbours.
‘Oui.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’
‘If you didn’t like number eight enough to buy it, there was no point,’ Pierre shrugged. ‘But now, I thought we could have a glass of champagne with our aperitifs and celebrate the fact you are buying my cousin’s villa – and that we are going to be neighbours.’
With its terracotta floor tiles, shabby-chic furniture in the sitting room, a settee with creamy loose covers, a bookcase crammed with books down the length of one wall, long azure blue curtains at the French doors leading to a terrace and a kitchen with its copper pans and a serious stove in the corner, the villa was a delight. For a man who spent most of his time outdoors, Pierre clearly liked his home comforts.
‘You have a lovely home,’ Matilda said, following Pierre out on to the terrace, where glasses, an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne and a tray of nibbles had been placed on a teak table. ‘Have you lived here long?’
‘Four years. After my daughter marry, the family home was too big, too empty – I needed to make a change,’ Pierre said. ‘Have something new in my life. The villa needed some work and the garden too – it was a real jungle.’
‘I hope number eight will be the answer to my own life-changing need,’ Matilda said quietly. ‘And not turn out to be a stupid mistake on my part.’
Pierre twisted the wire off the champagne cork before looking at her. ‘D’you feel like you make a mistake?’ Carefully he released the cork with a satisfactory ‘pop’ and poured two glasses.
Matilda shook her head. ‘Not really.’
‘Peut-?tre you took the decision to buy too quickly? You ’aven’t signed anything yet. You still ’ ave time to change your mind.’
‘Deep down I know I’m doing the right thing for me and I can’t wait to be here. I’ll be better once I’m back in Bristol organising the move – too much time to think and over analyse things at the moment. It’s silly, I know, but until I’ve talked to Josh about my plans and know he’s happy, I can’t seem to focus properly on anything.’ Matilda smiled at Pierre. ‘Thank you,’ she said, taking the glass Pierre held out. ‘Santé. Here’s to being neighbours – and hopefully friends.’
‘Santé,’ Pierre echoed. ‘And new friends,’ he added, holding her gaze.
As they gently clicked glasses Matilda smiled at him. She was looking forward to having her friend, Pierre, in her new French life.
* * *
Amy and Simon helped Chelsea prepare dinner that evening. Simon scrubbed new potatoes while Amy washed salad, grated courgette and sliced cucumber. Chelsea, busy filling profiteroles with cream and building a pyramid with them, tried to banish the thought that it was the last time she’d be working in Belle Vue’s kitchen.
Amy glanced across at her. ‘You’re quiet tonight.’
‘I’ve really enjoyed cooking the evening meals and as much as I love barbecues, I almost wish we weren’t having one tomorrow night,’ Chelsea said. ‘How’s Olivia? Will she be back to cook for your next guests?’
‘I’m not sure Olivia will be back working here again,’ Amy said. ‘Pierre said recently that both Hervé, her husband, and the doctor want her to retire. Whether she can be persuaded to stop is another thing.’
‘Can you do the cooking if she does?’ Simon asked.
Amy laughed. ‘No. I’m a bit of a liability in the kitchen apart from the really basic stuff. I wouldn’t dare to try and cook the cordon-bleu meals Chelsea and Olivia both produce so effortlessly. I’ve got a friend in Antibes who finds catering staff for the luxury yachts, so I’ll have a word with her next week, see if she can come up with somebody for me.’
Vicky was full of apologies when she appeared in the kitchen just as Chelsea was organising the drinks tray for the terrace. ‘I’m so sorry. I completely lost track of the time. Am I too late to help?’ Vicky said, looking at the prepared food on the work surface.
‘No worries,’ Chelsea said. ‘Dad and Amy have been great. They’re out on the terrace now, chatting.’
‘Before Amy comes back in,’ Vicky lowered her voice, ‘I’ve bought her present, so breakfast coffee tomorrow morning up in the summer house, okay? We can all sign the card then. I’m sorry I didn’t run it past you or Matilda, but I just know you’ll agree it’s a perfect memento.’
‘What did you get her?’ Chelsea asked curiously.
‘A… a candle holder for her new terrace,’ Vicky said in her normal voice as Amy walked back in. ‘Almost bought one for myself, I like it so much. Is Matilda joining us for dinner tonight?’
‘Yes,’ Amy said. ‘Pierre’s taken her to the villa to take some photographs. We’ll have to be careful not to mention tomorrow’s party when she gets back.’
‘I think she’s very brave planning to move here on her own,’ Vicky said. ‘I hope it all works out for her.’
‘She knows I’m always here if she needs help,’ Amy said. ‘Pierre too, and she’ll soon make friends. How’s Anthony?’ she added, looking at Vicky questioningly. ‘And how are you?’
‘Seems okay. Says he has plans for the future which we'll maybe talk about tomorrow when we go to Monaco,’ Vicky said, pulling a face. ‘I haven’t told him yet that I have plans of my own. How he’s going to react will be interesting.’
