Page 58 of A Riviera Retreat
‘Where is he at the moment?’
‘Checking emails and then going for a quick swim. I told him he had half an hour before pre-dinner drinks on the terrace.’
‘Which are ready now,’ Chelsea said, picking up the tray with its glasses and nibbles and making her way outside.
Simon, standing on the terrace, clearly lost in his own thoughts, gazing at the view, visibly jumped as Vicky walked over to him with a plate of nibbles and apologised for dashing off that morning, before saying, ‘Your daughter is a wonderful cook. So sorry to hear about her partner running off and leaving her in debt.’
‘Thanks. She put so much work into making the business a success, it’s hard for her, but I think she’s more worried for Elsie than the money.’
Vicky nodded. ‘I can understand that. I’ve only known her for a short time, but it’s obvious Chelsea is a caring person.’ Vicky glanced at Simon. ‘I was thinking of inviting her to London for a weekend. Introduce her to my daughter, Suzie. I’m sure they’d get on. I promise we’d look after her.’
Amy and Anthony appeared on the terrace together at that moment and Simon’s reply was limited to ‘Good idea’ as he turned to greet them both.
If Anthony had been feeling awkward that morning meeting Simon, his rudeness had been banished and his innate good manners had resurfaced and the two men greeted each other with a nod and a friendly smile.
Standing there watching them both laugh at something Vicky had said, Amy became more and more convinced that she’d met Simon somewhere before. She had a sneaky suspicion too, that he knew exactly where but was holding out on her.
A car door slammed and voices drifted up from the driveway before the car could be heard leaving. Minutes later, an excited Matilda appeared. Amy quickly introduced her to the two men before glancing at the iPad in Matilda’s hand.
‘Did you get lots of photos?’
‘I did – both indoors and of the garden. Scroll through if you want,’ and Matilda handed the tablet over to Amy. ‘You didn’t tell me Pierre was going to be my neighbour.’
‘Didn’t he tell you?’
‘Not until this evening when we had aperitifs in his villa.’
Vicky, looking over Amy’s shoulder at the photographs, said, ‘I love that round arch leading into your sitting room. Oh, your terrace is amazing too. I wish there was time for us to come and see it.’
‘Maybe tomorrow?’ Matilda said. ‘Pierre has lent me the spare key, so I can go back again before we leave.’
Vicky shook her head. ‘Anthony and I are going to Monaco for the day tomorrow. Maybe we’ll come to France in the future and can pop in and see you.’
Chelsea came out of the kitchen just then, carrying the tray with their starters. ‘I’d love to go with you and see it, Tilly,’ she said, placing the food on the table.
‘After your swim tomorrow morning,’ Matilda said. ‘About ten o’clock? I can’t keep bothering Pierre to drive us, so we’ll walk down – it’s really not that far. I’ll bring my stick, not that I think I’ll need it, my ankle is so much better.’
As everybody made their way to the table and Amy disappeared indoors for a jug of water, Vicky caught hold of Matilda’s arm. ‘I’ve bought Amy’s thank-you present and a card for us all to sign. Breakfast coffee in the summer house tomorrow okay?’
Matilda nodded. ‘I can’t believe tomorrow is our last full day. The holiday has gone so quickly. And if anyone had told me when I arrived I’d be going home having found and decided to buy my dream villa – well, I wouldn’t have thought it possible.’ She picked up her glass and raised it in Amy’s direction as she reappeared. ‘I think Amy deserves a toast for giving the three of us such a wonderful holiday. Amy.’
‘I’m curious as to why you’d want to give three strangers a holiday,’ Anthony said. ‘It’s a wonderfully generous thing to have done, but I can’t help thinking, why?’
Amy smiled at him. ‘Because I’m lucky to have inherited this villa. And because I love the ethos behind the filmEnchanted April. I just thought some modern day women would relish the chance to escape their routines for a while. And because I know Aunt Tasha would have approved.’
‘I liked that film too,’ Simon said, helping himself to some garlic bread. ‘Some wonderful acting in it. Joan Plowright at her brilliant best.’
Amy stilled. Held her breath, not trusting herself to speak as she looked at him. Simon, feeling the intensity of her gaze on him, looked at her and smiled. Tremulously, Amy smiled back. She had met Simon before. And now she finally remembered the exact occasion.
Day Ten Of The Holiday – June 16
25
Up in the summer house early the next morning, Vicky, Matilda and Chelsea were all rather bleary-eyed. Long after dinner had finished and the table had been cleared last night, they’d stayed on the terrace chatting companionably together, enjoying the warm and jasmine scented evening air. As the bats had dived and swooped around, candles had been lit, friendships cemented and nightcaps drunk. It was almost midnight, when the owls were calling to each other from the tall trees at the bottom of the garden, before they all reluctantly wished each other ‘Bonne nuit’ and made for their own rooms.
Vicky had been the first to arrive this morning and she’d opened the summer house door, placed the book in its bag and the card on the table before taking three chairs outside. Chelsea and Matilda had walked up together, Chelsea carefully carrying a tray with three mugs of coffee and a plate of croissants.
The three of them sat in companionable silence, sipping their coffees and slowly coming to as the caffeine and the croissants jolted their systems awake.
