Page 60 of A Riviera Retreat
‘Amy has very kindly given me a room for tonight,’ Josh said. ‘Just a week. Planning on spending a few days with you back home. Who’s Chelsea and where’s the villa you were going to see?’
‘Chelsea’s a fellow guest here and the villa… well, I’ll tell you all about the villa as we walk there. First, let’s go and find Chelsea. I suspect she’ll still be in the pool. She’s a real water baby.’
* * *
After leaving the summer house, Chelsea went in search of Amy.
She found her in the kitchen, having breakfast with Simon.
‘Morning, Sunshine,’ Simon said. ‘Come to join us for breakfast?’
Chelsea shook her head. ‘I’ve had breakfast up in the summer house. I’ll have another coffee, though.’ Sipping her coffee thoughtfully, she looked at her dad and Amy speculatively, remembering what Simon had told her. In her eyes, they already looked like a couple, they were so relaxed with each other. She couldn’t help but be pleased for her dad, he deserved to be happy again and Amy was lovely. She’d be good for him. Fingers crossed it would work out. As long as their relationship didn’t stop Amy giving her the answer she was hoping to a certain question Chelsea had intended to ask her this morning. She wouldn’t, she decided, ask the question now though. She’d wait until she found Amy on her own later today.
‘I just wanted to check the meat for the barbecue was out of the freezer?’ she asked.
Amy nodded. ‘It is. And your dad here has just offered to be main chef tonight. He tells me he’s a whiz with barbecues.’ She smiled at Simon as Chelsea agreed.
‘Oh, he is. He’s well past the burnt offering stage these days.’
‘D’you have plans for today?’ Simon asked. ‘Only—’
‘I’m going for a swim first,’ Chelsea interrupted. ‘And then Tilly is taking me to see her new villa. So relax, Dad – you’re free to do whatever you’ve got planned without me. Don’t forget to light the barbie in time though.’ Chelsea put her cup in the dishwasher. ‘Right, I’m off. I’ll see you both later. Have fun.’ The gate buzzer went as Chelsea turned to leave the kitchen. ‘D’you want me to get that?’
Amy shook her head. ‘I’ll answer it.’
Back in her room, Chelsea quickly pulled on her swimsuit, realising as she did so that she would have to cut her swim short if she was to be on time for Tilly. Twenty instead of thirty lengths would have to do this morning. Placing her towel on a nearby lounger, Chelsea dived into the pool and powered into a fast front crawl.
Fifteen minutes later, as she climbed out of the pool, she found Tilly and a youngish man waiting for her. Chelsea gulped. She might be off men at the moment, but this one was seriously fit. Tall, broad shouldered, fair hair, dimple in his cheek as he smiled at her and a look in his eyes as he watched her climb out of the pool that made her blush. Grabbing her towel, Chelsea wrapped it around herself and looked at Tilly.
‘Chelsea, I’d like you to meet my son, Josh.’
This was Tilly’s son? For some reason, she’d pictured him as being in his forties, but Josh looked younger than that, closer to her own age. Probably late twenties, she decided.
‘Hi, Josh.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Josh said, holding out his hand and taking Chelsea’s hand in a firm clasp that lasted longer than strictly necessary and shot her arm through with pins and needles. No, that had to be the result of those fast laps and absolutely nothing to do with him.
‘Nice to meet you too,’ Chelsea managed to say before taking a steadying breath. ‘Any reason for the surprise visit?’ Chelsea asked mischievously, looking at Matilda.
There was a pause before Matilda spoke. ‘It’s my birthday. I was planning on telling you all tonight at the barbecue.’
‘Happy Birthday, Tilly,’ Chelsea said. ‘I’d give you a birthday hug, but I’m a bit damp – later, I promise. I’m glad you treated yourself to the jacket in the end. It looks lovely on you.’
‘Thanks.’
‘I’m guessing you are dying to show Josh the villa?’
‘Yes,’ Matilda said. ‘So hurry up and change and we can walk down together.’
Chelsea shook her head. ‘You must have lots to talk about, so I think it’s better for the two of you to go together without me hanging on. I’ll catch you both later. Enjoy your day.’
And before Matilda could protest, Chelsea turned and began to walk towards her room. It didn’t seem right to intrude on mother and son time, especially today of all days.
26
Vicky decided her new coat of many colours was worthy of an outing to Monaco and took it off its hanger as she and Anthony prepared to leave for Cannes to catch the train to Monaco. As she slipped it on, she wondered whether Anthony would remember her long ago Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
‘I couldn’t resist this when I saw it in Antibes market,’ she said, looking at him. ‘What d’you think?’
