Page 20 of Rendez-Vous in Cannes
‘Tom in bed?’ Daisy asked, joining her sister.
‘Yep. I wasn’t expecting you until later. Everything all right? I guess it’s busy down town?’ Poppy said.
‘Mayhem. Poppy, can we talk? I haven’t told you about the letter from Ben I received the day I flew out here. I hadn’t forgotten about it, but festival things pushed it to the back of my mind.’
Poppy closed her book. ‘Oh. What did he have to say for himself?’
Daisy took the letter out of her bag and handed it to her sister. ‘Read it. I’m going to have a shower.’
A bottle of wine, glasses and a plate of sliced baguette and parma ham with melon was on the table alongside Ben’s letter when she returned fifteen minutes later.
‘Honestly, Poppy, I’m going to be so fat by the end of the festival. I always eat too much when I stay with you. Everything seems to revolve around drink and food down here.’
‘Because it’s France. It’s the way they are – besides, you could do with a bit more on you,’ Poppy said, helping herself to a slice of melon. ‘So what are you going to do about Ben? Are you going to fly halfway around the world and run back into his arms as he suggests?’
‘I don’t know.’ Daisy sighed as she poured two glasses of wine. ‘Was hoping you’d help me decide.’ When Poppy didn’t answer, she continued, ‘Part of me thinks, no way, but then another part says, why not?’
‘Big decision. I know he says he misses you and “thinks” he’s made a mistake, but really, Daisy, he could just be homesick. You could pack everything in at home, get out there and find it’s you who’s made the mistake.’
Daisy nodded. ‘I know.’ She took a sip of wine. ‘I was thinking I could go for a holiday, say three weeks. Surely I’d know by the end of it whether I wanted to stay or not. Wouldn’t I?’
‘How much do you really miss Ben these days? I mean, really, really miss? You said you were enjoying being single.’
‘I am. But you know how it is. It’s lovely to have someone special in your life. Someone who honestly cares.’
‘Which Ben clearly didn’t, otherwise he wouldn’t have broken it off with you and then buggered off to Australia in the first place, would he?’ Poppy demanded.
Daisy looked at her sister. She had a definite point there. And Poppy so rarely swore, Daisy knew the whole idea of her sister jetting off to Australia and taking up with Ben again had upset her.
‘I’m going indoors to phone Dan, I promised I’d call him tonight,’ Poppy said, standing up. Daisy could tell from the set of her shoulders that Poppy was now in full big sister bossy mode. Her next words confirmed it.
‘Only you can decide,’ Poppy said. ‘Personally, I think you’d be making a huge mistake in running after Ben. Unless of course it’s true love on both your parts. I have to say, though, I somehow doubt that you’ve ever really been in love with Ben.’
Daisy stared at her sister’s retreating back. Of course she’d loved Ben in the beginning – hadn’t she?
11
Anna put the finishing touches to her make-up before making her way downstairs to wait for Rick and the taxi. She was already regretting agreeing to go to this party, but it was too late to back out now. These extravagant sponsored parties held by the likes of Chanel and Chopard were simply not her scene, she didn’t even know who was holding tonight’s extravaganza. Anna glanced at her watch. Just time to give Leo a quick ring before she left.
‘Not sure what time I’ll get back here from this party,’ she said when he answered. ‘So I thought I’d ring you first. How are you? And Alison?’
‘Everything is fine this end. Can’t wait for tomorrow,’ Leo answered. ‘Hope to be with you early afternoon. Have you booked us somewhere exotic for dinner?’
Before Anna could tell him her plans for an al fresco supper at the villa, a car horn sounded outside. ‘Got to go. Rick’s here early. Love you. See you tomorrow.’
The taxi took Anna and Rick quickly up through town and into the affluent area of Super Californie, where they caught glimpses of imposing villas hidden away behind large iron gates and towering cypress hedges.
‘Have we had many acceptances yet for our party on Tuesday?’ Anna asked.
‘Fifteen definites, eight refusals so far and fifteen still to answer,’ Rick said.
‘So we’re on course to end up with the thirty-five or so guests we’d hoped for?’ Anna said thoughtfully. ‘Including us, Leo, Daisy and Poppy.’ She hoped she hadn’t put too much pressure on Poppy by asking her to help with the catering. Maybe she should have gone for professional outside caterers for such a large number of guests.
The taxi slowed and joined a queue of taxis and limos edging their way between intricate wrought-iron gates onto a gravelled driveway that finally ended in front of an impressive flight of steps leading to a grand column-dominated entrance.
‘This place is something else, isn’t it?’ Rick said as they walked into the huge marbled entrance hall, with its four overhead chandeliers casting their palatial glow over everything.
An elaborately carved four foot high gold fountain, decorated with naked nymphs and grapes, was gently tinkling water into its two basins, from where it flowed over into a marble-lined base, where goldfish could be seen swimming under water lily leaves.
