Page 53 of Rendez-Vous in Cannes
‘It’s Verity. She wants to talk to you.’
‘I can’t see her now. I’m going to take a shower and get dressed,’ Anna exclaimed. ‘I’m sorry. You’ll have to talk to her. Get rid of her,’ and Anna ran into the villa, leaving Leo to deal with their unexpected visitor.
Upstairs, Anna took her time, soaking in the bath rather than having a shower, deciding what to wear and then applying her make-up. As she turned to go downstairs to Leo, she saw her laptop on the bedside table and impulsively opened it up. Now she knew the name of her son, even though he refused to acknowledge her, she could look him up and at least learn about his career and maybe a little about his personal life.
It was over an hour before she went back downstairs, relieved not to hear voices.
‘Leo darling, I’m sorry I took so long,’ she said, walking out through the kitchen to the terrace. ‘I’m ready now. Where shall we go…’ her voice trailed away as she saw Verity sitting with Leo. She turned to go back upstairs.
‘Anna, please listen to what Verity has come to say,’ Leo said, standing up and putting his hand on her arm. ‘I’ll leave you two alone to talk.’
‘Leo, please stay,’ Anna said, taking hold of his hand before turning to face Verity. ‘Do I call you Verity or Felicity? Did Teddy send you?’
‘Most people these days call me Verity and, no,’ Verity shook her head, ‘Teddy didn’t send me. He doesn’t know I’m here. He’s told me that I’m to sever all contact with you.’
‘So why are you here?’ Anna asked.
‘Because I like you, Cindy likes you and I know if he’d only give himself the chance to get to know you, Teddy would come to like you too.’
‘He told you about our meeting in the cottage last night? Told you what he said? How he made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with me when I told him who I was.’
Verity nodded. ‘He told me. He’s also saying knowing his father’s family will be enough, but I know it won’t. Deep down he’s desperate to know the whole truth about his past, to know what both his biological parents were like, to see any family likenesses that have come down through the generations. To know who he truly is.’
Anna gave a wry smile. ‘That desire certainly wasn’t showing last night. Anyway, how do you propose getting him to change his mind about me?’
Verity shook her head. ‘Not me. You. I want you to talk to him.’
‘No.’
‘Meet him tomorrow morning and tell him your side of the story,’ Verity pleaded. ‘He’ll be at the villa alone – Nat is taking Cindy out and I’ve promised myself some last minute retail therapy in the rue d’Antibes. You can explain things. I’m sure he’ll respond.’
‘No,’ Anna repeated.
‘Anna,’ Leo said. ‘Don’t you think—’
Anna shook her head. ‘However much you two want me to see him, I can’t.’ Her voice broke as she struggled to explain. ’Teddy would only be meeting me under sufferance and I, the guilty one – and make no mistake I am as guilty in my own eyes as I am in his – would have to try to persuade him to listen. Then, to forgive me for something I find as unforgivable as he does.’
Both Verity and Leo looked at her in silence.
‘Sorry, but I’ve finally made up my mind to let the past go and to make the most of the present and the future. Of course, I would like nothing more than to get to know Teddy and I long to tell Cindy I am her grandmother, but I can’t inflict a grandmother on her who her father detests. It would do nothing but create tension between them, and I’d hate to be the cause of that. I’ve caused enough unhappiness as it is.’
‘Please, Anna,’ Verity pleaded. ‘Try again with Teddy. I know he will eventually respond. As for Cindy, she already adores you.’
Anna shook her head. ‘No. Any approach now has to come from Teddy. He has to be ready to listen. I will make you a promise though. If at any time in the future Teddy decides to contact me, I will see him and answer his questions as best I can. Maybe over the next few months you can use your powers of persuasion to change his mind?’ She gave Verity a sad smile.
Verity sighed. ‘I intend to. Maybe when we’re living in England, he’ll listen to sense.’ She glanced at Anna. ‘Are we still going to meet up occasionally? Have lunch?’
‘I’d like to,’ Anna said. ‘Though I’m not sure it would be wise. A complete break might be better. Besides, I thought Teddy had told you to sever all contact with me?’
‘We don’t have to tell him, do we?’ Verity said with a smile. ‘Anyway, in a few months’ time, things might have changed. He could want us all to be one big happy family.’
‘In my dreams,’ Anna said softly. ‘In my dreams.’
30
Saturday morning and Daisy was in the kitchen, ready to take Tom to see the whales with Cindy and Nat.
‘Tom will be about five minutes,’ Poppy said. ‘Time for a coffee. Where are you meeting Nat and Cindy?’
