Page 63 of Rendez-Vous in Cannes
Anna paused reflectively before continuing.
‘Leo asking me to marry him is one of three personal highlights that have come out of the festival for me this year,’ Anna said quietly. ‘Meeting Teddy Wickham, my son with Philippe, is another. And learning that I have a granddaughter is another.’
She took the glass of champagne Leo was holding out to her. ‘Unfortunately Teddy’s not as ecstatic as I am at the news of our relationship.’ She sighed as she watched the fizzing bubbles in her glass. ‘At least things are out in the open now, although it’s going to take weeks, if not months, to finally sort things out, but I’m happy finally knowing who he is, what he’s doing. Just knowing my son is alive and well after all the years of silence is, I have to tell you, an indescribable joy.’
She took a sip of her champagne before smiling and looking across at Leo.
‘If nothing else, I can now follow his exploits on social media; I won’t have to second guess anything. Maybe one day he’ll come round to wanting to know me and then I can get to know both him and my granddaughter properly.’ Anna turned to Nat. ‘How is Cindy today? No ill effects from the scare she gave us all yesterday?’
‘She’s fine. Still refusing to take off her necklace though.’
The whoosh of a firework made them all jump and look skywards in time to see red, silver and gold starbursts explode into the heavens. The display was beginning.
‘Right, folks, raise your glasses to Helen, star ofFuture Promises,’ Leo said. ‘And save the date September twelfth in your diaries – we expect to see you all in church.’
35
There was no reply from the notaire on Monday morning when Anna rang to try and make an appointment. She sighed with frustration as she remembered it was one of the many fête days in May.
‘I know I’ll probably have to come back at some stage to sign and complete things, but I really want to get things moving quickly. Hopefully most of it can be done on the computer over the internet.’
‘Will they notify Teddy about his inheritance or do you have to?’ Leo asked.
‘The notaire will do it all officially,’ Anna said. ‘I must remember to phone Verity before we leave – make sure Teddy has my letter and journal safe. I keep wishing he’d…’ and her voice trailed away.
‘There’s still time,’ Leo said. ‘Perhaps he’ll bring them with him to the memorial service.’
‘If he comes,’ Anna said. ‘Maybe he’ll decide to boycott the event as he and Philippe sadly never met, so he has no memories of the man.’
Cannes was busy dismantling the trappings of the festival as Anna and Leo made their way later that day towards the hall where the memorial service was being held. Large trucks lined the road outside the Palais des Festivals as scene shifters went back and forth with forklift trucks loading all the paraphernalia that had been needed to host the festival.
The huge billboards erected on shop and hotel facades were being removed, while council workers were loading barriers into lorries. Men shouting, loud bangs as metal and wood hit the pavement, combined with the noise of passing traffic made it impossible to talk, as Anna and Leo dodged around the workmen on the Croissette.
When they arrived at the hall, Bernard was standing on the steps and greeted them affectionately.
‘Anna. I’m so pleased you’re here. I’ve reserved seats for you and Leo at the front.’
‘Oh – I’d rather sit at the back,’ Anna protested. ‘Surely the Cambones will be at the front?’
Bernard shook his head. ‘Only Jacques and his wife. Agnes, Philippe’s mother, is not well enough to attend. The rest of the family feel that this is very much a tribute from the film industry, which they are not a part of. Ah, here’s Verity,’ Bernard said.
While Verity and Anna greeted each other, Bernard asked. ‘Teddy not coming?’
‘He’s gone back for some papers he forgot,’ Verity answered, turning to him. ‘Asked me to tell you if you still want him to do a reading, he’s found something he’d be happy to quote from at the end of the service.’
‘I am so pleased about that,’ Bernard said. ‘Now, you’ll sit together, won’t you?’ and Bernard led them down through the hall.
To Anna’s relief, the seats, although nearer the front than she would have liked, were to the left and hidden somewhat behind a pillar that offered some privacy. Jacques Cambone was standing to one side and moved forward to kiss Anna’s cheek as he saw her.
‘Bonjour, Anna. I am glad you are here.’
With Verity on one side, and Leo on her other, holding her hand reassuringly, Anna tried to focus on the memorial sheet Bernard had handed her, but the picture of Philippe that met her gaze almost had her in tears before the ceremony had even started. As Bernard made his way to the small podium at the front to begin the proceedings, there was still no sign of Teddy. Verity telling Bernard that Teddy would do a reading had raised her spirits a little but where was he? Had he changed his mind?
Although the memorial was not a religious ceremony, the tribute did begin with a prayer offering thanks for the life of Philippe Cambone. Afterwards, Bernard introduced various friends of Philippe, who described their own differing memories of the man who’d clearly had an enthusiasm for life.
‘He embraced everything with a passion,’ was how one renowned film critic put it. ‘He’ll be greatly missed.’
Sitting there listening, and occasionally laughing at the reminiscences, Anna could only feel a strange kind of happiness creeping over her, knowing that the man she had loved so passionately all those years ago had inspired so many during his life.
