Page 65 of A French Affair
Belinda turned as the nurse ushered Chloe into the room and spoke quietly to her.
‘Your granddad is heavily sedated and he’s drifting in and out of consciousness. Hold his hand as you talk to him quietly, tell him who you are, but don’t expect a huge response, if any. Your mother and I will stay at the back of the room. Are you comfortable with that?’ Chloe nodded and walked slowly towards her grandfather.
Standing at the back of the room, watching Chloe as she carefully picked up her grandfather’s hand and gently stroked it, Belinda bit her lip. If only the two of them could have known each other properly.
‘I know you don’t know me, but I’m Chloe, your granddaughter.’ Chloe’s voice, filled with emotion, was barely audible. Belinda could tell she was struggling to hold back the tears.
Several seconds passed as she stood there, looking down at him before Enzo’s eyes fluttered open and he saw his granddaughter for the first time.
‘Hello, ma petite, thank you for coming. You look like my Jean,’ he whispered, giving her a weak smile before his eyes closed again.
Chloe stayed where she was for several more moments, but Enzo didn’t open his eyes again, and she glanced towards Belinda and the nurse.
It was the nurse who moved forward. ‘I think it best if we leave him to sleep,’ and she ushered them out of the room.
Chloe frantically searched for a tissue in her bag as the tears started to fall.
The nurse gave her a sympathetic glance. ‘I know it’s been hard for the two of you, but I think Enzo will pass the happier for seeing you both.’
Belinda exhaled a deep breath. ‘He won’t be alone will he when… the time comes.’
The nurse shook his head. ‘No. I promise someone will be with him. His wife is planning on spending the next few nights here.’
‘And you’ll let me know?’
The nurse nodded. ‘Of course. Goodbye.’
As they left the hospice building, a woman leaning heavily on a cane and walking with difficulty, her eyes downcast watching every step she took, was about to enter. Belinda politely held the door open for her and both she and Chloe stood to one side.
The woman lifted her head to look at them and mutter ‘Merci’ as she drew level. The thank you died on her lips as she faltered and looked at Belinda before visibly pulling herself together and moving forward again.
Belinda stared after her. She didn’t need the confirmation of hearing the nurse greet the woman with the words, ‘How are you today, Madame Belrose?’ She’d known the moment the two of them had locked eyes seconds ago it was her father’s wife.
43
‘Are you all right?’ Chloe asked, looking at Belinda through her still glistening eyes. ‘You’ve gone pale, like you’ve seen a ghost.’
‘Not a ghost exactly. That woman who just passed? That was Helena. I sort of realised it before I heard the nurse call her Madame Belrose. She doesn’t look too healthy herself.’
‘What?’ Chloe looked back towards the hospice. ‘It was? Do you want to go and… not sure what, talk to her maybe?’
Belinda shook her head.
‘It’s best left. I wouldn’t know what to say to her, to be honest. Ah, good. Here’s Alain and the twins. Did they behave?’
Alain nodded. ‘Yes. I bribed them with promises of treats. How was Enzo?’ he asked gently.
‘Not good. It was emotional, to say the least,’ Belinda said. ‘Helena arrived too as we were leaving. I dread to think what would have happened if we’d still been in Dad’s room.’ She took a deep breath. ‘You all right, Chloe? I’m sorry it was all a bit of an anticlimax with Granddad being so sleepy with the drugs.’
‘I’m glad we came though,’ Chloe said.
‘Come on then, let’s get the twins in the car and get going,’ Belinda said, feeling a sudden need to be as far away as possible from the hospice.
Alain drove out onto the main road, turned right and before long they were bowling along the dual carriageway in a homeward direction. When twenty kilometres later he indicated and took off along a slip road, Belinda glanced at him.
‘Not going straight back to the campsite?’
‘I promised Charlie and Aimee a surprise and this is the way,’ Alain answered. ‘We don’t ’ave the need to rush back. Marie is in the office, Bernie has BB, Fern is at the café for deliveries. We ’ave some hours free. Une petite diversion.’
