Page 73 of One Summer in Monte Carlo
Jean-Claude smiled. ‘I have to confess, I’m not a lover of yachts. I have only to step on board one to have an attack ofmal de mer. But any ideas what you’d do with the money? She’s worth at least two million dollars,’ Jean-Claude said.
‘I hadn’t realised she was worth that much, but that would be fantastic.’ Nanette smiled at him hesitantly, trying to gauge his reaction to her next words. ‘I was thinking of using it to sponsor Fruits of the Forest, for the first year at least, in Zac’s name. Even if it’s registered as a charity, it’s going to need a large injection of cash to get it off the ground.’
‘Not your conventional investment then?’ Jean-Claude said, smiling. ‘Well, it won’t make you a fortune, but it would make a difference to many people’s lives in the rainforest.’
‘From what Monsieur Mille tells me, Zac’s left me quite a large fortune – I don’t need to make another one,’ Nanette said quietly. ‘Right, that’s decision number one: next week, I’ll find a broker and putPole Positionup for sale.’
Nanette stopped talking to watch a woman pushing a buggy with a sleeping baby and holding a little boy by the hand pass their table. Patsy’s words about Jean-Claude not wanting a new family came into her mind.
‘Decision number two?’ Jean-Claude probed.
‘If I’m staying in Monaco, I need to find somewhere to live. I don’t want to live in Zac’s apartment in Fontvieille; besides, I’ve already offered it to Vanessa and Ralph in the short term.’
‘What is wrong with living at the villa with me?’ Jean-Claude demanded. ‘The guest room has never had a more welcome occupant.’
‘I don’t want to get in the way,’ Nanette said. ‘I was only supposed to be here for a holiday.’
‘Ma chérie, you know how I feel about you. You will never be in my way. Maybe you move out of the guest suite, but you stay at the villa. That’s decision number two dealt with.’ Heedless of the other diners, Jean-Claude leant forward and gently kissed her. Nanette felt a glow of happiness spread through her body at his words and she responded to his kiss.
Later, as they were making their way back to the car, they passed the mother and her two children playing in the park alongside the church. The small boy miskicked his ball, which landed at Jean-Claude’s feet.
Jean-Claude promptly kicked it back and for several moments he and the small boy had an animated kick around while Nanette talked to the mother.
‘That took me back,’ Jean-Claude said, when they eventually waved goodbye to the toddler. ‘I used to play football with Mathieu years ago.’
‘You obviously like children,’ Nanette said.
‘Before things went wrong with Amelia, I’d always hoped Mathieu would have a sibling.’ Jean-Claude shrugged. ‘I’ve always regretted that.’
‘Well, it’s not too late, is it?’ Nanette said. ‘I’m sure Mathieu would still adore having a half-brother or sister,’ she teased, smiling at him.
A look of incredulous wonder crossed Jean-Claude’s face as Nanette leaned forward and kissed him.
Nanette sighed happily; he’d given her the answer she wanted. Now she knew where her destiny was.
* * *
On the night of the Monte Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean, Nanette carefully slipped the wisp of pale-lemon chiffon that was her evening dress over her head. Hard to believe that she was still in Monte Carlo and actually going to the Gala that Jean-Claude had bought tickets for all those weeks ago. So much had happened in that time. Not least that she’d moved into the villa and was living with Jean-Claude and had never been happier.
The Gala came at the end of a few very busy weeks: overseeing the sorting out of Zac’s affairs; sellingPole Position; helping Vanessa and Ralph move into the Fontvieille apartment and persuading Vanessa to let her use the proceeds from the sale ofPole Positionto sponsor Fruits of the Forest for a year.
‘Are you sure? It’s an awful lot of money to be virtually giving away.’
‘Absolutely positive. Zac boughtPole Positionabout eight years ago and I’m fairly certain it was with his winnings and sponsorship deals from that time, but who knows?’ She’d shrugged her shoulders. ‘If, and we don’t know for certain how long Zac was involved with Boris, any of this money I have now inherited came from smuggling Brazilian diamonds or money laundering, then this is a way of giving it back legally.’
Nanette slipped her feet into her high-heeled gold sandals and did them up. Her Rolex yellow gold watch Jean-Claude had given her for her birthday was always on her wrist these days and she picked up her beaded evening clutch bag.
Jean-Claude was waiting for her in the sitting room. ‘You look beautiful,’ he said, taking her in his arms. ‘The belle of the ball. Come on, the others are waiting. Let’s party.’
Jean-Claude had invited Vanessa and Ralph to join them for the evening, and also Mathieu and Evie. Since Evie had started working for Fruits of the Forest, she and Mathieu had become friends and, to Nanette’s secret delight, the two were rapidly becoming an item around the town.
The whole of Monte Carlo seemed to be in a festive mood that evening. Champagne flowed, people wined and dined and everyone was on their feet dancing for hours.
Towards midnight, she and Jean-Claude mingled with the other partygoers standing on the terrace of the casino in a brief pause in the festivities before the fireworks began. Vanessa and Ralph had managed to save them a good viewing position and Mathieu and Evie soon joined them.
Nanette, standing there with her friends and Jean-Claude’s arm around her shoulders, looked around contentedly. Tomorrow she and Jean-Claude would be flying to a very different world when they left to visit the UK for Dylan’s christening. Jean-Claude had been delighted when Patsy had phoned and asked him to be a godparent with Nanette and had been planning all sorts of surprises for the unsuspecting Dylan and his parents. Two contrasting worlds, but both now very much a part of her life again. One summer in Monte Carlo had proved life-changing in ways she could never have anticipated.
The whoosh of the first warning rocket and everyone looked skywards, except Jean-Claude, who gently drew Nanette towards him.
