Page 23 of Summer on the French Riviera
Absorbing the high-octane atmosphere all around her, Harriet knew that tonight the small principality of Monaco was truly living up to its reputation as the most glamorously opulent place on the Riviera. The harbour area was noisy. The sound of music, laughter, chatter, champagne corks popping drifted around all the boats moored there.
‘Ah, here’sMy Folly,’ Hugo said, stopping by the gangplank leading onto one of the boats.
My Folly, a highly polished, beamy motorsailer, was moored between two other equally shiny yachts, also in party mode. A group of people were sitting around on the yacht’s aft deck and a man jumped up as he saw them.
Hugo caught hold of Harriet’s hand as they stood by the gangplank. ‘Don’t forget you are here to enjoy yourself. And my friends don’t bite or judge.’
‘Hugo. You made it. Come on board,’ and the man lowered the ‘No Entry’ sign on its chain across the gangplank for them to step aboard and kick their shoes off.
Hugo quickly introduced Harriet to Justin and his wife, Ginny. Justin pressed a glass of champagne into her hand as he went round the group reeling off their names. Harriet, knowing she didn’t have a hope of remembering who was who, smiled and nodded as she said hello to everyone.
It was a lovely evening, balmy and clear. Harriet, sitting on the aft deck ofMy Follysipping her champagne, gave herself a none-too-gentle pinch as darkness fell and the principality behind her and around the coast lit up. She was on a yacht in Monaco mixing with people who were clearly what Todd had always described as ‘A-listers’. The type of people he’d always wanted to cultivate. The type of people he didn’t like her meeting because she was sure to let him down. Crossly, she pushed the thought of Todd away. Hugo, it seemed, had no such fears and was more than happy to sit with her and make sure she was enjoying herself.
She discovered she was quite good at small talk after all, although this small talk was different. Hugo’s friends were interested in her, wanting to engage her in conversation. Everyone was friendly and conversations in a mixture of French and English flowed. A couple of people had visited Australia, and they talked about places they both knew. The only moment she felt the tiniest bit tongue-tied and shy was when Mark Webber, the retired Australian former F1 driver, came on board for a drink. She’d watched him racing so often on TV and now here she was, meeting him in the flesh.
The yacht moved gently with the swell as various boats entered and left the harbour, its navy fenders gently squeaking when rubbing the hulls of the boats on either side. A yacht moored two boats away had a party of exuberant Americans on board and as the evening went on the noise from there increased.
It was gone midnight when Hugo suggested they had better think about leaving and they said their goodbyes to Justin and Ginny. To Harriet’s surprise, both Justin and Ginny hugged her goodbye.
‘Hugo is going to bring you to dinner one evening soon,’ Ginny said. ‘We can get to know each other better without this rabble.’
Making their way along the harbour, Hugo stopped briefly to greet a friend on the American party boat, before they continued their walk back to the car.
Hugo took the Lower Corniche road for the return journey to Antibes. ‘I have to drive slower on this road, which means I get your company for a little while longer as I don’t want the evening to end,’ he said, glancing at Harriet. ‘I hope you enjoyed tonight as much as I have?’
Harriet nodded. ‘I did, although I have to confess it was all a bit surreal at times. The yachts, the people, the lights, everything.’
When Hugo eventually parked outside the villa, he went round to open the passenger door for her. ‘Come on, I’ll see you safely inside the gates,’ and he took her hand.
Harriet pressed the remote for the side gate to open and turned to thank Hugo before stepping through.
‘Harriet, I’d really like to kiss you goodnight, may I?’
‘I’d like that.’ She smiled and tilted her face up slightly towards his.
Hugo’s kiss was short but good. Harriet sensed he was holding back, not wanting to rush anything, which she was grateful for.
She answered Hugo’s quiet ‘Goodnight’ when he moved away with an equally quiet ‘Goodnight.’
20
Harriet was late getting up the next morning and was still bleary-eyed when she joined the others for coffee by the pool mid-morning. She was grateful that Elodie seemed to be relaxed and not about to reignite their last conversation and start to ask questions again.
‘No croissants left, but as a Sunday treat we’ve got a couple of pain au raisin,’ Elodie said, pushing the plate towards her. ‘Good party last night?’
‘I’ve never been to anything like it,’ Harriet confessed. ‘Monaco is something else too.’ She drank some coffee and felt her lethargy drain away before she picked up one of the patisseries and took a bite.
‘Talking of parties,’ Elodie said. ‘We haven’t done anything yet about organising a house-warming party. We must do it soon.’
‘Do we need to have one?’ Gabby asked.
‘Definitely,’ Elodie said. ‘We must celebrate moving here.’
‘Do we know enough people to invite?’ Harriet asked.
‘You’ll be surprised,’ and Elodie began counting them off on her fingers. ‘The four Vincents, Colette and Lianna, Joel and Carla, his partner, Hugo – did you meet anyone else last night you’d like to invite?’ she said, turning to Harriet, who shook her head.
‘Not really.’
