Page 39 of Summer on the French Riviera
‘A two-bedroom apartment in one of the nicer blocks on the seafront. I don’t mind really, so long as you’re there with me.’ Gazz pulled her into his arms to give her a lingering kiss.
As they drew apart, Elodie said, ‘Let’s do it. But there is something I need to talk to you about today too.’ She took a deep breath. ‘My father is in town and wants to meet me.’
‘Seriously?’ Gazz stared at her. ‘Your unknown father knows about you and has contacted you?’
‘Not me directly, but Harriet.’ Elodie paused. ‘His name is Jack Ellicott and he’s American. I don’t know what to do. Harriet says he’s a good guy and I need to meet him and Gabby says the same. But now I have the opportunity to do that, I’m not sure I want to.’
‘Why not?’
‘What if I don’t like him? What if he doesn’t like me? What if we meet once and that is it? He returns to the States and I never see him again? What if…?’
‘What about if you do like him? What about if he does like you? What if he wants to be in your life on a permanent basis?’
Elodie sighed. ‘Gabby has been my only family for so long, I never ever expected to have Harriet in my life, let alone my father, but suddenly both my parents have shown up.’
Gazz put his arm around her and held her tight. ‘What has Harriet told you about him?’
‘That he was the love of her life, that she didn’t tell him about me because he had family problems and he was expected to marry a girl his parents had virtually chosen for him. She didn’t want to land a baby on him in addition to all those problems.’
‘I think you need to meet him,’ Gazz said. ‘Not only for your own sake but also for your mum’s. The two of you meeting will help heal the hurt she undoubtedly caused your father when she failed to tell him he had a daughter.’
‘I’ll think about it a bit more, but I guess you’re right,’ Elodie replied. ‘But I have to say I find the thought of my mother introducing me to my father absolutely bizarre.’
Before Gazz could reply, there was a shout from his assistant, Olivier.
‘Lunchtime is over. I’ll see you later hopefully?’
They shared another lingering kiss before Gazz reluctantly left.
Elodie screwed up the paper bags and picking up the empty bottles made her way slowly up the jetty and the beach towards the rubbish bins. She’d think about it a bit more, but she would probably tell Harriet that yes she would meet Jack Ellicott. Right now, though, she wanted to tell Gabby her own exciting news.
Gabby and Philippe were in the kitchen clearing away their lunch things when Elodie ran into the villa.
‘Hi, guess what? Gazz is going to get his own place at the end of the season and he wants me to move in with him. Isn’t that great? You don’t mind do you, Gabby? I won’t be leaving you alone. You’ve got Harriet and Philippe. And I’ll still be somewhere in Juan.’ She gave them both a beaming smile as she left the kitchen. ‘I’m so happy.’
Gabby looked at Philippe in stunned silence.
‘I didn’t expect that news,’ she said. ‘I shall have to talk to her – and Harriet. The Villa is Elodie’s home more than she realises.’
* * *
That evening, after Hugo had collected Harriet from the villa and driven them the short distance to, and parked in, Antibes itself, the two of them walked down through the market and onto the ramparts.
‘I love this part of Antibes,’ Harriet said as they stood for a few moments looking down over the rocks and breathing in the sea air. ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘You’ll love the view from the rooftop terrace of the Jackmans’ town house even more,’ Hugo said. ‘Marcus bought the house as a project when he and Freya divorced. And then, a few years later, when they got back together, she moved in and they got remarried. A true happy-ever-after ending.’
‘I didn’t think those existed outside of books,’ Harriet said quietly.
Hugo pressed the intercom button. ‘Hi Marcus, it’s Hugo and Harriet.’
‘Come on up.’
The door lock clicked and Hugo pushed the door open.
‘I warn you there are lots of stairs, but it is worth it.’
A few moments later, Harriet, standing on the roof terrace, caught her breath, not just from a slight breathlessness after three flights of stairs, but also because the terrace itself was amazing and the panoramic view out across the Mediterranean was truly spectacular.
