Page 46 of Summer on the French Riviera
‘Is it always as busy as this on a Saturday?’ Harriet asked as she went through to the utility room to make them both a drink. Coffee for Hugo, green tea for her.
‘Yes, I’ve never worked out why but it’s probably something to do with changeover day in the gites and hotels. But it should be quieter from now on until closing time. Or maybe not,’ he added as two more women entered the gallery. ‘You make the drinks. I’ll deal with the customers.’ And Hugo wished the women a jovial ‘Bon après-midi, mesdames.’ When Harriet appeared a few moments later with their drinks, he was busy wrapping up their purchases and taking their money.
The next customer, an elegant woman, entered alone and Harriet gave her a welcoming smile and a quiet ‘Bonjour’ and received a smile in return. The woman wandered around for some time, picking up several cards, a notebook and two framed prints before approaching the cash desk. Harriet rang the items into the cash register.
‘That comes to ninety-five euros please,’ and the women handed her a credit card. ‘I’ll run the payment through the machine and then I’ll wrap everything up for you.’
‘Thank you, honey,’ the woman said in a soft American accent.
Harriet turned the card over to place it in the machine, barely glancing at the name on it as she did so. The machine passed the transaction and Harriet handed the card back to the woman.
Five minutes later her, purchases were wrapped up and she said her goodbyes. It wasn’t until she watched the woman step out through the open doorway into the street that the name she’d subconsciously registered on the card sprang into her mind. Martha Ellicott.
Mentally, Harriet gave a shrug. Ellicott, for all she knew, was probably a really common name in the US. It didn’t mean that she was anything to do with Jack. Even if she was related to him in some way, she couldn’t have known who Harriet was because surely she would have made herself known to her. Wouldn’t she?
Despite Hugo saying the gallery should be quieter in the late afternoon it was busy until seven o’clock when Hugo turned the sign around and locked the door and they both heaved a sigh of relief. Whilst Hugo cashed up, Harriet moved around tidying the displays, straightening pictures, wiping the counter down and finally running the vacuum cleaner over the carpet.
‘Do you have to dash off? Only I think we both deserve a glass of wine.’
‘That would be good,’ Harriet said.
Once Hugo had put the money in the safe, he locked up and they made their way out. It was a relief to sit down at a table in one of the market bars.
‘How are things with Elodie?’ Hugo asked, as the town hall clock struck, almost drowning out his words.
‘Better than they were. She has finally agreed to meet her father.. I actually had supper with Jack the other evening. He wanted me to tell him what I could about Elodie.’
‘Was that difficult for you?’
Harriet shook her head. ‘No. It was very civilised, quite enjoyable really. He kept reminding me of the funny things that we’d done together.’
‘Maybe it’s not just Elodie he wants to meet, maybe he wants you back in his life too,’ Hugo said quietly. ‘How would you feel if that was the case?’
Harriet was quiet for several seconds. ‘I think he does maybe still have feelings for me, but they’re probably wrapped up in the fact that I’m the mother of his unknown daughter.’ She didn’t tell Hugo about how Jack had stopped short at outright flirting with her, or how she’d found herself starting to respond.
‘And you? What about your feelings?’ Hugo asked quietly.
‘Still being tossed around in a sea of bewilderment,’ Harriet answered. ‘I think it’s something to do with the fact that we have a shared history – and Elodie, of course. Even after all these years, it’s not easy to sweep that kind of relationship aside.’
Hugo nodded and gave her a sad look. ‘And you don’t truly want to, do you?’
Harriet bit her lip and gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. She truly didn’t want to hurt Hugo but she had to be truthful with him, even though she and Jack were unlikely to rekindle their earlier relationship. ‘I think it’s going to be impossible,’ she said, returning his sad look with her own.
* * *
Saturday evening, Elodie made her way down to the beach as usual to spend a couple of hours with Gazz. They were going to nip along the coast on Gazz’s scooter to their favourite pizza restaurant in Cannes. Tonight, though, Elodie was on edge, the nerves over the meeting tomorrow with Jack were already bubbling away inside her, as much as she tried to banish them.
Olivier and Enzo were securing everything for the night and Elodie walked over to help the two of them while Gazz talked to a tall man about booking a paragliding trip for his son and daughter-in-law when they arrived later in the year. Elodie smiled at the two of them as she approached. She didn’t recognise the man, but there was something strangely familiar about him.
‘Just twenty-four hours’ notice is all that is necessary for a weekday trip, weekends are busier,’ Gazz was saying as she drew level with them. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to help finish securing everything. I look forward to meeting you again,’ and Gazz turned away. ‘Hi Elodie. Give me five minutes and we can go.’
‘Thanks for your help, Gazz. I’ll make sure to book a place in time.’
Elodie froze at the sound of the man’s American accent before slowly turning to stare at him, only to find herself under scrutiny by a pair of piercing blue eyes. The sound of the ordinary world around her, waves lapping the beach, shrieks of the seagulls, laughter from diners in the nearby beach restaurant, everything became lost in the intense pounding inside her ears and head.
As she managed to croak out the words, ‘Jack Ellicott?’ he smiled at her.
‘Yes – and you have to be Elodie, my daughter.’
