Page 49 of Summer on the French Riviera
‘You both look great,’ Elodie said, a couple of hours later as she joined her grandmother and mother out on the terrace prior to setting off for the Belles Rives. ‘Where’s Philippe?’
‘He’s going to meet us there,’ Gabby said. ‘As he lives virtually opposite the hotel, it seemed silly to drag him over to us and for him to have to walk straight back.’
‘Lulu’s happy with her toys in the basket in my room,’ Harriet said. ‘So let’s go and… what’s the expression? I know – today we’re ladies who lunch.’
They were soon on the Promenade du Soleil, walking past La Pinède and then further along the road, the flags at the entrance of the Belles Rives could be seen fluttering in the gentle breeze. Gabby looked across the road at the Hotel le Provençal still behind its hoardings but once again beginning to emerge as the grandiose symbol of yesteryear, casting an air, not of glamour yet, but definite promise of good times around the corner.
Philippe was standing outside the entrance appearing to be holding an animated conversation with Jack and Gazz. The three men turned as the three women approached.
‘I guess Gazz introduced the two of you?’ Harriet said.
‘We introduced ourselves just five minutes ago in the Fitzgerald Bar,’ Jack said, smiling. He turned to Gabby and courteously held out his hand. ‘We were supposed to meet many years ago. It’s a privilege to finally meet you, Madame Jacques.’
Gabby smiled as she shook his hand. ‘Well, you know the old saying, better late than never. And please call me Gabby, everyone else does, apart from Philippe, who insists on using my full name.’
‘My mother is waiting at the beach restaurant, shall we go through.’
Passing through the foyer of the hotel towards the beach restaurant, Elodie caught her breath. Scott Fitzgerald was one of her literary heroes and there were photos of him, his wife, Zelda, and their daughter, Scottie, everywhere. There was a glimpse of the Fitzgerald Bar off the lobby with its original Art Deco styling. Elodie could see herself and Gazz enjoying a cocktail in there together. They walked on past a wide patio with palm trees in pots, down a flight of steps to the beach restaurant with its comfortable wooden director chairs placed around tables overlooking the blue Mediterranean rhythmically lapping at the shore just a few feet away.
Martha Ellicott was waiting to meet them at a table down by the shoreline and stood up as she saw them approaching. Elodie, lagging at the back of the group, unsure of how this elegant woman was going to react to having a grown-up granddaughter thrown into her life unexpectedly, watched as Jack introduced Gabby and Philippe. Stepping back slightly as the three of them chatted politely, he caught hold of Elodie’s hand and urged her forward, saying quietly, ‘Don’t look so worried. Your American grandmother is longing to meet you.’
Seconds later, she was enveloped in an expensively fragrant hug. ‘Elodie, I know we’re going to have fun getting to know each other. And this is your boyfriend, Gazz? The two of you must come and lunch with me one day, yes?’
Elodie nodded. ‘I… we would like that very much, thank you.’
Harriet, watching Elodie and Martha together, and wondering whether Martha would remember her from the gallery, gave a startled jump as Jack appeared at her side and took her hand.
‘Finally time for you to meet my mom, come on.’
When she tried to pull her hand away, Jack grinned at her but didn’t relax his grip, so she found herself hand in hand with him as they moved forward for him to introduce her to his mother. She saw Martha’s eyes linger on their linked hands, a knowing look passing swiftly across her face.
‘Mom, this is Harriet, Elodie’s mother.’
Martha looked at her. ‘Haven’t we met before?’
‘Yes. I served you in the art gallery the other afternoon,’ Harriet said. ‘I have to admit your name didn’t register with me until you had left. I did wonder then whether you were Jack’s mother and whether you knew who I was.’
Martha shook her head. ‘No, I didn’t. I would have spoken up if I had – nicely, of course. Jack only told me the truth about why he was here in France a couple of days ago.’ She shook her head at her son.
The maître d’ arrived at that moment with a bottle of chilled champagne and suggested they might all like to take their seats. Once they were all settled, each with a glass of sparkling champagne, Jack stood up to give a toast.
‘To my daughter, Elodie, Harriet, her mother, Gabby, her grandmother and last but not least my mother, Martha. Here’s to the future and to being a proper united family.’ Jack caught and held Harriet’s gaze as he finished speaking and raised his glass in her direction. ‘Families.’
Harriet raised her glass and, along with everyone else, echoed, ‘Families’, all the time wanting to break away from Jack’s penetrating gaze but totally unable to even blink to shatter the connection.
* * *
‘I really enjoyed the lunch today, hope you did too,’ Elodie said that evening as she and Gazz walked along La Croisette in Cannes, having ridden Gazz’s scooter along the bord de mer. ‘Talk about a memorable first ever family lunch. I do like the Belles Rives too. Can we go there on our own sometime, when we’ve got something special to celebrate? It’s got such a lovely atmosphere and all the Scott Fitzgerald mementoes are amazing.’
‘End of the season we’ll treat ourselves,’ Gazz promised. ‘I had a great time. You and your new grandmother seemed to get on well?’
‘She’s lovely and I’m so pleased she and Gabby really hit it off. I was worried that Gabby would feel pushed out, but they are both so different. Grandma Martha wants me to visit her. She’s making plans to show me all her favourite places in New York. Says I’ll get lots of ideas for stories and features out there.’
‘And Jack? Are you feeling happier about having him in your life now you’ve got to know him a little?’
Elodie nodded. ‘It still feels weird, though. We’ve so much to learn about each other. I’ve barely got to know my mother properly and now my father wants to be in my life too.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s going to take time to adjust to having parents. Can I tell you something terrible that worries me?’
‘Of course you can,’ Gazz said.
