Page 60 of Summer on the French Riviera
‘See, I said you’d like her,’ Harriet said, smiling at him.
‘I like her son too,’ Hugo said quietly. ‘I realised something tonight that makes me sad, but I have to face facts. You and I can only ever be friends, as much as I’d have liked more.’
‘Hugo, I’m sorry too. I really like you but…’
‘But you love Jack more.’ He sighed. ‘It is what it is. See you Saturday as usual. Be happy.’
45
The three of them were all at home the next morning. Gabby was just pottering around the villa doing bits and pieces waiting for Philippe, Harriet was getting ready to walk Lulu, and Elodie was up in her room writing her Sunday magazine feature when an agitated Jack pressed the buzzer. Harriet, standing near the intercom as she clipped on Lulu’s lead, answered.
‘Harriet, I need to speak to you urgently, alone if possible,’ he said.
‘I was about to take Lulu for a walk, want to come with me?’
‘Yes, that would be perfect.’
They’d barely left the impasse when Jack told her his news.
‘I have to return to the States. Something has cropped up that Nathan can’t deal with and I can’t do it remotely. I have to be there personally. Will you come back with me? Three or four days, a week at the most.’
‘No. I can’t, there’s too much going on here at the moment,’ Harriet said instantly.
‘Please, Harriet, just think about it. I’m sure Gabby and Elodie can spare you for that short time. You can stay in my house, and I can show you around a little, and then we can travel back together.’
‘No, it’s not possible. I can’t take a week off painting. I’m way behind producing stuff for the exhibition as it is. I promise, though, I’ll be here waiting for you to come back.’
Jack’s shoulders sank. ‘If you’re sure I can’t persuade you, I’ll get back to the hotel then. I need to organise a few things. I couldn’t get a direct flight from Nice to the States. My flight to Paris leaves at ten o’clock tonight. I’ll pick up a connection to New York in the morning.’
‘I’ll walk back with you,’ Harriet said, her heart heavy at the thought of him leaving.
As they reached the Pinède Gould, Jack pulled her to one side where they were hidden from curious glances by a large shrub before taking her in his arms. ‘I love you, Harriet, always have, always will. But you haven’t said those three little words to me that I long to hear. I need to know before I leave this time: do you feel like that about me?’
Harriet stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss that would leave him in no doubt about how she felt. As they drew apart, she said, ‘I have always loved you too and I always will.’
‘Finally, the answer I’ve longed to hear. I’ll see you next week,’ Jack said, releasing her. ‘And we’ll make plans for a future where we are together all the time.’
After leaving Jack at the hotel, Harriet walked home slowly with Lulu and went straight to her room. She didn’t want Elodie or Gabby asking questions, she simply wanted to be alone. Saying goodbye to Jack outside the hotel and realising how much she did still love him, her mind had flashed back to the last time he’d been called home urgently.
Not going with him that time had changed the whole course of her life – for the worse. Sensibly, she knew not going with him tonight would not have the same result. She wasn’t pregnant for a start; his father was now dead; there was no reason for him not to return to her. And Martha was still here. And it was true, too, she had to paint at least three pictures this week to still be in with a chance of being ready for the exhibition. But she felt bereft at the thought of him being thousands of miles away.
She picked up her phone and idly scrolled through the photos of the paintings she had done to show Hugo. She could see that they were good, that her confidence was returning. The summer season would finish soon and things would calm down, there would be time to do more, to catch up. Taking a week off wouldn’t truly be a problem. She was the problem. What had Freya said to her at the supper that evening – ‘Not everyone gets a second chance. If you do, you should grab it with both hands.’ And then Jessica’s recent words popped into her mind too. ‘Just say yes and do it.’
Harriet went down for lunch when Elodie called to say it was ready. She sensed the other two were treading carefully around her and her feelings and lunch was a subdued affair. Philippe arriving to swim with Gabby that afternoon brought some light-hearted relief, but Harriet soon escaped back to the silence of her room.
It was six thirty when she finally gave in to her feelings. On her laptop, she pulled up the web page for Nice airport. She’d just check and find out whether the ten o’clock flight to Paris was fully booked. Full or not, it would be a sign.
Harriet stared at the page. Three seats were still available. She grabbed her credit card from her purse and started to type in her details. As she filled everything in and waited for it to be verified, she could hear Philippe downstairs and she opened her door and called out, ‘Philippe, I have a favour to ask you. Could you please drive me to Nice airport right away? Jack is flying to Paris tonight – and I need to catch the flight too.’
‘Of course,’ came the reply.
Hurriedly, Harriet threw some clothes, underwear and shoes into a small carry-on case. Anything else she needed she’d buy in America. She remembered to grab a coat from the wardrobe – New York would be cold after the south of France – made sure she had her phone and her passport before running downstairs. This time she wasn’t letting Jack leave without her.
Downstairs, she found Elodie and Gabby standing with Philippe waiting for her. ‘We’re coming too. Just in case,’ Gabby said. Harriet didn’t ask in case of what, she knew. If she missed the flight, she would be desolate.
Philippe made for the A8 autoroute slip road and soon they were speeding towards the airport. Nearly eight thirty, half an hour and they should be there. Philippe drove straight to the ‘Kiss and Fly’ outside departures.
‘Gabby and I will find somewhere to park. You go with your mum, Elodie, we’ll see you in there.’ Turning to look at Harriet, he gave her a smile. ‘Bon chance. You’re doing the right thing.’
