Page 50 of A French Adventure
Vivienne nodded.
‘I know I don’t know of the lady in question, but please may I see the photograph out of interest?’
‘Of course,’ and Vivienne reached into her bag and handed it to him.
Vivienne watched him as he stared at the photograph and the expression on his face froze.
‘Papa. Ça va?’ Gilles said concern written over his face.
Pascal nodded. ‘Oui, oui, ça va.’ He took another look at the photograph. ‘I recognise the place where this was taken.’ Hisvoice was trembling as he asked her, ‘This envelope you have. It is definitely addressed to me?’
‘It’s addressed to a Pascal Rocher who lives in Puget.’
‘Please may I have it in that case?’ Pascal looked back at the photograph, shaking his head in wonder. ‘She kept it all this time.’
‘What do you mean?’ Vivienne asked as she reached in her bag for the envelope and handed it to him.
Pascal took the envelope and regarded her intently for several seconds. ‘May I ask you a question or two?’
‘Yes,’ Vivienne said, wondering where on earth the conversation was going.
‘Your adoptive mother – she was English?’
‘Yes.’
‘And where in England did she live?’
‘London and after she was married, near Bristol.’ She watched as Pascal took a deep breath.
‘This photograph is of your mother and me and was taken at one of the happiest times of my life. Your adoptive mother’s name…’ he closed his eyes and paused. ‘Was Jacqueline, was it not?’
Vivienne gasped. ‘Yes. You knew her?’
‘More than that. I wanted to marry her.’
34
A stunned silence followed Pascal’s words as Gilles, Vivienne and Natalie all stared at him in shock.
‘Je suis désolé. Forgive me,s’il vous plaît,’ a clearly emotional Pascal said. ‘I think I would like to be alone to read the letter, so I go to my room. Gilles,peut-êtreyou could entertain Vivienne and Natalie for an hour and then we could all have lunch together in town and I will attempt to explain how I knew Jacqueline.’
Pascal stood up and left the room, leaving the others sitting in stunned silence. As they sat there, they could hear his slow footsteps mounting the stairs and then walking across the floor of the room above them.
It was a clearly shaken Gilles who finally spoke. ‘To say I am speechless is the understatement of the century I think,’ he said slowly. ‘Papa has never ever mentioned having another woman in his life. I thought my mother had been the only one for him. They were married for nearly fifty years and revelled in their family life.’ Agitated, he ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I don’t understand how he could have kept this secret to himself for so long.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Vivienne said. ‘I’ve been so fixated on trying to find my birth father that I didn’t really think of the consequences for other people. But really, nothing has changed for you and your family, has it? Pascal and your mother were happy and you clearly had a lovely childhood. I think this love affair with Jacqueline happened when he was a young man and before he married your mother.’
Gilles nodded. ‘Oui, you are right of course,’ he said slowly. ‘It was the shock of Papa saying he’d wanted to marry someone else.’ He took a deep breath. ‘You will stay for lunch and hear what he has to say?’
Vivienne gave a soft laugh. ‘I just hope it isn’t too upsetting for your father, but wild horses wouldn’t drag me away without hearing the whole of his story.’
‘Me neither,’ Natalie said. ‘We’re definitely staying for lunch.’
‘Bon. How about we go and book a table in the hotel – Papa eats there a lot, he’ll know to find us there – and then have a wander around and I can tell you a little history about the town. Or we can have a drink in the bar.’
‘Sounds good. If there’s time, can we also show Natalie the Quincaillerie du Rocher please,’ Vivienne said.
‘I’ll book the table and we can go there first, it’s not far away,’ Gilles said.
