Page 30 of Secrets Beneath a Riviera Sky
Piers gave her an amused smile as he shook his head. ‘It’s true Zazz has gone to the cinema tonight but not with Mel. She’s gone with my eldest son, Dominic.’
28
Theo and Agnes went to the market on Friday morning to buy some cheeses, nuts, olives, sourdough bread, tapenade and apissaladière, ready for the evening’s aperitifs. They also went to the wine cave where Theo helped Agnes choose the champagne she wanted to serve. Leaving the market, Theo insisted he had to have something sweet with his coffee this morning and they stopped at the boulangerie and bought two apricot tarts.
Back at the cottage Agnes organised coffee, put the tarts on plates and carried everything out to the yard while Theo put the shopping away.
‘Do you want to come this afternoon when I take Francine to meet Edwin?’
Agnes shook her head. ‘No, I don’t think so. Zazz has offered to help me with the food so the two of us will see to that.’ She glanced at Theo.
‘Remember that envelope that Francine found with my name on it? I forgot to pick it up when we left. I should at least open it.’
‘I popped it into the briefcase when I was up there. I’ll bring it down in the next day or two. Not a problem.’ Theo took a bite of his apricot tart, wondering whether now would be a good time to talk to Agnes about the file he’d hidden upstairs in his room. Knowing how upset she would be when he told her the news, he took the coward’s way out and decided to leave it until after tonight’s meeting with the Cortez’s. And probably until next week. At least then Edwin would be here to help him give some moral support to whoever needed it.
Francine let herself into the cottage at lunchtime as usual. Theo had told her not to knock, to treat it like her own home and just walk in, so she did. There was a lovely vibe about this old cottage and she knew she would have been a lot happier staying down here with him and Agnes. Francine thought about Zazz staying on her own up in Oscar’s house when everyone had returned to Devon after all this will business was settled. Would Zazz really be happy up there on her own? Somehow Francine doubted it. There were ghosts in the place even for Zazz she suspected. Maybe now Edwin was joining them this afternoon they could persuade her to change her mind and go home with them when they left.
Francine heard Agnes and Theo laughing together in the kitchen and she smiled to herself. Maman sounded so happy. Honestly, she and Theo were so good together she’d often wondered whether there could ever have been more between them. If only Maman had married Theo instead of Oscar all their lives would have been different and so much better, but she knew that union had always been out of the question. But now? Probably too late, sadly. Besides, if something had been going to happen between the two of them it would have happened years ago.
29
After Theo and Francine left for the airport Agnes found the iron and ironing board in the tall kitchen cupboard and set it up. She’d noticed that there was a small pile of clean washing on the machine waiting to be ironed. While Theo was out she planned on doing it for him. It was the least she could do.
Twenty minutes later Agnes carried the carefully folded shirts, jeans and towels up to Theo’s bedroom and placed them on his bed. She’d leave them for him to put away, not wishing to open drawers and cupboards that were none of her business to see where he kept things.
Glancing around the room as she turned to leave she saw two silver framed photos on the bedside table. One was a group photo taken at Francine and Edwin’s small intimate wedding. Bride and groom, groom’s parents on his side, herself and Theo on Francine’s side and one bridesmaid on both sides. Agnes walked across and picked up the photo, remembering what a perfect day it had been for the happy couple.
Francine had been adamant that she didn’t want her father at the wedding and she’d asked Theo as her godfather and favourite uncle if he would walk her down the aisle. He’d been so proud that day to assumein loco parentisover Francine. Agnes remembered too how she’d stood at his side wishing that things could have turned out differently for her and Theo.
Carefully, Agnes replaced the photo before picking up the second one which was of herself. She smiled as she recognised the setting, the Royal Avenue Gardens in Dartmouth. Theo must have taken it on his phone during his last Christmas visit because she was standing by the town’s Christmas tree admiring the decorations and pointing out something or other tied to its branches.
Returning the photo to its position on the bedside table, Agnes moved towards the door thinking about the one photo, also in a silver frame, she had on her own nightstand at home. Taken a few years ago now, she’d never replaced it with a more up to date one because she loved it so much. On one of his summer visits, the three of them had taken a river trip one evening on one of the tourist boats up to Totnes. Francine busy snapping photo after photo on her new phone had captured the two of them laughing at some joke or other. ‘You look so happy in this photograph,’ she said as she handed the printed version to Agnes. ‘I thought you’d like a copy to keep. Show Theo.’
Agnes closed the bedroom door behind her and went downstairs, pushing all thoughts of what might have been so much more than a friendship, deep down inside her.
* * *
Zazz placed the last plate of food on the table and checked that everything was ready. ‘Are you excited, Gran? I am. Can’t wait to meet this new uncle of mine – well, half an uncle, and a half-cousin too.’
‘I’m not sure thatexcitedis the word,’ Agnes said slowly. ‘Curious yes but I’m more anxious than excited at the moment. I was hoping Theo and your parents would be here by now.’
‘Plane was probably late landing and the traffic at this time of day is usually busy, especially on a Friday evening,’ Zazz said. ‘Don’t worry, they’ll be here soon. Besides aren’t French people always a polite five minutes late? Which gives Theo a bit more time. Gran, can I ask you something? It’s about Oscar so you probably won’t want to answer,’ Zazz said. ‘Which is okay if you don’t.’
Agnes glanced at her. ‘I think it’s time for honesty about the kind of man he was. Your mother and I made a mistake in not being more open with you about the past but it was easier to shut it away and not talk about him. What do you want to know?’
‘I think he was a difficult, controlling man, from the little you’ve both said and patently someone I personally would hate to be married to so I sort of understand why you left him. But?—’
‘I ran away for my own safety,’ Agnes interrupted quietly, giving her a serious look. ‘Which is not something I’ve ever liked to talk about.’
‘You mean he was violent towards you?’
Agnes gave a brief nod. ‘Oui.’
‘You see, I didn’t know that.’
‘No reason for you to,’ Agnes said. ‘It didn’t affect you, why did you need to know?’
‘Was he violent towards Mum too?’
