Page 32 of Secrets Beneath a Riviera Sky
‘We need to clear the place before we can get it on the market. Do you want anything from the house? Have you ever been inside?’
Serge shook his head. ‘Non, I never go in the house and I have no need, except to maybe help you with moving things out?’
‘I think we’ll clear the personal things out and then get a house clearance firm in. None of the furniture is particularly good,’ Theo said, looking at Agnes for confirmation and she gave a nod.
‘The other thing is – Oscar’s ashes are currently here,’ Agnes said. ‘I do not wish to hold a memorial service but we do need to dispose of them. Do you want to be involved in any way? Hold your own service?’
Serge shook his head. ‘Non. I have zero respect for the man. I cannot be hypocritical and say otherwise. Do as you wish with them.’ Serge looked at Agnes. ‘I think I have the need to explain why I decided to claim my inheritance of Oscar’s estate. I personally do not want the money. I do it for my maman, something to help her forget the pain Oscar inflicted on her.’
Agnes smiled at him. ‘I understand completely. I am of the same mind.’
It was nearly eight o’clock when Zazz asked to be excused as she was meeting Mel and Dominic. ‘It was great meeting you, Uncle Serge and Cousin Albert. I’m staying down for at least the next few months so maybe we can meet up again soon,’ she said. As Zazz left, Rachel regretfully began to say they ought to think about leaving too and soon the party was over.
As Agnes stood in the doorway at Theo’s side saying goodnight to the Cortez’s she sighed happily as she felt Theo’s arm go around her shoulders. Unthinkingly, she leant into him.
It was good they’d managed to sort things out between themselves and the Cortez’s without involving the notaire. First thing tomorrow morning she’d ring and make a rendez-vous with Monsieur Caumont and tell him about meeting with the Cortez’s. He could go ahead with all the legal things then. Once the house was cleared and on the market, she could go home. Home. The thought made her catch her breath. In the short time she’d been back in the town of her birth she’d completely fallen in love with the place – it felt like home and was where she unexpectedly longed to live again. To spend the rest of her days in her true home. And to spend time with Theo.
She knew without him putting it into words, that it would make him so happy if she did stay on for a while. And he deserved to be happy. But was it the sensible thing for her to do after all these years? Shouldn’t she simply accept the status quo and enjoy the loving friendship that had always existed between her and Theo? Rather than wishing for more.
30
Francine was waiting for Zazz in the kitchen when she returned from her run the next morning with the breakfast croissants. Zazz stifled a sigh. She knew what was coming. Leaving early last night hadn’t given her mum a chance to interrogate her about Albert. Francine wasn’t going to like the truth that was for sure.
‘Morning, Mum. Croissants,’ Zazz said brightly, holding them out to her mother. ‘Where’s Dad?’
‘Thank you,’ Francine said. ‘Coffee,’ and pushed a cup across the table to Zazz. ‘Dad will be down in a moment.’
‘I enjoyed the aperitifs last evening. The Cortez’s seem nice. Agnes and Rachel get on well,’ Zazz said.
‘Agnes and Rachel were acquaintances when Granny lived here. I thought the same about you and Albert,’ Francine said.
Zazz drank some coffee and replaced her cup on the table. ‘I met him at a party the last time I was down here. People rarely introduce themselves properly at parties – he just said “Hi, I’m Al”. No idea that was short for Albert or what his surname was and if he’d said, it wouldn’t have meant anything to me at the time.’
‘I presume the party was somewhere here in Cannes?’ Francine said.
Zazz looked at her mum thoughtfully. This was the answer she wasn’t going to like. ‘Okay, full disclosure. I came over for Oscar’s eighty-fourth birthday last year. He had a party here in the house – said he wanted to show off his granddaughter to his friends. Embarrassing or what? Especially as there were only about five people my age there, including Al – most were Oscar’s age.’
‘Was it a good party?’ Francine stared at her. Zazz shrugged.
‘It was okay but Oscar got very drunk. Al had barely introduced himself to me when Oscar dragged him away saying there was someone else he wanted him to meet.’
‘Were you here in this house when you phoned me to wish me happy birthday?’
Zazz nodded. ‘Yes. Up in my room.’
‘So you lied about going to Ibiza with friends from work?’
‘Well, I couldn’t tell you where I was really going, could I? I’ve just had a thought,’ Zazz looked at her mum. ‘I suppose the fact that Al was at the party might mean that Oscar knew who he was. Al did say last night he didn’t really know why he’d been invited. He definitely didn’t know about Oscar’s relationship to me until last evening.’
There was a silence before Francine spoke. ‘I can’t believe how you’ve behaved with this deception. You knew how Granny and I felt about Oscar and yet, and yet you deliberately went ahead to meet him and then planned to come and live with him.’
‘Mum, whatever the problems have been for you and Granny with Oscar, it’s all in the past. It wasn’t my problem. If he hadn’t died I possibly would have fallen out with him too in the future, but we’ll never know now. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you and Granny but it was something I needed to do for me. I wanted to make up my own mind about him.’
‘He phoned me on my birthday unexpectedly,’ Francine said. ‘Drunk as a skunk. To think you were in this house at the time. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. I hung up on him in the end. I knew there had to be a reason behind the phone call but couldn’t work out what it was. Until now.’ She pushed away her plate with the untouched croissant.
‘I am certain that he wanted to gloat over me. I think the message he was too drunk to articulate to me that evening, was “you and your mother didn’t want me but your daughter does”.’ Francine gave Zazz a sad look. ‘And you giving him the opportunity to even think that, hurts.’
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