Sky's the Limit

by Janie Millman

  ‘Is there a lot of wine-swindling going on?’

  ‘Mon Dieu, yes, sadly not everyone is as straight as our Philippe.’

  ‘So how did it get there?’ Nick was intrigued. ‘And how long has it been there?’

  ‘How indeed?’ Beatrice had some ideas but it was too early to share them yet. ‘Did you see anything, Elf?’

  ‘I saw some bottles without labels in one of the outhouses but there were a couple of staff hanging around smoking. I couldn’t really get too close.’

  ‘Interesting,’ Beatrice said before turning back to Nick. ‘How are things with you and Sky?’

  He was taken aback by the change of subject. ‘OK, I think.’ He ran his hands through his hair. ‘She seems different out here, I’m not sure how to describe it, more relaxed, more at peace, I can’t quite put my finger on it.’

  ‘It does seem to suit her.’

  ‘It’s still hard to get close.’

  ‘Well of course it is, you’ve got to build a new relationship and that won’t happen overnight.’ She swung the car around another steep bend and flung the cigarette out of the window.

  Nick merely nodded.

  ‘How is Miles?’ Beatrice pursued the subject.

  ‘And I thought we were investigating Hotel de Paris.’ Unlike Beatrice, Nick carefully stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

  Beatrice laughed. ‘Stop being so British and throw it out of the window, Stephanie will kill me if she thinks we’ve been smoking in her car.’ She glanced over at him. ‘I’m sorry, Nick, you’re right, I’m prying when really it’s none of my business.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s not like me, you can ask Philippe, I don’t normally meddle, unless it’s to do with him.’

  ‘I love the relationship you two have.’

  ‘It will be the same for you and Sky, trust me.’ She turned to smile at him.

  ‘I’d trust you more if you kept your eyes on the road.’ Nick was gripping the side of his seat whilst his brake foot slammed into the floor. Elf had given up trying to be brave and was lying down on the back seat.

  ‘Does my driving scare you?’ She was amused.

  ‘No, it doesn’t scare me,’ he replied. ‘It fucking terrifies me! What is it about Continental women? Sky’s Italian grandmother is exactly the same, she’s the terror of the Scottish Borders.’

  Beatrice threw back her head and laughed, but she did slow down and Nick began to breathe once again.

  ‘I guess it is your business, Beatrice,’ Nick said after a while. ‘We made it your business when we came to your riad.’ He paused. ‘And actually it’s good to be able to talk about it, there isn’t really anyone else I can talk to.’

  She nodded.

  ‘Miles isn’t great, things didn’t go particularly well with him and Sky on their last meeting, his fault, he played it badly. I’d sort of thought of bringing him here, he’s had some good ideas about a website, but when I heard that Sky was coming we knocked it on the head. Now he’s holed up in some bleak hotel in Bayswater.’

  ‘He’ll come over here at some point,’ Beatrice said firmly. ‘Once Sky has forgiven you both.’

  ‘If she does.’

  ‘Oh, I think she’s much closer than you may imagine.’

  Nick turned to look at her but she merely smiled enigmatically.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  I finished the pen and ink drawings of the chateau that Emmie and I had started yesterday. I’d been impressed with Emmie. She had a bold, simplistic style all of her own. She drew with confidence. I spread my drawings out on the table and felt relatively pleased with the result. They looked simple but classy and would make an elegant invitation.

  I stood up to stretch my legs and wandered to the French windows. God, I loved this view, I could spend hours simply staring out, absorbing the variety of colours, the constantly changing light, the vineyards and the sparkling river beyond.

  The kitchen door opened and I watched as Sausage came trotting out with Belle at his heels. The old dog was content to lie in the sunshine but the piglet went to chase the hens. I suddenly thought of Sonny and I got out my phone to take some photos to send to him. I hadn’t spoken to Gail since I’d been here, I’d give her a call now.

  Sonny answered. ‘Yes,’ he said uncertainly.

  ‘Hello, sweetheart, it’s Sky here, I’m just going to send you some photos of a piglet and some hens.’

  ‘Wow!’

  ‘I’m in France at the chateau Philippe was telling us about. Do you remember?’

  ‘You are lucky!’

  I chuckled. ‘Is Mummy there, sweetheart?’

  ‘She’s on the sofa, she can’t walk,’ he replied.

  ‘What?’ I stopped in my tracks. ‘Is she OK? Pass the phone to her, Sonny.’

  ‘Hello?’ Gail sounded tired.

  ‘Gail, it’s Sky, what on earth is wrong?’

  ‘Oh, Sky, how lovely, I was going to ring you today, how is France?’

  ‘More to the point, how are you? Why can’t you walk?’

  ‘I can walk.’ Gail laughed. ‘I just have a very swollen and bruised ankle right now.’

  ‘Oh, Gail, how?’

  ‘Playing football with Sonny, a dirty tackle, I showed him the red card.’

  ‘Is he upset?’

  ‘At the red card or my ankle?’

  ‘Both, I guess.’ I giggled.

  ‘Furious at the red card and desperately upset at my ankle, poor lad.’ She laughed. ‘He keeps bringing me flowers from the garden and bars of chocolate.’

  ‘Oh, God, you poor thing.’

  ‘Oh, I’m fine, it’s just a bit inconvenient.’

  ‘Have you got help?’

  ‘Yes, my next-door neighbour is being marvellous and Holly, a friend of Dawn’s, is coming over later.’

  ‘And Dawn?’

  ‘Won’t be coming over. We haven’t spoken since the last argument.’

  ‘Oh, Gail, I’m so sorry.’

  ‘No, it’s for the best, Sky.’ But I could hear the sadness in her voice. ‘We’re both so angry and hurt, we need time apart.’

  ‘What about Tariq? Is he coming over?’

  ‘Yes, that’s the plan.’ She paused. ‘I think it means decision time.’

  ‘I think the decision is already made.’

  ‘I guess, it’s just, oh, I don’t know, it’s just all a bit terrifying.’

  ‘You’ve done the terrifying bit, Gail, now is the fun part.’

  ‘Yes, you’re right. Anyway how is France?’ She clearly didn’t want to talk anymore about Tariq. ‘I’m longing to hear all about it.’

  ‘It’s magical, Gail.’ I glanced around. ‘There is a soft mist hanging over the vines, the river is glinting in the distance, the chateau is enchanted, there is a piglet chasing the hens and an elf and a man with a ginger cat on his shoulder.’

  ‘Have you been smoking something, Sky?’ Gail asked. ‘Or maybe you’ve hit the booze, I know they start early over there.’

  ‘Nothing like that.’ I giggled. ‘I’m telling you the exact truth, I wish you were here.’

  ‘Trust me, so do I,’ Gail said with feeling. ‘I’d like to see all that for myself. How is Philippe?’

  ‘Philippe…’ I paused. ‘Philippe is at home.’

  ‘That much I knew,’ Gail replied drily.

  ‘No, I mean he’s an integral part of the landscape, he belongs here.’ Gail was silent. ‘I’m not explaining this very well.’ I tried again. ‘Put it this way, he’s not the arrogant man we met in Marrakech.’

  I knew that Gail had found Philippe charming but she kept quiet.

  ‘He’s friendly, mostly, he’s passionate, he’s knowledgeable, he’s totally devoted to his family, who are all gorgeous by the way, including his nephew who is flirting with me.’

  ‘Really?’ Gail was intrigued. ‘How old is he?’

  ‘Oh, far too young, about twenty-five, but it’s kind of flattering.’

  ‘And how is Nick?’ G
ail asked gently.

  ‘OK.’ I hesitated. ‘Well, sort of OK.’ I sighed. ‘He’s trying so hard and I so want to forgive him but I also want to make him pay. Does that sound awful?’ It sounded pretty awful even to me. ‘I mean, I’m desperate to get back to how we once were but then I just get so angry when I think how he threw it all away.’

  ‘Of course you’re still angry, Sky,’ Gail replied in her soft, measured tones. ‘He didn’t deliberately throw it away, though, he had no choice, you know that.’

  If anyone else had said that I would have flared up but Gail was so gentle and understanding that I couldn’t be angry with her. She was also quite right.

  ‘Well, I guess we’re making progress but we still have a way to go. At the moment he’s out with Beatrice uncovering some wine scam.’

  ‘Beatrice?’ Gail squeaked. ‘Beatrice is out there?’

  ‘God, yes, sorry, I forgot that bit.’ I laughed. ‘She was here as a surprise when we arrived.’

  ‘Oh no, this is most unfair. I’m lying here with an ankle the size of a football while you’re staying in a fairy tale chateau surrounded by misty vines protected by elves and piglets and Beatrice the grand high witch of the world.’

  She made me laugh. ‘I’ll ask the high witch to wave a magic wand and bring you over.’

  ‘Please do, and get the Lotto numbers while you’re at it.’ She chuckled. ‘Seriously, Sky you do sound happier, it’s lovely to hear.’

  ‘I don’t know if happy is exactly the right word, but you’re right, there is something about this place that seeps into your soul, it soothes you.’

  ‘Send some of it over here. And send my love to everyone. How is young Emmie?’ she added as an afterthought.

  ‘She is an angel.’ I closed my eyes to picture her. ‘A chubby, spirited, short-sighted, beautiful angel.’

  ‘Oh, Sky these are excellent.’ Philippe was looking at my pen and ink sketches. ‘This one in particular I like.’ He held up one of the back of the chateau with the crumbling stone fountain in the foreground. ‘But they’re all lovely, I’ve no idea which to choose.’

  ‘Well we’ll show them to Nick and Beatrice, see what they think, and then get them copied and sent off to the culinary big guns as soon as possible.’ I was delighted with his reaction and felt bold enough to put forward my next suggestion. ‘I know Nick is going to contact some foodie magazines back at home but I wondered if you could get anyone here to write an article? I mean, it’s not every day you host a party for some top London chefs, it would be good publicity.’

  ‘Yes, it had crossed my mind too. I think we need to spread the word, get the place buzzing.’ He smiled at me. ‘Thank you for being so enthusiastic, Sky.’ We held each other’s gaze for a moment before he suddenly said, ‘You like it here, don’t you?’

  I was startled. ‘What’s not to like?’ I replied flippantly and the moment was broken. I was cross with myself. Why couldn’t I have answered honestly? Why hadn’t I admitted that I loved it here, that the beauty and magic of the chateau had cast a spell over me, that I adored his family, adored his animals and that I was dreading my inevitable departure? I shook my head and stood up and stretched.

  ‘I wondered if Emmie could come here after school?’ I flexed my arms above my head and arched my back. It eased the tension after painting but I was suddenly aware of Philippe’s eyes on me and stopped abruptly. ‘I thought I would make a start on the wine labels and I promised she could help.’

  ‘Yes, she’s coming here,’ he replied, still staring at me, it unnerved me. He suddenly seemed to collect himself and turned away. ‘Claude is driving Celine to her parents, her father was taken ill during the night, so Emmie will stay here tonight.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it’s not too serious.’

  ‘Claude didn’t say too much, but he has been ill for quite a while now.’

  ‘When did your father die, Philippe?’ I hoped I hadn’t gone too far but he turned around and smiled.

  ‘About twenty years ago now.’ He shrugged his shoulders in a gesture that was fast becoming familiar to me. ‘And I still expect him to come walking through the door.’

  ‘Were you very close?’

  ‘He was stubborn, proud and self-opinionated.’ That sounds familiar, I thought to myself and stifled a smile.

  ‘He had a huge heart and a huge laugh.’ Philippe laughed. ‘We used to argue late into the night, we disagreed more than we agreed, we drove each other mad but I miss him very much, very much indeed.’ He smiled. ‘He also taught me how to drink pastis.’

  ‘Not that you needed much teaching,’ Beatrice laughed her low husky laugh. She had walked up and overheard the last part of the conversation.

  I gawped at her in admiration. She always looked good but in this outfit she was sensational. ‘Beatrice, you look a million dollars.’

  Philippe meanwhile was staring at Nick in astonishment. ‘Is that my suit you are wearing?’

  I turned to look at Nick and nodded in appreciation. ‘Wow, you should buy it off him, Nicky, it looks great.’

  ‘What the hell have you been up to?’ Philippe turned from one to the other. ‘You are looking both shifty and smug, it’s a combination I’ve learnt to be wary of.’

  ‘Pour us a drink and let’s sit down,’ Beatrice commanded. ‘Where are Henri and Luc? We need them here too.’

  ‘So what do you think?’ Beatrice asked looking at Philippe, Henri and Luc a short while later. They had all tasted the wine that Nick had decanted from his glass. Luc knew what was going on but Philippe and Henri were totally bemused. ‘Philippe, which wine is it?’

  ‘It’s 2009, Bea.’

  ‘Where from?’

  ‘What do you mean where from?’ Philippe was starting to get annoyed. ‘It’s Chateau Fontaine.’

  ‘Henri?’ Beatrice turned to him.

  ‘Of course.’ He was equally puzzled. ‘What are you trying to prove, cheri?’

  Luc rolled the wine around and sipped it. ‘She is trying to prove that the Hotel de Paris is selling your wine.’

  ‘We don’t sell to the Hotel de Paris.’ Philippe was perplexed. ‘I told Nick that yesterday.’

  ‘Well they’re getting it from somewhere,’ Beatrice replied.

  ‘Start from the beginning, how did you get this wine? Tell us what you know.’ Philippe stood up and leant his long frame against the window. Too much sitting was bad for his knee. ‘Before you start we had best get Stephanie and Rosa.’

  They all listened in silence as Beatrice and Nick recounted the morning.

  ‘You should have seen her,’ Nick said, looking at Beatrice with admiration. ‘She was quite superb, Arnaud was putty in her hands, he is a man obsessed, totally smitten. I’ve never seen anything like it.’

  ‘When Bea decides to reel you in there’s nothing you can do about it.’ Philippe grinned as he blew her a kiss.

  I felt a sudden and unexpected flash of jealousy.

  ‘It wasn’t hard,’ Beatrice replied. ‘He’s somewhat self-centred, hungry for admiration and very susceptible to flattery.’

  ‘A real charmer.’ Stephanie raised her eyebrows.

  ‘Nick played his part well, a lethal combination of nonchalance and arrogance.’ Beatrice winked at him.

  ‘But how the hell has he got our wine?’ Philippe paced the room.

  Beatrice glanced over at Luc and nodded. Luc cleared his throat. ‘Michel has been spending quite a lot of time at the Hotel de Paris, he’s, er, well he’s rather taken with the receptionist.’ He paused.

  ‘And your point is, Luc?’ I could see that Philippe was fast becoming impatient. He obviously sensed there was something that he wasn’t being told and I imagined that he wasn’t a man who liked to be kept in the dark.

  ‘My point is that Celine has also been seen there a lot.’

  ‘Celine?’ Philippe stared at him. But before he could carry on Elf stepped in.

  ‘Boss, the manager and Celine are havi
ng an affair,’ he said bluntly. ‘It’s an open secret at the hotel that the manager has an amoureuse and that the amoureuse is Celine.’

  ‘Jesus, did you all know about this?’ he demanded. ‘Am I the last to know?’

  ‘No, I suspect Claude will be the last to know,’ Beatrice said drily. ‘But it does answer the question as to how they are getting our wine.’

  ‘You think Celine is cheating us?’ Philippe looked genuinely shocked. ‘But she is family, why would she cheat on her family?’ No one answered him. ‘What has she to gain by cheating on us?’ he repeated. ‘She’s married to Claude.’

  ‘I doubt it is the first time she has cheated on him, cheri,’ Beatrice said gently.

  ‘Well why the hell did she ever marry him?’

  Again the room was silent.