Life's a Beach and Then... (The Liberty Sands Trilogy Book 1)

by Roberts, Julia

  ‘She told me yesterday,’ Holly said truthfully but nevertheless feeling wretched that she was using Rosemary’s illness as an excuse not to edit Philippe’s book. ‘Her husband rang on their way back from the hospital a little while ago. She wants me to accompany them on a trip, probably her last one, and I really feel I should go.’

  ‘Of course you must,’ said DD. ‘Don’t you worry I’ll find someone else to do the edit, your friend is much more important. Did you make a start on it?’

  ‘No,’ Holly lied.

  ‘Sorry to be a pain at a time like this but would you mind deleting the file?’

  ‘Of course, no problem, consider it done.’

  ‘I’m really sorry that you won’t get to do this one but maybe I can push book three in your direction.’

  ‘Thanks for understanding,’ said Holly as she ended the call, thinking that she never wanted to read another word written by Veronica Phillips.

  She deleted the file as requested and then ran herself a hot bath.

  Chapter 51

  One battered brown suitcase stood packed and ready by the door and the other lay open on the bed in the spare room. The wardrobe was almost empty of clothes apart from the necessities he would need for the next two days. There was still space for Philippe’s toiletries bag and computer but he would keep them out until the last possible moment. He checked periodically but there was still no response from Holly after his last email telling her he had managed to get a flight back to the UK on Thursday. He wasn’t worried, she had seemed pretty keen to see him and just because he had now time on his hands it didn’t mean that she was any less busy than usual.

  I’m going to miss this place, he thought, stepping out onto the verandah and drinking in the glorious view. He wondered if the Forresters had reached a decision yet on whether to buy it. There was another three weeks of his rental agreement that he had pre-paid but presumably after that it would be back on the market for sale or rent. He was still a bit annoyed at the way Robert and Rosemary had left without saying goodbye but he was genuinely fond of them so he decided that once he and Holly had spent a bit of time together getting reacquainted, they would all meet up for dinner in London, his treat.

  In a way it was a shame that his editor was pressurising him to get back to London so quickly. It would have been good to use the time for a holiday, maybe even fly Holly over if she could have taken the time off work. Too late now, thought Philippe, my flight is booked.

  The sun was beginning to set and Philippe wandered through to the kitchen to see what he might rustle up for his penultimate dinner in paradise. Delphine hadn’t brought him any fresh fish yet this week and now she wouldn’t need to. She had been really upset when had rung her earlier in the day to tell her he was going home. Philippe liked to think it was more than just the regular income she would miss.

  Even the best chef in the world wouldn’t be able to make a decent dinner out of the contents of this refrigerator, Philippe thought, surveying a couple of bits of cheese and some wilted salad leaves. There weren’t even any eggs to make an omelette. He closed the fridge door and grabbed his car keys. He had decided that he would give the battered old BMW to his friend Billy as a thank you for all the pleasurable morning rides on Helios. He took the road towards Flic en Flac and the Dolphin Bar, already salivating at the thought of all the freshly caught fish options there would be on the menu.

  If he had been ten minutes later leaving he might have seen the email from Holly which would definitely have ruined his appetite.

  The Dolphin Bar was unusually crowded for a Tuesday night with most of the little round tables occupied with three or four people. As Philippe scanned the cramped room looking for a free table he saw an arm frantically waving from the back corner and heard his name being called. He squeezed his way through the warm, perspiring bodies, some reeking of the fish they had landed that day, to find his friend, Billy, sitting at a table with another man who looked vaguely familiar.

  ‘You’ll join us won’t you, Philippe?’

  ‘If you’re sure you and your friend don’t mind I’d be happy to. What’s going on in here tonight? I’ve never seen it so busy midweek.’

  ‘Jacques here has organised some exotic dancers as a thank you to all the lads who risked life and limb saving the fishing boats from sinking in the big storm a couple of weeks ago.’

  Philippe looked bemused.

  ‘You probably didn’t even notice the storm you had your head so deeply buried in your computer. I’m actually quite surprised you found time to take Helios out for his morning rides.’

  Philippe accepted the rebuke good naturedly. ‘I know, I know, I’m always a rubbish friend when I’m busy writing.’

  The other man, Jacques, spoke. ‘Delphine says you have finished your book now and are packing up to leave.’

  At the mention of Delphine’s name the penny dropped. Jacques was Delphine’s brother whom she had introduced him to when he had first arrived in Mauritius. ‘Anything you need, Jacques is your man,’ she had said, but there was something about Jacques that Philippe didn’t like so he had never taken her up on the offer. Philippe suspected that Jacques dealt in drugs and while he wasn’t averse to an occasional joint himself, when he needed to relax, he hated the pushers and dealers that created addicts from the weak-minded.

  He managed a smile. ‘Yes it’s all happened quite quickly really. My publishing company need me back in the UK and I managed to get a flight on Thursday.’

  ‘I hope you’re paying Delphine a month’s notice?’

  Philippe was regretting his decision to join Billy at the table with this odious man but it was too late to change his mind now. Again he forced a smile. ‘Don’t worry, Delphine won’t be short-changed.’

  There was an uncomfortable silence before Billy said, ‘I can’t believe you are going to let me have the car. Are you sure? You could sell it for a decent price, you know.’

  ‘You’ve been a good friend to me Billy, just as Delphine has, and I like to show my appreciation,’ Philippe said pointedly.

  ‘It must be nice to be in a position to be so generous,’ Jacques grinned.

  There’s no winning with this man, Philippe thought, clenching his fist tightly under the table, but he knew from experience not to get into an argument with his type so instead he said pleasantly, ‘Can I get you both a drink?’

  It was a relief to go up to the bar to get the beers and while he was there he ordered himself a shot of whisky, which he downed in one, wincing at the burn on the back of his throat. It’s going to be hard work with Jacques as a dinner companion, he thought, I’m going to need a bit of alcoholic anaesthetic.

  By the time the grilled red snapper arrived, Philippe had been to the bar a further three times, downing a shot of whisky on each visit, so he was now impervious to the constant sniping from Jacques.

  Just before the dancers began their performance Delphine slid into the vacant chair at their table.

  ‘Jacques texted to tell me you were here. Is everything okay?’ she asked anxiously.

  Not for the first time Philippe wondered how these two could possibly be siblings. He raised his glass.

  ‘Better now you are here,’ he slurred as the music started and the scantily clad girls gyrated to the beat.

  Chapter 52

  ‘Are you sure you’ll be all right?’ Robert asked, nervously fiddling with his car keys. He had moved the sofa across the room so that his wife could enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun streaming in through the long open windows from the shelter of the lounge. Although it was early May there was still a chill in the air and the same elevated position that afforded them their glorious view of the Surrey Hills often caught the cooling breeze.

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ Rosemary said. ‘I’ll probably just dose while you are out, or read something on my Kindle.’

  ‘With everything that’s going on I had totally forgotten the car was due its MOT. What a good job we stopped at the village shop
for milk and saw Dave from the garage. If he hadn’t jogged my memory I’d have been driving around blissfully unaware that I was breaking the law.’

  ‘I’ve always said everything happens for a reason. If we hadn’t got talking to Holly in Mauritius I wouldn’t have this trip to Switzerland to look forward too.’

  ‘Rosie, it’s not definitely on, you know, not until we’ve cleared it with Professor Lang anyway.’

  ‘He’ll probably be glad to see the back of me and let’s face it, once this week is over, I wouldn’t be able to have any more of the new treatment for two weeks at least, until they know if it’s really making any difference.’

  Robert turned away. He knew he was a terrible liar and if his wife asked what the professor had been talking to him about that morning he wouldn’t be able to withhold the truth.

  ‘Go on, off you go, Bobby, it’s nearly three o’clock now and Dave squeezed you in as a favour.’

  She didn’t want to sound too keen to get rid of him but she needed some time alone to get on with things before the tiredness, caused by the drugs, kicked in.

  ‘I’ll drop the car off and walk back,’ he said. ‘It’ll only take ten or fifteen minutes.’

  ‘And then you’ll have to walk back and fetch it. You might as well just wait there, it will probably only be half an hour if it passes the test.’

  ‘You’re right of course, you always are. When I get back I’ll make us a nice cup of tea and we can have the scones I bought at the supermarket yesterday. It was just the milk I forgot,’ he said smiling.

  Once the front door had closed behind him Rosemary swung her legs down from the foot stool and stood up carefully. She slowly moved across the room and opened the door to Robert’s office. It was a wonderful light and airy space, again enjoying the magnificent view. His desk and easel were set up at the far end but just inside the door on the left was a smaller desk where Rosemary kept all her papers. She opened the shallow central drawer, above the leg well, and pulled out a large white envelope that had nothing written on it. It was already quite full with smaller envelopes, each printed with the name of her closest friends, two CDs, a larger envelope and a sheet of paper. Her hands were trembling as she read the words that headed the paper:

  Rosemary’s Funeral Service

  Rosemary closed her eyes, remembering the anguish she had felt trying to organise first her mother’s funeral and then her father’s a few months later. Although she had known them all her life, she didn’t really know what their favourite pieces of music were, what reading from the Bible or otherwise they would have chosen, their favourite flowers or even whether they wanted to be cremated or buried. She had felt horribly unprepared and had allowed the funeral directors to make some of the decisions which she later regretted. Robert had been wonderful, helping her to track down friends and relatives, putting an announcement in the local paper and choosing flowers and music but Rosemary decided that when her time came she would have everything planned so that no one else would have to stress over it, particularly not her beloved husband.

  When she was first diagnosed with CML Rosemary had started her secret envelope even though her initial response to the treatment drugs was so promising. Just as well, she thought, looking at the contents strewn on her desktop, I’ve still got things to finish and there’s so little time. She picked up the largest of the envelopes and slid out the correspondence from within. Every line was committed to memory but she wanted to check the details for a final time before shredding the evidence of the real reason she was travelling to Switzerland. It would be difficult enough when they crossed the Swiss border to persuade Robert to change destination from Geneva to Zurich, but she couldn’t risk him getting suspicious by mentioning Zurich at this stage. They had both watched the news recently about an on-going court case regarding the right to die. Rosemary could understand how a change in the law could be misused in certain circumstances, particularly in people with a mental disability or in a vegetative state but it was different for her. She had all her faculties and was making a considered decision. She didn’t want the State interfering in her personal life. It was a relief that Holly would be with them though to back her up as Robert’s views were very different from her own.

  She picked up a fresh sheet of paper and began to write.

  My darling Bobby,

  If you are reading this it is because my plan has worked and I have left this world to wait for you until the time comes when you join me... hopefully that won’t be anytime soon, although I will miss you more than you could ever know. I hope you will understand and forgive me for choosing my own destiny. I wanted to spend my final few hours calmly saying my goodbyes to people I love. You mustn’t blame Holly, she knew nothing of my intentions once we got to Switzerland. As far as she knew it was one of my final wishes to visit the country so she just helped me devise a plan to get you to agree to drive us there. I hope you will comfort each other and that you may be able to help her son Harry, just as if he was the child we were never fortunate enough to have.

  In this envelope you will find letters I have written to my closest friends, explaining why things had to be this way and why I couldn’t tell them my plan. I have also planned my own funeral service, with all the contact numbers you will need and with CDs of the music I would like played.

  I know this will be a difficult time for you, Bobby, but please try and remember how happy we have been together and how lucky we were to be given a second chance. Some people never find their soulmate, the person who makes them feel complete, but I did and for that I am truly grateful.

  This next bit is very difficult for me to write but please believe me when I say I don’t want you to be sad and lonely for the rest of your life. If you meet someone who brings you comfort and makes you feel alive again, don’t let her slip through your fingers because of me.

  I love you, Bobby, and have always loved you since the first night we met but our lives together on this planet have ended and I want you to be happy.

  Rosie xx

  Rosemary could taste the saltiness of her tears as she carefully folded the paper and slipped it into an envelope on which she simply wrote ‘Bobby’. She was about to seal it but that made it feel too final.

  Glancing at her watch she realised that Robert would be back soon. She gathered everything up and slipped it back into the large envelope, apart from the letter from the clinic. She slid the white envelope back into her desk drawer and then shredded the letter before returning to the sofa where Robert found her sleeping peacefully fifteen minutes later.

  Chapter 53

  For the second time in as many days Philippe surfaced with a thundering in his head, his usually cool bedroom feeling oppressively warm and his skin clammy to the touch. I must have been so drunk last night that I forgot to put the air conditioning on when I got in, he thought. For a moment he struggled to remember how he had got home, hoping that his friends hadn’t allowed him to drive in the condition he was in. Then realisation began to dawn on him. This was not his bedroom, this was not his bed, and he had a horrible feeling that he might not be alone. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself by turning over so he tentatively reached his left hand behind him and was met with skin. His hand recoiled as if he had been stung by a bee and the sudden movement disturbed his companion.

  A female voice asked, ‘Are you feeling okay? Do you need the bathroom?’

  Philippe did feel sick but not just because of the alcohol. He recognised the voice as one of the exotic dancers from the previous evening, a petite pretty girl called Candice who Delphine had set him up with on a couple of previous occasions when he had been in need of female company.

  ‘Where are we?’ he asked.

  ‘Upstairs at The Dolphin,’ she replied. ‘Your friend Billy wouldn’t let you drive home in the state you were in so he asked the bar owner, Denis, if you could have a room for the night. Jacques suggested you might want a bit of company,’ she added coyly.

  Philip
pe was not sure who he was more mad at, himself for not being in a position to say he didn’t want female company, or Jacques for suggesting it in the first place. One thing was for sure it was not Candice’s fault, she was a sweet girl and she was just doing her job. He dressed as quickly as his thumping head would allow and reached into his wallet for some rupees which he handed to Candice.

  ‘Will you pay Denis for the room and keep the rest for yourself,’ he said, managing to avoid looking her in the eye, before he grabbed his keys from the chest by the door, where they had been discarded the previous night, and headed down the stairs and out into the blinding brightness of the midday sun. He unlocked his car door and then slumped forward over the steering wheel feeling absolutely wretched. He knew he was probably still not sober enough to drive but he was desperate to get away from the scene of his infidelity. He sat there for at least ten minutes trying to excuse his behaviour. It was Jacques’ fault for being such an obnoxious git that I had to drink so much to get me through the evening, he thought. And it was Jacques that suggested Candice should spend the night with me. And it’s not as though I haven’t slept with Candice before so it’s not really cheating on Holly is it?

  ‘Of course it is you bloody idiot,’ he said out loud, banging the steering wheel with his fist. ‘There’s no one to blame but yourself.’

  Sitting in the car park of the Dolphin Bar in Mauritius, Philippe made himself two promises. He would never drink to excess again and he would never be unfaithful to Holly again. He had fallen in love for the first time in his life and he didn’t want to mess it up. He decided not to tell Holly about his indiscretion because what would be gained by her knowing? he reasoned. She would be hurt unnecessarily and that was the last thing he wanted to do.