The Riviera

by Karen Aldous

  ‘Yes, really cool.’

  ‘We have a new male grooming section you’re welcome to try out,’ Lizzie told him.

  ‘Not sure I’m…’

  ‘Oh, you’ll love it. We’ve got some really great guys in who do this all the time. They’ll make you comfortable. Live a little,’ Lizzie added.

  As they strode around the harbour, Jack began relaying his knowledge of the various yachts and cruisers moored along the quaysides. Thierry was then asking ‘why’ and being a typical three-year-old which made them all squeal with laughter as Jack struggled to answer him.

  Then Cal caught sight of a figure clutching crutches and resting on one side of the stern of a large cruiser. His chest tightened and the tension must have shot down his arm.

  ‘What’s the…’ Lizzie had obviously caught sight of him too. ‘Oh, shit,’ she whispered.

  Anton, in his white jeans and blue silk shirt, was looking down at his phone. Cal and Lizzie continued, Cal noting that Anton’s head had a noticeable scar with very short, dark cropped hair. He just prayed, as he was sure Lizzie was, that he didn’t look up. He couldn’t believe the fear this man was allowing him to feel. He quickly calibrated his emotions, a trick his time in the navy had taught him. From his periphery vision, Anton’s head nodded as though he was looking up. No reaction was good, Cal thought. Cal checked behind him for Thierry and Jack who were still chatting and not as close as he’d like. As they skulked past, Cal felt Anton’s eyes grip them. A strange sound emerged, signifying they’d hit his radar.

  ‘I think he’s calling me,’ Lizzie whispered with her head down. ‘I can’t just ignore him.’

  ‘Best if you do.’

  ‘I can’t.’

  ‘OK,’ Cal said with a squint. ‘I’ll walk along and wait just there. You just remind him he’s relinquished any legal rights, keep it brief.’

  Lizzie took a few moments as the boys passed her by. She gazed across to Anton and Cal stopped with the boys a few feet away. She took a few steps forward as Anton filed his phone in his pocket and took a step on his crutch.

  Lizzie reached up and secured her handbag strap on her shoulder and kept it clasped in her other hand. ‘I’ve nothing to say, Anton, and you’ve nothing to tell me. I’m sorry what happened to you but only you controlled that.’

  ‘I…I…I,’ he swallowed, ‘wa…was m…m…mad. I…I…’ His mouth twisted as Lizzie kept her focus.

  Cal could feel the frustration her ex was projecting in communicating but he didn’t sense any threat.

  Anton continued, ‘Am s…s…s…sorr..ry. T..Th…ierry,’ he wiped dripping saliva from his mouth and waved his hand, ‘i…it’s ff…f..fin…ish.’

  Lizzie changed the weight on her leg and caught hold of her strap again. ‘So you are saying you are sorry?’

  Anton nodded. ‘Y…yes.’

  ‘And that you’ve finished trying to claim him or cause any further threat to me and Thierry?’

  He nodded again. ‘Y…y…yes.’

  ‘Well, we have legal paperwork to confirm you and your family relinquished any further custody pursuit. And just for the record if your family were worried, I was never going to try and claim anything for him. I mean if you’d have d…ied. I was only trying to get on with my life in the best way I could with my son’s best interest at heart. I hope you will always understand that.’

  Anton scratched his head and nodded. ‘Y…yes.’

  ‘Good.’

  Cal watched her chest rise as she took a deep breath and blew out all her relief.

  ‘I’m glad we had this meeting, and I hope you manage a full recovery.’

  Cal sensed her discomfort but glimpsed a genuineness in this transformed man before her. Her lips widened sending him a warm smile.

  ‘Ciao, Anton.’

  Lizzie stepped away, appearing confused, and joined Cal who reached for her hand. The boys were still talking boats. She took another deep breath and then looked ahead of her. They’d walked several paces before she spoke.

  ‘Well, that was strange. I was not expecting that,’ she said and a huge grin spread over her face. ‘Did you hear all that?’

  Cal squeezed her hand. ‘I did and I bet you are walking on air right now.’

  ‘Oh my God, I want to run and skip and dance and, oh wow. I want to scream. I can’t believe that just happened.’ Lizzie’s voice had just discovered a new pitch.

  ‘Neither can I,’ Cal agreed. ‘I really want to grab you and hug you right now but I won’t. Let’s get out of his sight.’

  ‘Those few words have made such a difference. Why didn’t he write to me and apologise?’

  ‘Maybe he hadn’t got around to it and seeing you gave him the opportunity. Maybe he can’t write yet?’

  ‘True, but someone could have written it for him.’

  ‘I shouldn’t worry. It’s said. It’s given you both closure which is more than you could have ever wished for.’

  Cal was also hugely relieved. Quite unexpected and, although legally Anton and his family had relinquished any claim to Thierry, it was good to hear closure. Cal could only assume that the man who had discovered his son only last year, with a mission beyond obsessive to abduct him, had finally come to his senses. He did suspect too, as Lizzie had pointed out to Anton, the family may have panicked in case their son did pass away. They must have feared as Anton’s son, Thierry would be entitled to a large portion of their hotel empire. Clearly, this was more about their wealth and they had obviously persuaded Anton too.

  Leaving the harbour they crossed the road and, taking the lane up the cobbled path to old Cannes, Cal turned to Lizzie and grabbed her waist, thrusting her into the air. As he put her feet back on the ground they jumped and both began punching the air. Jack peered at Cal with his mouth aghast and Thierry leaped about joining in the fun.

  ‘Guys, should I ask?’ Jack blushed, abashed.

  Cal reached out and waved him close leaving Lizzie to dance with Thierry in a circle. ‘We’ve just heard some terrific news,’ he told him levering him closer with his arm round his shoulder. ‘We’ll stop for a drink up the hill and all will be revealed. In fact, you can join me in a beer. Just one mind.’

  ‘Oh cool.’

  The cafes and restaurants along the winding narrow streets at Le Suquet were filled, a sure sign it was holiday season, with visitors savouring local wines, beers or coffee and just relaxing in the warmth of the late-afternoon air. After a stroll up to admire the towers of the Chapel of St Anne and the Château de la Castre, they climbed to the top of the tower. With clear skies, and the sun low and now shimmering on the sea, their timing couldn’t have been better.

  ‘Wow, that’s pretty amazing,’ Jack smiled.

  Lizzie lifted Thierry beside him. ‘I love it up here. Not that I get much time to wander but yes, it is spectacular. That’s the old port and the bay.’

  Cal stepped beside her and clutched her tiny waist with his arm making her jolt and almost lose balance. He grabbed her shoulder and Thierry at once.

  ‘Oooph, nearly!’

  ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to knock you off your feet.’

  Lizzie lashed tormenting eyes his way which instantly shunted his loins. ‘You did that some time ago, I didn’t hear an apology then,’ she gurgled in jest, pinching his behind.

  Cal slid closer brushing his lips on her hair. ‘And you won’t. Best thing I ever did. And I made a promise if you remember. The evening overlooking the bay of Villefranche on the terrace. I told you we could…’

  ‘…watch many more sunsets together. Of course I do. That sealed the deal for me.’ She turned and swept her lips briefly to his, eyeing him eagerly. She bit her lip. ‘Am I the only girl you make promises to?’

  ‘Just you. I don’t know any others.’

  Tilting her head and widening her eyes as she gazed at his, she asked, ‘None? What about exes? You must have made promises to them at some stage of your relationships.’

  Cal frowned. ‘Definit
ely not exes,’ he said squeezing her shoulder. He guessed what she was getting at. ‘OK, when I was young and thought I was in love. I am a grown man now and, believe me, there’s a big difference.’

  Lizzie was thoughtful for a moment. Again, he whispered in her ear, ‘You have nothing to worry about.’

  Yet, he thought. Inside, his guilt was beginning to rise. He would have to tell her soon. It just wouldn’t be fair on her to leave it long either. He would pick his moment.

  ‘OK, refreshment time. Who wants ice cream?’ Cal cheered.

  ‘Ice cream,’ Thierry echoed.

  Lizzie put him down and he ran straight to Jack. ‘I want strawberry and chocolate ice cream,’ he told him as they climbed back down the tower.

  Cal took Lizzie’s hand. ‘Is it ice cream for you?’

  She scrunched her nose. ‘I was thinking a lovely cool glass of rosé would go down a treat right now. It’s feeling like a summer evening.’

  ‘A cool glass of rosé it is then.’

  Keeping hold of Thierry’s hand, Jack swung round his head. ‘And I’m looking forward to my beer.’

  Sitting down outside the bustling St Antoine, the first item ordered was an ice cream desert for Thierry as they’d failed to pass any ice cream parlours. So as drinks were ordered, Cal quickly explained to Jack why he and Lizzie were jumping for joy.

  ‘Great result, Lizzie,’ Jack said as the ice cream and drinks arrived.

  ‘Yes, time to celebrate,’ Lizzie said, picking up her glass.

  Cal and Jack raised their glasses to Lizzie ‘Santé,’ Cal said.

  ‘Yes, santé.’ Jack sat back in his chair. ‘Sounds like you can now have a stress-free life.’

  ‘At last.’ Lizzie stamped her feet and wriggled in her chair.

  Cal scratched his head. Not a good time now, Cal.

  Chapter 15

  With Cal and Jack visiting Charles at his apartment, Lizzie returned to hers wrestling with a protesting Thierry. This was the downside of having Jack around, she was discovering, trying to settle Thierry in his bed. He was constantly asking for Jack to read him his story and even his bath hadn’t soothed him. It was a story about Jack and his magic boat which finally got him drifting off. No pictures to look at, just a spontaneous creation from her head so she’d surprised herself too.

  As soon as he was asleep, she checked her emails. Still nothing helpful coming back from those she had sent out seeking Annie Rolf. There did however seem to be many emails from companies who were offering to help for a month’s free trial or a starter fee. The problem was they all seemed to be preying on her like time-share salesmen. That didn’t give her much confidence. If she was to hire someone, she decided, she would need to carry out further research. She browsed through some links realising what she really needed was time. Something she hadn’t managed to find since she’d returned from her mother’s, and now, with Cal and Jack home, it was unlikely to materialise. As one of the links took her to a site with a forum, she began reading through. It was one she’d not come across. Nothing relevant or of use to her but the contributors were speaking about an individual lost and found in that area.

  She composed her own plea as she had done on a few other forums whilst in England. And browsing on some links located two more forums and did the same. She checked her watch. Cal and Jack were due back from Charles’s soon.

  Opening her diary, she ticked off “check emails” from her to do list. Why she had it on there, she had no idea. She would check them every day regardless. Also on her list was to ring Annatia. Shit. It was gone ten o’clock. It would be so rude to ring her now. She unlocked her phone and wrote a text in the hope Annatia wouldn’t be offended. She pressed send then returned to her laptop. She closed it down. The apartment suddenly seemed desolate. With Marie-Claire out with her boyfriend several times a week lately, she’d often found herself alone. She tucked the laptop into a drawer and was surprised to hear her phone ping. It was Annatia. She couldn’t do eleven but she could be at Cal’s villa around twelve to twelve-thirty. Lizzie immediately texted back “Perfect”. Although, if they didn’t get back for two, Thierry would be late for his nursery. Lizzie went into her en-suite and ran the shower. Again, her attention turned to Cal. She couldn’t wait to curl up with him.

  Cal and Jack came in in good spirits considering the hours they had been awake. And Lizzie was relieved that Jack had gone straight to bed. She was keen to have Cal to herself for a while. And it felt so good to be back in his arms and making love again. He was soon ready to sleep however. Not surprising! Feeling too blissful for sleep and resting her arm on her pillow, Lizzie couldn’t help but admire his dark lashes fall into mindless slumber. He was so attentive and loving, she couldn’t imagine why she was being so suspicious. Was it a woman’s intuition? Why had she felt so insecure? She’d never imagined herself to be the jealous type. Maybe it was just caring about, and falling for someone so much, you were so scared to lose them.

  Yes, she had been humiliated and betrayed by Hugo and Anton. Wasn’t that one of the reasons she kept her distance from men; even Cal? It had taken her a long time to discover she could trust him, so now that her heart had invested so heavily in someone who was so right, for her and for Thierry, the fear of losing him felt titanic. Still, she reminded herself, he was here and beside her now. And it excited her he would be back for good. With only one quick trip back with Jack he would soon return, and be miles from Kelly’s grip.

  Cal and Jack didn’t emerge until just after ten o’clock the next morning. Cal was up first and woke Jack who was ambling into the room in just his pyjama bottoms. Lizzie placed two plates of fresh pastries she had collected from the patisserie earlier.

  ‘Morning, Jack. I think you’ve done well. Don’t rush around,’ she told them. ‘I’ll text Jean-Luc now, before he leaves and tell him to make it twelve. Annatia will be there a little later anyway.’

  ‘Well, I don’t want to mess him about.’ Cal gulped a mouthful of orange juice.

  ‘You won’t, he can nip off jobs at any time,’ Lizzie said picking up her phone.

  Jack asked rubbing his eyes as he sat at the table, ‘Do I have to come to this house? I’d rather stay here.’

  Heading back to the kitchen, Lizzie turned to witness Cal’s face gripped with disbelief.

  ‘This will be our new home, surely you want to come along and see it? OK, it’s not much at the moment but I’d like you to come along. And to see the new vineyard.’

  Jack rolled his tired head and hurled a yawn. ‘I was going to talk on Skype to Robbie again. He was telling me last night he got his place at uni in London when I Skyped him on Charlie’s computer.’

  Cal lifted his elbow to the table and sunk his head in his hand. ‘I did say we’d take this one step at a time remember, Jack. Once we…you have finished school. There’ll be plenty of time for that then. Call him before we go but keep it brief, yeah?’

  Jack stared blankly at his father like he’d just spoken in Japanese.

  ‘Please, Jack?’ Cal said raising his eyebrows.

  ‘I only want to talk with him about it. What’s wrong with that?’

  ‘Because now is not the time. Like I said. We’ll discuss it later.’

  Lizzie almost tripped over the tension as she breezed to the table with cups in her hand. ‘Coffee, Jack?’ she asked.

  Jack whipped his head from his father to Lizzie. ‘No thanks. I’m off to my room,’ he said grabbing a savoury pastry and spinning on his heel.

  ‘Jack, sit at the table and eat that,’ Cal demanded but Jack just threw it on the plate and marched back off.

  ‘Jack.’ Cal dashed after him.

  Lizzie had never seen Cal’s son behave badly before. All the time they were in Nantucket he’d been well mannered, balanced and pretty cheerful. She peered over to Thierry at the coffee table who suddenly glanced up. He’d been engrossed in his toys.

  ‘Where’s Jack, Mummy?’

  ‘He won’t be long, darling. He
’ll be out soon,’ she said which seemed to appease him. He continued playing.

  Lizzie overheard Cal in the bedroom.

  ‘OK. So you’ve got my attention. Now explain,’ she heard him say. Then she heard the door close.

  Jack was obviously still keen to go to London. Just when she’d imagined he was being swayed to move to France. Cal’s hard work had been dismissed and influenced by one Skype session. Such a shame. Jack really liked the city of Cannes yesterday. Now she wondered what would happen to their plans today. Would they still go along to the vineyard? She should have gone along to the salon first thing this morning instead of putting it off until this afternoon. Still, at least she could introduce Cal to Angus, and would see Sophie before she left for her trip tomorrow. Whilst she waited for Cal and Jack she pulled out her laptop from the drawer and collected her coffee, sitting close to where Thierry was playing. Again she checked her emails and began looking at the forums when she heard a phone ping with what sounded like a WhatsApp. Was that her phone?

  She raced across to the table again and unlocked her phone. There were no messages. Picking up Cal’s, she hesitated. Should she check? Yes, what if Rose was in trouble, she reasoned, and swiped his and opened the message. As soon as she saw the name, a bitter taste stung her tongue.

  Hi Cal, couldn’t sleep and was thinking of you guys. How is Jack? I got your msg. Glad to hear Jack’s enjoying Cannes. Think I would too, pretty cold here. Miss you guys. I’m here if you need me. Love to you both and, say hi to Lizzie and Thierry. Xx

  Lizzie pressed back and replaced the phone on the table. Oh, love to you too! Nothing urgent, she concluded sauntering back to the sofa. And Rose isn’t in any trouble. It seemed Jack hadn’t got a phone, otherwise she would have texted him.

  ‘That looks fun, sweetheart,’ she said to Thierry as he sat his Superman on a motorbike. ‘Is he off anywhere nice?’

  ‘He’s going to get an ice cream,’ Thierry said. ‘He wants chocolate.’

  Lizzie laughed then rotated her head as she heard the bedroom door open. Cal was speaking. ‘So, have a shower and get dressed then,’ he said to Jack. ‘See you in a while.’