by Karen Aldous
Angus’s eyes searched her in panic.
‘Yes, quickly go. I’ll go back in with the client.’ She watched as he ran down the stairs and then returned to the room.
‘I’m so sorry but I’m afraid it’s an emergency.’ Lizzie ambled over looking at the client and then at Angus’s assistant.
‘Well, I’m finishing with Laura now. I’m just massaging in the filler but Angus is finished.’
Lizzie smiled. ‘That is a relief at least. I’m sure he’ll pop back in if he can. Are you happy with it, Laura?’
‘Absolutely fine. Yes. I hope everything’s OK?’
Lizzie grimaced and said, ‘Well, I’ll go and see. As long as you’re OK.’ She raced back down to her desk.
Angus held the phone whilst tapping his other hand on the surface of the desk. It was the first time she’d recalled the light missing from his eyes.
‘The ambulance has arrived,’ he told her. ‘I’m just waiting for the paramedic to come back to me, he’s looking at her now.’
‘Oh, goodness,’ she gasped then detected his eyes welled with tears. She reached for his arm and clutched it. Immediately grave memories returned of her own experience last year when she hadn’t a clue about her own mother’s condition. She took a deep breath. God knows what he must be going through. His mother must be seriously ill to have the paramedics there. She heard him swallow and peered back at his troubled face as he waited.
‘She had been to the doctor a few days ago and is on antibiotics but, clearly, they’re not working. God, she should know better than to leave it this long. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s pneumonia. She’s so bloody stubborn and won’t listen.’
She rubbed his arm gently. Not knowing was the worst. ‘I’m sure she’s in good hands now. She sounds like a strong woman.’
It was several minutes before the paramedic returned. Lizzie could almost feel his anguish but she couldn’t leave him. As he held the phone in one hand, he wrenched the other arm to his head, scratching hard.
‘Yes, yes. I’m here…Right… Shh… Hmm. I guessed. Tell her I’m on my way. I’ll get there as soon as I can.’ He paused as if trying to gather his thoughts. ‘And tell her I love her and, and stay strong.’
As Angus put the phone down Lizzie wasn’t sure whether to catch him. He looked ready to fall. ‘Sit down for a minute. I’ll pull over another chair and get us a coffee.’ She picked the phone back up and rang reception. ‘Lucie, could someone bring two coffees to my desk. Bring some sugar too. Please.’
‘Oh, Lizzie, sorry. I put that weird person through earlier. Whoever it was had rung a few times and I put the phone down twice. Was it a heavy breather? The phones were going and…’
‘I’ll explain later, Lucie.’
Pulling over the only spare stool, Angus had done as he was told and she sat beside him.
‘Let’s look for a flight,’ she said taking the mouse and turning the keyboard and screen towards her.
Angus looked down at his knees and then rubbed his hands on them. His chest enlarged and he let out a large sigh.
‘I can’t believe it. She’s never been ill in her life. It’s serious. Her chest doesn’t sound good. They’re taking her straight down for x-ray. They suspect pneumonia.’
‘Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that. She is fit otherwise though?’
‘As far as I know.’
Lizzie stepped to one side of the computer. ‘Actually, you would be better searching for a flight. You know where you’re going.’
Angus perched on her chair. ‘Look, I’m sorry, this leaves you…’
‘Angus, don’t even go there. We’ll sort something out. In fact, you just get yourself back to your mum. I’ll go and see Josephine now and find out what’s what.’
‘Thank you. I appreciate that.’ Angus turned the screen and keyboard back to face him.
Lucie arrived with coffees and Lizzie took one from her and placed it on the desk, then took the sugar and spoon, placing it beside the cup.
‘Just in case.’
Angus waved, managing half a smile. ‘No. It took me long enough to give it up.’
‘What you mean is, you’re sweet enough,’ Lizzie said feeling her cheeks blush.
She could kick herself. He probably thought she was flirting, and it certainly wasn’t the appropriate time. She did feel a strong empathy for him though. She was sure he said he was the only child. And his mother never married. It would be difficult for him to have to cope with things alone. Was it so wrong to make him feel someone was on his side and cared? She raced out to reception.
She and Josephine were going through both Angus and Sophie’s schedules as Angus appeared in reception. ‘OK. We can squeeze a few in with Sophie over the next few days and some for next week so don’t worry. Josephine is going to make some calls. Come on, I’ll walk with you to your car. Presumably, you’ll go home first?’
‘I can stay until…’
‘No. You have enough to worry about. You won’t be able to concentrate.’
Angus lowered his head. ‘Aye. I’ll grab some clothes and my passport. The flight’s at five-ten.’
‘Oh, brilliant. Well,’ Lizzie said, opening the door and stepping into the street, ‘don’t worry about what’s going on here. The rush will be off in a few days.’
‘I enjoy working here. Thank you.’
Lizzie felt a lump in her throat almost like they were saying final goodbyes. ‘You will stay in touch though won’t you? I’m not sure what the summer is going to bring but if Sophie needs help, we would love you to stay, but I can’t promise anything.’
‘No. I realise that and it would be great if you do, but I’ll manage. I always do. It’s about time I sorted something out more permanently anyway.’
‘At least you’ve got to see a bit of the world working in different places.’
‘Aye. Here, my car’s just up here,’ he said pointing to the road they were approaching.
Lizzie squeezed his arm. ‘Well it’s been a pleasure and…’
As she momentarily glanced up, she whipped her hand down. Her heart lurched.
Chapter 30
‘Hi.’ Cal sidestepped, hesitated, and continued, his chest thumping with shock and yearning. What the fuck? Why did I say Hi? He suddenly felt dizzy. They’d certainly looked rather loved up. Oh, you fool! All the while she was accusing him and here it was, before his very eyes. She was the one playing away; looking for someone to blame. He shuddered, expletives stringing in his mind. It hadn’t occurred to him another man would be involved. She was totally convincing. And she’d made time for him. You stupid fool!
‘Cal.’
He hastened his pace almost skipping through the shoppers. He could hear her shoes clacking faster.
‘Cal. Stop. Please.’
Did she really think he was going to stop? He wished he’d now taken the other route. He was at least slightly happy and, if he had hoped to bump into her, it was to catch a longed-for glimpse not make a sordid discovery.
Suddenly, her voice sang out behind him. Then she was beside him.
‘I know what you’re thinking and I can assure you, it’s not. I don’t want you thinking I would ever do anything like that. He’s just heard his mother is ill. He’s just off to Edinburgh now. He’s going home to get his things and going to the airport.’
She was sounding desperate now. He maintained a speedy pace and turned off before the salon towards the sea front.
Lizzie slowed. ‘Oh why would you care?’
He continued realising she had stopped and was standing on the corner watching him, probably going to return to the salon. He wasn’t going to turn around. He really didn’t know what to think. Was she usually so tactile? She was holding his arm. That hurt.
As he arrived back at Charles’s apartment, he took one look at the kitchen sink and shook his head. The girls living here were not the most domesticated. He would leave it. Twice he’d cleared away after them. He filled up the kettle and
turned it on. He then turned it off and checked the coffee machine, opting for something stronger. That was empty. He filled up the water canister on the coffee machine and switched it on. Grabbing a clean mug, two coffee pods, a brown and a white latte, he made his drink. He gave it a stir and carried it to the table. He opened up the bag he’d carried from his favourite patisserie, the one by Lizzie’s apartment, and pulled out the pastries. He then pushed them back in.
His phone woke him from his trance. It was still on vibrate but he stared at it for a moment. It wasn’t Lizzie. He looked closer. It was the auctioneer.
‘Mr McLaren, I’m sorry. We have checked and the items, it seems, were stolen ten years ago. We have informed the police who will inform the owners.’
‘It doesn’t surprise me,’ Cal said. ‘There were some rare items I understand. It will be disappointing for the two boys who found them, but I will let them know.’
There was a clearing of the throat from the auctioneer before he spoke. ‘We won’t know the outcome until the police have completed further investigations, but of course I have their names on record, should the owner be generous enough to offer them a reward.’
‘Thank you.’ Cal finished the call knowing how disappointed Jack would be. The boy had already got carried away picturing himself, he’d said, driving a Ferrari. Maybe he should have served him a severer warning instead of allowing him to get his hopes up.
He wasn’t in any state of mind to think about that now. In fact his motivation to do anything had sunk to new depths this past week. After all those months of trying to keep Jack’s spirits afloat, not once had he lost hope like he had since his fight with Lizzie. He had considered going to speak to her on Sunday after taking Jack to the Monaco Grand Prix and, knowing Lizzie would have closed the salon, but seeing her with Angus, had certainly knocked him, even if, as she’d declared, there was nothing going on between them. She’d been quick to assert that misunderstanding. And had taken the trouble to run after him in the street. Did that mean she had given more thought to her suspicions and accusations? Would it actually be worth speaking to her when her crazy hours died down? He had missed her of course, but if she couldn’t get over her trust issues, how could she hope to sustain a relationship? He needed someone who could give him the support and stability he considered paramount in a relationship. Checking the time, he closed his eyes. It made no sense to go to Domaine Margot at all now. He hadn’t renovated the house just for himself. Its sole purpose was to share with Lizzie and Thierry, Jack would be a plus but, he’d only wanted the vineyard originally. The villa turned out to be a bonus when he’d fallen in love with Lizzie and saw a future with her and Thierry. What would be the point now? He supposed the sensible thing would be to sell the house and keep the vines; buy an apartment in town for him and Jack. Breezing a sigh, Cal sat forward and, getting to his feet, he picked up his gilet from the hook and the bag of pastries and drove up the hills to Domaine Margot.
Lizzie waited for a while and watched him head she presumed back to Charles’s apartment. She turned and walked slowly back to the salon, her face beading with sweat. It had been a long time since she had exerted herself and it simply wasn’t the ideal temperature, being thirty degrees. Her chest was still pounding. Just seeing Cal again had kicked her heart into a violent spin. What she wanted to know was, had he ignored her because she was with Angus and suspected they were an item, or would he have ignored her anyway? He was obviously pissed, she swore he’d seen her squeeze Angus’s arm. Of course he would jump to the wrong conclusion. They probably looked very close, and she couldn’t blame him. One thing she knew for sure however was she still loved him. He still managed to take her breath away. Had she not been with Angus, she felt she would have spoken to him. Maybe she would have given him the opportunity to explain. That much she owed him. She realised that now.
In fact, since that night, she’d found herself calmer. Just knowing he wasn’t physically in Kelly’s presence had given her peace of mind. She was actually thinking more rationally. She’d even thought about ringing him a few times. She stepped into the salon.
‘Oh, Lizzie. I’ve just heard. Josephine just told me Angus’s mother is sick.’ Sophie looked concerned. ‘How is he?’
‘Shocked.’ I just hope he’s OK driving. Well, I was going to ask but got distracted.’
‘Yes, you look distracted, and hot! In fact, you look like you’ve been in a sauna,’ Sophie mocked. ‘So, very quickly, I’ve another client, what’s wrong with his mother?’
‘Oh, chest infection which they think may have turned to pneumonia. The ambulance took her to hospital about half an hour ago. They’ll x-ray her.’
Sophie raised her eyebrows as her jaw slid to one side. ‘Oh, poor thing. And, what a shame it’s ruined her trip. Let’s hope she’s OK. Anyway, I must go. I’ll see you later.’ She turned at the door. ‘If any of Angus’s patients become difficult, I can stay on a bit later. It’s only a few days now.’
‘Thanks, Sophie,’ Lizzie said tilting her head, and then threw her second used cup in the waste-paper bin. She strode back over to the reception desk. ‘Lucie, could you let me have Angus’s mobile number? I’ll put it in my phone and call him later.’
‘Yes, it will be on here,’ Lucie responded searching on the computer system and writing it on a card. ‘And you’ll want this.’ She handed Lizzie a sheet containing a list. ‘Those crossed off, Josephine has dealt with.’
Lizzie feigned a laugh. ‘Business as usual then. Thank you. I can’t wait for next week.’
‘I know, my hair desperately needs doing.’ Lucie pulled at her roots.
Lizzie nodded her head in agreement. ‘Only a few days.’ And, she reminded herself, then she would have her mother and Michael arriving. She just hoped she would have her energy back. It would be lovely to see her, and she couldn’t wait to see her face when she discovered her surprise.
After another long, stressful day, she reached her apartment and ran a bath. Her skin was still feeling dry and salty from earlier and, with Thierry in bed again, she felt she could afford herself some indulgence. Stripped naked, the evidence bared just how much she had neglected her body. Her beauty routine had been non-existent. She was filling out a bit now after losing all the weight, but she would need to book in for waxing, nails, hair, definitely a head and shoulder massage. She often wondered how most people managed to pay for all their treatments. Maybe, she thought, she could put together a holiday package for the summer. Five for the price of three. Stop stop! She needed to switch off from business and think about more important things. She must ring Angus.
As she strolled out of her bedroom in her robe, relaxed, she found Marie-Claire lounging on the sofa, reading.
‘How are you and Thierry today?’
Marie-Claire sat up and placed her bookmark between her pages. ‘He was good. We walked along and met Jack after his college and took Thierry to the park.’
‘Oh lovely. How is Jack?’
‘His French is getting very good.’
‘Sorry, you’re not getting to see Patric much with me working late.’
Marie-Claire scrunched up her face. ‘I don’t see him much now anyway. He’s had exams and, well, I think we are drifting apart.’
‘Oh, Marie-Claire. You seemed so happy together.’
‘I don’t think he likes Jack very much and I like hanging out with Jack. He’s fun.’
‘Ah.’ Lizzie adjusted the towel on her head and held her tongue. She didn’t feel qualified to pass judgement on jealousy. ‘Difficult.’ Neither did she wish to encourage her with Jack. She was three years his senior and she had no idea how Cal would react to them becoming close.
‘Jack was very disappointed about those antiques being stolen and having to be returned to the family, but he is looking forward to next week. He will be part-time for the next two weeks and hopes to return to the salon a few afternoons. He is going to ask you.’
Lizzie nodded her approval. ‘OK, good, I ha
ven’t seen him but he’s more than welcome. Ah, well. I should check with Sophie. Angus has flown back to Scotland to visit his sick mother. I’ll speak to her tomorrow.’
Marie-Claire ran her tiny fingers along her chin. ‘Apparently his mother has found him a good school in England. She is going to move there. Near London.’
‘Oh.’ Lizzie perched on an armchair on the other side of the coffee table. ‘How does Jack feel about that?’
Marie-Claire looked down at her fingernails and began inspecting them. She then shrugged, giving Lizzie the impression she was getting upset. ‘He doesn’t know what to go. I told him the schools were good here and he should look at them. He says he will.’
Lizzie rushed over to Marie-Clair and, in a motherly fashion, gently rubbed her shoulder. ‘I’m sure his father will help him. Maybe when he finishes his French course, he will take him.’
‘His gran has given him the name of the Principal she knows at a good school. I think he feels his father is busy and hasn’t got time.’
‘No, of course Cal would want to help, like his gran. He wants him to stay here in Cannes. I know he’s really enjoyed his company and getting to know him. You must let him know that. I’m sure Cal will go with him to explore schools as soon as Jack has time. Maybe he should put off coming to the salon for a couple of weeks and visit some schools instead. He has plenty of opportunity in the summer to spend time at the clinic. Has he spoken to Cal about it?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Marie-Claire shifted in her seat again, folding her legs under her. ‘I’m guessing here, but does he get on with his mother?’
‘I don’t really know.’
Marie-Claire looked up and smiled. ‘I think he likes the idea of going to London but he doesn’t want to be with his mother.’
Strange that, Lizzie thought. Cal also seemed to think there was a rift between Jack and Kelly. She felt the urge to ring him. It was tragic that Jack felt Cal had no time particularly when he’d gone to so much trouble to see Jack through all his scrapes. Maybe Cal hadn’t spent much time with him this week. She wondered if Cal was now so convinced Jack was eager to stay, he wasn’t paying too much attention to the detail. Which wasn’t like him. She pondered for a few moments. No, she would only be meddling. Perhaps he wanted him to make his own mind up. An image of Cal’s handsome face when she saw him this morning flashed through her mind. Her muscles tensed though as she thought of what he must have seen.
