Villa of Sun and Secrets

by Jennifer Bohnet

  Josette wasn’t bitter, but Carla realised Amelia had been. With due cause, as Carla now knew. Losing Bobby, a beloved son, and unable to have more children was reason enough to make any woman bitter. But as a little girl she’d naturally loved her mummy without question and taken for granted the love shown her in return. Until one day she realised the love had become one-sided – Amelia had changed towards her.

  She’d wanted a birthday party… it had to have been her ninth birthday, the one before her grandmother had died. Amelia had refused outright to organise one for her, telling her, however many tantrums she threw and however much she sulked, it wouldn’t make any difference and there would be no more parties. Carla remembered crying to Robert, but he’d been unable to make Amelia change her mind.

  On the day, he’d taken her and a friend to the zoo, followed by a pizza in town. She’d enjoyed every minute of it and had told Amelia so when she’d got home. ‘I’ve had a lovely day with Daddy. I’m glad you didn’t come with us. You’d have spoilt it.’ Amelia had glared at her tight-lipped before turning away with an almost indiscernible shrug.

  Looking back on it now, forty-one years later, Carla realised that particular birthday had been the turning point of her relationship with the woman she’d called Mother all her life. It was the beginning of never being able to do anything right however hard she tried and coincided with what Josette had told her about the funeral weekend.

  Josette saying that Amelia had promised they would tell her the truth together when she was old enough raised the question, why had Amelia changed her mind? Josette must have been upset by her twin’s behaviour towards her and hurt beyond measure, being forbidden to tell Carla the truth, as she’d been promised. Once again the position she’d found herself in must have been unbelievably hard. No wonder she’d come up with the ‘emergency only’ contact ploy to try and keep Carla at a distance when she longed to tell her who she really was.

  Deep in her thoughts, Carla had paid no attention to where she was walking and was startled when a woman jogging bumped into her, calling out a polite ‘Desolé’ as she carried on without stopping. Looking around, Carla was surprised to find herself near the small cafe where she’d first met Bruno. She hadn’t realised she’d come so far. Turning, she began to walk in the direction of Villa Mimosa. Time to go home and try to come to terms with the whole story of her birth.

  After Carla left, Josette splashed her face with some cold water in an effort to try and calm the redness and puffiness the tears of the morning had caused. A swift glance at her watch told her if she didn’t hurry she was going to be late meeting Gordon.

  He’d phoned her a couple of times since their night together, checking how she was and apologising that he was having to go away for a couple of days but he’d meet her in their usual place for lunch today. Quickly, she tidied her hair back into its customary neat chignon, a quick spray of perfume and she was ready.

  Gordon was already sitting at the table that was fast becoming ‘their’ table in the restaurant when she arrived.

  ‘I’ve really missed you for the last few days,’ she said, smiling at him, as he stood up to greet her with a kiss. ‘I’m so glad you’re back.’

  ‘I’ve ordered us a couple of aperitifs. I hope that’s all right? You okay?’ Gordon asked. ‘You look…’

  ‘Tired? Washed out? I am a bit,’ Josette admitted. ‘Last week I had an unexpected letter and then, this morning, Carla came to see me.’

  ‘Who did the letter from Italy turn out to be from?’ Gordon said.

  ‘How did you know it came from Italy?’ Josette asked, certain she’d not mentioned the letter to Gordon before.

  ‘Carla told me. She talked to me before I went away about you being her mother – she wanted to ask if I knew more than she did. Which, of course, I don’t,’ he said. ‘I’m glad you’ve talked to each other.’

  ‘At least she knows the truth about how it happened. How easy she will find it to accept and forgive remains to be seen.’ Josette sighed. ‘I can only wait and hope we can build a new relationship.’

  Gordon took hold of her hand. ‘Sometimes the things one dreads the most turn out to be blips – large blips maybe, but blips in the scheme of things. Give it a few weeks and I’m sure you’ll be surprised how far you and Carla have progressed along the mother–daughter relationship road to recovery. Together you’ll find a way through.’

  Josette smiled at him, grateful for his support and inwardly praying he was right. ‘As for the Italian letter. It was from an old friend, Mario Grimaud. A relation of Bruno’s. We lost touch years ago and he’d like to meet up. I haven’t replied yet.’

  ‘Why not?’

  Josette was silent for several seconds before saying quietly, ‘Because Mario is my “l’esprit d’escalier”. The ghost on the stairs of my life.’ She looked at Gordon. ‘For the moment, at least, I think it’s best if he stays there. Things are complicated enough.’ She picked up a piece of bread from the basket on the table and pulled a piece off. ‘I will write to him eventually. I can’t be rude and ignore it. Especially as coincidentally, Carla and Bruno seem to have struck up a friendship.’

  The waiter arrived at that moment with their aperitifs and to take their food order.

  Once they were alone again, Josette said, ‘So tell me, where did you disappear to so unexpectedly?’

  ‘London. The agents finally found a buyer for my house there and I had to return to sign the papers, get rid of some stuff and let various friends know. All done and now France is officially my home.’

  Josette raised her glass. ‘In that case, congratulations and welcome to a happy and long life in France.’

  Gordon touched his glass against hers. ‘Vive la France.’

  32

  Carla realised as she put the phone down after ordering pizza for her and Joel’s supper, that summer evenings at the Villa Mimosa had, without conscious effort, slipped into a comfortable routine for the two of them. It was a rare day that didn’t end with them sitting out by the pool, eating supper and enjoying a nightcap together. One of them would cook supper, or order a takeaway, and they’d sit there talking until twilight, watching the occasional bat flit around the garden and the eaves of the house. Other than the May Day party with Gordon and Josette, and her dinner date with Bruno, Carla hadn’t been out in the evening since she’d moved in. As for Joel, he didn’t seem to have much of a social life either. Neither of them could be said to be ‘living the life’ on the Riviera, but Carla knew, until Josette had opened up about her past, she personally hadn’t felt so happy for years.

  Waiting for Joel to arrive home, Carla’s thoughts were still whirling around the things Josette had told her. She knew talking things through with Joel, that his sane, common sense approach to life, would help her get things in perspective. Sitting down by the pool with Leroy on her lap, she thought about Josette coming home that fateful evening and trying to comfort Robert. Glancing up at the bedroom windows at the back of the villa, she briefly wondered which… No, she wouldn’t let her thoughts dwell on that aspect of things. On a need to know basis that information was way below zero.

  Joel was later than usual. He and the pizza delivery arrived at the same time. Knowing that Joel liked a swim as soon as he got home, Carla put the pizza in the warming oven and organised the glasses and plates while he did his evening routine of twenty lengths.

  Twenty minutes later, as they both tucked into their supper, Carla said, ‘Josette’s told me more about my family history.’

  Joel looked at her. ‘Vraiment? I’m listening.’

  ‘Behind the bald fact that Josette is my mother lies a multitude of hidden heartbreaks and complications. My birth tore several people’s lives apart – not least Josette’s,’ Carla said and told Joel everything she’d learnt. ‘It’s a sorry tale, isn’t it?’ she concluded.

  ‘It is, but it’s also in the past – it will only tear your present life apart if you let it,’ Joel said.

&n
bsp; Carla chewed a piece of pizza before sighing and saying, ‘I don’t want my life torn apart any more than it has been lately, but I’m currently struggling with a real bag of mixed emotions, trying to accept the truth after a lifetime of being told lies.’ She glanced at Joel. ‘I do feel incredibly sorry for Josette, the way her life was changed so dramatically when all she intended was to give my father some comfort for what he was going through.’ She pushed her plate with its unfinished pizza slice away. ‘She does say that not admitting she was the wrong twin when things got out of hand was a very naive thing to do.’ She picked up her wine glass and drank a mouthful. ‘Which, of course, brings me to Dad’s part in all this. He can’t be accused of forcing Josette against her will because she didn’t push him away, but he certainly wasn’t innocent. Oh, I wish all this had come out years ago and I could have talked to him… to everyone involved. Heard their sides of the story.’

  ‘It wouldn’t change anything though, would it?’ Joel said. ‘Josette is the person at the cœur of all this and I believe she’s told you honestly what ’appened that night.’

  Carla sighed. ‘I’m sure she has and I realise she found it hard when Amelia reneged on her promise of telling me who my true mother was, but I still find it difficult to forgive any of them for not telling me the truth years ago.’

  ‘I think the least Josette deserves is a happy ending with her daughter,’ Joel said quietly.

  ‘What about a happy ending for me?’

  ‘From what you’ve told me, I don’t think the woman whom you’ve always regarded as your mother gave you a particularly happy childhood. Vrai?’

  Carla nodded. ‘True. I was closer to my father. Mum… Amelia was always telling him off for spoiling me. Now I think he just wanted me to know how much he loved me, even if Amelia didn’t – or couldn’t.’

  Joel looked at her. ‘Establishing a mother–daughter bond with Josette would give you your happy ending, n’est pas?’

  Carla closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Yes, it would, but whilst Josette has had years and years of knowing the truth, I’ve only just learnt about it. These deceptions have formed the basis of my whole existence and they’re going to be on my mind for some time. Moving forward, embracing the new family dynamics is going to take time.’

  ‘Agreed, but it only will take as long as you let it,’ Joel said.

  Carla opened her eyes and turned to looked at him. ‘Maddy will be here for a holiday at the end of the month for my birthday. That’s going to be hard. I know she knows the basic fact that Josette is her grandmother, but learning how it came about and dealing with it will be hard for her.’

  ‘Sam coming with her?’

  ‘Hope so, I like him. I have high hopes for that relationship.’

  ‘Spoken like a true mother,’ Joel said with a grin.

  The house phone rang at that moment and Carla ran indoors to answer it.

  When she returned, Joel was sitting there, glass of wine in hand, lost in thought, an unfathomable expression on his face.

  ‘You all right?’ she asked.

  Joel shrugged and pointed to his mobile on the table. ‘Just got a text. Remember that landscaping company I told you I do a lot of work for? Finally gone bankrupt. As of now, I officially have five paying private clients. About ten less than I need to stay solvent, and twenty less if I’m ever going to make any real money and get back on my feet.’

  ‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ Carla said. ‘At least your room here is yours for as long as you want it. And if I can help in any way, just shout.’

  ‘Merci, Carla.’

  ‘Some of the clients left in the lurch will be looking for gardeners, won’t they? Perhaps you’ll be able to pick up a couple of accounts.’

  ‘Nice thought, but most of them live either on the Cap d’Antibes or out on Cap Ferrat where appearance is everything.’

  Carla looked at him puzzled. ‘Meaning?’

  ‘Meaning that even a humble jardinier is expected to arrive in a suitable vehicle. We were always taken to jobs in one of the firm’s up-to-date 4x4s which, although usually covered in earth and in need of a wash, still maintained an expensive look. My ancient van wouldn’t be allowed through the gates of most of the villas.’

  ‘That’s ridiculous.’

  ‘Maybe, but that’s the way it tends to be down here. You have to at the very least give the appearance of being successful. It’s a materialistic society where money talks.’ He took a long drink. ‘Maybe it’s time for me to give up. Find something else to do.’

  ‘Have you always been a gardener?’

  Joel shook his head. ‘Non. In another life I was an officer in the French Navy. When my final commission finished, I followed my lifelong dream of working on the land. I did a horticultural degree course as a mature student and, five years ago, I became a gardener.’

  ‘That’s quite a change of direction,’ Carla said.

  ‘C’était merveilleux. My first job was at a chateau along the coast. As one of six under-gardeners, I did a lot of weeding and trimming hedges. Which gave me a lot of time to think about the way my life was unravelling.’ He looked at Carla. ‘I should tell you that at the time I was married.’

  ‘What went wrong?’

  ‘Miranda couldn’t handle the transition from being the wife of a naval officer to being the wife of a jobbing gardener. The drop in income was bad, but the loss of status was the real killer for her. She’d always wanted to live behind a set of those posh electronic gates up on Cap d’Antibes.’ He looked at Carla ruefully before picking up the bottle and pouring another drink. ‘The last I heard she was with an IT millionaire and enjoying life in Switzerland.’

  ‘Did you have any children together?’

  ‘Non, which was good as things turned out. Miranda swore she wanted them when we married, but she was always too busy and too worried about losing her figure to actually commit to having a baby. I’d have loved a family of my own. C’est la vie.’

  Carla, sensing the unspoken sadness behind his words, was about to sympathise with him, when Joel spoke again.

  ‘Was that Maddy on the phone? Keeping tabs on her mother, is she?’

  ‘No, it was Bruno. He wanted me to have dinner with him again, but it’s impossible this week – until after my birthday, in fact. I’ve invited him to the evening do. I don’t know enough people to call it a party. Oh, maybe I should have checked with Josette first. I didn’t think.’

  ‘Josette will be fine about him coming,’ Joel said. ‘What date exactly is your birthday?

  ‘The thirtieth, so make sure you keep that day free. Luckily, it’s a Sunday.’ Carla said. ‘I’m planning on a family lunch – just the six of us, and then a low-key party in the evening.’

  Joel looked at her. ‘I’m invited to the family lunch?’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ Carla said. ‘I can’t imagine you not being there.’ Which was the truth, she realised. ‘Think of it as being my plus-one for the occasion, levelling up the numbers, if that makes you feel better,’ she said, worried she was asking too much of him. ‘Of course I’ll understand if you’ve got plans, but I really hope you haven’t.’

  Joel burst out laughing. ‘Plans? When did I last have plans at the weekend? Non, do not answer that, s’il vous plait. If it makes you happy then I’m more than happy to be your plus-one for the day. Merci.’

  Carla smiled at him. ‘Good. That’s settled then.’

  33

  The days flew by almost without Carla noticing to the end of the month and her big birthday. She was looking forward to Maddy and Sam coming over then for a holiday. She was loving her new life in France. She felt healthier, which she put down to swimming every day, walking more and mostly eating a Mediterranean diet of lots of fresh vegetables and fish. Her French was improving too, thanks to Joel. Every evening as they sat companionably on the terrace, Joel made her talk to him in French for a few moments.

  Joel. He was a big part of her life these days and she r
eally liked having him around. Telling him she couldn’t imagine celebrating her birthday without him being involved had been the truth. The evenings he worked extra late for his private clients and didn’t get home until nine or even ten felt lonely and empty without him there.

  And despite all the family revelations from Josette, Carla felt in a good place. Far better than at the beginning of the year. Moving to France had been the right thing to do for her.

  Twenty-four hours later and just an hour before Maddy and Sam were due to arrive, Carla ticked the last item off her to-do-list. Everything was organised for the next week. The food fridge was bursting with staple food items and there were more delicacies and luxury treats on the shelves than she cared to think about. The small wine fridge was crammed full of rosé and white wine, plus several bottles of champagne. Time to relax, swim, shower and dress.

  Carla swam a few lengths before clambering onto the floating sunbed. Lying there on her tummy, drifting around the pool listening to the sound of the unseen cicadas somewhere high in the trees around the garden, was sheer bliss. For some reason, a memory of last year’s non-birthday came into her mind.

  David had been away on a business trip. Something she’d had no right to be as happy about as she had been. The obligatory large bouquet of roses had arrived and she’d duly placed them in the ugly cut glass vase David’s mother had given her on a long ago birthday and stood it on the dining room table, visible to all. The twins had both sent her cards – Maddy’s with a spa voucher enclosed and Ed’s wrapped up with a silk scarf.

  The weather had been foul – an ‘orage’ the French would call it. Roads had been flooded, hailstones as big as marbles had bounced off cars and windows. The lightening during the five hour storm had been spectacular and it was late afternoon before she’d braved the last of the rain and walked to Amelia’s. The air when the storm finally blew itself out was cool. Much like her reception from Amelia.