“I really don’t think we should stay here,” Mandy said cautiously to her father, and then suggested they look at the Hotel Byblos, the best hotel in St. Tropez. One of her friends had stayed there the year before.
“We’ll be fine here,” he said reassuringly, “it’ll be fun. It’s more fun to stay here with our friends. We don’t need to go to a hotel.” And Eric had already told him that the little sailboat was sound, and he was dying to go out in it with him.
“Maybe I should go to Venice early,” she said, still looking worried. She was meeting friends there.
“Whatever you decide,” he said calmly. Anne had always been much better at handling her than he had. He got impatient with her when she was nervous or worried, and it was obvious that she preferred luxurious to “rustic.” But at her age, he didn’t think a few days in a crumbling villa would hurt her, bugs and all. And he actually liked it. It was comfortable, and everything was a little frayed around the edges, but he thought the house had charm, and he had already told Pascale he liked it, which pleased her. She was feeling very guilty that it was so much less grand than she had promised. But they had all adjusted fairly well.
The first minor crisis came late that afternoon, when Mandy went to lie on her bed and read for a while. She had just gotten comfortable when it collapsed beneath her. Two of the legs were broken, and it had been carefully propped up to conceal them. The moment she moved, she shifted the delicate balance, and wound up on the floor. She let out a small scream, and Pascale stopped in to ask her what was wrong, and then laughed when she saw her sprawled out on the floor.
“Oh dear, I’ll call Marius to come fix it.”
But when he appeared to attempt the repair, the bed had been glued back together so often that he couldn’t get it to hold this time. And Mandy had to resign herself to sleeping on the mattress flat on the floor, which gave easier access to the spiders and bugs. She was a good sport about it. But Pascale could tell she wasn’t pleased, and suspected she’d be leaving for Venice before long.
With his tool kit in hand, Marius left her room in an alcoholic stupor, and she thanked him for his help.
“He’s a good guy,” John laughed about him later, “and his wife is a real gem. You’ll love her outfits,” he promised, and when Agathe reappeared late that afternoon, she was wearing a white lace blouse you could see right through over a black bra, and white short shorts that barely covered her bottom. Mandy couldn’t help but laugh, although her father looked somewhat shocked.
“I think she’s kind of cute,” John said, looking amused, and Robert grinned in spite of himself. “Wait till you see her little leopard number, or the hot pink bicycle shorts.” Robert chuckled as Mandy disappeared. He’d had fun in the sailboat that afternoon, and he was amused by the decrepit state of the house. To him, it seemed like an adventure, and he was convinced that Anne would have loved it too, and seen the funny side of it. She had always been more adventuresome than her daughter, and wasn’t afraid of bugs. Mandy was a city girl.
As Pascale cooked dinner that night, and checked on the chickens she was roasting, the oven door fell off and landed at her feet on the kitchen floor. But Eric managed to repair it. He used baling wire, and created an ingenious system to reattach it, as the others applauded his ingenuity. Although afterward, Mandy mentioned the Byblos to her father again, with a hopeful look. She clearly wasn’t enjoying the rustic charm of the house as much as her father and his friends.
“I like it here,” her father said simply, “and so do the others.” Although, admittedly, it wasn’t as much fun for her. There was no one her age for her to hang out with, and she was beginning to think it had been a mistake to come. But she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by leaving sooner than planned.
It was her father who finally offered to let her off the hook.
“This isn’t much fun for you, sweetheart. The house isn’t as comfortable as I thought.” And even the little sailboat didn’t offer her much distraction. Although her brothers were avid sailors, Mandy had always hated to sail. She loved waterskiing, and going dancing at night, and being with people her own age.
“I love being here with you, Dad,” she said honestly. And she had always liked her parents’ friends. But it also made her lonely for her mother not seeing her in their midst, although she was fond of Diana and Pascale.
“Do you want to leave earlier for Venice? My feelings won’t be hurt.” He was happy with the Morrisons and Donnallys, but Mandy felt guilty abandoning him.
“Of course not. I love it here.” They both knew it was a stretch of the truth.
“I think you should try to meet up sooner with your friends.” And he urged her to go shopping in St. Tropez that afternoon, where she ran into a friend staying nearby, in Ramatuelle. He was a very pleasant young man and came by to take her to dinner that night.
The others were going to Le Chabichou for dinner, which Agathe had suggested to them. They left the house in two cars and were in high spirits, except for Eric and Diana, who split up and went in separate cars. Eric seemed subdued, and Diana was far quieter than usual. But they were all pleased with the restaurant, and even more so when they tasted the food. It was superb.
And at eleven o’clock, they were still there, happy and sated, and they had drunk three bottles of wine among them. Even Eric and Diana’s spirits had improved, although they weren’t sitting next to each other and hadn’t spoken to each other all night. Pascale was deep in conversation with Robert, when he mentioned again that he had a friend arriving on Monday. Mandy was supposed to leave by the weekend, if not before.
“Is it anyone we know?” Pascale asked casually, dying of curiosity, but not wanting to sound as though she was prying into his affairs.
“I don’t think so. It’s a friend I met two months ago, when I was out with Mandy.” Pascale pricked up her ears then, wondering if it was the infamous actress, or at least she assumed she was infamous and Diana agreed. “I’m sure you’ve heard of her,” he continued, “she’s a very nice woman. She’s staying with friends in Antibes this week, and I thought it might be fun for you all to meet her.”
“Is this”—Pascale struggled for the right words, torn between curiosity and good manners—“someone you’re interested in, Robert?”
“We’re just friends,” he said simply, and then realized that everyone was listening, and he looked faintly embarrassed. “She’s an actress. Gwen Thomas. She won an Oscar last year.” Diana stared across the table at him, in open disapproval, the moment he said it. She was more critical of everything these days.
“Why would she want to come here?” she said bluntly. “We’re not very interesting, and the house is a mess. Do you really want her to come here?” They were all praying that he didn’t, they didn’t want a stranger in their midst, particularly one who was more than likely to be difficult and spoiled. And the two women were certain that “the actress,” as they referred to her among themselves, was trying to take advantage of him in some way. They loved him dearly, and after so many years sheltered in marriage, they assumed he was naive.
“She’s a very nice person. I think you’ll all like her,” Robert said calmly, as the men nodded, curious to meet her, and the two women frowned.
“This isn’t exactly Rodeo Drive,” Diana persisted, trying to discourage him, but he looked unimpressed either by her lack of enthusiasm for meeting Gwen, or by Pascale’s. John and Eric were actually secretly intrigued, but wouldn’t have said it to their wives.
Pascale couldn’t think of anything worse than having to entertain some spoiled prima donna. She was certain Gwen Thomas would surely be a nightmare, she was famous enough to be. It would ruin their whole vacation. And possibly Robert’s life. “How long is she staying?”
“A few days, a week at most. It depends on when she has to get back to L.A. She’s going into rehearsal for a movie, and she wanted to rest first. I thought this might be fun for her.” He said it in a fatherly, protective way.
“I think Anne would have liked her. They share a lot of the same views and attitudes. She likes the same books and music and plays.” Pascale looked at John with worried eyes, and Diana even glanced at Eric. Neither woman believed for a minute that they were just “friends.” They were sure that Gwen Thomas was out to get him, and that he was an innocent about to be slaughtered. It was inconceivable to either woman that the actress’s motives were pure.
And as silence fell on all of them, Eric asked for the check, and they each paid their share, while John pored over the bill, determined to find a mistake. He always assumed that restaurants were out to cheat him, which was why Pascale hated going out to dinner with him. By the time he finished pulling the check apart and recalculating everything, he always spoiled her dinner. But she was so unnerved by the impending arrival of Robert’s “friend” that she paid no attention to John. She could hardly wait to discuss it all with Diana the next day, and she thought it a bold move for Robert to bring Gwen here. It seemed too soon after Anne’s death to be dating anyone. The match and the visit seemed wrong to her in every way.
“Shall we go then?” Robert asked pleasantly, as they went back to the cars, and drove back to the house. Pascale and Diana rode with John on the way back and they talked animatedly about their plans to “save” Robert from the evil Gwen.
“Why don’t you give the girl a chance and see how she behaves?” John said sensibly, and both women were outraged. It made him wonder if they were jealous of Gwen, but he wouldn’t have dared suggest it to them. All they said was that they were worried about Robert, and owed it to Anne to protect him from a girl who was clearly unworthy of him, according to them.
They all said good night to each other at the house, and Mandy was already home in bed. But Pascale lay in bed thinking about the nightmare that was about to descend on them, and turned to John with a worried look.
“What about the paparazzi?” she asked anxiously.
“What about them?” he asked blankly. He had no idea what she was thinking. Her imagination seemed to be running wild.
“They’ll be all over us if that woman comes here. We won’t have another peaceful minute for the rest of the vacation.” It was a valid thought, and something none of them had considered yet.
“I don’t think there’s much we can do on that score. I’m sure she’s used to it, and can handle it,” he said, sounding unconcerned. “I must admit, I’m surprised he asked her here, particularly with you and Diana down his throat,” he said, looking amused.
“We’re not down his throat,” she fumed, looking very French. “We care about him. She probably won’t stay more than a day, when she sees the house,” Pascale said hopefully. “Maybe she’ll leave, when she realizes we’re on to her. Robert may be an innocent, but the rest of us aren’t.” And then suddenly John laughed as he listened to her.
“Poor Robert. He should only know what you have in store for him when she gets here. I don’t suppose we’ll ever get used to the idea of someone else in his life,” John said pensively. “Anyone but Anne seems like such an intrusion. But he has a right to do what he wants. He’s a grown man, and he needs female companionship. He can’t stay alone forever. And if he likes this girl, Pascale, why not? She’s beautiful, she’s young. He enjoys her company. He could do a lot worse.” It actually sounded pretty great to him, more so than he would have admitted to Pascale.
“Are you crazy? What have you been drinking? Don’t you know what she is? She’s some little tart of an actress, and we have to save him from her.” It was an extreme point of view, to say the least. She sounded like Joan of Arc on a crusade.
“I know what you think. But I was just wondering if we have a right to interfere. Maybe he knows what he’s doing. And maybe they really only are just friends, and if it’s more than that, maybe he’s in love with her. Poor Robert. I feel sorry for him.” But how sorry could one feel? One of the biggest stars in Hollywood was coming to visit him. If nothing else, it was certainly more exciting than his life had been with Anne.
“I feel sorry for him too. He’s an innocent. Which is exactly why we have to protect him. And Mandy would be horrified if she knew about this.” “I don’t think you should tell her,” John said seriously. “It’s up to Robert what he tells his daughter about this woman.”
“She’ll find out eventually anyway,” Pascale said ominously.
“Let him have a little fun after all the sadness he’s had over losing Anne. That’s probably all this is anyway. Just a good time. We’ll find someone decent for him eventually,” she said firmly.
“He’s not exactly doing badly on his own,” John reminded her. “Hell, she’s a knockout, and one of the most well-known actresses in the country.”
“Precisely,” Pascale said as though he had proven the point to her. “And that is why we have to protect him. She can’t possibly be a good person, given all that,” Pascale said emphatically.
“Poor Robert,” John said again with a smile. And as he drifted off to sleep that night, snuggled up to Pascale, John knew he should feel sorry for him, but in spite of all of Pascale’s dire predictions, it sounded pretty good to him.
8
THE REST OF THE WEEK ROLLED BY, WITH THEM ALL EATing dinner at home, and in restaurants, relaxing and lying in the sun, swimming, and sailing. And Mandy left on Saturday, only a day earlier than planned. In spite of everything, she and her father had had a great time. He had told her vaguely that there was a friend visiting him the following week, and she was relieved that he would be surrounded by friends. She kept meaning to ask him who it was, but in the flurry of activity before she left, she forgot. She assumed it was one of his old friends, or someone from the bench, and it never occurred to her that it might be a woman and not a man. On Sunday night, as Pascale and Diana cooked dinner, there was a sense of anticipation over Gwen’s arrival the next day. Robert hadn’t said much more about her, but it was obvious even when he mentioned her, that he was excited to be seeing Gwen. Pascale and Diana, and even Eric and John to some extent, were still curious and suspicious of her. In spite of all their preconceived notions, they weren’t sure what to expect.
Robert seemed like a babe in the woods to them. He hadn’t dated in years, and certainly never anyone like this woman. Her world was completely unfamiliar to him. She was famous and sophisticated, and she led a life they all disapproved of, on principle. She wasn’t “respectable,” as Pascale said, she was divorced, and she had never had children, which suggested, to them at least, a certain selfishness and egocentricity She was obviously wrapped up in herself and her career. Pascale hadn’t been able to have children. They were sure that Gwen Thomas hated children. They found a thousand reasons to dislike her, even before they laid eyes on her.
When Monday morning came, Gwen called, and when Robert talked to her, she said she would arrive by car at lunchtime. They were sure she would drive up in a long black limousine, probably with a liveried chauffeur, or something equally absurd. They had had Marius fix her bed, in what had been Mandy’s room, but none of them would have minded if it broke again. They were like kids at camp, or in boarding school, waiting to torture the new girl.
Robert was aware of none of it as he showered and dressed before she arrived. He was wearing white shorts, a white sport shirt, and a pair of brown sandals, and he looked very handsome. He was a good-looking man, and with a tan he looked better than ever, younger and healthier than he had in months, or even years.
Pascale suggested they not wait lunch for her. But Robert said he would skip lunch too, and take her out to a bistro in St. Tropez if she was hungry. It seemed more polite to him than simply ignoring her, and eating with the others. But he urged them all to go on and eat without him. He was as calm and pleasant as ever, with no idea how resentful they were of Gwen. Had he suspected what was in store for her, he would never have asked her to come.
Pascale was organizing lunch for them at noon, when she heard a car drive up, and glanced out the kitchen w
indow. But all she saw was a tiny Deux Chevaux, and then she saw a pretty redheaded woman climb out of it wearing a denim miniskirt, a white T-shirt, and a pair of flat white sandals. She looked very plain, but at the same time very fresh and wholesome and clean. She was wearing her hair in a braid, and it struck Pascale for an instant that she looked a little like Mandy only prettier. She wondered who the woman was at first, and then realized with a start that it was Gwen. There was no limousine in sight, no driver, no paparazzi, and Gwen looked around as she carried a large straw tote bag, and a single small suitcase. In spite of herself, Pascale asked Marius to go out and help her. And as she saw him go, she spotted Robert leaving the house. He must have been watching for her from an upstairs window, like a boy waiting for a friend to come.
The minute Gwen saw Robert, she beamed, and even Pascale had to admit that her smile was dazzling, her skin beautiful, and she had spectacular legs in the miniskirt and sandals. She had an extraordinarily good figure. And she looked happy and at ease with him, as they headed slowly toward the kitchen. And within another instant, Pascale was staring at her, as Robert introduced her, and smiled proudly at Gwen.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Pascale lied. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you too,” Gwen said pleasantly. “You must be Pascale. How has the house been?” She shook Pascale’s hand, and seemed not to be aware of the chilly reception she was getting. She was easygoing, and unaffected, and surprisingly unpretentious. She had offered to carry her bag upstairs herself, but Robert had Marius do it, and then Gwen offered to help Pascale with lunch, and she stepped right up to the sink. She washed her hands, and seemed to expect to work with Pascale.
“I—no … ahh … it’s fine. You don’t need to help me.” So instead Gwen hung out in the kitchen with Pascale and Robert. He was talking to her animatedly about all the work Pascale had done in the house, and how comfortable she had made it for all of them.
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