‘I find the fact that Zac got taken in unbelievable,’ Nanette said. ‘And trying to involve me in Vacances au Soleil to give it respectability was despicable.’ She shook her head. ‘I just took it as the final proof that he didn’t give a hoot about me but then, this happens,’ and she looked up reflectively at the apartment building where they were now standing.
The concierge welcomed them politely, pointed out which lift they needed to take for Apartment 210 on the twelfth floor and returned to tending the vast pots of lilies that graced the foyer.
Stepping out of the lift and inserting the key in the apartment door, Nanette shivered.
Vanessa glancing at her asked, ‘You OK?’
‘I’m fine. Probably reaction to the last few days. This whole Zac thing still feels unreal.’
‘We don’t have to do this today, do we?’ Vanessa asked. ‘You don’t have to rush into sorting things out.’
‘No, but I need to make a start,’ Nanette said, before resolutely turning the key.
‘This is surreal,’ she murmured, looking around the sparsely furnished sitting-room. It was full of things she recognized from Zac’s old apartment – things they had chosen together.
The two white leather settees facing each other across the glass topped coffee table, the music centre, the Persian rug, the grand piano from Zac’s grandmother. All brought back poignant memories of her time with him.
She brushed away a tear before walking across and picking up a silver-framed photo standing on the piano. It was one of Zac standing in the cockpit of Pole Position looking relaxed and happy.
‘I’ve never thanked you properly for having the twins for me and coming back to Monaco,’ Vanessa said unexpectedly. ‘I know it was a difficult decision for you to return.’
‘I’m glad I came. Getting my memory back, clearing things up between Zac and me – imagine how I would have felt if Zac had died and we’d never talked about the accident.’
Nanette took one last look at the photo and gently replaced it on the piano before turning to face Vanessa.
‘You did me a favour in more ways than one by going up the Amazon for five months.’ Nanette smiled at her friend as she moved towards the master bedroom door. ‘It’s thanks to you I’ve now got Jean-Claude in my life.’
‘The rain forest was such a great experience. I can’t tell you how much it changed the way I look at things,’ Vanessa said quietly.
Nanette barely heard her friend as she looked at Zac’s bedside table. Yet another silver-framed photo – and this time Nanette couldn’t stop the tears from coursing down her cheeks as she looked at it.
Taken the night they got engaged at a party in the Automobile Club in Monaco, she and Zac were standing with their arms entwined in the traditional manner, toasting each other with champagne, her engagement ring sparkling in the camera flash.
‘Do you think Zac’s got any tea? I think we could both do with a cup,’ Vanessa said. ‘Come on, let’s inspect the kitchen.’ Gently she led Nanette out of the bedroom.
By the time Vanessa had found and made a pot of tea, Nanette had stopped crying.
‘I’m sorry. I thought I was all cried out over Zac Ewart but apparently not.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Such a waste but life moves on. At least his reputation as a brilliant racing driver will remain intact. He’ll never have to face the criminal charges that Boris and the others will.’ She took a sip of tea.
‘This is a great apartment,’ Vanessa said looking around. ‘Are you going to keep it and live here?’
‘I’ll probably sell it. Can’t see myself living here somehow. If I keep it, I’ll rent it out. Oh!’ Nanette said, looking at Vanessa. ‘In the meantime – why don’t you and Ralph make it your base when you move down here?’
After Vanessa had gone back to the UK and he’d had his business meeting with Mathieu, Jean-Claude insisted they enjoyed the few remaining days of Nanette’s official holiday doing things together.
On the last day they drove up into the back country and had lunch in a village square sitting beneath the shade of an ancient plane tree.
As the waiter placed their tomato and mozzarella salad in front of them, Jean-Claude glanced across at her.
‘I’m so happy you’ve decided not to rush back to the UK with Vanessa. I love having you around.’
Nanette smiled at him as he picked up her hand and squeezed it.
‘Have you thought about what you are going to do with your legacy yet?’
‘I’ve done nothing but think about it,’ Nanette answered. ‘There is one idea floating around in my brain I want to talk to you about.’
‘Do you still want to give it all away?’
Nanette shook her head. ‘No, that was a silly idea. I’ll keep it, but I do want to do something useful with it if I can.’ She poured herself a glass of water from the carafe the waiter had placed on the table before continuing, ‘I was wondering about Pole Position. We could have some fun with her, or I could sell her and invest the money. What do you think?’
‘Any ideas where you’d invest such a large sum? She’s worth at least two million dollars,’ Jean-Claude said.
‘I hadn’t realized she was worth that much. But that would be fantastic.’ Nanette smiled at him hesitantly, trying to gauge his reaction to her next words.
‘I was thinking of offering to sponsor Fruits of the Forest for the first year in Zac’s name. Even if it’s registered as a charity it’s going to need a large injection of cash to get it off the ground.’
‘Not your conventional investment then?’ Jean-Claude said smiling. ‘Well, it won’t make you a fortune but it would make a difference to a lot of people’s lives in the rain forest.’
‘From what Monsieur Mille tells me Zac’s left me a small fortune – I don’t need to make another one,’ Nanette said quietly. ‘Right that’s decision number one: next week I’ll find a broker and put Pole Position up for sale.’
Nanette stopped talking to watch a woman pushing a buggy with a sleeping baby and holding a little boy by the hand pass their table. The sleeping baby reminded her of Dylan; they were about the same age.
‘And decision number two?’ Jean-Claude probed.
‘If I’m staying in Monaco I need to find somewhere to live. I don’t want to live in Zac’s apartment in Fontvielle; besides I’ve already offered it to Vanessa and Ralph in the short term.’
‘What is wrong with living at the villa with me?’ Jean-Claude demanded. ‘The guest room has never had a more welcome occupant.’
‘I don’t want to get in the way,’ Nanette said. ‘I was only supposed to be here for a holiday.’
‘Ma chérie, you know how I feel about you. You will never be in my way. You stay at the villa. That’s decision number two dealt with.’ Heedless of the other diners, Jean-Claude leant forward and gently kissed her.
Later as they were making their way back to the car they passed the mother and her two children playing in the park alongside the church. The small boy miss-kicked his ball which landed at Jean-Claude’s feet.
Jean-Claude promptly kicked it back and for several moments he and the small boy had an animated kick around while Nanette talked to the mother.
‘That took me back,’ Jean-Claude said, when they eventually waved goodbye to the toddler. ‘I used to play football with Mathieu years ago.’
‘You obviously like les enfants,’ Nanette said.
‘Before things went wrong with Amelia I’d always hoped Mathieu would have a sibling.’ Jean-Claude shrugged. ‘I’ve always regretted that.’
‘Well, it’s not too late, is it?’ Nanette said. ‘I’m sure Mathieu would still adore having a half-brother or sister,’ she teased, smiling at him. A look of incredulous wonder crossed Jean-Claude’s face as Nanette leaned forward and kissed him.
On the night of the Red Cross Gala, one of the biggest social events of the Monte Carlo season, Nanette carefully slipped the wisp of pale-lemon chiffon that was her evening dress over h
er head. She was really looking forward to this evening.
It came at the end of a few very busy weeks: overseeing the sorting out of Zac’s affairs; selling Pole Position; helping Vanessa and Ralph move into the Fontvielle apartment and persuading Vanessa to let her use the proceeds from the sale of Pole Position to sponsor Fruits of the Forest for a year.
‘Are you sure? It’s an awful lot of money to be virtually giving away.’
‘Absolutely positive. Zac bought Pole Position about eight years ago and I’m fairly certain it was with his winnings and sponsorship deals, but who knows?’ She shrugged her shoulders.
‘If, and we don’t know for certain how long Zac was involved with Boris, any of this money I have now inherited came from smuggling Brazilian diamonds or money laundering, then this is a way of giving it back legally.’
Nanette slipped her feet into her high-heeled gold sandals and did them up. Her diamond encrusted watch Jean-Claude had given her was already on her wrist and she picked up her beaded evening clutch bag.
Jean-Claude was waiting for her in the sitting-room.
‘You look beautiful,’ he said, taking her in his arms. ‘The belle of the ball. Come on, the others are waiting. Let’s party.’
Jean-Claude had invited Vanessa and Ralph to join their party for the evening – Mathieu and Evie were the other couple. Mathieu had met Evie when she’d started working for Fruits of the Forest and to Nanette’s secret delight, the two were rapidly becoming an item around the Principality.
The whole of Monte Carlo seemed to be in festive mood that evening. Champagne flowed, people wined and dined and everybody was on their feet dancing for hours.
Towards midnight, she and Jean-Claude mingled with the other party-goers as they all made their way out on to the terrace in a brief pause in the festivities before the fireworks began. Vanessa and Ralph had managed to save them a good viewing position and Mathieu and Evie soon joined them.
Nanette, standing there with her friends and Jean-Claude’s arm around her shoulders, looked around contentedly. Tomorrow she and Jean-Claude would be flying to a very different world when they left to visit the UK for Dylan’s christening. Two contrasting worlds, but both now very much a part of her life.
Jean-Claude had been delighted when Patsy had phoned and asked him to be a godparent with Nanette and had been planning all sorts of surprises for the unsuspecting Dylan.
The whoosh of the first warning rocket and everyone looked skywards, except Jean-Claude who gently drew Nanette towards him.
Surprised she looked at him as he took both her hands in his. ‘Ma chérie, will you marry me?’
The sky exploded with thousands of silver stars in time with her heart as Nanette whispered a tremulous, ‘Yes please.’
Jean-Claude slipped a ring on her finger while more fiery flashes of gold, silver, red and blue filled the sky over Monte Carlo before showering down into the Mediterranean.
Surrendering herself to Jean-Claude’s arms, Nanette knew beyond all doubt that his love was her second, true, legacy from France.
Copyright
© Jennifer Bohnet 2009
First published in Great Britain 2009
This edition 2012
ISBN 978 0 7198 0540 0 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 7090 0541 7 (mobi)
ISBN 978 0 7090 0542 4 (pdf)
ISBN 978 0 7090 8909 4 (print)
Robert Hale Limited
Clerkenwell House
Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0HT
www.halebooks.com
The right of Jennifer Bohnet to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Follow Your Star Page 19