Leo held her close and waited.
‘But now, the worst part is, this Felicity says her husband despises his mother for giving him up. And has decided against continuing to try and find her. Says knowing who his father was will be enough.’
‘So right now, we’re talking about the possibility of you learning your son’s identity, meeting his wife but not actually getting to see Jean-Philippe face to face,’ Leo said slowly.
Anna nodded. ‘I’ve got to decide whether to meet Felicity and hope her husband comes with her. Or whether to walk away – and this time it really would be forever.’ She sighed.
‘I don’t know what to do. Bruno said I shouldn’t rush into a decision about arranging a meeting, that I should sleep on it and talk it over with you.’
‘I agree with Bruno. Sleep on it and tomorrow we’ll talk and decide what’s the best thing for you to do,’ Leo said gently. ‘Right now I think we should find Poppy and Daisy and say goodnight.’
Poppy and Daisy were at the table on the villa’s terrace, enjoying a last glass of champagne and some of the leftover party food. Nat, who’d been wandering around the garden making sure all the candles were safely out, had just joined them.
‘Hi,’ Daisy said. ‘It was a great party wasn’t it? Are you going to join us for a late snack too?’
‘We really came to say thank you for all your hard work and to say goodnight but I’d love a extra slice of quiche,’ Anna said, suddenly feeling hungry. ‘Need something to soak up all the champagne.’
‘And I can’t resist another slice of this wonderful gateau,’ Leo said. ‘Thanks Poppy, Daisy. We’ll always remember the evening we got engaged, won’t we, Anna?’
Anna smiled. ‘Definitely. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. Must say, you do a good Charleston, Nat.’
‘Thanks. Bruno’s rock and roll routine was pretty spectacular too, wasn’t it?’
‘He’s certainly perfected it from his original attempts,’ Anna laughed.
‘You’ve known Bruno a long time then?’ Daisy said, ignoring the warning look Poppy threw at her.
‘Yes we go way back, but we hadn’t met for years until this week,’ Anna said. ‘As Philippe Cambone’s life-long friend he’s trying to help the family sort Philippe’s affairs. His unexpected death has created several problems.’
She paused slightly before continuing. ‘The main one concerns his estate. Right now Bruno’s involved in trying to untangle something complicated with a woman called Felicity Howell.’
‘Felicity Howell?’ Nat repeated.
‘Yes do you know her?’ Anna asked turning to him. ‘She’s written to the Cambones saying she believes her husband is Philippe’s illegitimate child.’
‘You mean there really is an illegitimate son around? It wasn’t just a publicity stunt dreamt up by that actor Sean somebody or other,’ Daisy said.
‘Yes there really is a son and heir,’ Anna said, but before she could say any more Leo stood up.
‘Come on Anna, soon to be Mrs Hunter, I think it’s time we said goodnight.’
‘I’m going too,’ Nat said, pushing his plate away and standing up.
‘I’ll come and open the gate for you,’ Daisy said.
‘Thanks for a great party, Anna – and the introductions.’
‘Nat, before you go, you didn’t say whether you knew this Felicity Howell,’ Anna said.
Nat looked at Anna and hesitated slightly before answering. ‘Yes I know a Felicity Howell – and so do you.’
Anna gave him a surprised look. ‘I do?’
‘Yes. She was here this evening.’
Anna looked at him in open-mouthed astonishment.
‘Whether it’s the same person who has contacted the Cambones I don’t know,’ Nat continued. ‘But I do know Verity Raymond is a stage name. Her real name is Felicity Wickham – née Howell.’
Leo was just in time to catch Anna from hitting the ground as she fainted.
CHAPTER 18
‘Last night I went to a private party that could have come straight out of a nostalgic 1920s film being shown here at the festival.
‘Picture the idyllic setting: the candle-lit garden of a Belle Époque villa, piano jazz drifting on the night air, the champagne flowing into crystal glasses, handsome men flirting with elegant, beautiful women.
‘An engagement is announced, people are dancing, then somebody’s real name, as opposed to their stage name, is mentioned and the newly engaged heroine of the story faints. Throw in an illegitimate child, an unhappy mother, a dead father and you have a storyline fit for the next blockbuster.’
Daisy pressed the save button and sat back in her chair under the loggia. Waking early, she’d crept downstairs with her laptop to start writing her daily report.
The table was still littered with debris from the previous evening: screwed up paper napkins, discarded cocktail sticks, paper plates. Making a space for her laptop, Daisy had glanced up at the villa. The bedroom curtains were still drawn and downstairs the kitchen blind was pulled.
As Anna had regained consciousness after fainting last night, Leo had taken charge saying, ‘I think the best thing for Anna is bed,’ and wishing everyone goodnight, he’d gently led Anna into the villa and closed the door behind them.
‘Oh dear,’ Poppy had said. ‘I do hope Anna is okay. Hasn’t got food poisoning or anything. I’d hate to think I was responsible for making anyone ill.’
‘You are such an old worrier, sis,’ Daisy said. ‘I think Anna just had a shock that’s all.’
Afterwards, when Nat had left, Daisy helped Poppy to take the leftover food into the kitchen before they went to bed. ‘Leave everything else,’ Poppy had said, smothering a yawn. ‘I’ll throw all the rubbish into a bin bag tomorrow.’
‘Morning Daisy,’ Poppy said now, appearing with two mugs of coffee and a plate of croissants, ‘Couldn’t you sleep either?’
‘No. Thought I’d try and get ahead with today’s report. I’ve promised Nat I’ll meet up with him later in Cannes, so I need to get organized. No sign of life over there yet,’ Poppy said, looking across at the villa.
‘Wonder how Anna is this morning? I’ll go across later and see if Leo thinks she needs a doctor to check her over. Fainting like that for no reason,’ Poppy shook her head.
‘Come on sis,’ Daisy said. ‘Even you must be starting to put two and two together about Anna’s past.’
‘What d’you mean?’
Daisy tapped her fingers. ‘One: Anna comes to the Festival for the first time in years. Two: Philippe Cambone, an international film director who she initially denies knowing, dies unexpectedly. Three: there’s a rumour circulating of an illegitimate heir making a claim against the film director’s estate. Four: A woman using an alias to contact the Cambones about the said illegitimate heir, turns out to be married to the up-and-coming producer, Teddy Wickham. Five—’
‘Stop,’ Polly said. ‘So are you suggesting Anna is somehow involved in all this?’
‘I think she’s right at the centre of things. I’m ninety-nine per cent certain she’ll turn out to be Teddy Wickham’s mother,’ Daisy said.
Anna pulled her croissant apart and pushed the pile of crumbs around her plate.
‘You were meant to eat that, not play with it,’ Leo said.
‘Not really hungry,’ Anna said. ‘Sorry.’
She glanced across at Leo. ‘What time are we going down into Cannes today? I can’t remember.’
‘Your appointment with the lawyer is for eleven,’ Leo said.
‘I want to get Cindy a birthday present,’ Anna said. ‘A proper present from her long-lost grandmother.’
A short silence followed her words before Leo sighed. ‘Oh Anna darling. You don’t think you’re leaping to conclusions too soon here? You haven’t got one hundred per cent confirmation yet that Teddy Wickham is going to turn out to be your Jean-Philippe. Or that he will even agree to meet you.’
‘I know, I know. But the mo
re I think about it, the more certain I am that he is my Jean-Philippe. Anyway, I’m going to buy Cindy something special for her birthday,’ Anna said stubbornly. ‘From a friend. She did offer me her pink balloon for the party. It’s the least I can do.’
‘And Teddy and Verity? Are you going to meet them now? Discuss the possibility of your relationship? Tell them who you are? Or rather who you used to be?’
Anna shook her head. ‘Tell them I was Lucinda Ann Carstairs in another life? No. If Teddy is really going to give up searching for his mother there is no point at the moment. But I shall keep in touch with Verity and Cindy as me, Anna Carson.’ She looked at Leo anticipating his reaction. ‘Did you know they are planning to move to England? To Gloucestershire. We’ll virtually be neighbours when we’re married. We can meet up with them as Mr and Mrs Hunter.’
‘Let me get this straight. You’re planning to become friends with Verity and her family without telling them the truth about your relationship to Teddy and Cindy? Why?’
‘Because if Teddy hates his mother that much for giving him away and he learns my true identity, he could stop Verity and Cindy from seeing me,’ Anna said. ‘I’ll become a good friend to them all before I think about telling them the truth.’
‘Oh, so, you do plan on telling them someday?’
‘Yes, when Teddy knows and trusts me.’
‘He’d never trust you again, if you do this, believe me.’ Leo ran his hands through his hair. ‘Anna, this is so not a good thing to do. Please think about it.’
‘I can’t stop thinking about it, Leo,’ Anna said. ‘How else can I stay in touch with Cindy? Watch her grow up?’
‘I don’t know,’ Leo said. ‘But I do know that by getting the truth out into the open and not compounding past mistakes you stand a far better chance of living happily in the future.’
Anna slumped down into her chair. ‘Leo, I’m frightened telling the truth will make everything go wrong again and I’ll never get to know Cindy, my grandchild, properly, or Teddy.’
Leo took her left hand in his and squeezed it. ‘Anna, even if you’re terrified about the outcome, I really urge you to tell Verity and Teddy who you are. You could write a letter if you don’t want to tell them face to face but I feel having come this far, you need to see things through to the truthful end.’
Anna bit her lip as Leo continued. ‘Think about it, Anna. You didn’t come to Cannes this year looking for your long-lost son. You came simply hoping to finally tell Philippe the truth. To tell him that somewhere in the world was a son he’d never met. The fact that Philippe died before you could make your confession, has just complicated things.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Instead of telling Philippe about his son, you have to tell the son about his father.’
Thoughtfully Leo brushed her face with a finger. ‘Teddy deserves to know the truth about his birth and adoption, and about how much you loved his father. Meet Verity, tell her your story, please. She can at least talk to Teddy and he can then decide whether he wants to acknowledge you or not. And I suppose what I’m really saying Anna is this: you’ve lived all your adult life without either Philippe or your son. You know you can survive with neither of them in your life, but the truth still needs to be told. Then you and I can get on with the rest of our lives together.’
There was a serious look in his eyes as he said, ‘Promise me you’ll think seriously about meeting Verity.’
Before she could answer, Anna’s mobile phone rang and Leo watched as she quickly snatched it up.
‘Oh hello.’ Anna listened for a moment.
‘I’ll mention it to Leo but I doubt we’ll come, Bruno. I think I’ve had enough of parties for a while. Thanks for calling. Speak later,’ and she ended the call.
‘Another Cannes party,’ Anna said. ‘Boat ride over to the islands and then a party on the beach.’
‘Sounds fun,’ Leo said. ‘When is it?’
‘Later today. I didn’t really take in the details as I didn’t think we’d be going,’ Anna said.
‘I’d quite like to see one, if not both, of the islands,’ Leo said.
‘Oh Leo I’m sorry, I should have asked you first. I just assumed – I’ll phone Bruno back, shall I, and ask him for more details?’
Anna looked at Leo aghast as a sudden thought struck her. ‘Do you think Bruno already knows who Felicity really is? Has done more than speak to her on the telephone? Surely he would have told me if he had?’
‘You’ll have to ask him,’ Leo said. ‘He did arrive with Verity and Nat last night but I think that was coincidence. I’m sure he’d have told you immediately if he knew her true identity. He seems very fond and protective of you. Anna, about what we were discussing?’
‘Okay, I promise I’ll think about a meeting with Verity before the end of the Festival,’ Anna said. ‘Now, can we go down early to Cannes? I think I know the present I’d like to get Cindy but I might have to try a few shops.’
‘Go and shower. I’ll book a taxi for an hour’s time,’ Leo said sighing. ‘That should give us plenty of time to go shopping before your lawyer’s appointment. But Anna, promise me you’ll do more than just think about meeting Verity. The time for secrets has gone.’
CHAPTER 19
Anna tried very hard to concentrate on what the lawyer was saying but her gaze kept straying to the small carrier bag she was holding on her lap. She’d found the perfect present in only the second shop they’d tried.
A delicate gold rope necklace with the name Cindy hanging from it. Now gift wrapped and secure in the bag, Anna was trying to decide how to get it to Cindy. She really wanted to give it to her today, her actual birthday, but that would mean calling in at the Wickhams’ villa. What if Verity – or even Teddy – was there?
‘Ms Carsons?’
Anna looked at the lawyer startled, ‘I’m sorry. You were saying?’
‘Philippe Cambone’s will. He altered it recently in your favour but there are certain unusual clauses I have to make you aware of.’
‘Unusual clauses?’ Anna asked.
The lawyer nodded. ‘To put it briefly. Philippe has bequeathed the cottage, the boat ‘One Life, One Love’ and the boathouse on the island to you.’ He paused and looked at the paper in his hands. ‘You are free to do what you wish with the boat, although Philippe did express the wish that if you decided not to keep it, you would first offer it to his long-time friend Bruno Peters.’
Again the lawyer hesitated. ‘The cottage is slightly more complicated. Legally it will be yours for your lifetime but you are not allowed to sell it. On your death it will revert to the Cambone family and not be passed on to any other family you may have. Unless … and on this rather delicate point Philippe Cambone was insistent … before your death, it is proven that you and he had a child together. In which case the child will be recognized as his heir and under French law you will be required to bequeath the cottage to him.’
As Anna tried to take in the enormity of what he was saying, the lawyer pushed a bunch of keys across the desk to her. ‘Perhaps you’d like to take a look at your new possessions and then come back to see me with any questions you may have. There will of course be the usual French bureaucracy to deal with and paperwork to sign in due course.’
Dazed, Anna picked up the keys and put them in her handbag, before standing and thanking the lawyer for his time. As she and Leo left the building and made their way to the nearby taxi rank she said quietly, ‘Philippe clearly hoped his unknown son was about to enter his life.’
Leo took her hand and squeezed it. ‘Yes.’
‘I don’t need a boat. Do you think Bruno will? And the cottage. We’re never going to live there are we? Shall I just refuse it? Let it go straight to the Cambones? Let them sort things out with the lawyer?’
‘Anna, Anna, calm down,’ Leo said. ‘Why don’t we go across to the island and take a look at things before you decide?’
‘Bruno’s party tonight,’ Anna said i
mpulsively. ‘We can slip away and have a quick look around then.’
‘You wouldn’t rather go alone? Without having a crowd of people around?’
‘Maybe we’ll go across tomorrow on our own as well. I need to talk to Bruno too,’ Anna said. ‘Tonight I just want to see the cottage – and the boat.’ The boat with the name that summed up her and Philippe’s relationship so long ago.
‘Let’s go back to the villa then,’ Leo said as a taxi drew up alongside. ‘We can phone Bruno and get the details.’
Poppy was working in the garden, dead heading some roses when they arrived back at the villa. Leaving Leo to make the phone call to Bruno, Anna took her carrier bag and walked across to see Poppy.
‘Hi, no nasty lasting after effects from the party then?’ Poppy asked looking at Anna.
‘No. I’m fine,’ Anna assured her. ‘Is Tom still going for a birthday tea with Cindy this afternoon? She’s such a sweet child, I’ve bought her a little present. Could Tom deliver it for me please?’
‘No problem,’ Poppy said wiping her hands before carefully taking and holding the bag by its handles. ‘I’ll take it indoors and put it with the present I’ve bought for him to give her.’
Nat had Cindy with him when Daisy arrived at the café they’d arranged to meet in at the top of rue Saint Antoine, away from the majority of the Festival crowds. Cindy was already tucking into a large dish filled with multi-coloured glacé balls, swirled with cream and chocolate crumbs and topped with two crunchy fan wafers.
‘Happy birthday Cindy. That looks yummy,’ Daisy said.
‘Glad you like the look of it, ’cause I’ve ordered us one each by way of celebration,’ Nat said, pulling her close and kissing her before releasing her and nodding at the hovering waiter. ‘Ready for our ice creams s’il vous plaît.’
‘Celebration?’ Daisy said. ‘Cindy’s birthday. Anything else?’
Rendezvous in Cannes Page 13