Zac regarded her for several seconds, a strange look in his eyes, before he too stood up. ’I did invite you here tonight for a reason, other than for the simple pleasure of your company. I have a proposal for you. One to which I hope very much you will say yes.’
‘Whatever your “proposal” is, I’m not interested.’ Nanette’s voice was cold. She knew that no matter what the proposal was, it wouldn’t be the explanation or the apology she’d been hoping for. It was a big mistake on her part to have even come this evening in the hope of extracting either from Zac.
Zac followed Nanette as she began to make her way out on deck. More upset by the whole fiasco than she cared to admit, the only thing she wanted to do was get off the yacht.
‘Come back and have another glass of champagne,’ Zac had urged. ‘I really do want to talk to you.’
‘Then you should have spoken at the beginning of the evening, not wasted your time trying to turn the clock back.’
She’d thought she was over Zac and yet here he was, proving he still had the power to upset her. She was about to step on the gangway when he called her name. Swallowing hard, she turned her head to look at him, her hand gripping the gangway rope tightly for support as Zac spoke. She was unbelievably angry with him over his actions – both past and present. Holding her breath, Nanette waited for him to speak and was determined not to let him see how shaken she was.
‘I want you to come back and work for me, Nanette. We were a good team in the past.’
His unexpected request fell into a lengthening silence as Nanette stared at him. All this wining and dining and faux romancing was because he wanted her to work for him?
‘What?’ She looked at him in disbelief. ‘That’s what you wanted to talk about urgently?’
‘I’m starting a new holiday business and I need someone I can trust totally,’ Zac said.
‘I’ve got a job – looking after the twins. When Vanessa and Ralph return from their Amazon adventure, I shall go back to the UK with them.’
‘Come on, Nanette – you’re capable of much more than playing nursemaid to a couple of kids. You were the best PA I ever had.’
‘If I was that good, why no word, no job offer from you before – when I needed all the help I could get?’ Nanette asked angrily.
‘I cut back on my business activities when I realised you weren’t going to be around for a long time,’ Zac said, shrugging. ‘I was too busy racing and simply didn’t have the time to find a new PA.’
Nanette nodded her head slowly as she looked at him. She wasn’t going to let him see how much those words hurt her. She’d been his fiancée as well as his PA but that didn’t appear to count. She swallowed hard before asking.
‘Now you’ve got time for a new venture?’
‘This time I’m trying to invest in a business that I can work at when I give up racing.’
‘You’re giving up racing?’ Nanette asked, shocked. That wasn’t something she’d anticipated hearing.
‘Not immediately, but I don’t fancy being the oldest driver on the circuit fighting for a drive. Realistically, I suppose I’ve got another two or three years, but if I don’t win the championship this year’ – Zac grimaced – ‘who knows? I might just walk away from it all at the end of the season.’ He paused and smiled at her. ‘I also thought it would be an ideal opportunity to try to make up for the hurt that I’ve caused you in the past. We could both go places with this new business.’
Zac looked at her expectantly, waiting for her response.
Nanette sighed. Zac could sound so plausible when he turned on the charm. She’d seen it work in the past, when he’d wanted his own way over something. Not this time, not with her.
‘Except that I’m not looking for another job – I’m happy caring for the twins – working for you again is not something I’ve ever thought about.’
‘Will you think about it now?’ Zac persisted. ‘The twins are growing up, they won’t need you forever.’
‘You don’t need me either, Zac.’ The words, ‘And I definitely don’t need you in my life again’, remained unspoken in her head.
‘Oh, but, Nanette, I do,’ Zac said, again reaching out to take hold of her hands and squeeze them tightly. ‘I leave for Canada tomorrow and then I’m back here afterwards, for maybe a day, before the French Grand Prix. Please think about it while I’m away. We’ll have supper when I return and you can give me your decision then.’
‘I don’t need time to think, Zac. I don’t—’
‘Shh.’ Zac effectively stopped her by placing his fingers firmly against her lips. ‘Next week.’
‘Goodnight, Zac.’ Once again, she turned away from him, stepping back on to the gangway to leave.
‘Just give me two minutes while I fetch something from the saloon.’
Feeling the need to put some firm ground underneath her feet, Nanette jumped off the yacht’s gangway and stood waiting on the quay. Standing there, watching the evening activity of the harbour, Nanette felt curiously light-headed. The events of the past couple of hours had been totally unexpected, but she was pleased she’d kept her cool and been able to be so resolute in facing up to Zac, despite her hammering heart. A heart that was hammering, she realised, from sheer nerves and anger, not because she still felt anything for him.
‘Here you are – some bedtime reading,’ Zac said, reappearing with a large envelope marked ‘Vacances au Soleil’ and bulging with papers.
‘What part of no do you not understand?’ Nanette demanded. ‘Watch my lips. I. Am. Not. Interested.’
‘At least have a look at it while I’m away,’ Zac said when Nanette tried to refuse to take it. ‘I’d like your opinion on it anyway. You were always pretty savvy over my previous investments. You never know, reading about it might change your mind.’
Realising the only way she was going to get him off the subject was to take the envelope, Nanette reluctantly accepted it, inwardly vowing to hand it back to him next week, unopened and unread. As she took it, Zac leaned in and kissed her cheek before turning and walking away, leaving Nanette furious at his presumption.
It was too late to phone her sister when she got back to the apartment, but early the next morning, after a restless night, Nanette picked up her mobile to talk to Patsy from the comfort of her bed. Patsy, being a farmer’s wife, was always up early to have breakfast with Bryan before he started his day of chores on the farm.
After the usual, ‘how are you keeping’ questions had been exchanged, Patsy said, ‘Okay. What’s up to warrant this early chat?’
Nanette took a deep breath and told her about her evening with Zac. ‘Can you believe Zac wants me to work for him again?’
‘I hope you told him where he could put his job?’
‘Not in so many words, but I did say no. The only problem is he wasn’t listening.’ Nanette sighed. ‘I think I may have to ask JC to help me get the message across.’
‘I’ll do it,’ Patsy said. ‘Give me his phone number. There is nothing I’d enjoy more than telling Zac Ewart where to go.’
Nanette laughed at the eager tone to her sister’s voice. ‘Thanks, but I think he’ll listen to JC telling him to leave me alone more than you.’
‘Well, I’ve got your back and I’m on standby,’ Patsy said.
They chatted for a few more moments before Nanette ended the call and got up. Time to shower and get organised for the day.
As she dressed, her gaze fell on the envelope on the dressing table where she’d thrown it last night, intending to ignore it until she handed it back to Zac. She had to admit to being a tiny bit curious about the business Zac planned to build his life around after he retired from racing. There was no way she intended to become involved with him again, but remembering Zac saying he’d like her opinion on it anyway, Nanette reached out a hand and picked up the envelope. Carefully, she opened the envelope and withdrew all the papers and started to read.
23
‘How did your dinner date w
ith Zac go?’ Mathieu asked. ‘Are you two finally friends again now?’
Mathieu posed his questions as he, Nanette and the twins walked around the headland towards the open-air cinema. The twins, excited at the prospect of seeing the latest Star Wars blockbuster, had rushed ahead.
‘Not really,’ Nanette replied slowly. ‘Nothing’s really changed. Zac certainly hasn’t.’ Inwardly, she was still in turmoil from the evening she’d spent with him despite being determined that Zac had no place in her life any more. ‘Besides, it wasn’t a date on my part.’ Nanette glanced at Mathieu. ‘Did you know Zac is starting up a new business for when he retires from racing?’
‘I’d heard a rumour. Some sort of holiday business.’
‘Can you believe he’s asked me to help him run it,’ Nanette said, exasperated.
‘How does Zac want you to be involved? Behind the scenes, organising the business, I presume?’
Nanette nodded. ‘He gave me an envelope last night with details of what he has planned. Initially, the office would be on board Pole Position. According to the job description he’d thoughtfully included, he would also want me to travel to inspect the places and make sure they’re exclusive enough. Starting next month.’
‘Could be fun,’ Mathieu said. ‘Does it have a name, this business?’
Nanette hesitated. Mathieu might be Zac’s best friend, but would he want her talking about his business? He hadn’t told her not to, and Mathieu seemed to know a bit about it anyway. Years ago, discretion and loyalty had been key words in her life with Zac Ewart. Not any more. She didn’t feel she owed him a single ounce of loyalty. Not since he’d so cruelly walked away from her after the accident.
‘Vacances au Soleil, an exclusive holiday club, which will, for a large amount of money, naturally, arrange dream holidays for their members, anywhere in the world. Dubai, St Tropez, Rio, Sun City and, of course, Monaco.’ And Nanette told Mathieu what she’d learned from the papers in the envelope. ‘I admit it’s the kind of job I’d be interested in if I was looking for something different – and if it were for anyone else other than Zac. He’s conveniently brushed aside the events of the last three years – and the fact that I look after the twins.’ She paused. ‘Besides, it’s only a few weeks before the long summer break begins. Even if I was tempted, which I’m not and I’ve told him that, there is no way I could possibly let Vanessa and Ralph – or you – down in that way.’
Mathieu was silent for a moment before glancing at her.
‘Do you have any plans for the future? The twins are growing up – they won’t need a nanny for much longer. Maybe Zac would keep the job open for you? Or you could start with just an hour or so a day while the twins are at school.’
Nanette gazed at him, exasperated. ‘Mathieu, what part of this don’t you understand? I don’t ever want to work for Zac Ewart again. I don’t belong in his world any more. I don’t think I even like him any more. I certainly don’t trust him.’ She breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the entrance to the open-air cinema. Hopefully, Mathieu would have to let the conversation end now.
Mathieu paid for their tickets and sent the twins off to buy a snack from the refreshment cabin before turning to her, a serious look on his face.
‘I can’t tell you the details, but this “thing” I’m involved with is getting more complicated,’ he said quietly. ‘I could do with some inside help.’ He glanced at her. ‘You working for Zac, having access to papers and his associates, might be very useful to me.’
‘Are you saying Zac too, is involved in this “thing”?’ Nanette demanded, shocked.
Mathieu didn’t answer directly, simply giving a slight shrug of his shoulders.
‘Is Jean-Claude right, too, in thinking you’ve become embroiled in something illicit?’ Nanette asked worriedly.
Mathieu sighed. ‘It’s not as simple as being illicit or illegal, and now, to complicate matters even more, I think I’m being followed.’
The twins arrived back at that moment, clutching crisps and popcorn and clamouring to go and find their seats.
‘Come on, Dad, the film starts in five minutes,’ Pierre said.
Mathieu gave Nanette an apologetic glance. ‘We’ll talk later – let’s go watch space adventures!’
Sitting under a cloudless sky as dusk fell over the Mediterranean, Nanette tried to concentrate on the film, but not even the special effects of the imagined futuristic world she was watching could take her mind off her own problems and the problems of the man sitting next to her. Mathieu was clearly involved in something dodgy and Jean-Claude was right to be worried, but where did Zac fit into things?
She smothered a sigh. No way did she want to get embroiled in something that sounded seedy, to say the least, to her, plus there was Mathieu’s reluctance to label what he was up to as illegal or illicit.
As for his ‘I think I’m being followed’ statement – how could she possibly tell him that was the least of his troubles as the person behind that particular problem was his own father?
24
In the hours and days following Vanessa’s idea of forming a cooperative to sell the village produce, she and Ralph endlessly discussed the kind of things they could do – things that they thought would make a real difference.
List after list littered the floor of their hut. Ralph wrote down the names of possible sponsors – people who owed him favours and would be happy to participate. Vanessa wrote down every product she could think of that could be sold and then both she and Ralph tried to look at the logistics of the whole thing. From producing, to harvesting, to storing, to marketing and – a major stumbling block in itself – getting the stuff out of the jungle.
‘We need to organise a meeting with the villagers,’ Ralph said, ‘before we get too carried away. Find out exactly how they would like things to work – if in fact they think it’s a good idea.’
‘You do think they’ll go for it, don’t you?’ Vanessa asked anxiously. ‘It’s for their future, not ours.’
Ralph was silent for a moment. ‘I’m not sure. Remember the warning I was given before my accident not to interfere? Not all the villagers like us – me – being here. This Rio guy seems to have the villagers agreeing to his boss’s every move. You need to convince the head shaman that the villagers will benefit. It’s all a matter of trust,’ he added. ‘They like you so hopefully they will trust you enough to work with you.’ He glanced at her. ‘You know what they call you, don’t you?’
Vanessa shook her head.
‘Pacchumama – roughly translated it means Earth Mother. They love the way you are with the animals and the children.’
Vanessa smiled. ‘Do they really? Maybe at the celebration tonight we can put our ideas to them and see if they’ve got any of their own,’ Vanessa said. ‘You’re right – we do need to get them involved from the very beginning – if only to prove to them we don’t have any ulterior motives.’
‘You do realise just how much it is going to take to get this project off the ground and to keep it running?’ Ralph said. ‘I’m not just talking about money here – it’s going to take a huge amount of time.’
‘I know, but we’ve got to try,’ Vanessa replied.
‘I’ll give you all the help I can, but I’m already committed to other projects when we get back. I won’t be around full-time – most of the organising will fall on you.’
‘Organising is something I’m good at. And Nanette will want to get involved too, I know. It’s the kind of work she always used to excel at,’ Vanessa said. ‘Right, I’ll talk to Angela and the others, and tonight at the celebration party for your recovery we can talk to the villagers about our idea.’
Angela was openly enthusiastic, but some of the other women were hostile to the idea and Vanessa found herself having to explain time and time again how a cooperative would work to their advantage. And, no, she repeatedly assured them, she wouldn’t personally benefit from it.
By the time she was sitting on the fl
oor next to the head shaman that evening and outlining the way the villagers could protect their own futures, it was clear that opinion was divided.
‘We have an agreement with the outsider,’ said the head shaman, resplendent in his native dress and war paint. ‘He is already helping with the gold mine and next year he has promised to help with equipment for the nut harvest. His man is due here soon to pay us for the gold we have mined, so we shall have money for necessary supplies.’
At his words, Vanessa felt her heart sink. ‘You don’t think our idea will work and be better for the village?’
He held his hand up to stop her. ‘We are people of our word. So, I thank you for your concerns, but we are already committed.’
Beside her, Angela said something quickly and the shaman answered with an emphatic shake of his head before he stood up and moved away.
‘Is that it, then?’ Vanessa said, turning to Angela.
Angela nodded. ‘The men are sure this man will do more to help us – besides, they are also aware of the dangers of upsetting him,’ she added quietly.
‘What about the women? They could do something themselves,’ Vanessa said, trying to hide her disappointment.
Angela shook her head. ‘The men would forbid it.’
Later that night when Vanessa and Ralph had returned to their hut and were preparing to climb into their hammocks, she said sadly, ‘I was really looking forward to organising the co-op. I even had a name ready, Fruits of the Forest.’
‘Maybe it’s for the best,’ Ralph said, trying to comfort her. ‘We’ll be home in a few weeks. You’ll have to put your organisational skills to work on marketing my film. Bring the plight of the jungle and its inhabitants to the world’s attention that way.’
One Summer in Monte Carlo Page 13