Concerned, she looked at her. ‘Patsy are you all right? You look awfully pale.’
‘I’m fine – just feel a bit queasy. Probably too much rich food. I think I’ll skip dessert.’
‘Do you want to go back to the apartment?’ Nanette asked.
‘Certainly not, but if you could just point me in the direction of the ladies’?’
‘I’ll come with you,’ Nanette said, giving her an anxious look.
‘You stay here,’ Patsy said, standing up. ‘I’m pregnant – not incapacitated. I see they’ve got your favourite dessert,’ she added, glancing at the trolley. ‘So enjoy.’
Nanette could hardly swallow a spoonful of her tiramisu, delicious as it was. When, after ten minutes, Patsy hadn’t returned, she stood up.
‘I’ll just go check on Patsy,’ she said.
Nanette found her sister, sitting in a wicker chair, sipping a glass of water given to her by the concerned restroom attendant.
‘What’s going on?’
‘The doctor should be here any minute,’ the attendant answered. ‘I’ve told the lady not to move.’
‘Why do you need a doctor?’ Nanette demanded. ‘Is it the baby?’
Patsy bit her lip. ‘I’ve started to bleed. Not a lot,’ she added quickly, seeing Nanette’s face. ‘Just enough for me to need some medical advice.’
The restroom door swung open and a man entered.
‘I’m the emergency doctor. I gather we have a problem with a pregnant lady? Perhaps I could ask everyone to wait outside for a while?’
‘Doctor, my sister doesn’t speak French,’ Nanette said. ‘Do you need me to translate?’
‘Non, merci. I speak enough English. Please give me five minutes alone with the patient.’
Nanette made her way back to Jean-Claude and Mathieu and quickly explained the situation to them, before returning to see what the doctor said.
‘Bed rest for the next twenty-four hours. Then check with a doctor again. No exertion.’
‘How about flying? I’m booked to return to the UK in a couple of days?’ Patsy asked.
The doctor shrugged his shoulders. ‘Go to the clinic tomorrow and see what the consultant advises.’
Jean-Claude insisted on calling a taxi to return to the apartment, where he and Mathieu solicitously helped Patsy across the foyer to the lift. Once back in the apartment, Nanette saw Patsy into her room before joining the men in the sitting room.
Mathieu was holding a piece of paper, which he handed to Nanette. ‘Florence left this note for you. Apparently, Zac has been ringing all evening.’
Nanette sighed as she read the housekeeper’s message:
Zac Ewart needs to talk to you urgently. Would you please ring him at whatever time you return. Mathieu will give you the number if you don’t have it.
‘What on earth can be so important? I’ll ring him in the morning,’ Nanette said. ‘I’m too tired and worried about Patsy right now.’
As Mathieu went to say something, Nanette held up her hands.
‘Mathieu, my days of running after Zac are long gone. Incidentally, have you finished with the Vacances au Soleil papers yet?’
Jean-Claude shot his son a swift glance. ‘What were you hoping to find?’
Mathieu shrugged. ‘Just an address.’
‘Did you find it?’ Jean-Claude asked.
There was a barely perceptible pause before Mathieu shook his head. ‘No. I’ll get the papers for you now.’ He went into his temporary office, returning seconds later with Nanette’s envelope.
‘I said I’d take Patsy some warm milk to help her sleep,’ Nanette said. ‘Shall I make us a nightcap too?’
Mathieu shook his head. ‘Not for me. I’ve got a breakfast business meeting tomorrow, so, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to bed. Goodnight.’
‘Can I get you anything?’ Nanette said to Jean-Claude as the door closed behind Mathieu,
‘No, thanks. I’ll leave you to look after Patsy – and don’t worry, I’m sure she and the baby will be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Thank you for a lovely evening, JC,’ Nanette said. ‘I really enjoyed myself. The best birthday for years.’
Jean-Claude gave her a gentle kiss and he was gone.
As the door closed behind him, the telephone rang. Quickly, Nanette snatched the receiver off its hook before the shrill noise could disturb everyone. She knew exactly who would be ringing her this late.
‘Zac, stop pestering me…’
‘I need your help, Nanette,’ Zac’s voice interrupted. ‘I want you to go to Pole Position tomorrow morning, meet someone and put a package in the safe for me.’
‘What? You ring at nearly midnight to ask me to do something trivial that your skipper can do?’ Nanette said incredulously.
‘No, he can’t,’ Zac answered quietly. ‘You’re the only person apart from me who knows a) where the safe is and b) the combination to it.’
‘You mean the secret, personal one, in your cabin?’ Nanette asked as realisation dawned. ‘You’ve never changed the code?’
‘No.’
‘Can’t the skipper simply put whatever it is in the main safe until you get back?’
Zac sighed audibly down the phone. ‘No. If there hadn’t been a problem with testing tyres, I’d have been there to deal with it myself. As it is, I’m unlikely to get back for some time. I’d rather it was totally out of sight. Five minutes, Nanette, that’s all it will take.’
‘You’re not asking me to help with something illegal, are you?’ Nanette demanded.
‘Definitely not,’ Zac replied instantly. ‘If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you it’s something to do with Vacances au Soleil.’
Nanette took a deep breath. ‘OK,’ she said reluctantly. ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’
‘Thank you. Eleven o’clock on board. You do remember the combination?’
‘Yes.’ As the combination was made up of her birthday date backwards, it was one she was hardly likely to forget.
‘Thanks, Nanette. I owe you one.’
‘If my returning memory is right, Zac, you owe me more than that,’ Nanette said. ‘When you get back, we need to have a serious talk. Goodnight.’
Quickly, before Zac could start to question her, Nanette replaced the receiver. She was determined to challenge Zac face to face, to see his reaction to her accusation. Now was not the time.
Tomorrow she would go to the yacht and do as Zac asked – but this was positively the last time ever she would do anything Zac Ewart asked her to do.
32
The next morning, Nanette took the twins to school before returning to the apartment and making Patsy some breakfast.
‘You still look a bit peaky,’ Nanette said. ‘How do you feel?’
‘OK, thanks, and I’m really sorry for spoiling your evening,’ Patsy said.
‘You worried me, but you didn’t spoil the evening. I had a lovely birthday.’
‘Did I hear the phone last night, after Jean-Claude had left?’
Nanette nodded. ‘Zac.’
Patsy looked at her. ‘And?’
‘I’m going to collect something and put it in his personal safe on board Pole Position this morning,’ Nanette answered slowly, knowing that Patsy wouldn’t like it. ‘Don’t stress about it,’ she added. ‘It’s not good for you in your condition. It’ll only take five minutes mid-morning and then I intend to forget all about Zac Ewart until he gets back from Indianapolis next month.’
‘Do you know what it is you’re collecting?’ Patsy asked.
‘No. It can’t be anything too large because the safe isn’t that big,’ she answered.
‘Have you told JC or Mathieu what you’re doing?’
Nanette shook her head. ‘No. Mathieu has already left and I’m not expecting to see JC until this afternoon. I’ll tell him then. What are you doing?’ Nanette looked at her sister, horrified, as Patsy went to throw off the duvet.
‘I’m getting up and comi
ng with you, of course,’ Patsy said.
‘Oh, no, you’re not. The doctor said bed rest for twenty-four hours, so don’t you even dare to think about getting up,’ Nanette scolded her. ‘When I get back from putting whatever it is in the safe, I’m ringing the clinic to make you an appointment,’ she said and tucked Patsy firmly back into bed.
Later that morning, she left Patsy with some magazines and strict instructions to take it easy and made her way down to the harbour.
Walking towards the yacht, she could see the gangway was raised, making access from the quay impossible.
Hadn’t Zac told the crew he’d arranged for her to meet someone there? What would she do if the crew had all disappeared for the day and she couldn’t get on board?
To her relief, as she got nearer, she saw Phil, the skipper, out on the starboard deck talking to someone on the next yacht. Seeing her standing at the stern, Phil raised a hand in greeting but didn’t immediately move to lower the gangway and let her on board. Instead, he finished his conversation and took his time before pressing the button that would lower the gangway.
Nanette was sure he would never have dared to have kept Zac waiting, but he was clearly trying to make a point.
‘Zac has asked me to meet someone here and—’
‘I know,’ Phil interrupted. ‘He phoned me this morning.’ He looked hard at her. ‘I’m sure you are aware that the captain of a boat is the one held legally responsible for whatever takes place on board – regardless of whether he or the owner sanctioned it.’
‘Yes, I know,’ Nanette said quietly. ‘All I can say is, Zac assured me last night, that it is nothing illegal he wants me to put in the safe, otherwise I certainly wouldn’t be here.’
‘Until this morning I wasn’t even aware there was a second secret safe on board this yacht. It is something I should have been told about.’
‘This is something you are going to have to take up with Zac.’
‘Oh, I intend to,’ Phil said. ‘If you speak to him before I do, you can tell him that I’m seriously thinking of looking for another position – one where the owner treats me with the respect and trust I deserve.’
Nanette was silent, not knowing what to say.
‘Cooee.’ They both turned to see Evie standing on the quay. ‘Hi, Nanette, haven’t seen you in ages. How are you? Can I come on board please, Captain?’
Without waiting for a reply, Evie slipped off her high heels and walked along the gangway.
‘I’ve got a package for Zac,’ she said, rummaging in her tote and producing a medium-sized parcel.
‘You have?’ Nanette said, surprised. The last person she’d expected to be meeting was Evie.
‘It’s from Luc,’ Evie explained. ‘My ex-boss as of today,’ and she held the package out to Phil.
Phil shook his head, declining to accept the parcel. ‘Not me. Nanette is here to collect it – and put it somewhere safe,’ he added.
Evie looked at the two of them, clearly sensing the tension, before shrugging her shoulders. ‘Whatever. I’ve done my bit.’
‘Thanks,’ Nanette said, taking the parcel.
‘Have you got time for a coffee?’ Evie asked. ‘When you’ve done what you have to do.’
‘Love one. Give me five minutes to put this away first.’ Nanette turned to Phil. ‘All right if I go down below?’ she asked.
‘Be my guest – you know where it is,’ and Phil moved aside indifferently.
Closing the master cabin door behind her, Nanette walked across the cream deep-pile carpet towards the en-suite bathroom. The luxurious bathroom with its marble and gold fittings had been spared refurbishment last year and was exactly as Nanette remembered it.
Kneeling down, she opened the vanity unit under the double marble sink and lifted out the white towels that were stored there. Carefully, she tapped at the front edge of the flooring shelf to loosen it before lifting it out and laying it on the floor.
Sitting back on her heels, she looked at the small dial previously hidden by the false cupboard bottom but now exposed in the recess under the sink. What was she going to find when the safe door opened? What secrets did Zac already have stashed away within the steel box?
Nanette took a deep breath. It had been a long time since she and Zac had devised the code. Remembering her birthday date backwards was the easy bit. Counting under her breath, Nanette concentrated on remembering the number of turns she had to make to the right and then to the left in between several of the digits. As she did the last turn to the right, she heard the satisfying click of the lock undoing and with a deep sigh of relief she pulled open the door.
The safe was empty – except for a handgun. Nanette stared at it, stunned. Since when had Zac found it necessary to have a gun on board? Sitting back on her heels, Nanette looked at the packet Evie had given her, wondering about its contents. She sat there for several minutes before coming to a decision and closing the door and spinning the combination lock.
The flooring shelf slid back in easily and Nanette replaced the towels tidily before shutting the vanity unit door, picking up her handbag and leaving the bathroom.
Evie was waiting for her in the stern and Nanette quickly called out ‘Goodbye’ to Phil, who was busy adjusting fenders near the bow, before following Evie down the gangway and back on to the quay.
‘Shall we have coffee at the apartment?’ Nanette suggested. ‘Then I can introduce you to my sister, Patsy. Tell me, why is Luc your ex-boss?’
Evie sighed and glanced around before saying quietly, ‘I think his business is in trouble. He’s talking of restructuring, or he may give up altogether. Anyway, he’s given me two months’ pay in lieu of notice and told me he doesn’t need me any more. He has promised to help me find another job if I want to stay in Monaco. Which I do.’
‘Have you heard of any jobs going?’
‘No. I’ve got an interview with an agency tomorrow, so I’m hoping they’ll come up with something,’ Evie said. ‘Even if it’s only temporary.’
Nanette glanced at Evie as a sudden thought struck her. Should she tell her about Zac needing someone for Vacances au Soleil? Though how could she possibly recommend a job with Zac when she suspected he was involved in something illegal?
She couldn’t, she decided. So instead she said. ‘I’ll have a word with Jean-Claude if you like, he may know of something.’
‘Thanks,’ Evie said. ‘I’m hoping something does turn up. I really like it down here and would hate to have to leave.’
As they walked back to the apartment, Nanette waited for the inevitable questions from Evie.
‘Phil, the captain, told me you lived in Monaco before and were once engaged to Zac. Is that true?’
‘Yes. It’s not as if it’s a big secret. Just something I rarely talk about to strangers. Every time I thought I’d mention it to you, the conversation veered off in a different direction before I’d plucked up the courage to raise the subject. I guessed that somebody was bound to tell you eventually,’ Nanette said. ‘Three years ago, my reputation was in tatters when I left and I had a hard time coming to terms with what happened. Telling someone new about the accident has always been difficult. Easier to keep quiet.’
‘I can understand that,’ Evie said.
‘So, d’you still want to come up for coffee and meet Patsy?’ Nanette asked as they reached the apartment block.
‘Of course. Why shouldn’t I? We’ve all got some sort of skeleton in our cupboards, haven’t we?’
Nanette laughed. ‘Come on up then and tell me and Patsy about your skeletons.’
The consultant at the clinic where Nanette had made an appointment for Patsy was thorough in his examination – and definite in his opinion.
‘Everything seems fine now. I suggest you fly home as soon as possible in case the bleeding starts again. Leave it too late and perhaps the airline will refuse to let you fly. I think you will possibly deliver early.’
Leaving the clinic, the sisters decided to wa
lk back to the apartment. As they strolled slowly along the embankment enjoying the sunshine and dodging the tourists, Nanette said, ‘I’ll ring the airline and change your ticket to an earlier flight. As much as I want you to stay, I think the consultant is right.’
Patsy nodded. ‘Another twenty-four hours will be OK though, won’t it? I really want to see the twins’ school play tonight.’
‘First available flight after this evening then,’ Nanette said. ‘Now, are you up for some retail therapy in Rue Princess Caroline before lunch?’
‘Silly question, of course,’ Patsy answered. ‘I’ve got to make the most of my time here – besides, I must find a present for Bryan.’
‘Good, but then you must get some rest before we go to the play. It’s my afternoon to work for Jean-Claude, so I won’t be around for a couple of hours. If you don’t want to stay in the apartment alone, you can always come up to the villa with me.’
Patsy shook her head. ‘I’ll be fine. I’ll probably sit on the balcony and snooze for a couple of hours. Shopping always tires me out even when I’m not pregnant!’
Once back at the apartment, Patsy went to sit on the balcony while Nanette telephoned the airline to change her flight. To her dismay, she was told the only flight with seats available was just eight hours before the one Patsy was already booked on – hardly worth the cost of changing.
Nanette glanced at her sister dozing happily in one of the wicker chairs on the balcony and decided to simply abandon the idea of getting Patsy home early. She still had at least two months to go and Nanette began to pray that the consultant’s possible early delivery prediction fears wouldn’t be proved true in the next few days.
Bryan, she knew, would be devastated if he wasn’t with Patsy when she gave birth to their first child. How she was going to keep her own promise to be with her sister if the baby did come early after she went home was something she’d worry about later.
33
Leaving Patsy with strict instructions to rest until she returned, Nanette made her way up to Jean-Claude’s villa that afternoon.
One Summer in Monte Carlo Page 17