Villa of Sun and Secrets

by Jennifer Bohnet

  Josette returned his gaze sadly. ‘I’m so, so, sorry. If I could wave a magic wand and change things, I would.’ She shrugged helplessly.

  A waiter arrived at the table ready to take their main course orders just then and several minutes passed while they decided which of the many pasta dishes on offer each of them wanted.

  As the waiter left to take their order to the chef, Mario turned to Carla, the previous intensity in his eyes replaced with a softness as he looked at her. ‘So I have a daughter. I’m sorry not to have met you before. Did you have a good childhood in spite of all the secrets? Was Robert kind to you?’

  ‘Robert was more than just kind. He was the best dad in the world as far as I was concerned,’ Carla said. ‘I miss him dreadfully.’

  Mario just looked at her, an unfathomable look in his eyes for several seconds before he spoke, ‘I’ll take it from your reply that Amelia wasn’t the best mum in the world?’

  ‘I think she did her best for a long time,’ Carla said. ‘But now I know all the details surrounding my birth, I understand more why she was like she was with me.’

  ‘And how about you and Josie?’ Mario gestured with his hand at them both. ‘Have the two of you formed an instant bond?’

  Carla and Josette glanced at each other and smiled. It was Carla who answered. ‘Not instant, no. But we’re working on it.’

  ‘What about you and me? How do you feel about me being in your life?’ Mario asked, looking at Carla.

  ‘Honestly? Yesterday I didn’t care whether you were in my life or not. Today I can sense there is a connection between us, but I can’t envisage a time when I will ever regard you as more than a friend – or maybe an uncle. You need to know,’ Carla paused, ‘Robert will always be my dad. I’m sorry.’

  Mario nodded. ‘Don’t be. I understand your feelings. I only met Robert a couple of times, but we got on well on those occasions. I am happy and pleased he was in your life as the loving father I would have been had circumstances been different. Now, I shall simply hope to become a good close friend. The kind you can turn to in any sort of emergency and know they’ll be there in an instant.’ Mario picked up the untouched glass of wine the sommelier had poured earlier to accompany the aperitifs. ‘A toast to old and new friends. And a united future,’ he added.

  The next hour passed quickly, with the three of them telling each other about their different lives and generally getting to know one another. Carla could sense Josette relaxing more and more as the lunch progressed. As they waited for their desserts Carla picked up her wine glass and absently looked at Mario and Josette – and felt a jolt when the phrase ‘these are my parents’ floated uninvited into her mind. It was going to take a long time for that reality to sink in.

  When Bruno’s name came up in the conversation, Carla laughed.

  ‘I can’t believe the man who saved me from under the wheels of a car turns out to be my cousin.’

  ‘I will have to give him my sincere thanks for that act of gallantry,’ Mario said. ‘To think I might never have met you if he’d failed in that moment. Now, when will you come to Italy to meet the rest of your Italian family?’

  ‘How will your family feel about a long lost daughter turning up?’

  ‘They’ll be thrilled to meet you. As thrilled as I will be to meet my English grandchildren,’ Mario said. ‘And I can’t wait for Alexandro’s reaction when he sees Josie again. He remembers how devastated I was when I lost her.’

  ‘I promise I’ll tell the twins about you and ask them to visit again soon.’ Carla stood up. ‘Excuse me for a moment, I need the cloakroom.’

  Mario watched Carla walk across the restaurant towards the cloakroom before catching hold of Josette’s hand as she went to pick up a glass.

  ‘Josie, mia cara, thank you for giving me Carla.’ Gently, Mario stroked her fingers for several seconds, his eyes misty with unshed tears.

  ‘I know you told me things could be serious between you and your friend Gordon, but that was before I knew Carla was my daughter. I know this isn’t the right place to say this, but I want you to forget about Gordon and marry me. It’s not too late for the three of us to be a proper family for the rest of our lives. I promise I will do my utmost to make you happy and I want to take care of you both from now on. Please say yes and marry me, Josie.’

  44

  Josette knew Carla was startled when she returned from the cloakroom to find her in tears and Mario staring morosely into space.

  ‘What’s happened?’ Carla said, standing there uncertainly looking at them both. ‘You haven’t rowed already, have you?’

  Mario looked at her and shook his head. ‘No, not a row as such. I just asked your mother to marry me… and she turned me down.’

  Pushing her chair back and standing up, Josette whispered, ‘I’m so sorry, Mario. I think it better if we leave now. May I call you later? I’d like to try and explain my reasons better.’

  Mario nodded wearily. ‘Please.’ He stood up and kissed Josette on both cheeks before turning to Carla and, to her surprise, giving her a tight hug, rather than kisses on her cheek. ‘See if you can persuade her to change her mind, will you?’ he whispered in her ear. ‘Please ask the twins to come over as soon as possible. A Grimaud family get-together soon is a definite must.’

  As the two of them left the restaurant, Josette said, ‘Can we take a walk along the esplanade before we get the train? I fancy some sea breeze.’ Without waiting for an answer, she set off at a determined pace.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Carla said a few minutes later as she struggled to keep up with her.

  ‘Oui merci,’ Josette said before unexpectedly stopping and turning to face Carla. ‘So, how d’you like your father?’

  ‘That’s hardly a fair question,’ Carla protested. ‘It’s the first time I’ve met him, but yes, I like him. I think he likes me too. Whether we’ll ever bond and be the family unit he seems so keen on when he’s met the twins…’ she shrugged and looked at Josette. ‘Isn’t marrying Mario the one thing in life you’ve always dreamt of doing?’ she said quietly. ‘So why did you turn him down?’

  ‘Because… because we’ve both changed and because it’s fifty years too late as I’ve finally realised marriage to Mario isn’t the be all and end all of things. D’you think I should have said yes and agreed to marry him?’

  ‘Not if you don’t want to,’ Carla said. ‘Do you think he’s changed that much?’

  ‘He’s still as impetuous as ever,’ Josette said. ‘Like today, when he asked me to marry him. It’s far too soon to be talking about marriage. We need time to readjust to each other. To get used to being back in each other’s lives, and for his family to accept the news.’

  ‘He does seem very keen to introduce everyone,’ Carla said. ‘To surround himself with a big happy family. Maybe that’s the Italian in him?’

  Josette laughed. ‘Peut être. Now he knows about you he’s on a high and seems to think that the two of us getting back together is a foregone conclusion.’ She glanced anxiously at Carla. ‘I realise it would bring our lives a full circle. But getting married won’t cancel out all the years we’ve lost. It certainly won’t turn us into a proper family overnight. The world will just see an old couple who got their act together too late, call it romantic, and forget us.’ She sighed. ‘What I do know is I can’t just jump straight back into a relationship I’m not sure I want any more.’ There, she had voiced her fears.

  ‘Then don’t,’ Carla said, catching hold of her hand. ‘You get to make all the decisions this time – no one is forcing you to do anything. If you want to settle for friendship, then that’s your choice.’

  Josette smiled a watery smile. ‘I always dreamt about us having these mother-daughter chats and now we are – except it’s you being the sensible one. Come on, let’s get to the station and go home.’ Arm in arm, they turned and walked back along the esplanade.

  During the train ride back to Antibes, the two of them sat companionably looking
out at the scenery, both deep in their own thoughts. As they left the train at Antibes, Carla said, ‘Come back to the villa with me for tea?’

  Josette shook her head. ‘Lovely thought, but I promised Gordon I’d go to the apartment as soon as I returned and tell him how lunch and everything went.’

  ‘Okay. Maybe both of you come for supper tomorrow night?’

  ‘Looking forward to it already,’ Josette said. ‘Ciao’.

  Five minutes later, she pressed Gordon’s buzzer on the entrance door to his building and slipped inside when the door opened. Climbing the stairs to Gordon’s apartment, Josette felt an inner strength she’d forgotten she’d ever possessed. She had a second chance of happiness and she was determined to grasp it unreservedly. No way would she make the mistake of fifty years ago and simply accept things. Carla was right. She was in command now and in turning Mario down had made one of the most important decisions of her life. It also meant that everything that had happened between them was now firmly where it belonged – in that foreign country known as the past.

  Gordon was standing at the open door of his apartment holding his arms out wide, ready to enclose her in a bear-tight hug as she reached the top floor. ‘Come through to the terrace, there’s a slight breeze out there. Would you like a drink?’

  ‘A glass of iced water would be great,’ Josette said.

  Twenty seconds later, Gordon handed her the water and regarded her anxiously. ‘How did Mario react?’

  Quickly Josette described the meeting to Gordon. ‘He accused me of lying to him initially but calmed down when I explained. He’s more than happy to accept Carla and the twins’ presence in his life. He has plans for a big family get-together.’ She took a sip of water. ‘There was an interesting moment after lunch finished. Mario proposed to me. Said the three of us could finally be a proper family.’

  Josette felt Gordon tense and stiffen beside her as he stared intently at her face and waited for her to finish.

  ‘Sadly for Mario his proposal has come fifty years too late. I turned him down as I no longer want to marry him.’ Josette looked at Gordon and held his gaze.

  For several seconds the two of them simply stared at each other before a broad smile crossed Gordon’s face and Josette smiled back.

  ‘Carla and I went for a walk when we left the restaurant. One of the things she pointed out was that this time nobody would force me to do anything I didn’t want to.’

  Josette caught her breath and watched as Gordon put his hand in the pocket of his shorts and pulled a small box out. Surely he wasn’t about to say, to do, what she suddenly suspected?

  ‘I saw this on that antique stall down in the market the other day and thought – hoped – you’d like it.’ Gently, he took hold of her left hand and carefully slid an old-fashioned, wide gold ring set with three garnet stones on to her third finger. ‘It’s vintage like us, and it’s not a traditional engagement ring, but I thought it’s more you than diamonds. We don’t have to get married if you don’t want to, but I hope you do.’

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ Josette said, looking at the ring. ‘And if that little speech means you’ve just proposed to me – the answer is yes.’

  Gordon pulled her into his arms, looking at her as he held her tight. ‘I was so afraid you would choose Mario over me.’

  ‘I’ve already told you that I can’t imagine my life now without you in it,’ Josette said. ‘But…’ she added.

  ‘Oh, there’s always a but,’ Gordon said. ‘Not sure I want to hear it.’

  ‘But,’ Josette continued. ‘Because of Carla and the twins, I will be staying in touch with him – as a friend of the family. I couldn’t explain things to him over lunch very well, so I said I’d ring him tonight. I’m also going to write that letter I tried to start the other week.’ She looked at Gordon questioningly. ‘D’accord? He’s going to be back in my life as a friend. Please say you’re okay with that? There will be times socially when we will all meet up and I can’t bear the thought of there being an atmosphere between us.’

  ‘Just friends? Not friends with benefits?’

  ‘I promise you – no benefits,’ Josette said.

  ‘Good. Having got that out of the way, I need a drink. I’ll fetch the bubbly and we can celebrate,’ Gordon said, making for the kitchen.

  Josette stayed where she was, deep in thought. Two proposals in one day. Who’d ever have thought it? And who’d have thought it would be the unconventional Scotsman who’d literally snowballed his way to her side that would be the man she’d fall in love with at this time of her life?

  ‘To the future and us,’ Gordon said, handing her a glass of champagne.

  ‘To the future and us,’ Josette said, echoing his words.

  45

  When Josette and Gordon arrived hand in hand for supper the following evening carrying a bottle of champagne, Carla and Joel were waiting for them out on the terrace.

  ‘Are we celebrating something?’ Carla said.

  ‘Definitely,’ Josette said, smiling, and held out her left hand.

  Carla looked at the ring and then at the two of them. ‘Wow. Congratulations. I’m so happy for you both. I’ll fetch some glasses and the nibbles.’

  Josette followed her into the kitchen, leaving Gordon and Joel to talk.

  Carla looked at her. ‘After yesterday’s proposal from Mario, I wasn’t expecting this news.’

  ‘Quelle surprise for me too,’ Josette said. ‘But it feels right. I’m so happy.’

  ‘Aren’t you worried about how Mario might react? Have you told him yet?’

  ‘I rang him last night as I promised, but I didn’t tell him about Gordon and me,’ Josette said. ‘I concentrated on explaining why I couldn’t slip back into a relationship with him after all this time. I didn’t feel it was fair to then blithely announce I just got engaged to Gordon.’ She’d caused him enough hurt for one lifetime. She would try and break the news of her engagement to Gordon gently.

  ‘Probably a wise move,’ Carla said. ‘You’ll have to tell him, though, before the twins arrive for this family get-together he wants.’

  ‘I’ve got some time then,’ Josette said. ‘No?’ as Carla shook her head and handed her the plate of nibbles to carry outside.

  ‘Mario rang me earlier insisting I arranged a meeting asap. They’re coming over this weekend. I told them I needed them here for an urgent family conference. Had to assure them I wasn’t ill, which was their first thought, but it was something serious I needed to talk to them about. Probably made it sound a bit too mysterious, but I wanted to make sure they came.’

  ‘When and where’s the family get-together happening?’ Josette said.

  ‘Saturday afternoon. Not sure where yet. I’m hoping here, but Mario said he’d like to show everyone his place in San Remo. Right, that’s everything, let’s go and celebrate your news. Oh, and there’s something I need to show you in the garden.’

  After Gordon had poured the champagne and a toast had been drunk to everyone’s future happiness, Carla took Josette down to the wild garden at the side of the pool house. The white roses had died back, but the bees and butterflies were still humming around the buddleia and a blue aster had taken the place of the daisies. Carla waited for Josette to register the urn placed in the middle of the area.

  ‘Amelia?’ Josette said softly.

  Carla nodded. ‘What d’you think? I know you weren’t happy initially with the thought of her being here, but I didn’t know what else to do with her.’

  ‘Like you said before, she turned into a tortured soul, didn’t she?’ Josette said. ‘I’d give anything to be able to talk to the loving sister I knew long ago for five minutes and put everything right between us. But she’s gone, leaving a vindictive letter telling me how much she hated me. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive her for that, but I can’t find it in me to throw her in the rubbish bin like I wanted to earlier. I also can’t tell her how sorry I am for the consequences of the mistake I m
ade all those years ago.’ Josette turned to look at Carla. ‘If you’re happy with the urn here then I think it’s the perfect spot. Even tortured souls deserve to find peace.’ Josette turned back to look directly at the urn. ‘R.I.P. Amelia.’ She leant in closer and whispered, ‘Start haunting us though and I promise I’ll scatter you far and wide in the Mediterranean.’

  Carla laughed. ‘I’d loved to have spent time with you both when you still liked each other. I bet you were fun to be around and used each other as sparring partners.’

  ‘I have to admit we had our moments,’ Josette said. ‘We fell out frequently, mind, but I never expected the final fall-out to last forever,’ and she turned away, hoping that Carla wouldn’t notice her eyes glistening with tears.

  An hour or so later after Gordon and Josette had said their goodbyes, Carla and Joel remained sitting out on the terrace chatting. Leroy was stretched out on a patch of warm earth asleep in front of them.

  ‘I love how eating al fresco is such a way of life down here,’ Carla said. ‘It’s a real treat in the UK, but here it’s possible to do it nearly every day all year round.’

  ‘The heat and lack of rain makes my job difficult though,’ Joel said. ‘Especially lawns. They’re always the first to go brown in the heat. I’ve just taken on a client with a new house and a garden full of rubble. He wants a lawn fit to play croquet on by next summer. I’ve told him the problems, but he seems to think I can work a miracle for him.’

  ‘How’s being totally freelance working out for you?’ Carla asked. ‘Are you finding enough new clients?’

  Joel nodded. ‘I signed three this week – two of whom need their gardens landscaping rather than just weeding, which is great for me.’ He glanced at Carla before looking away and saying, ‘One of the gardens has a small cottage in it being renovated. The owners have offered to rent it to me when it’s ready.’