Rendezvous in Cannes (15 page)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Saturday morning and Daisy was in the kitchen ready to take Tom to see the whales with Cindy and Nat.

‘Tom will be about five minutes,’ Poppy said. ‘Time for a coffee. Where are you meeting Nat and Cindy?’

‘Outside the station,’ Daisy replied. ‘Just got time to check my e-mails then and talk to you about ... Oh, I’ve got one from Ben.’

‘And?’ Poppy said.

‘Not happy,’ Daisy said. ‘Thinks I’m punishing him for leaving. Wants to talk. Promises to make things up to me.’

‘Seems he didn’t get the message then.’

‘He’ll get this one,’ Daisy muttered typing furiously. ‘Ben, you are wasting your time. I am NOT, repeat NOT going to marry you. I’m not punishing you for leaving me but I’ve moved on – met someone else, someone special and I’m making plans for my future – without you. I honestly wish you all the best. Have a good life but I’m sorry, I won’t be in it.’

‘Well, that’s told him,’ Poppy said, reading over her shoulder.

Daisy pressed send and shut down her e-mail programme. Surely that would be the end of things with Ben. She couldn’t spell it out any clearer could she?

‘I just hope he gets the message this time,’ Daisy said.

‘So what are these plans you’re making?’ Poppy asked.

Daisy glanced at her sister. ‘Poppy, I need to talk to you about—’

‘Have I got time for some toast?’ Tom asked, running into the kitchen. ‘I’m starving.’

‘If you’re quick. We’ve only got a few minutes before we have to leave,’ Daisy said.

A shadow passed by the window and Anna appeared in the doorway.

‘Good morning, Anna. Coffee?’ Poppy offered, holding up the cafetière.

‘No thanks. I’m on my way out. I just came to say Leo and I are going over to Antibes later so please don’t worry if there’s no sign of life in the villa.’

‘We’re going to Antibes too,’ Tom said through a mouthful of toast. ‘For Cindy’s birthday treat. We’re going on the train to see the whales.’

‘I’m sure you and Cindy will have lots of fun,’ Anna said. ‘Come and tell me all about the whales tomorrow.’

‘Can I come for a swim as well?’ Tom asked.

‘Of course. Now I’d better get going otherwise my meeting in Cannes will overrun and Leo will be cross with me. Have fun,’ Anna said as she left.

‘She looks a bit better today,’ Poppy said. ‘Thought she looked dreadful when I saw her yesterday.’

‘Wonder if there have been any developments with Verity and Teddy,’ Daisy said. ‘Maybe Nat will have some news.’ She closed her laptop and stood up. ‘Right Tom, time we were going.’

‘Hey, what were you going to tell me?’ Poppy said.

‘Talk later, sis. No time now. Come on, Tom we’d better run if we’re not going to be late.’

Nat and Cindy were waiting for them in front of Cannes station and an hour later they were all finding their seats in the terracing that surrounded the whale enclosure, waiting for the display to begin. Tom and Cindy were soon excitedly involved with some of the pirates who were encouraging the audience to get into the spirit of the show to come.

‘Any news on the long lost son saga?’ Daisy asked Nat when she was sure the children were engrossed in the pirate game.

‘Heated arguments in the main. Apparently Teddy came face to face with Anna the other evening at some party or other and walked out on her. Verity has spent the last two days trying to persuade him to make contact and learn the truth.’

‘Does ...’ Daisy indicated her head at Cindy, ‘know what’s going on?’

‘No.’ Nat said. ‘She knows Teddy is upset over something but has no idea what it is. One of the arguments was over Teddy insisting that Cindy had to return her necklace but Verity told him that was a definite no-no for Cindy’s sake. She hasn’t taken it off once yet, she loves it. She simply wouldn’t understand why she couldn’t keep it. Oh look, the show is about to begin – here come the whales.’

Hours later when they’d seen not only the whales, but dolphins and sea lions performing, watched the baby penguins being fed and Nat had treated them all to lunch, they began to make their way to the exit.

Passing a souvenir shop Cindy said, ‘Can we go in there? I want to buy Anna a present.’

Daisy and Nat looked at each other startled, before Nat said, ‘Sure, why not? Let’s go.’

Once inside the shop Cindy, with Tom’s help, decided that Anna would love a whale in a snow scene globe and happily stood in the queue with Daisy to pay for it.

‘I love my necklace Anna gave me and will never, ever, ever, forget her,’ Cindy said, looking up at Daisy. ‘D’you think she’ll remember me for always and always?’

‘Oh Cindy love, I’m sure Anna will always remember you. Every time she shakes the globe she’ll think about you,’ Daisy said, touched by the little girl’s obvious sincerity and wondering whether Nat was right when he said Cindy had no idea what her parents were arguing about.

Poppy was in the kitchen when they got back to the cottage late that afternoon. ‘Hi guys. How were the whales?’

‘They were brilliant, Mum,’ Tom said. ‘I bought a poster for my room and a pot of sweets for you. Look, there’s a picture of a whale on it too.’

‘Thank you,’ Poppy said.

‘Can I go and see Anna, please?’ Cindy said. ‘I want to give her the present I’ve got her.’

‘Oh Cindy love, she’s not in,’ Poppy said. ‘Perhaps she’ll be back before you leave. If not, you can always leave the present here and I’ll give it to her for you.’

Cindy shook her head vigorously. ‘No thank you. I want to give it to her myself.’

‘Tom, why don’t you and Cindy help yourselves to a couple of biscuits and go watch a DVD while I get you something to eat. You will stay for tea, won’t you?’ Poppy said turning to Nat.

Nat glanced at his watch. ‘Can’t stay too long. Verity and Teddy are expecting us back. Looking at the black clouds that have followed us home, I think it might rain soon and we haven’t got coats with us.’

As the children disappeared to watch a movie, Daisy smiled at Nat. ‘I think as birthday treats go, today was a good one for Cindy.’

Nat’s mobile buzzed before he could answer. ‘Hi Teddy. No, we’re at Tom’s about to have tea.’ He was quiet as he listened to Teddy.

‘She’s not here anyway,’ he said, before falling silent again. ‘OK. Twenty minutes then.’ He closed the phone before saying, ‘Poppy I’m really sorry, but we have to go. Teddy is furious. Apparently he told Verity to make sure Cindy stayed away from here – something she forget to mention to me. He doesn’t want Cindy having any more contact with Anna before we all leave on Monday.’

‘How unkind,’ Daisy said. ‘Cindy adores Anna. They seem to have forged a bond without even knowing about the special relationship they share.’

‘I know,’ Nat said. ‘But Teddy is adamant that their friendship is to stop. I’ll just go and get Cindy.’

Daisy and Poppy looked at each other. ‘Poor Anna,’ they said simultaneously.

‘Poor Cindy not being allowed to know her own grandmother,’ Daisy added.

‘I’m still astonished at that turn of events,’ Poppy said.

‘Where are the children watching the DVD?’ Nat asked, returning to the kitchen. ‘They’re not in the sitting room. Tom’s bedroom?’

Poppy shook her head. ‘No. He doesn’t have a TV up there.’

She went out into the hallway. ‘Tom! Cindy!’ she called. ‘Where are you?’ A clap of thunder was the only response.

Daisy ran upstairs to look. ‘No sign of them up there,’ she said.

‘Tom! I’m getting cross. Wherever you’re hiding, please come out, NOW. Nat and Cindy have to go home,’ Poppy shouted.

‘Could they have gone across to the villa without us seeing?’ Nat asked. ‘Hoping that Anna was in after all?’

‘If they’d gone out through the boot room, yes,’ Poppy answered running towards the back of the cottage. ‘This door is usually locked,’ she said, staring at the open door swinging in the wind that had arrived with the thunder and the rain that was now bucketing down.

‘Right,’ Nat said. ‘I’ll go out this way and check the villa.’

‘Here, take this,’ Daisy said, grabbing a waterproof jacket from a hook. ‘You’ll get soaked otherwise.’

‘Even if they have gone across to the villa, they can’t be inside,’ Poppy said. ‘Anna and Leo are meticulous about locking up the place when they go out.’

‘I’ll still take a look,’ Nat said and dashed off into the rain.

Together Daisy and Poppy began a thorough search of the cottage. While Daisy searched cupboards, opened wardrobe doors and looked under beds, Poppy braved the small cellar rooms with their large spiders among the electric fuse boxes and discarded suitcases.

‘Any sign?’ Daisy asked, brushing a cobweb out of her sister’s hair as they met up back in the hallway.

Poppy shook her head. ‘I don’t know what’s got into Tom. He normally tells me where he’s going to play. Oh good,’ she said glancing out of the window. ‘Anna and Leo are back. Nat’s talking to them and they’re going into the villa. Quick, let’s go over. Oh dear,’ said Poppy, stopping in her tracks.

‘Look who’s just arrived. Teddy Wickham. I wonder how he’s going to react to the news his daughter is missing.’

Chapter Thirty-Six

Anna barely registered the fact that Teddy had arrived, as Nat told her Cindy and Tom were missing. Together with Poppy she started to search the villa room by room, calling out the children’s names. ‘Cindy! Tom! Please come out, if you’re here.’

In the kitchen Leo, ever practical, took charge. ‘Right. You’ve established they’re not in the cottage. Anna and Poppy are checking upstairs here. Have you checked the garden? Tool-shed, that kind of thing.’

‘No tool shed or anything,’ Daisy said. ‘Just shrubs, the loggia and ... and the treehouse! I bet that’s where they are,’ and Daisy ran out into the garden, closely followed by Teddy, Nat and Leo.

A crack of thunder just as she reached the foot of the tall parasol pine that the treehouse was built in, made her jump.

‘Tom! Cindy! Please come down now,’ Daisy shouted. ‘The storm is getting closer. It’s not safe for you to be up there.’ The wind whipped her words away.

‘They’re definitely up there,’ she said as the three men joined her. ‘See, they’ve pulled the rope ladder up behind them. She stared up at the tree house. ‘I don’t think they can have heard me.’

‘Cindy!’ Teddy shouted. ‘Come down at once.’ When there was no response he turned on Nat angrily. ‘What on earth were you thinking of, Nat, letting them go up a tree in the middle of a thunderstorm?’

‘It’s not Nat’s fault,’ Poppy said, as she and Anna joined everyone under the tree. ‘We all thought they were in the sitting room watching a DVD. I have no idea why they decided to come out here.’

‘Well, I hope you have an idea of how to get them down now,’ Teddy said. ‘Do you have a ladder somewhere? Or do we have to call the pompiers?’

Anna moved close to the base of the tree.

‘Cindy! Tom!’ she shouted as loudly as she could. ‘Please come down. We know you’re up there. I promise you’re not in trouble. We just want to get you indoors safe. Away from this storm.’

Everybody stared upwards, praying for a response from the children but just as Anna said, ‘I think we’re going to have to find a ladder,’ Tom appeared at the front of the tree house and everyone breathed a collective sigh.

‘Mum, I’m sorry.’

‘Just throw the ladder over, Tom and climb down,’ Poppy said. ‘Cindy is up there with you, isn’t she?’

Tom nodded and pushed the rope ladder over the edge. ‘Mum, Cindy climbed up all right but the thunderstorm’s frightened her and she says she can’t climb down.’

‘OK Tom. Well, you come down and one of us will go up for Cindy.’

Once Tom was safely down, Nat went to climb up for Cindy, but Teddy took the rope ladder out of his hands. ‘No, Nat. I’ll go. You hold it steady for me,’ and Teddy swiftly climbed the ladder to reach into the treehouse to rescue his daughter. Several minutes passed before he reappeared with Cindy, her face blotched and red from crying, clutching his hand as they prepared to descend.

Anna, watching as Teddy tenderly held Cindy against him while he helped her to climb backwards down the ladder step by step, felt a helpless surge of love swamp her body: her son and her granddaughter. Once they were both safely on the ground it was all she could do to stop herself from rushing forward and hugging them both.

Instead she squeezed Leo’s hand hard and said, ‘Thank goodness everyone is safe.’

‘Right, into the kitchen to dry off and hot chocolate all round, I think,’ Poppy said. ‘Then the two of you can tell us why you thought climbing up to the treehouse this afternoon was a good idea.’

‘Anna, Leo. You going to join us for hot chocolate?’

Anna shook her head. ‘No thanks. Leo and I will leave you to it now the children are safe.’

Teddy, she knew, would resent being in her presence any longer. ‘We’ll see you tomorrow. Bye Tom, Cindy. Teddy.’ The last name said defiantly, out of polite-ness.

‘Daddy, quick, can I have the bag please?’ Cindy said her teeth chattering.

Teddy took a water-stained bag out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Cindy. ‘Apparently this is the reason they went into hiding. Cindy wanted to be here when Anna got back. To give her a present.’

‘Thank you Cindy,’ Anna said, impulsively bending down to give the little girl a hug as she handed her the bag. ‘I’m so glad you’re safe. Go and get warm now.’

Back in the villa Leo poured them both a glass of wine in lieu of hot chocolate as Anna begin to open her present. A knock at the back door surprised them both and Anna listened as Leo went to answer it.

‘May I come in?’ Teddy asked. ‘Nat is taking Cindy home and,’ he hesitated, ‘I’d like to talk to Anna.’