Escape to the French Riviera

Chapter Seventeen

By the time we arrive in Cannes in the early evening, the port is bustling with people, cars and breathtaking yachts. It is so much busier than Beaulieu-sur-Mer, and I am surprised we managed to secure a berth. I don’t know how Elias pulled it off, and I can only assume his boss has good connections.

After we have moored and made our way out of the marina, I look up at the big Ferris wheel that watches over the port. Elias catches me looking up at it. It is so pretty in the dusk with its pink and blue hues.

‘Fancy going up and checking out the views?’ he asks.

I haven’t been on a Ferris wheel since I was a kid. It’s not overly huge like some of them, and it looks like a fun thing to do, so I am eager to check it out.

I insist on paying for the ride, much to the annoyance of Elias, and hand over the money to the attendant. We step inside the little cage, and I feel a buzz of excitement. As the Ferris wheel moves upwards into the sky with the views of Cannes beneath us, Elias puts his arm around me, and we huddle together. I don’t think I could possibly be any happier than I am right now as we soar above the heights of Cannes. Bright lights flash as cars pass along the palm tree-lined road beneath us. The lights of the yachts illuminate the marina, where I spot a glimpse of Lady Jane . I can’t quite get over the fact that I am looking at the yacht I am staying on from up here on this Ferris wheel. I never dreamt my life could ever be this glamorous. It is so far removed from home.

I watch as the people below us get smaller as we reach the full height of the Ferris wheel, and the yachts in the moorings now only twinkle like little candle lights. This place couldn’t possibly get any more heavenly, and it’s the perfect place to admire the views.

When we finally come back down, Elias suggests we head to Le Suquet, which, he says, has pretty cobbled alleyways. We make our way there, passing delicatessens with displays of the most delectable French cheeses in their window and a patisserie selling gold leaf macarons. I have to stop for a moment to admire them. If it was a bit cheaper here, I might be tempted to take some back to the yacht to have with a cuppa! Although, it may not seem quite appropriate to have something like that with a good, strong brew. They should probably accompany some exotic leaf tea that has been picked from the highest mountains of Nepal – not the sort of tea you can find in the local Co-op.

The shops are so enticing with their handbags and jewellery displays that I could walk into all of them. The temptation of evening shopping becomes too much, and I pop into a little boutique that Soraya would love, even though the price tags may surprise even her. When we finish perusing the expensive stores, we decide to stop for a drink at one of the many bars and cafes that line the pretty cobbled pavements. We choose a bar with a bright red canopy and matching chairs. A water jug holds red roses, and Elias hands me one.

‘ Pour mon amore ,’ he grins cheesily.

I am tempted to seductively put the rose between my teeth but decide it might be best not to since I am most definitely the type of person to end up with a thorn stuck in my lip and need emergency treatment at a local hospital. This is why I have never been the adventurous type. Things can’t go wrong if you always play safe. But this man brings out the playful side in me that I thought was long gone and a sense of freedom that I have never felt before.

Over our drinks, we talk more than we ever have before. Elias tells me about how lonely he was after his wife died, and I admit that even before my marriage ended, when I had my husband beside me, if I am truthful, I can see now that I was incredibly lonely in that relationship. I don’t go as far as telling him about the time I bought a sleek new dress and walked into the bathroom as he was getting ready, hoping he would say something. Hoping he would actually notice me, but instead, he looked straight through me. I don’t ever recall his eyes lighting up when he saw me, like Elias’s do.

Elias picks up his drink and then puts it down again. He looks thoughtful.

‘I know I joke about them, but I think the boys are still finding it incredibly difficult to move on after their mum passed.’

‘I’m sure. It must have been awful to see her ill.’

‘It was, but I don’t know how healthy it is that they want me to keep the house like a shrine. It’s lovely, of course, that she’s remembered. But they won’t let me change anything because their mum chose this or put that in a certain place. I’m not saying we should all forget her, but it’s difficult to move forward when there are so many reminders. Another reason I like being out on the yacht, I suppose.’

‘Yes, it’s hard at this age when circumstances change. We don’t ever expect it.’

‘Definitely not. But all we can do is try and get on with it. Dear me, this isn’t a very happy conversation. I think we need to change the subject pronto! So, how do you like Cannes?’

‘I absolutely love it. I love everything so far. Monaco, Cannes, what a place this is. I can’t believe I almost didn’t come on this trip.’

‘Really?’

I contemplate telling Elias how I didn’t want to accept Soraya’s generosity but decide not to.

‘Yeah, it’s complicated. But never mind about that, I’m here now.’

‘And I’m glad you are,’ says Elias.

He stretches his hand across to touch mine, and a tingle runs through me. As we look into each other’s eyes, I feel that Elias is not a man to let someone down. We might still be learning about each other, but the more time we spend together, the more I feel that my family is wrong about him. They are just being dramatic. I’m sure I can trust him.

After another glass of wine, we head back to the yacht, where Alexa provides the music. We dance to love songs in each other’s arms on the top deck and curl up together when we need a sit-down. It is one of those pinch-me moments, and I begin to think I should have been more adventurous a long time ago. Maybe I should have said yes to more things over the years. Perhaps that has been my mistake in life.

In the morning, Elias manages to book us on a sightseeing tour in a vintage French van. For two hours, we weave through the streets, stopping at Le Suquet once again and then at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès of Cannes, where I have never felt more movie-star-esque as I stand in the place where the red carpet is rolled out during the Film Festival. The guide tells us that we have only just missed the event, which is a shame. Then, we walk along the Avenue of Stars and admire the handprints on the sidewalk. I spot Cameron Diaz’s name and excitedly tell Elias how much I loved her in There’s Something About Mary . However, he is more impressed by Sylvester Stallone’s name and tells me how he watched every single Rocky film.

‘You never know, when your book takes off, you might be asked to do one of these,’ says Elias.

‘I love how you say when my book takes off, not if ?’

‘I bet it will end up a bestseller.’

‘Oh, well, I’m not thinking that far ahead. I’d just love to see my name on the cover of a book. It’s been my dream since primary school.’

‘You will. I have every belief in you.’

I give Elias’s hand a squeeze in appreciation before we set off for our next bit of sightseeing at Palm Beach.

For five whole days we enjoy the best sights of Cannes, with its bars, beaches and boulangeries , and relish each other’s company. Our physical relationship develops, and my body feels truly awakened by him. My fondness for Elias grows so much that I can’t ever imagine him not being beside me, meandering around the streets of Cannes. I notice with some shock that this has begun to feel like daily life! Everything feels so normal with Elias beside me.

In between our trips out and our time together, Elias supports me in making sure that I have space to write. Sometimes on board the Lady Jane , feeling the gentle movement of the boat beneath me, and sometimes in cafes or bars on shore, taking inspiration from the people and scenes around me.

After a blissful week, though, it is time to head back to Monaco and try to get our berth back. Elias explains that this bit might prove tricky since the resorts are getting busier every day as the influx of tourists starts to arrive.

When we finally head out of the port, we both wave goodbye to the shore at Cannes. It has been the most wonderful time, and no matter what happens in the future, it has been an unforgettable trip. A holiday romance with a ship’s captain, flitting around beguiling ports, following in the footsteps of the rich and famous, is something I won’t forget in a hurry. I give Elias a kiss and wrap my arms around him as I thank him for letting me join him.

But then, as we are relaxed and bobbing about on the evening waves back in the direction of Monaco, we notice a boat heading towards us.

‘That’s weird,’ says Elias.

I stare ahead, wondering if it is one of those optical illusions where it seems closer than it is, because it certainly appears as though it is getting nearer and nearer all the time. I search for the binoculars for a more precise view and feel slightly frantic as I realise the yacht is definitely on course to hit us if it continues at this pace.

‘What can we do, Elias?’

‘I’ll warn him, don’t worry.’ He looks at me reassuringly.

I admire the way Elias remains calm under pressure despite the great big yacht hurtling towards us, because I am starting to panic. He sounds the boat’s horn, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.

Elias turns Lady Jane sharply to try and steer away from the yacht’s path, but we’re out of time. Everything is happening too fast to move out of its way. The skipper on the out-of-control yacht is so close we can see him turning the wheel, but there is only one place he is going, no matter how much he tries to detour.

All the glamour and luxury of the past few days flash in front of my eyes in a blur as the other yacht jolts us sideways. The crunch of fibreglass against fibreglass is noisier than I ever imagined and will stay with me forever.

Elias quickly switches his radio over to the emergency band. We hear the skipper from the other boat shouting, ‘ Mayday, mayday. ’ I may not know much about emergency procedures on board yachts, but I have no problem understanding that terminology.

After that, it doesn’t take long for Lady Jane to start taking on water.

Elias throws me a life jacket. He then puts one on himself.

‘We’re going to have to abandon ship. Can you give me a hand with the tender?’ says Elias, still calm but firm and focussed, as my adrenaline starts pumping.

I run around, not knowing what I am doing, but try to follow his instructions.

‘It’ll be okay. We just have to stay calm. Let me make sure you’re safe first.’

Elias helps me as I scramble onboard the tender, which sways back and forth with the current. Then, he gives the yacht one last glance before joining me. We move away as quickly as we can from the yacht. The other people have already evacuated and are in a similar tender to the other side of us. I feel a wave of gratitude that we all managed to get off and nobody is injured. The sickening possibilities of what might have happened fill my head and make my stomach churn. Thank goodness Elias kept calm in a crisis and we are all safe.

‘You okay?’ asks Elias.

‘Just about. My shoulder hurts where I stumbled when the yacht jolted. But it’s nothing really.’ Elias rubs at my shoulder gently.

‘I’m so sorry. Nothing like this has ever happened before.’

How quickly things can go wrong when you’re on a yacht. Elias was so safety conscious, yet someone still managed to crash into us. I still can’t get over how fast things can unfold. We were left with no time to avoid it.

‘I just can’t believe it.’

I repeat the same thing most of the way to the shore of Monaco.

‘Let’s look on the bright side. It saves us from trying to find a parking spot, I suppose,’ says Elias. He tries to sound positive, but I can hear the tremor in his voice. We are both shaken up.

The coastguard is soon with us and pulls up alongside our raft to check that we’re okay and lead us into shore.

When we finally reach firm ground and are taken ashore, I am so relieved that I don’t pay much attention to the fact that everyone is staring at us in shock at the whole incident. I suppose it isn’t every day you witness such a collision. I look over to what they can see, and the black smoke from the other yacht is now camouflaging everything.

The police are waiting on the beach and ask if we need an ambulance. I notice there is one on standby and thank our lucky stars that we are both unscathed apart from what could be just a bruised shoulder.

‘I think we’re both okay, aren’t we?’ says Elias.

‘Yes, absolutely. Thank goodness. We’re not sure about the other boat, though. I think they all got out safely.’

‘Don’t worry about them. My colleague’s taken care of it. If it’s okay, I’ll just take some details from you.’ The police officer twiddles his pen in his hand and gets ready to make some notes.

‘Okay. Sir, what’s the name of the boat?’

‘ Lady Jane .’

‘The owner’s name?’

Elias shifts around on his feet and then looks across to me. ‘Umm.’

‘Sir, the name of the owner of the boat?’

Elias refuses to answer.

I look at him as if to hurry him up and tell the police about his boss.

‘Elias, just tell them your boss’s name.’

‘Yes, name of owner, sir!’ says the police officer. He looks as though he is starting to get annoyed.

‘Um, it’s a bit awkward… Um…’

‘Is this boat stolen, sir?’

Elias looks at me again, and I stare at him with my mouth wide open.

‘Look, I can explain. Umm…’

Elias is hiding something; what if the police officer has hit the nail right on the head? As if the shock of a collision wasn’t bad enough, the thought that I could be on board a stolen boat had never occurred to me. Either Elias is concussed, or something is very wrong. Since he has been coherent since we abandoned ship, I can only fear the worst.