Chapter 11
11
Leaving the cottage, Theo led Francine and Zazz up a nearby flight of shallow steps and then along a street barely the width of a small car. Tall narrow houses dating from the days of the eighteenth century when Cannes was just a small insignificant Mediterranean fishing port lined both sides. Some of the houses looked vaguely familiar to Francine, but that could be simply because over the last decades she’d grown used to seeing the stereotypical images of houses in the South of France that the media favoured: rampant colourful bougainvillea covering pastel-painted walls and cats sleeping on window sills just like the ginger one that Cerise briefly inspected before receiving a sharp paw on her nose.
Noticing how happy Zazz was with Cerise trotting alongside her, Francine felt a twinge of guilt. Growing up, Zazz had frequently begged for a dog but the timing had never been right and she and Edwin had always refused. Although, if she were to be honest, there had been several times when Edwin had tried to make her change her mind as he’d grown up with a family dog and suggested it would be good for Zazz. Perhaps they should offer to give Cerise a home if Theo didn’t want to keep her. Zazz would then get to see her at weekends. No, silly idea. Zazz wasn’t home often enough these days. Cerise would end up being their dog.
At that moment Zazz and Cerise turned and disappeared down an adjoining narrow lane. Francine glanced at Theo. ‘My sense of direction has gone haywire – is Zazz going the right way?’
‘Cerise knows the way home.’ Theo smiled at her and she nodded.
‘Of course.’
‘The house – it is not like it was when you and Agnes lived here,’ Theo said quietly. ‘Or even how it was during your summer visits. It is different now. A little neglected in places.’
Francine glanced at him, wondering what he meant but the moment was gone as they caught up with Zazz and Cerise who were waiting outside a sun-faded blue door. Francine caught her breath as she recognised it. Thirty-six years had passed since she’d last seen the door of the house Agnes had brought her home to from Cannes hospital. Theo unlocked the door and handed the key to Francine as they all walked inside.
‘I am désolé I haven’t prepared the beds here,’ Theo said. ‘I thought you stay with me.’
‘No worries, we can do our own beds.’ Francine’s voice was quiet as the significance of where she was and what she was doing unexpectedly struck her.
‘Are you okay?’ Zazz said. ‘You’ve gone pale. Why don’t you go back to Theo’s? I’ll be fine here on my own.’
Francine shook her head. ‘No. I’m staying. If nothing else it will be good to get the ghosts out of my head.’ Sleeping ghosts that she could feel now stirring like demented devils.
Theo gave her an anxious glance. ‘If you’re sure. I’ve booked an early table – seven thirty – at the Auberge on rue Saint Antoine. Shall we meet there? Or do you want to come down to me first for an aperitif?’
‘We’ll meet you there,’ Zazz said decisively without consulting her mother.
After Theo left, taking Cerise with him saying that he didn’t want her unsettled by being back in her old home, Francine and Zazz took their cases upstairs.
‘That was Oscar’s room,’ Francine said, pointing at the first door they came to. ‘I don’t expect either of us want to sleep in there. The bathroom is here, you can take the room next to it, if you like, and I’ll have this one opposite. As I remember it, there is another bedroom up there,’ and she pointed at a spiral staircase at the end of the hallway. ‘But that may not be in use these days.’ She opened the door she was standing next to and dragged her suitcase inside before Zazz could react.
Zazz walked to the end of the hallway, passing the large armoire placed against the wall halfway along, looked over her shoulder to check that Francine had closed her bedroom door and slowly climbed the spiral staircase with her luggage. The spacious attic room she stepped into was perfect with its beamed and sloping ceiling and windows that gave a glimpse of the Mediterranean. Sparsely furnished there was a large double bed, a chest of drawers, a hanging rail in the recess for a wardrobe, a small desk and a comfortable chair placed near the window. Zazz sighed happily before leaving her case and rucksack on the floor by the bed and turning to run lightly back down the spiral stairs. Opening the large armoire, she was pleased to see it full of towels as well as the bed linen she’d hoped to find and she began to pull out duvet covers, pillowcases and sheets. She grabbed a couple of towels but didn’t bother pulling duvets down from the top shelf, it was warm enough to sleep under a simple cover.
Holding bed linen for Francine as well she moved towards the room her mother had chosen. ‘I’ll give you a hand making your bed, shall I?’ Her voice faded away as she saw her mother sitting on the bed staring into space.
‘Mum, what’s wrong?’
Francine gave a start and stood up. ‘Nothing is wrong. I just got caught up in memories of the past. You’ve found the bed linen, thanks,’ and Francine held out her hands to take some.
‘This is a nice room,’ Zazz said.
Francine nodded. ‘Yes, it’s the room I usually stayed in as a teenager when I came for the mandatory daughter-father visits. The room you’re in was my bedroom before, before Maman and I left.’
‘I’ve decided to sleep up on the next floor,’ Zazz said. ‘It’s still a bedroom and has a lovely view. Got to love climbing a spiral staircase to go to bed. Come on, let’s make up your bed,’ she added before her mother could question her choice of room.
‘Thank you.’
As Zazz straightened up a few minutes later after smoothing down the duvet cover she said. ‘I think I’ll unpack and then have a shower – unless you’d like first shower?’
‘No, I’ll have one after you. I might just lie on the bed and read my Kindle for a bit after I’ve unpacked.’
‘I’ll see you later then,’ and Zazz pulled the door closed behind her as she left.
Up in the attic room Zazz quickly made the bed before unpacking and hanging her clothes on the rail in the recess and placing the rest of her stuff in the chest of drawers. Her laptop she placed on the desk and after sending Rufus a quick WhatsApp message to say she’d arrived she put her phone alongside it.
A few moments later and Zazz was in the surprisingly modern bathroom, standing under the rainfall power shower luxuriating in the feel of the hot water as it pounded away the tension that had gripped her shoulders all day. As she felt herself relax, she decided that tonight over dinner at the auberge would possibly be a good time to talk to her mother and grandmother with Theo there to help keep things calm. He’d been cross with her at the airport but hopefully he would be able to help her make both of them understand why she had done what she had. At least she hoped he would help, Zazz sensed he didn’t entirely approve of her actions over the past few months. And he, like the others, didn’t know the half of them so far and was equally unlikely to approve of them.