Chapter 24
24
When Zazz told Agnes that Francine was going to be busy working up at Oscar’s for the next day or two she realised she had been given a perfect opportunity to make contact with Rachel Cortez on her own, without Francine wanting to go with her. Theo, after she’d told him her plan, insisted he would accompany her to the cafe rendez-vous and stay nearby but leave her to meet Rachel alone. ‘To use Francine’s phrase, it’s non-negotiable, I’m coming with you,’ he told her.
Agnes and Theo with Cerise on her lead, left the house just before eleven o’clock to make their way to the Marché Forville. ‘Did Rachel give you any identification clues?’ Theo asked. ‘If you did know her in the past, you’ll maybe recognise her but if not…’ his voice trailed away.
‘No, she didn’t mention she’d be carrying a red handbag, wearing a hat or clutching a certain flower,’ Agnes said laughing. ‘But I’m sure somehow we’ll manage to connect.’
The cafe when they reached it was busy with occupied tables with two or more people sitting at them. At first glance there didn’t appear to be a table with a single customer but then Agnes spotted one tucked away in the far corner with a lone woman watching the door. As she saw Agnes the woman smiled and gave a half wave.
‘She’s at the back. I’ll see you in a bit,’ Agnes said and began to make her way towards the woman. As she got closer she recognised her old friend from the past, Rachel Dupont.
‘ Bonjour ,’ Agnes said, pulling out a chair and joining Rachel at the table. ‘I wondered if it was you. It’s been a long time.’
‘ Oui . We were young then, now we are old,’ Rachel answered.
‘It would be nice to say we haven’t changed a bit but we both know that wouldn’t be true,’ Agnes said with a smile.
The waiter appeared at their table. ‘ Madame , you would like?’ he asked looking at Agnes.
‘Un cappuccino, s’il vous pla?t .’ She glanced at Rachel’s almost empty cup. ‘Another?’
Rachel nodded. ‘ Merci .’
As the waiter moved away to fetch their order, Rachel looked at Agnes. ‘Before we go any further, you need to know that whilst I regret certain of my past actions, I don’t regret having my son, Serge.’
Agnes returned her look steadily. ‘I hope for your sake he is nothing like his father.’
‘He isn’t,’ Rachel said quietly. ‘His adoptive father was the main male influence in his life – and he was a good man.’
‘That’s good. I do have a few questions I need to ask you,’ Agnes said. ‘The first one is, how long were you involved with Oscar?’
‘It started before you were married and carried on afterwards. Your daughter was about a year old when I fell pregnant and Oscar literally threw me out.’
Agnes went to speak but the waiter was back and she stopped as he carefully placed their drinks in front of them.
‘If he hadn’t thrown you out, would you have carried on the liaison?’ she asked when he’d left.
Rachel shook her head. ‘No. It was too toxic a situation for a child to be involved in.’
‘So, how did you even get entangled with Oscar?’
‘You know I lived in one of his rental apartments? In those days Oscar collected the rent himself. One week when he knocked on the door I had to tell him I’d started a new job and I wouldn’t have the money until I got paid at the end of the following week. I remember the assessing look he gave me for ooh, about thirty seconds, before he told me to bring it to the house the Friday evening of that week at nine o’clock. I thanked him and he left.’ Rachel sipped her cappuccino. ‘You can guess what happened that Friday evening when I took him the rent money. And that was the beginning – at least I got to live rent free for eighteen months.’
Agnes spooned the froth from the top of her coffee before picking up her cup and drinking some of the hot liquid, waiting for Rachel to continue.
‘When you and he married I thought it would finish and I would be free of him but non , Oscar said there was no reason to stop. And he knew by then how much I depended on living rent-free.’ Rachel looked at Agnes.
‘What I did was wrong, but I know for a fact that I wasn’t his only woman in all that time,’ she said quietly.
Agnes gave her a sad smile. ‘There were always women in his life. I take it when you became pregnant he wasn’t happy? Did he help at all?’
Rachel made a choking sound. ‘First thing he asked me – was I sure it was his? When I told him there was no doubt about it, he told me to either get rid of it or to get out of his apartment. He refused to acknowledge any responsibility.’
‘I remember hearing that you’d suddenly gone to live in Italy. Ventimiglia, I think.’
Rachel nodded. ‘There was no way I could have an abortion. My sister lived there and she took me in. Helped me. When Serge was nearly three, I met and fell in love with Antonio Cortez who, happily for me, was more than willing to take Serge on as his own child.’ Rachel’s eyes misted over. ‘We had a good marriage. Serge has two sisters whom he adores. Sadly, Antonio, he die two years ago.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Agnes said.
‘I come back to live in Cannes. Serge still lives in Italy. Inevitably I suppose, I bumped into Oscar. He asked what I’d done about the baby. When I told him I’d had a baby boy he asked if it was too late for him to meet his son. I told him far too late. Not only had he missed out on his son but he also had a grown-up grandson he’d never met. He said he felt bad about the way he’d treated me and his son but he would make amends when he died. Leave them both something in the will.’
‘Did you believe him?’
Rachel shrugged. ‘I wanted to but I had to trust he would remember. I didn’t say anything to Serge when I heard Oscar had died unexpectedly, simply waited for the notaire to contact me. He didn’t. So I knew Oscar hadn’t done the things he said he would. I made a rendez-vous to see Monsieur Caumont and he confirmed there was no mention of Serge in the will. It was then I asked to sign an affidavit naming Oscar as Serge’s papa knowing that the notaire would have to take that seriously. Gave me a huge lecture about the consequences of lying under oath.’ Rachel shook her head. ‘I haven’t lied. But he said he could do nothing until he had spoken to you and the family which was why I left the letter with him to give to you.’
‘I’m pleased you did. I think it better that we talk together away from the notaire. I have no illusions about the kind of man Oscar was. The two of us have both suffered at his hands.’ Agnes paused. ‘Both literally and physically,’ she added quietly and gave Rachel a sad smile as she nodded in agreement.
‘I am sorry I create a problem for you at this time,’ Rachel said. ‘But I believe and hope you would want the right thing to be done finally for Serge.’
Agnes nodded. ‘Yes. But first I want to meet Serge and his son so how do you feel about the seven of us meeting for aperitifs one evening and getting to know each other a little?’
When Rachel nodded, Agnes pulled out her phone. ‘Give me your number and I’ll message you the address. Would next Friday night at six thirty suit you?’
‘Yes,’ Rachel said and called out the number for Agnes to add it to her contacts.
‘ Bon . Organised,’ Agnes said. ‘We’ll talk more then.’
Theo was waiting by the wine cave at the side of the market as Agnes and Rachel left the cafe together. Rachel smiled. ‘That’s Oscar’s brother, isn’t it? Was he afraid you and I have an argument?’
‘I think he was a little worried for me,’ Agnes said. ‘He, like your Antonio, is one of the good men.’
She smiled at Theo. ‘You didn’t have to wait. But thank you.’
They both said goodbye to Rachel and she left to walk in the opposite direction down rue Meyandier. Walking back to the cottage with Theo, Agnes told him about inviting Rachel and her family for aperitifs. ‘I hope you don’t mind me inviting strangers to your cottage?’
‘ Non . C’est bon . I too look forward to meeting Rachel’s son and grandson.’
Francine was already at the cottage preparing lunch for them all when they got back. ‘Hi, hope you’ve had a good morning. Been out exploring?’
‘Not really,’ Agnes said. ‘I met with Rachel Cortez and we had a good conversation.’
Francine stopped mixing the oil and vinegar dressing she was making for the green salad she’d prepared to accompany the cold chicken breasts for lunch and looked at her mother.
‘I can’t believe you went behind my back and met that woman on your own,’ Francine said. ‘You knew I wanted to go with you.’
‘And I wanted to meet her alone. Theo understood that. I don’t know what you thought was likely to happen between us,’ Agnes answered.
‘I didn’t think anything was likely to happen, I simply wanted to meet her too. She is the mother of this unknown half-brother I appear to have acquired.’
‘You’ll get to meet her soon – with Serge and Albert, her grandson. The three of them are coming for aperitifs here next Friday evening.’
‘What fun,’ Zazz said, arriving at that moment ready for lunch.
Francine gave her mother an exasperated look. ‘Oh, that’s just great. Wouldn’t it be better to all meet formally at the notaire’s office the first time?’
Agnes shook her head. ‘Informal is better.’ She looked at Francine and decided a change of subject was necessary. ‘Have you spoken to Edwin recently?’
‘We text every day but haven’t spoken for a day or two. He’s been busy.’
‘Why don’t you ask him to come out and join us,’ Agnes said. ‘I think we’re going to be here for at least another week, if not ten days. And he did say he would be coming out.’
‘I thought we’d get the will business sorted and at least start to clear the house so that we could relax. And now I’ve got this urgent work to do and we haven’t even decided what to do with the ashes yet,’ Francine said, agitatedly running her hand through her hair.
Agnes waved her hand in the air. ‘It will all fall into place. I’ve decided too that Jasmine can stay in the house like she planned. Won’t be forever of course because it’s going to be sold at some point but for now, there’s really no reason why she shouldn’t stay on there when we go home. It’s better to have someone living in it rather than having it empty.’
‘Thanks so much, Gran,’ Zazz said, moving across to give her gran a hug.
Francine stared at her mother for several seconds. ‘You’re very laissez-faire suddenly about this whole situation. I don’t understand why.’
Agnes took a deep breath. ‘Meeting Rachel today was a cathartic experience for me. It finally sank in that Oscar is dead. He is personally never going to bother me or you again. Realising that gave me an immense feeling of relief. I’d even say it makes me happy. And if that makes me a bad person…’ Agnes gave a half shrug.
There was silence as both Theo and Francine stared at her before Theo moved and took her in his arms and held her tight.
‘It makes you a very human person,’ he said softly before pressing a kiss against her temple.