Chapter 30
30
Francine was waiting for Zazz in the kitchen when she returned from her run the next morning with the breakfast croissants. Zazz stifled a sigh. She knew what was coming. Leaving early last night hadn’t given her mum a chance to interrogate her about Albert. Francine wasn’t going to like the truth that was for sure.
‘Morning, Mum. Croissants,’ Zazz said brightly, holding them out to her mother. ‘Where’s Dad?’
‘Thank you,’ Francine said. ‘Coffee,’ and pushed a cup across the table to Zazz. ‘Dad will be down in a moment.’
‘I enjoyed the aperitifs last evening. The Cortez’s seem nice. Agnes and Rachel get on well,’ Zazz said.
‘Agnes and Rachel were acquaintances when Granny lived here. I thought the same about you and Albert,’ Francine said.
Zazz drank some coffee and replaced her cup on the table. ‘I met him at a party the last time I was down here. People rarely introduce themselves properly at parties – he just said “Hi, I’m Al”. No idea that was short for Albert or what his surname was and if he’d said, it wouldn’t have meant anything to me at the time.’
‘I presume the party was somewhere here in Cannes?’ Francine said.
Zazz looked at her mum thoughtfully. This was the answer she wasn’t going to like. ‘Okay, full disclosure. I came over for Oscar’s eighty-fourth birthday last year. He had a party here in the house – said he wanted to show off his granddaughter to his friends. Embarrassing or what? Especially as there were only about five people my age there, including Al – most were Oscar’s age.’
‘Was it a good party?’ Francine stared at her. Zazz shrugged.
‘It was okay but Oscar got very drunk. Al had barely introduced himself to me when Oscar dragged him away saying there was someone else he wanted him to meet.’
‘Were you here in this house when you phoned me to wish me happy birthday?’
Zazz nodded. ‘Yes. Up in my room.’
‘So you lied about going to Ibiza with friends from work?’
‘Well, I couldn’t tell you where I was really going, could I? I’ve just had a thought,’ Zazz looked at her mum. ‘I suppose the fact that Al was at the party might mean that Oscar knew who he was. Al did say last night he didn’t really know why he’d been invited. He definitely didn’t know about Oscar’s relationship to me until last evening.’
There was a silence before Francine spoke. ‘I can’t believe how you’ve behaved with this deception. You knew how Granny and I felt about Oscar and yet, and yet you deliberately went ahead to meet him and then planned to come and live with him.’
‘Mum, whatever the problems have been for you and Granny with Oscar, it’s all in the past. It wasn’t my problem. If he hadn’t died I possibly would have fallen out with him too in the future, but we’ll never know now. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you and Granny but it was something I needed to do for me. I wanted to make up my own mind about him.’
‘He phoned me on my birthday unexpectedly,’ Francine said. ‘Drunk as a skunk. To think you were in this house at the time. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. I hung up on him in the end. I knew there had to be a reason behind the phone call but couldn’t work out what it was. Until now.’ She pushed away her plate with the untouched croissant.
‘I am certain that he wanted to gloat over me. I think the message he was too drunk to articulate to me that evening, was “you and your mother didn’t want me but your daughter does”.’ Francine gave Zazz a sad look. ‘And you giving him the opportunity to even think that, hurts.’
* * *
As they ate breakfast Francine suggested to Edwin that they spent the morning exploring Cannes.
‘I can’t wait to show you around.’
‘Will Zazz come with us?’
‘She’s gone out already,’ Francine said tight-lipped. ‘We’ve fallen out again. Can you believe she lied to us about going to Ibiza. She came here for Oscar’s last birthday.’
Edwin gave her a concerned look before he replied. ‘I know it’s hard but you have to accept Zazz needs to live her own life, decide who she wants in that life. I’m upset she came down behind our backs but I can understand why – look how cross you are after the event.’
‘All these years of protecting her from Oscar pushed aside because she decided we had no right to keep them apart. Stupid, stupid girl.’
Edwin sighed. ‘With hindsight, perhaps it would have been better to have told her the reasons why you and Agnes wanted to keep her away from him. Shutting down the conversation every time she mentioned Oscar, refusing to talk about the man with her, clearly made her more curious.’
‘At the time it felt the right thing to do. It just hurts that she appears to have taken his side against us by lying.’
‘That’s nonsense, she’s not on anyone’s side,’ Edwin said. ‘I think you’re being too hard on Zazz. She never really got to know Oscar before he died. Now is the time to be honest with her. Tell her what you and Agnes went through. She doesn’t have the knowledge you and Agnes have of Oscar’s behaviour. Once you tell her she’ll realise you, we, were trying to protect her.’
‘I am so happy that Oscar died before Zazz moved in here with him. Terrible thing to say but,’ Francine shrugged, ‘I dread to think what could have happened.’
‘The point is nothing had the chance to happen so you need to stop making it a bigger issue than it actually is now for Zazz.’
Francine stared at him but before she could say anything Edwin stood up.
‘I think we need to finish this conversation and get some fresh air. Come on, let’s get exploring. You promised to show me Cannes,’ Edwin said, taking his coffee mug and plate over to the dishwasher. ‘I need to walk along this wonderful Croisette I’ve heard so much about.’
Francine sighed. ‘You’re right. Come on then. First stop Allée des étoiles du Cinema.’ Edwin looked at her, his eyebrows raised. ‘Wait and see.’
Twenty minutes later, having detoured to show Edwin the bustling Marché Forville, and passed several workmen struggling with hoardings to be put in place for the upcoming film festival, they were in front of the famous red steps of the Palais des Festivals. Walking with their eyes down they began looking at some of over three hundred handprints of famous stars embedded in the path known as the Allée des étoiles.
‘Cannes’s answer to the Los Angeles Hollywood Walk of Fame. Look, Sophia Loren, Jean Paul Belmondo, Julie Andrews, Johnny Halliday, to name but a few. And here’s Catherine Deneuve,’ Francine said. ‘Maman’s favourite. I wonder if Theo has shown her this walkway yet.’
‘I hadn’t realised how fond Theo is of your maman,’ Edwin said absently, wandering down the path towards her.
Francine glanced at him. ‘What d’you mean?’
‘Here in France they seem closer than they did on the occasions we’ve seen them together in Bath and Dartmouth, that’s all. They seem to be more of a couple.’
‘They’ve been in each other’s lives a long time,’ Francine said. ‘They’re comfortable with each other that’s for sure. I know Maman was always waiting for Oscar to turn on Theo, which was something he’d done in the past apparently. Now that he’s dead maybe they’re both more relaxed?’
‘That’s probably it,’ Edwin said, looking across at a gaily painted ice-cream stall. ‘Fancy an ice-cream?’
‘I was going to suggest stopping for a coffee but yes, a glacé instead would be lovely.’
* * *
Zazz, having decided she couldn’t get out of the family dinner that evening, stayed close to her dad as the three of them left to walk down to meet Theo and Agnes on Saturday evening. Things were still strained between Francine and herself and she’d decided distance would be good. The restaurant Francine had booked was down on the busy Allées de la Liberté near the boules court. Zazz sank gratefully onto a chair between her dad and Theo.
Once they’d ordered their food – steaks for Edwin and Theo, magret de canard for Agnes and Francine and a vegetarian dish for Zazz, Edwin poured the wine. ‘To think I’ve never been to the South of France before. I hope this is the first of many visits,’ he said.
‘You’re welcome to come and visit me any time, Dad,’ Zazz said. ‘You too, Mum,’ she added hurriedly, seeing the look on Francine’s face.
‘Thank you. We’ll definitely be taking you up on that offer, won’t we?’ Edwin said, turning to Francine.
‘Depends where Zazz will be living after the house is sold,’ Francine said, glaring at Zazz. ‘Studios don’t generally have much room.’
Zazz sighed but didn’t say anything, her mother had stated the truth. The apartment she and Mel were planning on sharing, although far bigger than a studio, didn’t have a guest room.
‘You’re both more than welcome to stay with me any time,’ Theo said.
‘There you go, Mum, problem solved.’
Theo steered the conversation onto safer ground with his next remark. ‘I was wondering about a visit to Saint Honorat tomorrow. The island is beautiful and the monastery there is well worth a visit and a Sunday morning I feel would be the perfect time. A visit there can really lift the spirits. It’s a special place.’
‘I’d like that,’ Agnes said quietly. ‘I remember going there years ago. Such a tranquil place.’
‘It’s Saint Marguerite that I remember more,’ Francine said. ‘Sailing over in the moonlight with friends, building a campfire on the beach and burnt sausages.’ She laughed. ‘I’m sure it was illegal but it was such fun. Next time I see Piers I must ask him if he remembers our illicit nighttime adventures. I’m sure he will.’ She took a sip of her wine. ‘Yes, let’s do that tomorrow morning. A visit to the ?les d’Lérins after all these years will be good.’
Zazz, sitting there listening to her mother reminisce about her teenage holidays spent down here, wondered if Francine and Piers had ever been an item back in their teenage days. She quickly shut that thought down. Too weird to think about.
‘I enjoyed meeting our new relatives last night,’ Zazz said. ‘My half-uncle seems okay and getting to know new cousin, Al, properly could be fun.’ She smiled brightly at everyone before taking a sip of her wine.
‘Are you being deliberately provocative?’ Francine demanded.
‘No. But like it or not they are part of our family. Our dysfunctional family.’ Zazz turned to Agnes. ‘You get on with Rachel, don’t you, Gran?’
Agnes nodded. ‘Yes. I think she had a hard start in life and what happened was all down to Oscar. He took advantage of a vulnerable young woman.’
‘There you are then. Oscar guilty. Rachel innocent. We can all be friends.’ Zazz knew that this time she was being provocative, but her mother was being downright impossible with her attitude.
Their meals arrived at that moment and to Zazz’s relief conversation stilled for some time whilst everyone tucked into their food. As she ate her vegetarian enchiladas smothered with a spicy sauce that was delicious, she decided there was no way she was going on the boat trip tomorrow.