Chapter 45
45
After a disturbed night, Agnes was awake before the sun rose the next morning. Knowing there was no chance of getting any more sleep, she dressed quickly and went down to the kitchen, taking the envelope and its contents with her. She popped a pod into the coffee machine and stood silently watching as the coffee came through.
Five minutes later, when Theo appeared, she took one look at him and burst into tears. He was immediately at her side. ‘What’s the matter? Are you ill?’
Agnes shook her head. ‘No, I’m not ill. I don’t know what I’m feeling right now,’ she sniffed. ‘It’s a good job that Oscar is already dead because at this moment I could murder him with my bare hands.’
‘What’s happened?’
‘Remember that envelope with my name on it? I finally opened it last night.’ She picked up the envelope and took out the letter. ‘He wrote me this letter and also gave me proof of what he says in it.’
‘May I read it?’ Theo asked quietly.
‘Oh definitely, you need to,’ Agnes nodded and handed it to him. The two minutes it took Theo to read the letter and glance at the DNA results, were two of the most worrying minutes Agnes had ever experienced as she waited for his reaction. Finally, he looked at her.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Agnes whispered.
‘I have just one question I have to ask. Did you know all along that I was Francine’s father and kept the knowledge from me?’
‘No, of course not. That evening in Antibes when we made love I never gave a thought to becoming pregnant.’ Agnes shook her head violently. ‘Oscar, when we were on honeymoon, kept talking about the babies we would make and I believed, like everyone said, that Francine was a honeymoon baby. If I’d known she was yours I’d have told you. It could have changed everything. I wouldn’t have kept it from you.’
‘I didn’t think you would. You and I have always been totally honest with each other. I do wish I’d known about Francine being mine earlier but I am grateful to know now. We’ll have to take this to Monsieur Caumont so he can legally do what is necessary.’ Theo put the letter down on the table.
Agnes gave a weak smile. ‘Not sure what he’s going to make of this new development.’
‘I don’t care what he makes of it,’ Theo said. ‘I couldn’t be happier with the news. I meant what I said the other day – you and Francine have always been my family and now it’s official.’
‘We also have to tell Francine and Jasmine,’ Agnes said. ‘I think Francine will be happy with the news. As for Jasmine, I think your elevation from great-uncle to grandfather will no doubt delight her.’
* * *
Monday morning, and Agnes and Theo made their way to Monsieur Caumont’s office. With no rendez-vous, they told the receptionist that they needed to see the notaire urgently as something had come to light that would alter the way Oscar’s will was dealt with dramatically. Within five minutes they were shown into his office.
‘Thank you for seeing us,’ Agnes said as she held out the envelope. ‘Clearing out Oscar’s papers, in addition to the folder you already know about, Theo found this envelope with my name on it. I finally opened it last night. You need to see the contents.’
Carefully, the notaire took the envelope’s contents out and read them. He looked up at Agnes quizzically as he shook his head. ‘The estate of Monsieur Oscar Agistini continues to throw up yet another surprise. So now, after you receive your legal quarter share of the estate, the remaining three quarters will be inherited by Monsieur Serge Cortez alone. I will notify him of the change to his position now that he is the only child of Oscar Agistini. I think he will be pleased about it. Have you informed Madam Francine Mansell about her changed circumstances yet?’
Agnes shook her head. ‘ Non , we plan on doing that later today.’
‘ Bon . Do we think this, irregularity shall we call it, with the deceased’s will, is the last?’
‘I sincerely hope so,’ Agnes said.
As the notaire showed them out he turned to Theo with a smile. ‘May I offer you belated congratulations on the safe arrival of your daughter.’
Theo laughed. ‘They are certainly belated but appreciated all the same.’
* * *
Agnes was quiet as she and Theo walked back from the notaire’s. ‘I wonder how Francine will react to losing her inheritance from Oscar,’ she said.
‘I don’t think she will be too upset,’ Theo said pensively. ‘She didn’t have a lot of time for Oscar and has always said she didn’t want anything from him. Her main concern has always been that you should get something, so I think on the whole, she’ll be quite philosophical about it.’
‘Hope so,’ Agnes said. ‘When are we going to tell them?’
‘As soon as possible. Zazz too. We could walk up to the house now if you like, see if they are there.’
‘Let’s do that – and make it my very last visit to the house,’ Agnes said.
Zazz stepped out of the house just as they reached it. ‘Gran. Theo. What are you two doing here? I thought you were never going to darken the door of this house again,’ she said, laughing.
‘This is the last time,’ Agnes said. ‘We need to talk to your maman and you. Are you in a hurry or can you stay for a little while?’
Zazz glanced at her watch. ‘I can hang around for about ten minutes, need to get to the library to do some research before it closes for lunch,’ and she followed them into the house. ‘Hope you haven’t come to tell us about another lost relative. I’m telling you Mum will freak out if you have.’
‘Not exactly,’ Agnes said quietly. Zazz looked at her, surprised, but didn’t say anything. ‘Mum is in the kitchen.’
‘Maman, why are you here?’ Francine jumped up as Agnes walked into the kitchen.
‘I promise you it’s the last time ever,’ Agnes said. ‘Any chance of a coffee?’
‘I’ll do the coffees,’ Zazz said.
‘Agnes and I have just come from the notaire’s,’ Theo said.
‘Oh, what now?’ Francine sighed. ‘Please don’t tell me our buyer is dropping out.’
‘No, it’s not that,’ Agnes said, taking a deep breath. ‘First, I need to take you back to before you were born. I was in love with Theo and he with me and we had one glorious day and evening together as a farewell before I did as my parents insisted and married Oscar.’ She turned to looked at Francine. ‘You remember the envelope you found with my name on it in Oscar’s bureau? I finally opened it last night. It was a letter from Oscar but it also contained the results of a DNA test using a strand of Jasmine’s hair.’ Agnes stopped speaking and took a deep breath. Before she could continue, Theo took hold of her hand and began to speak.
‘The test showed that Zazz was not his granddaughter,’ Theo said. ‘Which made him wonder who your father was. He knew how close Agnes and I had been before the wedding so of course he had no difficulty in putting two and two together and realising the clear answer is me. I am your father and Zazz’s grandfather. And I have to say, although it is a huge shock, I couldn’t be happier.’
A stunned silence greeted his words.
‘Well, I think it’s great news,’ Zazz said, placing the coffees on the table and breaking the silence. ‘Cos, you’ve always been in our lives and you’re just the perfect grandfather I’ve always dreamt of having. No longer Uncle Theo but Grandad.’
Francine reached for a coffee as she sat down. ‘Did you really have no idea?’
‘ Non , I’m still coming to terms with the news,’ Agnes said. ‘But, like Theo, I couldn’t be happier. The fact that Oscar is not a blood relation to you and Zazz but that Theo is…’ She smiled. ‘It’s wonderful news.’
‘I can’t quite believe this,’ Francine said. ‘Have you two been having an affair for over fifty years?’
‘Sadly no,’ Theo said, smiling. ‘But we have been special friends. I have loved your mother for all of that time. You are the result of the one night, before Agnes married Oscar, that we have spent together. And like everyone else we assumed that you were a honeymoon baby.’
‘The other thing it changes,’ Agnes said, speaking into the silence that had fallen. ‘I’m afraid you are now no longer in the will. You will receive nothing.’
‘I wanted to give it to you anyway,’ Francine said. ‘To make up for,’ she shrugged, ‘you know, the past.’
Agnes smiled. ‘I wouldn’t have taken it but thank you. I’m sorry you won’t get anything directly from Oscar but I promise I will make sure you will receive something in the future.’
‘You will still get something though, won’t you?’ Francine said.
‘The small legal share that a wife gets when her husband dies.’ Agnes nodded. ‘French inheritance is strange like that, unless the wife is specifically mentioned, everything goes to the children. There is no special provision made for a spouse other than the right to live in the house until death, or if the house is sold, one quarter of the estate, the remaining three quarters goes to the children. In this case Serge Cortez.’
‘I’m so sorry that not knowing the truth has caused so many problems down the years,’ Agnes said. ‘And it’s all my fault for marrying the wrong brother. I’ve always loved Theo. I wish I had been allowed to marry him all those years ago.’
Theo squeezed her hand. ‘We will be together now for the rest of our days. Perhaps even married?’ He asked as he leant in and gave her a kiss.
* * *
After Agnes and Theo had left and Zazz had gone to the library, Francine realised she was trembling with the shock of the bombshell that her maman and Theo had just dropped. She picked up her phone, praying that Edwin would be free and able to answer. Relief flooded through her body as she heard his voice.
She stumbled over her words, almost choking as she got them out. ‘You’re not going to believe this,’ she took a deep breath. ‘Oscar left Maman a letter – with an illegal DNA test he had done in England. He used a strand of Zazz’s hair, of all things.’ Francine bit her bottom lip as she paused to try and calm down. ‘It seems you were right. Maman and Theo are a lot closer than I’ve ever realised. Oscar isn’t, wasn’t, my father. But it turns out that Theo is.’
There was a two or three second silence before Edwin spoke. ‘Well, that’s unexpected news but good on the whole, I think? You’ve always hated Oscar but you’ve always loved Theo. And better to have him as a blood relative than Oscar?’
‘Oscar clearly jumped at the chance to take advantage of Zazz’s unexpected appearance,’ Francine said. ‘I knew Zazz sneaking down here to see Oscar would end in tears with him taking advantage of her presence.’
‘But surely they’re tears of happiness now,’ Edwin protested. ‘You should be grateful to her. It was her arrival in Oscar’s life that enabled the truth to come tumbling out. You’ve gained a man you know and love as a father. I know you’ve lost an inheritance, but I don’t think you really wanted anything from Oscar, did you?’
Francine shook her head. ‘No. I simply wanted to make sure Maman finally got some money out of him.’
‘I think Agnes has got everything she ever wanted now,’ Edwin said.
‘I’m glad it has finally worked out for them to be together,’ Francine said. ‘They’ve both suffered through Oscar’s actions.’ She paused. ‘I suppose I should think about coming home. I miss you and there is no need for me to stay now. Maman doesn’t really need me now, besides she’s got Theo ready to help her if she needs help.’
‘I was going to surprise you tomorrow,’ Edwin said. ‘I’m booked on a morning flight. I should be with you at about two o’clock.’
‘Oh, brilliant news. Shall I ask Theo to meet you?’
‘No, I don’t want to bother him. I’ll get the tram into Nice and then pick up a train. See you tomorrow. Love you, Frankie.’
‘Love you too,’ Francine said smiling at the nickname as she ended the call.