Chapter 18
Prepping dinner later that afternoon with Zoe, Guy found himself humming, something he’d always done unconsciously when he was peeling vegetables, making pastry or just experimenting with a dish in the kitchen.
He never hummed in those tense moments of service when customers were waiting for their perfectly cooked meals to be presented to them.
He gave a small smile. His humming had irritated more sous-chefs than he could count.
But here in his own kitchen there was a more relaxed atmosphere than in most professional kitchens, and sous-chefs and kitchen assistants had been known to hum alongside him.
He’d always loved preparing food ready to create dishes that would not only look good on the plate but also taste wonderful and bring joy to people.
Cooking for the retreat was an unexpected pleasure and nowhere near as stressful as a full-blown restaurant was.
Now, back working in his happy place again after months of not cooking, his humming had spontaneously ignited.
He sensed Zoe glancing at him and he raised his eyebrows at her. ‘Feel free to hum along.’
Zoe shook her head at him in mock despair.
He was thankful that Jacqueline hadn’t been invading his thoughts quite so much since the retreat began. Keeping busy was the obvious answer to why that wasn’t happening. He was happy being back in his kitchen and enjoying cooking the simple dishes he’d decided on.
Enjoying a glass of rosé with Liz this morning Guy had felt more like his old self, more alive than he had in months.
Listening to Liz telling him how she’d coped with her divorce had helped him believe a little more that the saying ‘time is a great healer’ wasn’t simply a cliché uttered by well-meaning people.
He’d taken a long time to recover from Jake’s death, but he had eventually.
The thought gave him encouragement that given time he would recover from Jacqueline’s death and become his old self again – possibly a more empathetic version, but his life would return to normal eventually.
Was it just Liz’s company that made him feel like that?
Or something else as well? Maybe a sign that he was possibly coming out of the fug he’d been existing in for months?
He could only hope. Not that he was ready yet to leap back into life full on – face the decisions he knew he would inevitably have to make. But it was a start.
And this Saturday Liz was joining him for a drink on the roof terrace to watch the fireworks. It had been an impulsive invite as he enjoyed her company. He could barely believe he’d actually invited another woman up to the terrace. It had always been Jacqueline’s domain.
He shook his head. Jacqueline was no longer here. It was his personal domain now and he could invite who he liked, and he did like Liz.
* * *
Liz put on her new kaftan that afternoon and wandered down the garden to sit in the shaded spot she’d found the other day to write.
Her thoughts though were all over the place and kept returning to her morning in Antibes, and Guy Lyon.
She’d enjoyed his company and the drink they had shared in the hidden-away cafe garden.
Walking back to the villa together along the ramparts, they’d chatted away almost like old friends.
Remembering the suggestion not to tell anyone about the place, that it could be their secret, made her smile.
She hoped her words had helped Guy a little and not sounded like well-meaning platitudes.
She did understand a little of why he had shut himself off from the world.
In the weeks and months after Ralph had left her for his new woman and filed for divorce, she’d walked around like a zombie, shunning friends, lost in her own mixed-up world.
Guiltily thoughts had flooded her mind for not feeling upset about the failure of a marriage which in truth she was relieved to be out of but upset and hurt at the way it had ended.
How could she talk to people who had no idea about how Ralph behaved behind closed doors?
His mood swings. Or tell them about his mistresses.
So she shut herself away, went for long walks alone, drank more than usual and found writing, normally her solace, to be impossible.
The only place she found she could relax a little was at Sunshine Cottage.
Even before she’d started divorce proceedings, she’d begun to drive down there for more and more short breaks on her own, simply to get away from him and his demands.
She was staying in the cottage when her solicitor had rung to say Ralph had put the cottage on the market and the estate agent already had a buyer lined up. It was this news that had snapped Liz out of her lethargy and started to pull her back to life. She would not let Ralph sell Sunshine Cottage.
‘The cottage is not for sale,’ Liz had said. ‘I’m going to live here.’ And she’d never returned to the marital home.
Thinking about it all now, she gave a rueful smile.
The last year had been hard, but it was over and she was free now to live life on her own terms. Write her books, earn her own money, live where she was happy, enjoy life again – and have a secret with an attractive man like Guy Lyon if she wanted to. Even go on dates.
Not that Saturday evening was a date, more of a casual invitation to see the lights along the coast and watch some fireworks with a new friend. Nothing more than that.
* * *
Sandy joined the aperitif walk into Antibes that evening.
When Liz told them about the poster she’d seen for a concert that evening in the bandstand, they all decided to stop at one of the cafe bars in Place Nationale.
As they made for a cafe that Sandy recommended, she pointed out the Peynet and Cartoon Museum.
‘It’s a fun place to visit if you’re in town when it’s open,’ she said.
‘He was the man who created “the lovers” – you know those cartoon-like doll illustrations and toys that are, were, everywhere.’ Sandy looked at their blank faces and shook her head and smiled.
‘He was internationally famous, but the French were probably his greatest fans. Perhaps you are all too young to have heard of him. Go to the museum and see for yourselves. His drawings are delightful.’
‘It’s been a long time since I was too young for something!’ Isobel said laughing.
Once their drinks were chosen and in front of them, they all sat back and indulged in some people watching.
They were too early for the concert, but there was an accordionist moving from table to table playing various tunes that got their feet tapping time.
Becky wandered off taking general photographs of the busy cafes and the boutiques still open around the square.
With everyone’s attention taken by the music, Liz thought briefly about telling Isobel about her drink with Guy in Antibes and possibly about the Saturday night date.
A cafe table in the middle of a busy square wasn’t ideal for a quiet personal conversation, though, and she decided against. Perhaps she’d tell her another time.
Liz joined Helena and Lorraine on the walk back along the bord de mer. ‘I bought a swimming costume this morning,’ she said.
‘Great,’ Lorraine said. ‘See you in the hallway at six tomorrow. We usually wear our bathrobes over our costumes as there isn’t anyone about at that hour.’
‘Sounds like a good idea,’ Liz said. ‘I hadn’t thought as far forward as that.’