Chapter 33
Mel, up early, took Croque Monsieur for a long walk before settling him down in the villa and setting off to meet up with Evie at Vintage Vignettes.
Today, she was taking the silk dress back to Brigitte ready for collection on the twenty-sixth, finding a couple of presents and doing her Christmas food shop.
Brigitte was pleased to see her and thrilled with the invisible mend Mel had done on the dress when she looked at it. ‘You are so good.’
‘Thanks. I’m going to have a quick browse. I need some inspiration for a couple of presents.’
‘Browse away.’
When Evie arrived, Mel was dithering over a pair of chamois leather string-backed driving gloves wondering if Marc would like them, and then wondering if they would fit.
She had no real idea how large his hands were, only that her own hand seemed lost in his.
She put her right hand in one and it was far too big for her.
She wandered over to Brigitte with the gloves.
‘Do you have big hands? Mine are small, and I’m trying to work out whether these would fit, um, the person I’m um thinking of buying them for.’
‘That would be Marc, wouldn’t it?’
Mel smiled and nodded.
‘Well, Marc was thinking of buying them himself the other day and they fitted him perfectly,’ Brigitte said.
‘Why didn’t he buy them then?’
‘I think he was hoping I might give them to him for Christmas, but as I told him, I’d already bought his present.’
‘In that case, I’ll buy them for him.’ Mel said, glancing across to Evie, who was holding and staring intently at a small saddle-shaped leather handbag with a brass clasp. ‘That’s lovely. Are you tempted?’
Evie shook her head. ‘A bit. If it’s still here when I leave, I shall definitely buy it. Are you ready to go to the market now?’ she said to Mel.
‘Two minutes, there’s something else I need,’ Mel said, turning her back on Evie and whispering to Brigitte, ‘I want to buy that bag for Evie, OK.’
Brigitte nodded.
‘Right, I’ll come to collect everything on my way home after the market.’
* * *
The market was heaving when Mel and Evie arrived.
‘Gosh, I expected it to be busy, but not this frantic,’ Mel said.
The fish stand seemed to have doubled in size and was doing a roaring trade in oysters, mussels, lobsters, prawns and fish like sole, turbot and salmon.
It was hard to see the stands of food, there was so many people standing in front of them waiting to be served.
Wandering around the market, Mel suddenly felt the need to do a different sort of Christmas lunch.
It didn’t appear that she could buy a turkey roll anywhere, which was what she generally cooked, and she knew there was no chance of finding a Christmas pudding in the market.
Or sprouts. So this year, she decided, she’d do something different.
Something a little lighter. A little more French.
Prawns for starters. Maybe with avocado?
Sauté potatoes and pan-fried chicken for the main course and a side salad.
A creamy b?che du N?el for dessert. And some cheese.
She knew Marc would enjoy some of Pascale’s cheeses rather than a sweet dessert.
With five of them for lunch and nobody having to drive anywhere, she’d also buy an extra bottle or two of Crémant.
In fact, she’d go to the cave first, hoping the market crowds would thin a little in the meantime.
That plan worked to a degree, but it still took an hour in the market afterwards to buy everything they needed.
Shopping completed, the two of them collapsed on a chair outside one of the market bars and ordered coffees.
‘I think I’d better walk back to the villa with you,’ Evie said, looking at their four totes with all the food and bottles. ‘You’ll never manage on your own.’
Mel went to protest but stopped, realising that Evie was right. ‘This is when I wish I’d been brave enough to drive the Fiat 500 that’s in the garage. Thank you. You must stay for lunch.’
‘You have the use of a car that you’re not driving?’ Evie looked at her.
Mel nodded. ‘I’m not that keen on driving anyway, and here it’s on the wrong side of the road for me.
And it’s busy. Pathetic, I know.’ She drank her coffee.
‘As we’re so close to your apartment, why don’t you run up and get the dress you need repaired?
I can make a start on it later. Oh, we’ll need to call in again at Vintage Vignettes on the way to pick up my gifts. ’
* * *
It was nearly four o’clock that afternoon when the two of them set off to walk down to town. Evie to go home and Mel to walk Croque Monsieur and to meet Justin off the train.
After saying goodbye to Evie, Mel walked to the station with minutes to spare before the train arrived.
Standing happily on the platform, Croque Monsieur patiently at her side, she watched as the TGV pulled to a stop, and a moment later, passengers were descending en masse.
So many people coming to Antibes for Christmas.
Mel anxiously scanned the mêlée, finally spotting Justin with three or four young people coming in her direction, and she raised her hand to wave.
Justin saw her and immediately made his way towards her.
‘Hi, Mum,’ he said, giving her a big hug, before bending down to pet Croque Monsieur.
‘Did you travel with friends?’ Mel asked.
‘Just Amy, who’s on my course. Her parents live down here, and the others were friends of hers she met up with on the train. Antibes seems to be a popular destination for Christmas.’
‘I’m certainly enjoying my time down here,’ Mel said. ‘Life is good, people are friendly and the weather is great. I hope you enjoy your short stay. No chance of you staying longer than the twenty-eighth? New Year’s Eve here could be fun.’
Justin shook his head. ‘Big party in Bristol that night which I’d like to go to.’ He glanced at Mel. ‘Heard from Dad recently?’
‘A few days ago. He was in Sicily,’ Mel said. ‘I haven’t told him where I am, so if you are in touch with him, please don’t say anything. I’ll tell him in my own good time.’
‘I haven’t spoken to him since I called him out over his treatment of you. Told me I was out of order, didn’t know what I was talking about. I’m not holding my breath to hear from him over Christmas either.’
Mel sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sure Dad will get over this midlife crisis or whatever it is, and things will return to normal between you both. Maybe even a bit better than they’ve been in the past if he comes back having found himself?’
Justin shrugged. ‘How about between the pair of you?’
Mel bit her lip. ‘Mmm, things are definitely up in the air for me and, to be honest, I can’t see myself returning to the life I was living before.’