‘Birthday present from Teddy, which, just so you know, makes it extra special,’ Helena said. ‘Tonight is not the time,’ she added quietly. ‘But you owe me an explanation.’
Leon nodded. So finally there was something serious going on between the two of them other than the friendship they’d had all their lives. It seemed he and Teddy were destined to be brothers-in-law as well as best mates. Next time he saw Teddy he’d be having words for keeping him out of the loop.
‘I’m truly happy for you both,’ Leon murmured in Helena’s ear as they got out of the taxi and she flashed him a brilliant smile.
Walking into the elegant lobby of the hotel, both Helena and Mandy smothered gasps.
‘It’s so beautiful,’ Helena said, gazing around as they were shown into the Fitzgerald Bar. ‘So much art, I love the art deco styling, that grand piano. It’s wonderful. So evocative of the nineteen twenties.’
‘As for the view,’ Joan said. ‘Unforgettable.’
The wordunforgettablewas to sum up the whole evening for all of them, especially for Helena the birthday girl. Sitting on one of the many terraces with their white tableclothed tables and blue chairs looking out over the azure sea in front of them, she kept pinching herself. It was such a stunning environment to enjoy a special delicious meal. The view out across the bay towards the red Estérel mountains as the sun was setting was breathtaking.
* * *
The taxi taking them from Juan-les-Pins back to Villa Celestia was quiet. Everybody was lost in their own thoughts of a wonderful experience.
Back at the villa, Joan looked at Leon. ‘You happy to walk back to my hotel with me if I pay off the taxi?’
‘Of course,’ Leon said.
They all walked into the hallway and waited as Helena ran through to the garden to see if anyone was still out there, but although the smell of the barbeque was lingering in the air, there was no one around. ‘Sorry, Mum, everyone seems to have disappeared.’
But Joan didn’t appear to hear her. She was standing transfixed in front of the bookcase.
Helena nudged her arm. ‘Mum, are you okay?’
Joan came to with a start. ‘Yes, I’m fine. Too much to drink tonight, I think. The walk back to my hotel in the fresh air will clear my head. See you tomorrow.’
‘Thank you for such a memorable birthday,’ Helena said, hugging her tightly, before turning to Leon. ‘Thank you and thanks for arranging one of the best birthday surprises ever. But don’t think you’re off the hook over Teddy.’ As she moved away, she whispered in his ear, ‘Make sure Mum is all right when you leave her. She seems a bit strange right now.’
Leon nodded.
After waving Joan and Leon goodbye, Helena and Mandy sat out on the terrace talking about the evening. ‘That was some hotel,’ Mandy said. ‘Makes me long for a time machine to go back to that era. Imagine bumping into all those famous writers and other people: F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Hemingways, Dorothy Parker, Cole Porter, Noël Coward. I bet some of the parties when it was Fitzgerald’s private residence were wild.’
Helena nodded. ‘It’s certainly a special place.’ She glanced at Mandy. ‘Did you find Mum a bit absent tonight? She did say earlier today that she had a lot on her mind.’
‘Your mum was as lovely as ever,’ Mandy said. ‘A little tired when we got back maybe. It was lovely of Leon to think of asking her to join you down here. Pity he’s not able to spend more time with her.’
* * *
‘I can’t believe you will be gone in three and a half days,’ Guy said quietly as he and Liz sat up on the terrace.
‘Neither can I, to be honest,’ Liz said. ‘It’s gone quickly – especially once I got my writing mojo back. You and Villa Celestia certainly helped with that,’ she said, glancing at him. ‘It’s a special place.’
Guy nodded. ‘It is. And I’ve got to decide what to do with it.’
‘Do with it? Won’t you re-open it as a restaurant with rooms when we’ve all left?’
Guy shook his head. ‘I’m not sure I want to do that any more. The question is – what do I do instead? And where do I do it?’
‘Do you have to decide in a hurry?’
‘No, but I need, and I want, to get my life back to some sort of normality. The months before the retreat were mostly spent in despair about the way Jacqueline died and feeling that life was over for me too.’ He caught hold of Liz’s hand. ‘Those feelings have gone since I met you,’ he said quietly.
Liz felt him gently squeeze her hand as she gave him a small smile. ‘Sometimes the answer is to simply step back and let time come up with the answer.’
Guy nodded thoughtfully. ‘True. Before Sandy asked me to host the retreat, I was thinking of selling up and travelling the world, no ties, no one special in my life. But then you arrived. And changed the way I was thinking. Will you come back and stay with me here? Can I visit you in England?’
