Joan sighed. ‘I’m not sure. I need to talk to him first before that can happen,’ Joan said quietly. ‘He’s always known he was adopted when he was three by my husband Harry. Harry adored him, he was his son as far as he was concerned and Leon has always thought of him as his father. We did plan on talking to him about Jake, but somehow it was never an easy subject to broach. Leon was either too young or the timing didn’t seem right. In the end, it felt too late to bring the subject up. It wasn’t as if they could ever meet. And I didn’t have much to tell him – your father was called Jake, he worked on the yachts and we loved each other.’ Joan smiled sadly. ‘It wasn’t until he died that I even learnt his surname. It was a relationship where whenever we saw each other we were entirely caught up in just being together. I knew Jake had a brother, I knew the family lived on the outskirts of London. There would be plenty of time at the end of the season to go back to England and to learn about each other’s respective families. I didn’t have a lot of information to tell my son about his dead father. I didn’t want him to think badly of me when I told him the truth.’ Joan bit her lip. ‘I know these days things are different, but back then my parents were old-fashioned and had drilled into me that sleeping with someone before marriage was still something “nice” girls didn’t do, but I knew Jake and I were for keeps, so I ignored their advice.’ She gave Guy a diffident smile. ‘And I’ve never regretted it.’
‘Does Leon live with you in the UK? What does he do? So much to learn about him. We have to arrange a meeting. I’ll travel to the UK – anywhere – I need to meet him.’
‘You don’t have to travel far.’ Joan took a deep breath. ‘He works in the yacht industry – he’s a yacht engineer,’ she said quietly. ‘And the yacht he works on is currently here in Antibes.’
Stunned, Guy looked at her. ‘He’s here in Antibes? I don’t believe it. I could have passed him in the street and not known it.’
‘Oh, I think you would have at least had a few jarring moments if you had unexpectedly come face to face with Leon,’ Joan said quietly. ‘He is the image of his father.’
35
After Joan had left, Guy went downstairs to the kitchen, where Zoe was already starting to prep the evening meal. Leaving Zoe to get on by herself for a few more moments, Guy went out into the yard and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He wanted to talk to Liz, but she was probably out with the others on their aperitif walk, or already in a busy bar. He sent a text instead.
Please come up early tonight. Straight after dinner if possible. I need to talk to you.
Guy struggled to hold everything together that evening as he cooked dinner. Zoe gave him a worried look at one stage when he swore after dropping a tub of cream over the work surface.
‘Are you okay? You’ve not hummed once since I arrived and I’ve never known you to drop anything before.’
‘Yeah, I’m fine thanks. Just had a bit of a shock,’ Guy said. The phrase ‘understatement of the year’ flashed through his mind. His thoughts were on a veritable switchback going up on a high elation – he had a nephew. Only to drop down again into a deep hole of sorrowful dejection for his brother dying and never seeing his son grow into a man. Other regrets too swirled around his head. He wished their mum was still alive. She would have adored learning she had a grandson. Their dad would be happy, though, when he learnt about Leon.
That was another thing. How to tell his dad. It was the kind of news that should be told in person, but in this case it would have to be a video call first. Then, after the season finished, he’d take Leon to meet him. They could have an uncle-nephew bonding road trip. Now that happy thought was something he’d never expected to happen.
* * *
Liz read the text from Guy on the walk back to the villa after aperitifs and immediately replied with an okay and a thumbs up. Something had clearly happened. Something to do with Joan Mitchell? Or something else?
Zoe served dinner alone that night and shrugged her shoulders when Sandy jokingly said, ‘Has Guy decided he’s had enough of waiting tables then?’
‘Says he’s got a lot on his mind.’ Zoe shrugged as she placed the vegetables to go with the main course on the table.
Becky got everybody’s attention with the words, ‘Sandy, would you mind if I said goodbye tomorrow evening after dinner rather than leave on Sunday morning?’
‘You have somewhere more interesting to go tomorrow night?’
‘Yes,’ Becky said as blunt as ever. ‘Xavier has an invitation to stay on board one of the yachts moored in the bay for Cannes Film Festival and wants me to go with him.’
‘Oh to be an influencer,’ Mandy said.
‘Invitations like that don’t come very often,’ Sandy said. ‘Of course you must go. We can follow you on social media and see what we’re missing.’
As everyone asked questions about the boat and Xavier, Liz turned to Helena who was sitting on her right. ‘How long has your mum known Guy?’ she asked quietly.
Helena looked surprised. ‘I didn’t know that she knew him. Why do you think she does?’
‘I thought I saw them together this afternoon,’ Liz said.
‘I spoke to Mum earlier and tried to persuade her to meet us in town and have an aperitif with us,’ Helena said. ‘She didn’t say anything about meeting Guy. She was more concerned about talking to Leon as soon as possible for some reason.’
‘It must have been someone else I saw,’ Liz said. ‘My mistake.’ Although she knew the woman she’d seen with Guy had been Helena’s mother.
Walking upstairs to her room after dinner to freshen up a little and to put on her swimming costume ready for the midnight swim, Liz wondered, not for the first time since she’d received his text, what Guy wanted to talk to her about.
Guy heard her climbing the stairs into his apartment and was standing waiting for her at the top. Wordlessly, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. ‘I’m so glad you’re here. I have some momentous news to share.’
Out on the terrace, Liz saw the two cognac glasses still on the small table. She raised an enquiring eyebrow at the sight of them. ‘Have you been drinking already?’
‘No and yes. This afternoon. I forgot to clear them away. Our usual wine is here,’ and he picked up the bottle to pour them both a glass.
