After waving goodbye to Maddy and Sam the next day as they left to catch an evening flight home from Nice, Carla felt her spirits plummeting. What a weekend it had turned out to be. She and Maddy had talked and talked about Josette and the situation they found themselves in. Maddy, still in a daze about the news, had wanted to go round and see Josette and learn more details, but Carla had persuaded her to leave it until her next visit.
‘I’ll have spoken to Josette by then and hopefully have more of an idea as to what happened,’ she’d said.
While Maddy was dazed by the revelations, Carla was stunned and angry. Her whole life she’d been living a lie, believing she was her parents’ true daughter. To discover she was Josette’s illegitimate daughter – because however you looked at it, that’s what she was – had blown her mind. No wonder Amelia had conspired to keep them apart. Or was that Josette’s doing? She’d always fought against them having close contact with that ‘if it’s an emergency’ attitude of hers.
There were so many unanswered questions about the past, her childhood and what, in her own mind, she’d begun to call her false life as a dutiful daughter, that Carla didn’t know where to start. Before she went to see Josette she’d have to make a list of questions. Tick them off one by one. Not that she was up to facing Josette yet despite promising Maddy she would go and see her soon.
When her mobile rang, Carla merely glanced at the caller ID, expecting to see David’s number. He’d taken to ringing her on a Sunday evening and she’d taken to ignoring it. To her surprise it was Ed. Carla smothered a sigh. Clearly, Maddy had phoned her brother with the news. Carla herself had been hoping to wait until she’d sorted things out in her own mind before telephoning her son.
‘What’s going on, Mum? I got some garbled version from Mads about Granny not being granny.’
‘Yes, that’s right. Seemingly Tante Josette is your granny. I’m sorry you had to find out this way. It’s been a bit of a shock to Maddy and me,’ Carla said before taking a deep breath and telling Ed what little she knew about the family drama that had unfolded. ‘I’ll be able to tell you more when you come home,’ she said. ‘I’ll have more details from Josette by then.’
Typical of Ed, he was more concerned with how she was than hearing about ancient family rifts. ‘Must have been one hell of a shock for you,’ he said. ‘Is Josette going gaga, blurting it out at the party? She could have at least told you in private.’
‘Josette is most definitely in full control of all her faculties, but several glasses of champagne possibly had something to do with the timing of the revelation,’ Carla said. ‘Tell me your news. Are you still enjoying life over there?’
‘Yes, but I’m looking forward to coming home, although with you and Dad divorcing I’m not sure where I’ll be based for a bit.’
‘Dad’s kept the house, so your room is still there. I know he’ll welcome you as usual,’ Carla said quietly. ‘And, of course, you’re more than welcome here at the Villa Mimosa.’
‘Mads says it’s a real South of France villa. I can’t wait to see it, which will definitely be sometime this year.’
After a few more minutes’ conversation centred around Ed’s work and how much he was enjoying being a locum in South Africa, it was time to say goodbye.
‘Don’t worry too much about the Josette situation. Probably be a nine day wonder and then fade into the background of our family history. Look after yourself Mum,’ Ed said.
‘You too, Love you,’ Carla said, knowing she could get away with being a bit soppy over the phone. ‘Thanks for phoning.’
Carla wandered out through the sitting room to the terrace and sat looking out over the garden. Was Ed right, that discovering her family was not the traditional homogenous one she’d believe it to be, would be a mere nine days’ wonder? She supposed, in time, it would stop dominating her thoughts and she’d come to terms with it, simply because there was nothing she could do to change things. But there was an awful lot of talking to be done before that happened.
Joel emerged from his room, towel in hand, ready to for his evening swim. He hesitated, looking at her, before saying, ‘Exercise is good for clearing the head. Perhaps you swim too?’
Carla shook her head. ‘Not tonight.’
Joel shrugged. ‘Okay.’
Carla watched as he walked to the far end of the pool and dived in smoothly with barely a splash before coming up to the surface halfway down the pool and swimming to the end. She didn’t feel like swimming, but Joel’s company for supper would be good.
As Joel climbed out of the water ten minutes later, Carla stood up. ‘Join me for supper tonight? Nothing fancy. Something with sauté potatoes because I feel like comfort food.’
‘Thank you. I’ll be about five minutes,’ Joel said.
Carla peeled some potatoes and set them to boil before looking in the fridge for inspiration. She pulled out some lettuce, rocket leaves, tomatoes and olives. That was the healthy bit sorted. She found a tray of coquilles Saint-Jacques in the freezer and switched the oven on ready to pop them in as she sautéd the potatoes.
Five minutes later as she strained the potatoes, her hand slipped and she splashed boiling water over a couple of her fingers. Joel heard her anguished cry as he came into the kitchen, took in what she’d done and ran out, saying, ‘Hold your hand under running cold water until I get back.’
Seconds later he was back with a broken cactus-like leaf. After gently drying her hand with some kitchen paper, he cut the leaf open and spread the cooling pulp over her hand.
‘What is it?’ Carla asked.
‘Aloe vera – you know, that large plant down by the plumbago. If you’re going to make a habit of burning yourself, I’ll pot you up a small one to keep on the kitchen windowsill. Good for sunburn as well. Feel better?’
Carla nodded. ‘Thanks.’
‘Shall I cut the potatoes into sauté-sized pieces and pop them in the pan?’ Joel said.
‘Thanks.’
Once the coquilles Saint-Jacques were in the oven and the potatoes were in the pan sautéing, Carla set the buzzer and they both went out onto the terrace with a glass of wine while supper finished cooking.
‘Maddy and Sam get off all right today?’ Joel asked.
‘Yes. They’re promising to return within a couple of weeks. Mainly because I think Maddy wants to talk to Josette.’ Carla sighed. ‘I have to say, she is keener than me. I know I have to but…’ her voice trailed away and she shook her head.
‘You will ’ave a lot of things you want to say, and ask, Josette,’ Joel said. ‘For what it’s worth, my advice is don’t rush things while you’re still feeling so emotional. Better to talk when you’ve got used to, and accepted, the fact that you and Josette are related in a way you never imagined.’
‘Right now acceptance is a long way off,’ Carla said. ‘I’ve got so many questions that need answering.’
Joel was silent for a few seconds. ‘It might ’elp to remember that women’s rights in France were a long time coming. They didn’t get the vote until 1944 – twenty years after England. Even in the late sixties, women were still very much at the mercy of their families – particularly their papas. Which means that probablement Josette was not given a lot of choice in ’ow her pregnancy was dealt with.’
‘I can understand that, but what I can’t get my head around is why wasn’t I told the truth after my grandparents died or when I was eighteen?’ Before Joel could answer, Carla stood up. ‘That’s enough of my problems for now. Let’s see how supper is doing. Have you seen kitten-cat today by the way?’
Joel pointed in the direction of the cherry tree. ‘He likes to hide up there. Probably sitting on a branch out of sight right now watching us. He’s definitely un chat who likes to climb and be le roi of all he surveys!’
‘Le roi means king doesn’t it?’ Carla said thoughtfully.
Joel looked at her, startled. ‘Oui.’
‘We could call him king, but it sounds too English,’ Carla said. ‘But I think the name Leroy will be perfect. Yes?’
Joel burst out laughing. ‘Je adore your pronunciation! Leroy it is.’