‘Fine,’ she said.
Laura came out of the villa with Madame Baudin laden with plates and glasses, and Daniel jumped up to help. Cherry took a moment to catch her breath. All she wanted to do was go somewhere private with Daniel, a nice restaurant or something, and yet she had to endure a dinner with these people. There were pretty good odds that either Brigitte or Nicole would sit next to Daniel at the meal, neither of which she thought she could stand. The breeze lifted her skirt and she was glad she’d brought a cardigan. As she went to put it on, she saw another piece of fabric flap in the wind. It was something of Nicole’s, a dress perhaps, half spilled out of her bag. Cherry looked up. Daniel and Laura were disappearing back into the villa with Madame Baudin to get more plates. There was no sign of the girls. Isabella had her back to her and was carefully arranging glasses on the table.
It fell with a light plip and the pink darkened and spread in the water. The breeze gently moved it further down the pool and it took on the shape and stillness of a drowned body. Cherry was already over by the large table.
‘Can I help?’ she said to Isabella.
She looked surprised and pleased that this outsider was not too grand to be waited on and handed her a pile of forks. ‘Thanks.’
Cherry carefully began to lay them out and suddenly knew how best to play this woman who would not like her to outshine her own daughter. She buried the perverse urge to do just that; it wouldn’t exactly be hard: Brigitte was clearly thick as mince. No, instead she’d pretend to be polite and pleasant, meek almost.
‘Hey!’ exclaimed an outraged voice, and Cherry idly lifted her head.
‘My dress is in zee swimming pool!’ Nicole looked angrily around and stopped when she came to Cherry.
Unintimidated, Cherry met her gaze, cutlery clutched in both hands.
‘What’s happened?’ said Brigitte.
‘My dress! It eez soaking!’
‘It must have been the breeze,’ said Daniel.
Nicole was forced back inside and had to borrow something of Brigitte’s, while the sodden dress was hung over a lemon tree. Cherry found herself next to Nicole at dinner. Daniel was on the other side next to Isabella.
‘Poor you,’ she said in her ear. ‘I hope it’s not ruined.’
Later that night, Cherry and Daniel lay curled up together on crisp cotton sheets. Their room was facing the back, and when Cherry had closed the shutters, the sea had looked black. She was looking forward to throwing them open in the morning and seeing it clear blue on a new day. In fact, she could hardly believe her luck. The villa was incredible and the location dreamlike. The rest of the weekend was going to be spent with Daniel as much as she could possibly manufacture it.
‘I’m sorry again about tonight,’ he murmured, nuzzling her ear sleepily.
‘Don’t be.’
‘You were magnificent.’
Cherry smiled and ran her fingers across his chest.
‘Did you . . . ?’
‘What?’
‘The dress?’
‘Course not.’
Daniel opened his eyes and she met his gaze innocently. ‘Like you said, it was the breeze.’
He smiled and then kissed her, and she rolled on top of him and kissed him some more.
TWELVE
Saturday 21 June
Cherry woke late the next day and saw Daniel was still asleep. She lay there quietly, enjoying the peace and privacy before Laura, who she could hear moving about the house, sprung on them whatever plans she had for the day. A thin band of light outlined the shutters, telling Cherry it was sunny outside, and she itched to get up but at the same time didn’t want to leave the sanctuary of the bedroom and get roped into some sightseeing. Feeling trapped, she resented Laura’s overpowering presence.
Daniel stretched beside her. ‘Morning. I haven’t been snoring, have I?’
She laughed and indicated the window. ‘No. Ready for some sunshine?’
‘Do I not get a kiss first?’ he said, but she’d already jumped up and was opening the shutters, as she’d longed to do since last night. The sunlit sea welcomed her and it was glorious.
Daniel winced and she bounded back to the bed. Kissed him. ‘Let’s go to the beach!’
‘Is that what you want to do today? Only . . . I think my mum might have an idea about surprising us with a fully comprehensive tour of the region’s vineyards.’ He saw her crestfallen face, which she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide. ‘OK. Let’s do it.’
‘I feel bad now,’ said Cherry. ‘If she’s gone to a lot of trouble . . .’
He pulled her back down onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her. ‘Don’t be daft. She won’t mind.’
After they’d made love, they surfaced for a late breakfast. Laura, pleased to see them, hovered around the croissants and made them fresh coffee.
‘Did you sleep well? Hope the bed was all right. I was thinking that we could all explore today. Would you like to go to Chateau Minuty? The Matton-Farnets have been in the wine industry for almost three centuries.’ She smiled at them, unable to contain her exuberance.
‘Mum, that’s a really nice idea, but . . . I think we might go to the beach today. First day of the holidays and all that.’
‘Oh, right. Good idea!’
To Cherry’s horror, it looked like she was about to invite herself along. ‘I was going to take my books down there, do a bit of studying,’ she said quickly.
‘You’ve brought work as well?’ said Daniel.
‘Estate-agency exams coming up soon after I get back.’
‘I suppose I should take mine. We can test each other.’
That was enough to exclude Laura, noted Cherry, and she murmured something about them all meeting up later in the day, before going off to get a book to read by the pool.
Daniel drove to Pampelonne, a three-mile stretch of golden sand that had fuelled St Tropez’s fame since the 1950s. Even though it was still only mid-June, he’d insisted they book as he did not want to be traipsing up and down the beach trying to find a space.
On arrival, Cherry learned that he was referring not to a table for lunch but to a sun lounger. Much of the beach was sectioned off to private clubs and was already filling up.