as a king’s fool and jester cavorted around making mischief and encouraging everyone to join in the fun. Music had been provided disco-style by a young DJ and the whole evening had been as Leo said later in the limousine going home, ‘A night to remember for all the right reasons.’
Anna had seen the gypsy fortune teller in her booth early in the evening and had been tempted to have her gaze into the crystal ball on her behalf then, but the number of people already waiting had put her off. It was two o’clock in the morning as she and Leo swayed to a last smoochy dance tune when she saw ‘Cassandra’ sitting alone in her booth.
‘I know it’s silly,’ she said glancing at Leo. ‘But shall we? Just for fun.’
Smiling Leo led her by the hand over to the gypsy woman’s booth. ‘You go in and see what she has to say. I’m going to organise our car home.’
Cassandra looked up as Anna hesitated at the entrance to the booth, suddenly not sure that she wanted to do this.
‘I’m sorry – am I too late?’
Cassandra smiled, shaking her head as she beckoned her in. ‘Please, sit.’
Anna sat down in front of the round table with its scarlet velvet covering and watched apprehensively as Cassandra gazed trance like at her crystal ball before starting to speak.
‘Although something from the past is making waves in your life at the moment, you are entering a very happy period. I see a man who loves you and wants to take care of you in the future. Through him the family life you’ve always dreamed of will be yours, I see grandchildren – a little girl holding a toddler by the hand – families coming together. A journey of some sort. The past embracing the future.’
Cassandra paused and looked up at Anna before adding quietly, ‘Do not mourn the past, nor worry about the future, live the present moment wisely and earnestly.’
Now, reliving the scene with Cassandra in her mind on Monday morning, Anna knew the gypsy had told her nothing that she didn’t already know. She knew she loved Leo as much as he loved her and knew they would be happy together, that his family would become hers, his grandchildren, hers. As for the past embracing the future – what did that mean?
As the picture of Cassandra in her booth faded from her mind, Anna slipped out of bed and, pulling on her housecoat, tiptoed out of the room and went downstairs.
Her mobile phone was on the kitchen work surface and she picked it up before unlocking the door and stepping out on to the terrace. Sitting in one of the cane chairs Poppy had placed out there, Anna opened her phone and scrolled down until she found the number she wanted and pressed the dial button.
As the connection was being processed, Anna tensed, her whole body rigid with expectation, her fingers playing with the locket chain that was again around her neck.
‘Bonjour. Who is this?’
‘It’s Anna,’ she said quickly. ‘I need to talk to you.’
‘I’m listening.’
‘You didn’t tell me Philippe had a secret family in the States.’
‘That’s because he didn’t,’ Bruno said.
‘That reporter last night, at the Palais?’
Anna could hear Bruno’s deep sigh down the telephone.
‘The press, as usual, have got hold of the wrong end of the stick, Anna. They’ve heard about the possibility of a claim against the estate and have jumped to conclusions. Philippe did NOT have a family he kept secret from everyone. I told you not having a family was the biggest regret of his life. He would have adored having children.’
‘Bruno?’ Anna hesitated.
‘Will you tell me the name of the person who wrote to Philippe please?’
There was a pause before Bruno answered.
‘Oh Anna. I’m not sure that I should before the Cambones make the name public.’
‘Okay. If I put it another way, maybe you can answer me.’ Anna took a deep breath before continuing.
‘Does the signature on the letters contain the name Jean-Philippe? Is it mentioned in the letter
Anna had seen the gypsy fortune teller in her booth early in the evening and had been tempted to have her gaze into the crystal ball on her behalf then, but the number of people already waiting had put her off. It was two o’clock in the morning as she and Leo swayed to a last smoochy dance tune when she saw ‘Cassandra’ sitting alone in her booth.
‘I know it’s silly,’ she said glancing at Leo. ‘But shall we? Just for fun.’
Smiling Leo led her by the hand over to the gypsy woman’s booth. ‘You go in and see what she has to say. I’m going to organise our car home.’
Cassandra looked up as Anna hesitated at the entrance to the booth, suddenly not sure that she wanted to do this.
‘I’m sorry – am I too late?’
Cassandra smiled, shaking her head as she beckoned her in. ‘Please, sit.’
Anna sat down in front of the round table with its scarlet velvet covering and watched apprehensively as Cassandra gazed trance like at her crystal ball before starting to speak.
‘Although something from the past is making waves in your life at the moment, you are entering a very happy period. I see a man who loves you and wants to take care of you in the future. Through him the family life you’ve always dreamed of will be yours, I see grandchildren – a little girl holding a toddler by the hand – families coming together. A journey of some sort. The past embracing the future.’
Cassandra paused and looked up at Anna before adding quietly, ‘Do not mourn the past, nor worry about the future, live the present moment wisely and earnestly.’
Now, reliving the scene with Cassandra in her mind on Monday morning, Anna knew the gypsy had told her nothing that she didn’t already know. She knew she loved Leo as much as he loved her and knew they would be happy together, that his family would become hers, his grandchildren, hers. As for the past embracing the future – what did that mean?
As the picture of Cassandra in her booth faded from her mind, Anna slipped out of bed and, pulling on her housecoat, tiptoed out of the room and went downstairs.
Her mobile phone was on the kitchen work surface and she picked it up before unlocking the door and stepping out on to the terrace. Sitting in one of the cane chairs Poppy had placed out there, Anna opened her phone and scrolled down until she found the number she wanted and pressed the dial button.
As the connection was being processed, Anna tensed, her whole body rigid with expectation, her fingers playing with the locket chain that was again around her neck.
‘Bonjour. Who is this?’
‘It’s Anna,’ she said quickly. ‘I need to talk to you.’
‘I’m listening.’
‘You didn’t tell me Philippe had a secret family in the States.’
‘That’s because he didn’t,’ Bruno said.
‘That reporter last night, at the Palais?’
Anna could hear Bruno’s deep sigh down the telephone.
‘The press, as usual, have got hold of the wrong end of the stick, Anna. They’ve heard about the possibility of a claim against the estate and have jumped to conclusions. Philippe did NOT have a family he kept secret from everyone. I told you not having a family was the biggest regret of his life. He would have adored having children.’
‘Bruno?’ Anna hesitated.
‘Will you tell me the name of the person who wrote to Philippe please?’
There was a pause before Bruno answered.
‘Oh Anna. I’m not sure that I should before the Cambones make the name public.’
‘Okay. If I put it another way, maybe you can answer me.’ Anna took a deep breath before continuing.
‘Does the signature on the letters contain the name Jean-Philippe? Is it mentioned in the letter
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