What Happens at the Beach.... T Williams A

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СКАЧАТЬ up and defend me against his mother and listen to my side of things at that bloody party, he blew it.’ She paused for a moment of self-analysis. ‘To be quite honest, Gran, it’s not so much what his mother said, it’s the fact that, by not standing up for me, David the rock, David my anchor, ceased to exist. I realised then that he’s not really interested in what happens to me and I’m back on my own again, and I’m better off without him.’ She paused again, searching for words. ‘You’re right, Gran. I have changed. I don’t necessarily like being on my own, but I’m no longer as desperate for support and company as I was. The best thing was to make a clean break and that’s what I’ve done. What I need isn’t a rock or an anchor. It’s an equal partner.’

      ‘I’m so pleased to hear you say that, Natalie. You’re so right. But, anyway, don’t let it get you down too much. You’re doing the right thing, I’m sure. And you’re not on your own, darling. You’ve got me, after all.’ She gave Natalie a comforting smile. ‘And anyway, like I say, you’re a very pretty girl and you’ll soon have the men fighting over you.’

      Natalie shook her head. ‘The last thing I want for now is anything to do with another man. The fact is, all that’ll happen is I’ll think I’ve found somebody to be with and then, a year or two down the line, it’ll all fall apart again, just like it’s done with David. My number one priority for now is to find myself a job and a place to live. I’m going to concentrate on becoming self-sufficient. Maybe I’m better off on my own anyway, Granny.’

      ‘Nobody wants to be alone. You’ll find somebody, when the time’s right. And in the meantime you concentrate on your career and, remember, like I say, you’ve got me.’ Then her grandmother surprised her. ‘And another thing, Natalie; don’t you think you’re a bit too old to be calling me granny? It makes me feel so ancient.’ Natalie found herself grinning at her. ‘You’re a grown woman now, so do you think you could bring yourself to call me by my real name, like everybody else?’

      It took Natalie a few moments to remember her grandmother’s first name. ‘You mean Colette?’

      ‘Of course. Do you think you could manage that?’

      ‘Yes, of course… Colette. I mean Gran. I mean Colette…’ She paused. ‘Oh no, it’s no good. I can’t, Gran, I just can’t.’ Natalie caught her eye and shrugged her shoulders helplessly. ‘Sorry, Gran. It just doesn’t feel right.’

      ‘I understand, dear. I only asked you as I was rather hoping people might start thinking I was your big sister.’ The old lady erupted into a fit of giggles.

      Just then, their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a visitor.

      ‘Ah, here he is, Natalie. This is my special friend. I forgot to tell you about him. He comes to visit me every day.’ She sounded very animated. Natalie looked up and saw that the object of her attention was a handsome black Labrador with a red collar who had appeared round the side of the house and was heading straight for the table. He was wagging his tail enthusiastically and he came across and nuzzled Colette with his nose. He sat down beside her and put a paw on her thigh.

      ‘What a beaut.’ Natalie had always loved dogs and her grandmother had always had a dog in the house until the last few years. ‘Where does he come from?’

      Hearing her voice, the dog relinquished Colette and trotted round to Natalie’s side. He looked up at her with big brown eyes and Natalie fell instantly in love with him. The feeling was obviously mutual as the dog reared up on his hind legs and did his best to climb onto her lap. Kindly, she pushed him back onto the ground and took the big black head in both hands. ‘Who needs a stupid fiancé when there’s a handsome chap like you around? And where’ve you come from?’

      ‘I think he’s from the chateau. You know it was sold last autumn?’ Natalie vaguely recalled her grandmother telling her something to that effect, but she had been here so rarely over the past few years. ‘It’s been bought by some rich people, most probably for a holiday home. At least, that’s what I hear from Marie who got the news from Maître Delatour. They’re foreign, maybe even English.’ A note of regret entered Colette’s voice. ‘No surprise there. All the most beautiful places are being bought up by foreigners and turned into holiday homes. The local people can’t afford to buy houses down here any longer. It’s a real problem.’

      By this time the dog had collapsed onto his back on the flagstones and was grunting happily to himself as Natalie scratched his tummy. ‘So does he have a name?’ She spotted a medallion hanging from the dog’s bright red collar. Squinting down at it, she saw that it only bore a telephone number, no name.

      ‘I call him Charlie and he doesn’t seem to mind.’ No surprise there. All the dogs her grandparents had ever had had been called Charlie. Up till now they had all been cocker spaniels, but the name seemed to suit the big black dog just as well. Natalie looked down at him again.

      ‘So, Charlie, would you like a biscuit?’ The dog clearly understood what was on offer. He rolled to one side and leapt to his feet, tail wagging. Natalie glanced across at her grandmother. ‘Have you been giving him bad habits?’

      ‘He always gets a biscuit when he comes to see me. I got Jeanne to buy some proper dog biscuits when she did my shopping. I’m just being hospitable, after all. You’ll find them inside on the window ledge.’

      Natalie went into the kitchen, located the packet of bone-shaped dog biscuits and removed one. Back outside, she gave it to the dog who took it delicately from her fingers and settled down at her feet, the biscuit held vertically between his front paws, to crunch it up. Natalie glanced at Colette again. ‘And here I was thinking you might be lonely.’

      ‘I could never be lonely down here.’ A distant expression crossed her old face. ‘Everywhere I look, I see friends and I remember them. I see the bench your grandfather made, where he used to sit in the evenings, smoking those disgusting yellow papier maïs cigarettes of his. I see the flower bed he planted and obstinately watered all the way through every long dry summer. I see the path up which the fishermen would come every morning to sell us fresh fish from the bay. I see the towers of the chateau where Madame de Gruchy lived. She used to give us kids sweeties and serve us lemonade made from the lemons in her garden. I’m not lonely, Natalie, and now that you’re here, that’s just perfect.’ She looked across and caught Natalie’s eye. ‘And you mustn’t feel lonely either. It’ll all work out for you, just like it worked out for me.’

      She closed her eyes and Natalie saw the weariness in her face. Ninety was, after all, a grand old age. Meanwhile the dog, having finished the biscuit and then having licked the stones all round him for any remaining crumbs, stood up and took his leave. Natalie watched as he trotted off back the way he had come, his tail still wagging lazily, until he disappeared from sight into the scrubby bushes alongside the path. Just visible above the roof of her grandmother’s house were the twin turrets of the chateau. Natalie reflected that this was a very lucky Labrador to live in such a place, with a whole hillside where he could roam free. Like Colette, she looked forward to seeing him again. As it happened, this was to be sooner than she expected.

      She spent the day helping her grandma and chatting, catching up on all the news. Just before lunch, she took the little Renault and a long shopping list and drove down to the shops in Banyuls-sur-Mer. As well as food, wine and water, she also found a rather nice new bikini; fairly minimal, but not obscene. It was comfortable, a good fit, and not too expensive. That was all that mattered.

      After lunch, they both had a little siesta. Colette retired to her room, while Natalie chose to snooze on the old wooden sun bed under the vines. It had been built by her grandfather and had been there for as long as she could remember. It was made of cypress СКАЧАТЬ