A Riviera Retreat. Jennifer Bohnet

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      4

      Amy parked the car in the multistorey and, making her way out, crossed the main road and went down the flight of metal steps that took her into the street that led into Cannes via the covered market. The last couple of months had been busy enough with some regular guests, but today was the day the competition winners were arriving.

      Amy smiled as she entered the crowded market. She loved this place. Loved shopping here, her wicker basket over her arm slowly filling with local produce. Loved all the variety of food on offer. Loved… everything about it. After five years, the stallholders all knew her. She always tried to buy from the smaller stalls, the ones with the old ladies behind trestle tables, with the produce of their pottages, rather than the big commercial stalls. Pierre, the gardener she’d inherited with Belle Vue Villa, grew a lot of their vegetables – potatoes, onions, courgettes, peppers and all the summery salad stuff, but at this time of year, she always bought the asparagus, roquette, courgette flowers, rosé garlic and the freshest juiciest raspberries imaginable from madame in the centre of the market. Then there was the cheese stall with its brie and the creamiest buffalo mozzarella she’d ever tasted.

      Wandering around, Amy brought her thoughts back to the things she needed and stopped in front of the boulangerie stand, buying three baguettes, a sourdough round loaf and some olive bread. Everything on her list ticked off, she made her way to the coffee shop in the street near the top end of the market. Time for an expresso and a favourite palmier biscuit before heading home.

      Sitting there people watching, Amy’s thoughts drifted to the three strangers who were the winners of the competition she’d impulsively advertised. Was it a little crazy, this idea of hers inspired by the characters in her favourite film? Were the three prizewinners she’d picked out genuinely in need of a peaceful break like she hoped? Would they be women who would understand the ethos behind her wanting to do someone a random kindness? Maybe she should have asked her regular retreat guests to nominate someone deserving of a holiday.

      And what if the three winners she’d picked didn’t get on? Then the next ten days would seem like ten weeks. The little she was able to glean from the competition entries and the follow up emails told her that the three of them were unlikely to have much in common. Vicky and Chelsea’s email replies to her own ‘you’ve won a holiday’ email had both been phrased in excited language and thanked her effusively. Amy thought Matilda’s reply had been slightly reserved, but the phrase ‘looking forward to it immensely’ reassured her that she was pleased to accept the prize.

      Amy sipped her coffee and prayed this holiday would work out well for all of them – herself included. She’d really wanted to do something to say thank you and pay back her good fortune and she knew Tasha would approve of what she was doing. Whatever. It was too late to stop it now. This afternoon she was driving to the airport to collect them all. Vicky Lewis was arriving on the London flight at 3.30. Matilda Richardson and Chelsea Newman were flying from Bristol and would land at 4.15. The plan was to greet Vicky and take her for a coffee while they waited for the other two, before all travelling back to the villa together.

      Fingers crossed there were no strikes or flight delays today which could complicate the best laid plans.