Follow Your Star by Jennifer Bohnet (best value ebook reader .TXT) 📗

for the next twenty-four hours. And then check with a doctor again. No exertion.’

‘How about flying? I’m booked to return to the UK in a couple of days?’ Patsy asked.

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. ‘Go to the clinic and see what the consultant advises.’

Jean-Claude insisted on calling a taxi to return to the apartment where he and Mathieu solicitously helped Patsy across the foyer to the lift. Once back in the apartment, Nanette saw Patsy into her room before joining the men in the sitting-room.

Mathieu was holding a piece of paper which he handed to Nanette.

‘Florence left this note for you. Apparently Zac has been ringing all evening.’

Nanette sighed as she read the housekeeper’s message:

Zac Ewart needs to talk to you urgently. Would you please ring him at whatever time you return. Mathieu will give you the number if you don’t have it.

‘What on earth can be so important? I’ll ring him in the morning,’ Nanette said. ‘I’m too tired and worried about Patsy right now.’

As Mathieu went to say something, Nanette held up her hands.

‘Mathieu, my days of running after Zac are long gone. Incidentally have you finished with the Vacances au Soleil papers yet?’

Jean-Claude shot his son a swift glance. ‘What were you hoping to find?’

Mathieu shrugged. ‘Just an address.’

‘And was it there?’ Jean-Claude asked.

There was a barely perceptible pause before Mathieu shook his head. ‘No. I’ll get the papers for you now,’ He went into his temporary office, returning seconds later with Nanette’s envelope.

‘I said I’d take Patsy in some warm milk to help her sleep,’ Nanette said. ‘Shall I make us a nightcap too?’

Mathieu shook his head. ‘Not for me. I’ve got a breakfast business meeting tomorrow so, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to bed. Goodnight.’

Nanette said to Jean-Claude as the door closed behind Mathieu, ‘Can I get you anything?’

‘No thanks. I’ll leave you to look after Patsy – and don’t worry. I’m sure she and the baby will be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Thank you for a lovely evening, JC,’ Nanette said. ‘I really enjoyed myself.’

Jean-Claude gave her a gentle kiss and he was gone.

As the door closed behind him, the telephone rang. Quickly Nanette snatched the receiver off its hook before the shrill noise could disturb everyone.

‘Zac stop pestering me—’

‘I need your help, Nanette,’ Zac’s voice interrupted. ‘I want you to go to Pole Position, meet someone and put something in the safe for me.’

‘What? You ring at nearly midnight to ask me to do something trivial that your skipper can do?’ Nanette said incredulously.

‘No, he can’t,’ Zac answered quietly. ‘You’re the only person apart from me who knows a) where the safe is and b) the combination to it.’

‘You mean the secret, personal one, in your cabin?’ Nanette asked, as realization dawned. ‘You’ve never changed the code?’

‘No.’

‘Can’t the skipper simply put whatever it is, in the main safe until you get back?’

Zac sighed audibly down the phone. ‘If I hadn’t had to come out here early there wouldn’t be a problem – I’d have been there to deal with it myself. As it is, I’m unlikely to get back for a few weeks. I’d rather it was totally out of sight. Five minutes, Nanette, that’s all it will take.’

‘You’re not asking me to help with something illegal are you?’ Nanette demanded.

‘Definitely not,’ Zac replied instantly. ‘If it makes you feel any better I can tell you it’s something to do with Vacances au Soleil.’

Nanette took a deep breath.

‘OK,’ she said reluctantly. ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’

‘Good. Eleven o’clock on board. You do remember the combination?’

‘Yes.’

‘Thanks, Nanette. I owe you one.’

‘If my returning memory is right, Zac, you owe me more than that,’ Nanette said.

‘When you get back we need to have a serious talk. Goodnight.’

Quickly, before Zac could start to question her, Nanette replaced the receiver. She was determined to challenge Zac face to face, to see his reaction to her accusation. Now was not the time.

Tomorrow she would go to the yacht and do as Zac asked – but this was positively the last time she would do anything Zac Ewart asked of her.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The next morning Nanette took the twins to school before returning to the apartment and making Patsy some breakfast.

‘You still look a bit peaky,’ Nanette said. ‘How do you feel?’

‘OK, thanks, and I’m really sorry for spoiling your evening,’ Patsy said. ‘Did I hear the phone last night, after Jean-Claude had left?’

Nanette nodded. ‘Zac.’

Patsy looked at her. ‘And?’

‘I’m going to collect something and put it in his personal safe on board Pole Position this morning,’ Nanette answered slowly, knowing that Patsy wouldn’t like it. ‘Don’t worry,’ she added. ‘It’s not good for you in your condition. It’ll only take five minutes and then I intend to forget about Zac Ewart until he gets back from Indianapolis next month.’

‘Do you know what it is you’re collecting?’ Patsy asked.

‘No. But it can’t be anything too large because the safe isn’t that big,’ she answered.

‘Have you told Jean-Claude or Mathieu what you’re doing?’

Nanette shook her head. ‘No. Mathieu has already left and I’m not expecting to see Jean-Claude this morning.

‘What are you doing?’ This, as Patsy went to throw off the bedcovers.

‘I’m getting up and coming with you,’ Patsy said.

‘Oh no you’re not. The doctor said bed rest for twenty-four hours, so don’t you even dare to think about getting up,’ Nanette scolded her. ‘And when I get back I’m ringing the clinic to make you an appointment for tomorrow,’ she said and tucked Patsy firmly back into bed.

Later that morning she left Patsy with some magazines and strict instructions to take it easy and made her way down to the harbour.

Walking towards the yacht she could see the gangplank was raised making access from the quay impossible. Hadn’t Zac told the crew he’d arranged for her to meet someone on board? What would she do if the crew had all disappeared for the day and she couldn’t get on board?

To her relief as she got nearer, she saw Phil,