Consequences Unforeseen

Cannes 1959 - Shona and Bill visit St Honorat

This is a continuation from Part 21. You might want to read it again as a refresher.

 Cannes 1959 – Shona & Bill Visit St Honorat

The sunlight caught him totally by surprise as the BEA Vanguard aircraft banked to land at Nice airport. The sun was setting a vivid red and for one brief but painful moment it shone directly in his face pressed as it was right into the oval window of the plane. It burned its image into his retina and he had to pull away pressing his knuckles into to his eyes to try and rub the image away. His Uncle saw him at this task and said, “I told ye to watch out fur that. Yer no used to this sunshine world an yer Scottish eyes have no chance here. Here ye daft tyke put these on,” and he handed him his own sunglasses.

It rained when they left Paris behind and Shona was soaked to the skin as they rushed up the mobile stairs to the plane. Her spirits were unaffected though and she gave Bill Douglas a hug when they got to the plane door purely to delay their entry and get him soaked as well. Bill blushed a bright scarlet as all the old codgers behind them made the “Awe look at these two,” at first, but them more impatiently, “Allez vite, allez, allez.” The French were used to and loved affection but they hated the rain more.

Bill was at home on the plane when at last it was in the air. The door to the pilots’ cabin was open and he wandered up to the front of the plane to take a look. The female crew sitting there said, “Go on in. They love it when a boy or girl comes up and they get to show off.” He needed no additional encouragement as he knocked politely but continued to enter the cockpit as he called it in his mind.

He left 15 minutes later with a host of treasures. A copy of their flight plan, a special pen with magnetic clip and pilot’s badge for his sweater. He was happy and shared these things and the wonders of all the instruments with Shona, who just rolled her eyes at him. His Uncle and her father were well into their third glass of wine by this time and were sharing war stories and anecdotes interspersed with loud laughter and winks.

Now with the sunglasses firmly in place he took another look out the window to the city below. They were lower now and he could see the bathers and sunbathers below. He turned and gave Shona a push away saying, “Yer no looking down there so yer no. They’re no wearin’ any clothes.”

She just slapped his hands a way and said, “That’ll be us tomorrow, so just get used to it.” Her family had been coming to St Tropez for years and she was well used to the French habit of beach nudity. She though that it was wearing swimsuits that looked out of place and said this so convincingly that Bill’s jaw dropped open in surprise. Big John gave a loud snort and reached over the seat back and slapped Bill playfully on the back. “It’ll no be the first time that worm oh yours has seen the daylight and I doubt anybody will even take notice oh ye,” he chortled. Bill blushed again at the thought.

He was still ruminating on this when the bump let it be known that they had landed and the engines reversed abruptly pushing him forward in the seat. When they parked the plane on the apron and opened the doors, the heat hit him immediately and full on. The sweat on his brow was instantaneous and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. Shona seemed oblivious to any discomfort and she had removed her sweater before they reached the door and made it down to the tarmac.

A car was waiting for them and Bill enjoyed seeing the looks they got from other travelers as they settled themselves into the Bentley convertible. Quite how his Uncle and Shona’s father had pulled this arrangement off made him think a bit and he recalled how they had been greeted at the bottom of the stairs. Subtle handshakes and forearm grips had been exchanged with the driver and Bill wondered if these folks were all members of the Masonic Order like his own father. It seemed to him that wherever they went as a family things just fell into place and people were always more than helpful. He had always thought his Uncle to be a high honcho in this club, but he was never sure.