by Julie Stock
‘Is that why you came back home, to escape your fiancé?’ I asked as we stood watching the children.
‘Yes, in a way. I couldn’t stay with him, obviously, after what had happened. I actually caught him in bed with the other woman.’ She glanced across at me and caught me wincing in sympathy. ‘But I’d been wanting to come home for a while now and Paul just wouldn’t have agreed to it. I saw your job as soon as you advertised it and I knew it would be the perfect job for me - so perhaps it was fate when I found out Paul had been cheating.’
‘Well, I can’t wait to get started on our project at the vineyard. I really believe you’ll be able to help us make it happen. We’ve been talking about it for so long but we need someone organised to manage it.’
‘I’m definitely organised and I’m excited about doing something new. Just being here today, spending time with old friends and with my family this weekend, has made me feel so much better.’
‘So, am I one of the “old friends” now or am I still just a work colleague?’ I hoped she could see the twinkle in my eyes even as I made my point. She blushed and looked down, making me feel a bit guilty for teasing her.
‘I’m sorry if I was blunt yesterday but I didn’t know where I stood. I’d heard you had got together with someone else after I left so I assumed we had both moved on. Now we know we have both been through such a lot, keeping a professional distance is probably for the best, don’t you think?’
I recognised her need to protect herself from any more hurt. ‘I understand what you’re saying but I hope we can work together as friends now. It’s good to see you again and I want to make the most of that.’ I took another sip of champagne and waited for her response. When she didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes, I began to feel worried but eventually she spoke.
‘It’s been a hard time for me, Didier.’ She paused, staring down at her hands as she twisted them together before her. ‘I don’t regret going to London, but the fact is the job wasn’t anywhere near as good as I’d hoped and now I know my relationship with Paul was based on nothing but lies.’
She looked up at me then, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
‘Nothing you do or experience is ever wasted, even though you don’t feel like that right now. My marriage to Isabelle was nothing like I expected it to be but at least I have Chlöe, so that makes it all worth it. I’m now managing a vineyard, which is what I always wanted to do, so I have a lot to be thankful for. And so do you, I’m sure.’
‘The best thing about going to London was that I met my friend, Ellie. Her friendship is something I’m really thankful for.’
A lone tear slipped down her cheek but she swiped it quickly away before giving me a watery smile. Then the sound of an accordion filled the air and everyone started to pile back inside for the evening entertainment. After scooping Chlöe up once again, I led the way back inside.
Fran
The accordion player, an older man with skin the colour of aged leather, was sitting right in front of the stage surrounded by a very attentive group of children, their eyes focused on his nimble fingers as he played. Chlöe pulled on Didier’s hand, indicating she wanted to go and see the music man as well. He followed her, with an apologetic backwards glance at me, picking her up on the way so that she could see. Soon, she was clapping her hands in time to the music and smiling broadly at the lovely sound. Didier put her down so that she could join in dancing with the other children and started walking back towards me but Chlöe had other plans. She grabbed his hand. Seeing that she wanted him to dance too, he lifted her little body so that her feet rested on top of his and they moved round slowly together. It was a glorious sight and I couldn’t help but laugh at the pair of them.
‘Didier has changed a lot since we last saw him, n’est-ce pas?’ Marie said as she came up alongside me.
‘Yes, marriage and becoming a father are both fairly hefty life events.’
‘Where is the wife, then?’
I looked at Marie, trying to gauge whether she was being nosy or if she was genuinely interested. ‘Ah, they recently separated. Chlöe lives with her mum and visits her dad when she can.’
‘Oh, what a shame. You should have married him when you had the chance, chérie.’ With that nugget of wisdom she disappeared, leaving me with my mouth open at her cheeky comment. Didier had never asked me to marry him so I’d never “had the chance” to even consider what my answer would have been.
Once the accordion player had finished his latest tune, he moved off to loud applause, making way for the band that would play for the rest of the evening. I found a table to sit at and Didier joined me there shortly afterwards, leaving Chlöe with me while he went to get us all drinks. As Amandine and Laurent appeared in the middle of the dance floor for their traditional first dance, the lights dimmed and Chlöe released a loud gasp. She clasped her little hands together and watched, entranced, as they started to dance. Others soon joined them as the music changed into pop covers that we all recognised and loved. After half a dozen such songs, it was starting to get late, and I saw Chlöe yawn widely.
‘I’m so sorry, but I think I’d better take Chlöe home now. She looks exhausted. How are you getting home?’ A slight frown crossed Didier’s brow.
‘My dad will come and pick me up, don’t worry.’
‘I could always give you a lift if you’re happy to leave now?’
The wedding reception would be much less interesting without Didier and Chlöe to keep me company. My university friends had broken away to mix with their own friends, and the only other person I knew was the bride herself.
‘That would be great, if you’re sure you don’t mind.’ He rolled his eyes a little before guiding me towards Amandine to say goodbye and good luck. A few minutes later, after settling Chlöe in her car seat, we set off towards my parents’ home. Chlöe was asleep before the Salle des Fêtes was even out of sight.
We didn’t talk much on the way back, except for the odd direction or two that I needed to give. He’d never been to my house while we were dating but he knew the way to Colmar well enough. All too soon, he pulled on to the drive and turned off the engine.
‘Thanks for a lovely day today. It was a nice surprise to find out you were going to be there.’ Didier gave me a smile that warmed my heart.
‘Yes, I had a great day too, thank you. Give Chlöe a hug goodbye from me, won’t you?’
‘I’m sure you’ll see each other again soon.’ He paused for a moment as if he was going to say something else but then thought better of it. ‘Well, safe journey home and I’ll see you tomorrow evening.’
I made to get out of the car and he jumped out and ran round to my door. He offered me his hand and I took it. He leaned in to kiss me on each cheek and the combination of the sensation of his lips on my skin together with the smell of the warm night air was captivating.
‘A demain, Fran.’ He watched as I made my way to the door and once I’d opened it and was standing inside, he got back in the car. I waved as he reversed into the darkness. Then I closed the door gently behind me.
Didier
I drove away from Fran’s house feeling a mixture of emotions. I’d really wanted to kiss her but I knew that would have frightened her off. If I was being honest with myself, I’d been a bit scared of taking that next step too, after everything she’d said. After all, it was only yesterday she’d told me she just wanted to be work colleagues, and she’d reinforced that again today. I was still attracted to her though, and it was going to be hard to keep a professional distance under those circumstances.
It was getting on for midnight when I arrived back at the vineyard. I lifted Chlöe out of her seat as carefully as I could, trying not to wake her, and carried her quietly back to the cottage through the darkness. This was the last time she would sleep there. We would have a busy day tomorrow moving our things over to the château so that Fran could move into the cottage. I went upstairs to Chlöe’s little bedroom and laid her on the
bed, before gently easing off her coat and rolling her first one way and then the other so that she was tucked under the covers. I kissed her on the forehead, dimmed the lights and, leaving the door ajar, I crossed the small landing towards my own room. I stripped down to my boxers and fell into bed, exhausted after a long but happy day. My last few thoughts were of Fran before I fell into a deep, satisfying sleep.
As always, Chlöe was up at the crack of dawn and raring to go, which was probably a good thing today and I was used to the early mornings anyway.
‘Qu’est-ce que tu veux manger ce matin, ma petite?’ I asked her. She was playing with Princesse, rolling around on the floor like she was a dog. I’d left Princesse with Henri yesterday so unless he’d brought her back up here, she must have run all the way back from the village this morning, finding her own way. I hoped Henri had brought her because I hated to think of her running along the path on her own, even though I knew she had a good sense of direction.
I nudged Chlöe gently with my foot trying to prompt an answer to my question about breakfast.
‘Des pains au chocolat!’ she cried. I lifted her up from the floor and threw her over my shoulder to carry her back upstairs and she giggled all the way. We both put on some old clothes and hurried back downstairs again to walk to the boulangerie to pick up some breakfast. I whistled to Princesse and she followed us out. It only took a few minutes for me to get down to the village on my own but with a toddler in tow, it always took much longer. I let her take her time until she complained of being hungry and then I hoisted her up on my shoulders for the rest of the way.
‘Bonjour, Didier et Chlöe. Ça fait si longtemps! Que tu es grande maintenant.’ Liliane was an old friend of the family and she had four children of her own so she knew a thing or two about toddlers. The delicious smells coming from the bakery were enough to make Chlöe’s tummy rumble loudly and she laughed at the sound. We were in and out in a matter of minutes and we ate our breakfast on the way back, passing morsels to the dog.
After breakfast, I explained to Chlöe that today was our moving day and that it was going to be a big adventure. Her eyes lit up. We were only moving our clothes and things, not any furniture, so I was hopeful we could get it done by lunchtime. I packed a bag with our clothes and Chlöe packed a small bag of toys, and then we set off for the château. We met Henri on the way, so he pitched in too.
‘What are you doing here this morning? You’re not working on a Sunday, are you?’ I scolded him.
‘I brought Princesse up first thing to stop her running up here by herself. Then I just checked on a few things and before I knew it, it was nearly lunchtime.’
We put our things in the bedrooms and went back to collect the last remaining items from the cottage. I checked the fridge when we got back because I’d remembered I had asked the housekeeper to drop in some supplies for Fran the day before. I was grateful to see that she’d done as I asked and had also given the cottage a final clean for me. After we’d taken things over to the château for the last time, I went up to Chlöe’s new room with her. It looked very forlorn and she wasn’t smiling when she stood looking at it.
‘By the next time you come, I will have made it beautiful for you,’ I reassured her. ‘Will you bring some more of your toys with you then?’ I asked. She nodded. I took her hand and we went downstairs to where Henri was waiting.
‘Time for some lunch?’
‘Absolument,’ I agreed, and we set off for the village once again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Fran
‘Françoise! Bonjour, ma chérie,’ my father boomed at me as I appeared in the kitchen for breakfast the following morning. I frowned at him slightly. He knew perfectly well I hated being called by my full name.
‘Bonjour, Papa.’ I ignored his jibe. If I mentioned it, he would only keep it up. I sat down at the table and helped myself to a buttery croissant and some juice. My mum poured me a coffee, smiling kindly at me.
‘How did the wedding go yesterday?’
‘Oh, it was lovely, Maman. Amandine looked absolutely beautiful and so happy. A few of my other university friends were there, as well.’
‘How did you get home? Did one of them drop you off?’ my father broke in.
‘Er, no.’ I paused, wiping the croissant flakes from my hands and mouth with my napkin and wondering whether to elaborate. When I looked up, my dad was staring at me, still waiting for my explanation. ‘Didier dropped me off, actually. He was there as well.’ My mum raised her eyebrows. It was only a slight movement but I still noticed, and I had to smile.
‘Well, that was very kind of him and saved me a job.’ The link between Didier and me had gone straight over my dad’s head, of course, but my mum knew better.
‘Did you know he was going to be there?’ she asked.
‘I had no idea until the day before, and what’s more, his plus one was his three year old daughter, Chlöe.’ This time, my mum’s eyebrows shot up and I laughed out loud.
‘Well, he has been busy in your absence. Was his wife there too?’ She looked a bit disgruntled now but I knew this was only out of loyalty to me.
‘No, they’re separated now. We did talk about what I’d said to him the day before and cleared the air a bit.’
My dad looked up and pushed his reading glasses on to his bald head. ‘Are we talking about that Didier?’
My mum and I both rolled our eyes and didn’t even bother to reply.
‘Anyway, I think we’ve drawn a line under the past, Mum, which is great seeing as we’re going to be working together.’
‘So, tell us more about this job you’ll be doing at the vineyard, sweetheart,’ my mum asked, finally sitting down at the table for her own breakfast.
I told them all about Didier’s plans to build a Visitors’ Centre on the estate, and how he needed someone to manage the project and market it as well. Just telling my parents about the idea renewed my passion once again.
‘It sounds like a great promotion for you. And you start tomorrow?’ my dad asked.
‘Yes, so I’ll have to return this afternoon to get myself settled in my cottage before I start. I only had a brief tour of the estate and I want to make sure I know what I’m doing.’
‘Oh, it’s a shame you can’t stay for longer. I wish Lottie had been able to stay long enough to see you too. Still, you can come home more often now you’re nearer, and perhaps we could come and visit you, as well.’
‘That would be lovely, Mum.’ I didn’t say anything more about Lottie. There was something odd going on with her, I was sure of it, but better to keep my concerns to myself until I’d had a chance to speak to her. ‘Will you give my love to Papi too,’ I went on, ‘and tell him I’ll see him next time?’
I hadn’t seen my grandfather since my last visit either and we had a very special bond.
‘Of course,’ Mum nodded. ‘He’ll definitely want to catch up with you.’
After breakfast, I went for a shower and to pack my things before coming downstairs again and going outside into the garden for some fresh air. I sat down at the wooden bench with another cup of coffee, relishing the peace and quiet. As I sat there, I remembered saying goodnight to Didier the night before. For a brief moment I’d wondered if he was going to kiss me but, since I’d effectively told him to back off twice now, that seemed very unlikely. I hoped I hadn’t upset him again. I sighed and stood up, deciding to go and look for my dad.
I found him in his shed, potting some plants before winter set in. The peaty smell of the compost enveloped me as the door closed behind me. My dad looked up and smiled and as he did so, his glasses fell down in front of his eyes. He laughed and so did I.
‘Forgive me for saying this, but you will take care working with Didier, won’t you? Remember, it took you a long time to get over what happened with him before and I don’t want you to get hurt again.’
I opened my mouth to argue but of course I knew he was right. ‘I know what you’re saying, Papa, but I think w
e both have to share the blame for what didn’t happen between us. And a lot has happened while we’ve been apart, to both of us. I’m not looking to start things up with him again. I just want to do my job.’
He brushed his hands off on his gardening trousers and smiled.
‘It’s time for us to find something nice for lunch, I think.’ His eyes lit up and I laughed. Food and wine were my dad’s two favourite things and always uppermost in his mind. He put his arm round my shoulder and we went back inside.
I gave Mum and Dad a hand in preparing some food before we all settled at the kitchen table together to tuck in. Dad had opened a bottle of Pinot Gris, which was crisp and refreshing enough to offset the richness of the cured meats and creamy salads. For a few moments, we fell silent, just enjoying the taste and smell of the wonderful food on our plates.
All too soon, it was time for my dad to take me back to the station. As I kissed and hugged them both, my eyes began to fill with tears. I really had missed seeing them so much, and I felt as though it was my own stupid fault for letting Paul stop me from coming home.
‘Don’t cry, sweetheart,’ my dad told me. ‘We’ll see you again soon - perhaps at your cottage next time. You can show us the estate.’ He took my bag out to the car while I said my goodbyes to Mum.
‘You just take care, chérie, and good luck in your new job.’
I waved until I could no longer see her and tried to focus on the journey back to the station. I shed a few more tears as Dad dropped me off, and then I was back on the train again, heading towards Strasbourg and my new life.
Didier
‘Have Chlöe ready for me to collect her from the courtyard at 3 please,’ Isabelle informed me by text later that morning. ‘I don’t have any time to waste. I must be back in Strasbourg for an important meeting.’
Isabelle had a way about her of annoying me with even the simplest request, so I was already irritated before she arrived. She didn’t get out of the car, and left the engine idling as she wound her window down reluctantly to speak to me. She had her sunglasses on, as always, and her hair was piled in some sort of tower on top of her head. With her permanent uniform of heavy make-up, hair styling and ultra-fashionable clothes, I hardly recognised the woman I thought I had fallen in love with just a few years before.