The Vineyard in Alsace

by Julie Stock

  As we lay there in the dark afterwards, I knew we belonged together. I sighed with contentment, feeling all my barriers disappear.

  ‘What are you thinking about? I can hear your brain whirring.’

  ‘I was thinking how lucky I am and how wonderful that was.’

  He turned towards me and propped himself up on his elbow. ‘Making love with you was just as good as I remembered.’ His eyes twinkled and he pulled me towards him for another kiss. ‘In fact, it was so good that I’d like to do it again,’ he said in between kisses.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I woke the next morning to find Didier was no longer beside me. I wondered if it was late. Had he had to leave already? But as I came to, I heard sounds around the cottage. My heart warmed to know he was still there, after all. I sat up, pulled on my camisole and shorts, and padded down the stairs to find him. He was in the kitchen making breakfast, looking gorgeous in just a pair of boxer shorts and his t-shirt. I stole up behind him and put my arms round his waist. He turned and pulled me into his arms for a good-morning hug and kiss that almost knocked me off my feet.

  ‘You look far too tempting for this time of the morning,’ he told me, holding my body firmly against his.

  ‘I could say the same to you,’ I teased him. ‘What time is it?’

  ‘It’s really early. I have to get back to Chlöe but I didn’t want to just disappear on you. I wanted us to spend a little bit of time together after last night and before you go off for the weekend.’

  I smiled at him gratefully.

  ‘Thank you for making breakfast. I would have understood if you’d had to leave, you know.’

  His eyes locked onto mine. ‘I wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye,’ he promised.

  We sat down to eat scrambled eggs on toast, with juice and coffee.

  ‘Mmm, this is so good. You really are a great chef, you know. Where did you learn to cook like this?’

  He grinned. ‘My mum taught me. It’s something I love to do but nothing is so good as hearing how much you like it. Well, maybe there are some other things.’ He winked at me and I had to laugh.

  ‘You’re being very flirtatious this morning.’

  ‘I know. You bring out the worst in me. I wish we could just stay in bed all day…but we really can’t.’ He reached across the table and took my hand. ‘I hope I can see you again tomorrow when you get back, if you’re not busy?’

  ‘Ooh, I’ll have to check my social calendar to see if I have time to fit you in.’ I suddenly realised what I’d said and we both burst out laughing. I cleared up the kitchen while he went to get dressed and I remembered how nice it felt to have more than one person in the house. I saw him off from the door a bit later with a final lingering kiss.

  It took me a while to get going after he’d gone. I kept daydreaming about our wonderful night together and wondering if we might be able to do more of the same again soon. It was nearly ten by the time I was on my way back to Strasbourg to catch the train home for the great family get-together. The journey passed quickly and soon I was stepping out into the car park of Colmar station once again, looking round for my dad. I spotted his car and began walking towards it.

  A moment later, the car door opened to reveal my grandfather, with a broad smile on his tanned face. He raised his hands in greeting and as I ran up to him he pulled me in for one of his bear hugs. He kissed me on both cheeks. I felt I was truly home in the comfort of his embrace.

  ‘Françoise! Ça fait trop longtemps, ma mignonne.’

  ‘Oh, Papi, it’s so good to see you. You’re right, it’s been far too long.’

  I let him go reluctantly and climbed into the back seat.

  My dad turned round and smiled at me too, and all at once, the prospect of a weekend with the family seemed to be just what I needed.

  Didier

  After leaving Fran, I walked back to the château with a real spring in my step. At last we had shared our innermost feelings and it felt wonderful. Even though she was going to be away for the weekend, I could look forward to her coming back with renewed passion.

  ‘Hey, Henri, thanks so much for agreeing to stay over last night. I really appreciate it,’ I told my friend as I entered the kitchen.

  ‘It was no problem, mon ami. Chlöe was no trouble at all and it was my pleasure to help you out in your hour of need.’ He raised his eyebrows subtly and I beamed in return, leaving him in no doubt that Fran and I were back together.

  ‘Fran did tell me Ellie’s missing you just as much as you’re missing her, so that’s a good sign, isn’t it?’

  ‘It is, I suppose, but it will still be a long time before we see each other again.’

  ‘Well, why don’t you go and see her? You could easily do that in a weekend, and if you want longer, you know you only have to say the word.’

  His face lit up. ‘Now that is a brilliant idea. I’m going to get on to that straight away.’ He ran to Chlöe, gave her a kiss and a hug, and was soon running across the grass towards his car.

  I picked Chlöe up for a hug and she tucked her head underneath my chin, rubbing gently at the stubble on my jaw.

  ‘Alors, j’ai une idée pour aujourd’hui, ma petite. We’re going to surprise your grandma!’

  Chlöe’s eyes grew round in her face. It was a while since she’d seen her grandma. After a quick shower and change of clothes, we set off for the village on foot, with a bottle of wine in hand. We stopped at the market in the village for a bunch of flowers and arrived at my mum’s house a few minutes later. Instead of going round the back of the house to go in as I usually did, I asked Chlöe to knock on the front door. I left her on the doorstep and stood to one side so my mum would see her first. I kept peeping round the corner, and when I saw my mum’s face as her grand-daughter greeted her with a bunch of flowers, it was worth it.

  ‘Oh, ma chérie, que tu es grande maintenant,’ she cried, as though she hadn’t seen her for years. I stepped out from the bushes, laughing, and I was surprised to see tears in my mum’s eyes.

  ‘Oh, Didier, je te remercie! C’est merveilleux de la revoir. Come in, both of you!’ She set Chlöe down and waved us in, and we went straight out to the garden. My mum brought out drinks a few minutes later and we sat outside in the sun to enjoy them. Chlöe sat on her grandma’s lap to drink, studying my mum’s rings while she did so.

  ‘You didn’t tell me Chlöe was coming this weekend,’ my mum said. ‘Was it another last-minute thing?’

  My mum knew all too well how Isabelle called on me at short notice. I swapped into English to explain what Isabelle was doing.

  ‘C’est pas croyable!’ my mum cried, when I’d finished. ‘I can’t believe that she’s just abandoning you both like that.’

  ‘Well, look, Mum, I’m delighted to have my daughter with me but I want to make it official now, if you know what I mean,’ I said, glancing at Chlöe to make it clear she didn’t know what was happening.

  ‘That is the best idea you’ve had in ages. If you need any support, just let me know.’

  ‘I will, I promise. And I hope you won’t mind continuing to help me look after Chlöe. She’s going to nursery every morning but there will be times when I’m sure I’ll need your help.’

  ‘Of course. You know I am always willing to help where Chlöe is concerned.’

  ‘There’s something else I want to talk to you about.’

  ‘There is?’ she raised her eyebrows.

  ‘It’s about me and Fran.’

  She stared at me for a moment. ‘I see.’ She folded her arms. This wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d thought.

  ‘Let me explain before you jump to any conclusions. We’re giving things another go and I think it’s about time you met her and got to know her.’

  ‘You’re right,’ she said to my amazement. ‘Life is too short for regrets. If you’re both ready to try again then I wish you the best of luck and happiness. I would love to meet her.’

  Fran

&
nbsp; Before long, we were sitting outside admiring the beautiful back garden at home, sipping at a cup of coffee my mum had brought out for us. Thankfully, my mum had heard from Lottie and she’d confirmed she was still coming but not till later. I took the opportunity to catch up with my grand-dad.

  ‘So, what’s new, chérie?’

  ‘Well, where shall I start? I’ve split up with Paul…’

  ‘Oh, non! What happened?’

  Tears sprang to my eyes - I was so emotional lately. ‘He cheated on me.’

  ‘That bastard! I never liked him.’

  I smiled through my tears. My grand-dad’s fierce loyalty was one of the many reasons why I loved him.

  ‘There’s more to it than that, Papi,’ I went on.

  ‘What? There’s worse to come?’

  ‘I don’t know if you know but we’d only just got engaged.’ I fell silent and looked over at him to see his reaction.

  ‘Oh, c’est terrible. I am so sorry.’ His wrinkled face was unusually solemn for a moment.

  ‘I know. I could hardly believe it either.’

  ‘But where are you living? Are you still in London? Surely you have kicked out that despicable Paul?’

  ‘I moved out, Papi to take up a job here. I’ve got a job on a vineyard up near Strasbourg and I’m living in a little cottage on the estate.’

  ‘And you’re sure that this is what you want long term?’

  ‘It’s early days yet but I do feel so much better since coming home. It turns out the vineyard is owned by Didier, the man I was dating at university. I don’t know if you remember?’

  ‘Is that the man you left behind to go to London?’ he asked pointedly.

  ‘The one who wouldn’t come with me,’ I retorted. ‘Look, Papi, Didier and I have talked about it. He had his reasons for staying, and I wanted to go off and explore the world - well, London, at least. What’s done is done and we’ve both grown up since then. The good news is, we’re giving things another go.’

  ‘Well, that all sounds wonderful. So now, all we have to do is to wait for Lottie.’

  ‘I haven’t seen her since she went travelling, Papi. To be honest, I’m quite worried about her. We’ve hardly spoken either, while she’s been away. She came home briefly the other week but was gone by the time I arrived. I haven’t said anything to Mum and Dad but they must have noticed her odd behaviour too.’

  ‘Well, we’ll know more when she gets here, won’t we? I’m sure everything’s fine and you’re worrying for nothing.’

  Didier

  The next morning, I noticed that Chlöe was very quiet on our walk to the boulangerie. Even though we had Ruby with us to keep her company while Fran was away, it didn’t seem to lift her spirits at all. On the way back, I decided to stop at the park to see if it might cheer up, but she just stayed on the bench next to me.

  ‘Qu’est-ce qu’il y a, ma petite?’ I asked finally, worrying what she would say, if anything at all. ‘Are you missing Maman?’

  ‘Où est Maman?’ Her eyes were huge in her face. I owed her the truth but how to explain to a young child?

  ‘Elle est au Canada. It’s another country, a long way from here.’

  ‘Will she come back one day?’

  I scooped her onto my lap then. ‘Of course she will come back but it is too far away for her to visit you very often. You’re going to stay with me for a while. Ça va?’

  She seemed to consider that for a while before nodding. ‘Oui, ça va, Papa.’ She fell silent for a moment, then continued. ‘And do you love Fran now, not Maman?’

  I felt like I’d been hit by a train. All my breath disappeared with her question. I considered what to say for the best. I hadn’t even talked to Fran about my feelings yet. In the end, I decided it was best to tell the truth.

  ‘Oui, j’aime Fran.’

  ‘Moi, j’aime Fran aussi.’ She stood up then and ran off to play on the swings. My heart ached from all that had happened to her in her little life. I determined right then to call Alain the next day and chase him about the divorce papers. We needed to get past this limbo and Chlöe needed stability.

  While Chlöe played, I sent Isabelle a text. I hated having to contact her but Chlöe needed to hear her voice.

  ‘Please can you call Chlöe? She asked where you were today and she’s worried you’re not coming back.’

  There was no reply, which I expected because it was still quite early in Canada, but I hoped we might hear from her later. By the time we’d walked home, Chlöe seemed her happy self again and went off to play with Ruby. I sat outside to do some paperwork but my mind kept returning to Chlöe. When I wasn’t thinking about her, I was thinking about Fran and the night we had spent together. I also wondered how she was getting on at home and if I should have offered to go with her. I could at least offer to pick her up from Strasbourg to save her having to get a cab. I sent off a quick text asking her to let me know when she would be arriving.

  Before long it was time for lunch and, after a quick wash and brush up, Chlöe and I made our way into the village to meet Henri. I’d promised to keep him company, knowing how much he was missing Ellie. I also wanted to find out if he’d managed to make any plans to visit her, as I’d suggested.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Fran

  The silence of the garden was broken by the crunch of a car’s wheels on the gravel driveway. I exchanged a look with Papi. Lottie must have arrived. We stood up and made our way to the gate to say hello, joining Mum and Dad who were already there. Lottie got out of the taxi and paid the driver. Rather than come round to greet us all, she waited for the car to drive away, then bent to pick up her bag. As she straightened and came into full view, I realised why she had stayed away. A gasp escaped my lips at the sight of her small but perfectly formed baby bump.

  ‘Salut, Fran,’ she said, coming towards me and kissing me on both cheeks. I still hadn’t managed to work out what to say but I was glad to see that she had a healthy bloom about her. I watched as she kissed Papi before moving on to my parents. We stood in stunned silence.

  ‘What? No questions?’ she asked. She appeared confident, as she beamed at everyone with her head held high, but I could tell from the way she glanced quickly between us that she was worried about our reaction.

  ‘Oh, Lottie, congratulations!’ I gave her a warm smile and pulled her in for a proper hug, feeling her relax in my arms. ‘It’s a bit of a surprise but I’m really pleased for you.’ Soon everyone else came forward for a hug and to give their good wishes, as well. My dad took her bag and I led the way inside.

  We settled around the kitchen table while my parents bustled about organising drinks.

  ‘I’m sorry I didn’t reply to your text, Fran,’ Lottie began, ‘I just didn’t know how to tell you.’

  ‘It’s okay. I was just worried about you, that’s all.’ I paused for a moment. ‘When you’d gone before I even came home the other weekend, I was so disappointed not to have seen you. It made me realise that I hadn’t spoken to you for ages, let alone seen you. I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Mum told me about you and Paul. What a slimy bastard.’

  Everyone round the table laughed but with me, not at me, and I was overcome with love for my family and the safe haven they provided.

  We had all sat down around the table by now and it seemed to be the right time for Lottie to tell us what had been happening in her life as well.

  ‘So, I have two bits of news,’ Lottie said brightly. ‘One - as you may have guessed - is that your first grand-child, great-grand-child and first niece or nephew is on the way.’ She looked at each of us in turn as she spoke. ‘Two, you won’t be walking me down the aisle just yet.’ She glanced briefly at my dad. Then, seeing the look of sorrow on his face, she promptly burst into tears. My mum jumped up at the same time as I did, and we stood either side of her to envelope her in a hug. My dad passed her a tissue across the table, and when she’d dried her tears, we all sat down again.

  ‘Are
you up to telling us what happened?’ my mum asked.

  ‘I met someone when I was in Greece and I really liked him. Well, obviously.’ She rolled her eyes, whether at herself or at him, I wasn’t sure. ‘We got on so well and we started dating, and I suppose I relaxed into it a bit and stopped being as careful as I would usually be. The next thing I knew, I was pregnant, and he didn’t want to know any more.’

  ‘Why didn’t you just come home, love?’ My dad spoke this time.

  ‘I was embarrassed, and afraid.’ Her eyes filled with tears again and I reached out and took her hand. Was there more to this than she was telling us?

  ‘Afraid of what, Lottie?’

  ‘I was afraid you’d all be ashamed of me. You know, pregnant and unmarried.’ She blushed and covered her face briefly with her hands.

  ‘Oh, Lottie, no-one would ever be ashamed of you. It happens.’

  Lottie’s mouth dropped open at these words from her grand-dad and I couldn’t have been prouder of him at that moment.

  ‘Come on, it’s time for some food. We can talk more while we eat.’ Dad took over and after another hug with Lottie, Mum joined him to prepare lunch.

  The next morning was so quiet, it was spooky. I still wasn’t quite used to that level of silence, having lived in the city for the last few years. I felt rested, though, which was an improvement. As I lay in bed, slowly beginning to wake up, I realised that there were birds tweeting quite noisily outside. I hadn’t registered them at first. Perhaps I just wasn’t used to the sound of birdsong. My mind turned to Didier, and I reached across to my bedside table for my phone to check whether I’d had any messages from him. My face lit up.

  ‘Missing you and your lovely body this weekend. Would you like me to pick you up from the station? Hope everything is going well at home xx’