by Julie Stock
‘I know that Dad but you must understand that if you keep pressing her to make decisions, she’ll only feel like she’s in a corner again. She needs some space to think everything through without any pressure. She’s safe here with me while she does that.’
Dad shook his head and sighed, impatient to step in and sort everything out for Lottie as he had always done. He still didn’t really understand how to handle her despite my efforts to explain, but he would have to learn quickly or risk pushing her away for good.
Didier
Although the first week of the harvest had gone well, I was exhausted trying to split my time between the harvest and the winemaking process, as well as keeping an eye on the business. On top of this, I was trying to see Chlöe too.
I’d been going back to the office after the casse-croûte every day to catch up on anything critical. As I pushed open the door, I noticed a large, formal-looking envelope on the floor in the middle of all the other post. I stared at it, after placing the rest of the letters on the desk. It was from Isabelle’s lawyers. My heart was in my mouth as I opened the envelope and quickly scanned the contents. As I read through their demands, my heart sank lower and lower.
‘Alain, c’est Didier Le Roy,’ I said when I was put through to my lawyer a few minutes later.
‘I expect you’re calling because you’ve received the paperwork from Isabelle’s lawyer.’
‘Yes, and to be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t called me sooner, Alain.’
‘I’m sorry, Didier. I’ve actually been doing a lot of research to try and sort things out for you.’
‘It’s all right, I know you’re doing everything you can.’ I massaged my temple with my free hand, trying to keep calm. ‘Have you managed to find anything out?’
‘Well, Isabelle’s demand for half your assets, including the vineyard, is a non-starter. I will just quote French law at them on that one. Don’t forget, she’s using a Canadian lawyer and I assume they just haven’t done their research.’
‘That’s a relief, at least.’ My shoulders relaxed a little at that news.
‘The issue of custody is more complicated,’ he went on. ‘Isabelle is contesting your request for full custody of your daughter.’
‘On what grounds?’
‘She does not believe you can offer Chlöe any more stable a lifestyle than she could offer herself.’
‘And yet she had no problem leaving Chlöe with me while she took this latest job for the next year.’
‘In the paperwork, she cites the fact that you have the vineyard to run, which she says means you have to lean on your mother for childcare. She also refers to your relationship with Fran as an unsuitable environment in which to bring up your child.’
‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this. What does she want then?’
‘They’re suggesting you split custody. My personal feeling is that that would be tricky with Isabelle’s job. I believe you have a good case for being able to offer her a stable lifestyle - your mother’s support is an advantage in my view. The awkward factor is her citing your relationship with Fran as a negative reason why you shouldn’t have custody of Chlöe.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s really a case of which one of you the judge feels could offer the more stable home life for your daughter. I’m speaking as your friend now but I wonder if it might be best for you and Fran to stop seeing each other until this is all sorted out.’
‘How would sending Fran away make any difference to the situation? If I get custody of Chlöe, what’s to stop Isabelle from saying the same thing all over again if Fran and I subsequently get back together?’
‘I know it’s difficult but you’re going to have to consider your options very carefully. I’ll leave you to think about it over the weekend but I’d advise you to get back to me on Monday, if you can.’
I put the phone down with a heavy heart. I’d missed Fran so much during this week and I had no idea when we might next get some time on our own. The occasional kisses and fleeting touches we had shared had been barely enough to sustain me.
Now I really would have to talk to her but not under the circumstances I had in mind.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Fran
Didier slipped away after the casse-croûte and I wished I could go with him. It had been a long few days apart and now my parents were here, I was even less likely to get away.
When he came back to the vineyard, it was nearly lunchtime. He was frowning and his shoulders were hunched. I caught his eye, trying to give him a visual hug in the absence of anything else, and he gave me a little shrug back. When we broke for lunch, Didier caught up with me for the walk, taking my hand in his.
‘How’s everything going? You looked miserable earlier.’
‘The harvest is going well, and Chlöe is fine. That’s the good news.’
I gave him a worried glance. ‘And the bad?’
‘I’m missing you so much, I’m finding it hard to think about anything else.’ He gave me his cheeky grin, lifting my spirits immediately.
‘I really miss you too. I wondered if I might try to get away early from my parents tonight, leaving them to catch up with Lottie. Perhaps you could do the same?’
‘I’d like that.’ He paused and from his face, I sensed there was more bad news to come. ‘Unfortunately, I’ve heard from Isabelle’s lawyers as well and I do need to talk to you about it.’
‘That sounds serious.’
‘I just want to get your advice. It’s all the worst-case scenarios we’d thought of but we’ll talk it over together. Don’t go getting the wrong idea this afternoon, promise?’
‘I promise,’ I said solemnly, but I was already worried.
Fortunately, the afternoon passed quickly. I was soon on my way back to the cottage with Lottie and my parents, Ruby following at our heels. I’d missed her too, this past week, and I hoped to make more of a fuss of her over the weekend, although the harvest would still be continuing.
‘What shall we do about dinner?’ I asked. ‘I have various things we could pick at but I haven’t been able to get to the supermarket. I don’t have anything I could turn into a meal.’
‘Charles, would you go and get the cool bag from the car please, chéri?’
My dad jumped up and did as asked.
‘What have you been up to, Mum?’ I asked with a knowing smile.
‘I knew you’d be exhausted so I did some cooking yesterday and brought it with me.’
I gave her a hug and so did Lottie, making my mum’s face light up.
By the time we’d laid the table, my dad had returned with the bag of goodies. For the next twenty minutes we all mucked in, reheating vegetable dishes, slicing tarts and putting mouth-watering salads into bowls. Soon, the table was covered with food and we were all eyeing it hungrily.
‘There’s only one more thing we need,’ said my dad.
‘The wine!’ we chorused.
‘Yes indeed, but this time I have something very special.’ He went back to the bag and pulled out a zip-up chiller jacket with a bottle hidden inside it. There was a little envelope attached to it, which my dad passed to me, indicating I should open it.
‘Santé to our dear friends! Enjoy! With all best wishes, Didier and Thierry xx’ I read the card out loud and my heart warmed as I did so. Lottie winked at me, making me giggle.
Dad poured the wine and we all clinked glasses.
‘To our wonderful family!’ my dad proclaimed.
As we talked over dinner, I relaxed, happy to be surrounded by my family.
‘How are you enjoying life on the vineyard, Lottie?’
I narrowed my eyes at my dad’s question. The last thing Lottie needed was an inquisition.
‘It’s been great thanks, Dad. And I’m feeling really good. Better than I have for a while, actually.’
‘You definitely look better than when you first arrived,’ I told her. ‘I wonder why that is?’ I was only teas
ing but she flushed bright red, laughing awkwardly.
‘It’s because life here is so much calmer. I have to confess I’m enjoying getting to know Thierry, as well.’
My mouth dropped open. I had really not expected Lottie to be so open.
‘I’d like to stay here with Fran for the time being,’ she went on, ‘if that’s all right with you both, and with Fran of course.’ She looked at us all in turn.
‘You know you’re more than welcome to stay here,’ I replied.
‘Good, that’s settled. Let’s leave it at that,’ said my mum. She paused for a moment before continuing. ‘I would much rather talk about your lovely boyfriends.’
My dad covered his eyes, while Lottie and I both laughed at her honesty.
‘Would you say Thierry is your boyfriend, Lottie?’ I asked.
‘No, of course not. We’re just friends. I’ve only known him a few days but I do like him and he seems to like me. I would like to get to know him better. So, the burden falls to you, Fran, to tell us about you and Didier.’
I shrugged. ‘What can I say? I love him and I’m so glad to have had this second chance with him. In fact, we were wondering if…’
‘Yes, of course,’ they cried in response.
‘Do you think we haven’t noticed how lovelorn you both look?’ Lottie said.
‘Oh God, does everyone else know?’ I flushed at the thought of it.
‘Not everyone, just those of us who know you really well.’
I finished eating and then made my excuses to send Didier a text.
‘I’ll meet you on the lawn by the courtyard xx’ He replied at once, as if he had been waiting with bated breath.
Didier
Fran was approaching as I walked through the archway and her sweet smile made me instantly aroused. When she reached me, I took her in my arms and brushed her lips lightly with mine. She opened them in invitation and I didn’t need asking twice. She tasted so good, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop kissing her until she gently pushed me away, trying to catch her breath.
‘God, how I’ve missed you.’ I gazed down into her eyes, rubbing her now swollen lips gently with my finger. ‘Come on, let’s get home.’
‘Lottie said we’ve looked lovelorn all week. It’s so embarrassing to think everyone else was thinking that about us as well.’
‘I don’t care if they all know how much we love each other, Fran.’
She squeezed my hand as we hurried the last few metres to the kitchen door. I’d intended to take her to my bedroom and romance her a little but it had been too long and after we had kissed again, it was hard to contain the electricity flowing between us. My heart beat faster as the strength of my desire for her surged through me. I lowered her body gently to the rug in front of the stove and her hands slipped underneath my shirt to caress my back. The sensation of her fingertips on my bare skin was almost too much after a few days apart. A primal growl issued from deep within me and I sat up again to remove my jumper and shirt. I kept my eyes on her the whole time as she removed her outer layers and soon we were able to enjoy the sensual feel of skin on skin. I kissed my way down her neck, marvelling at the softness of her skin and continued until I reached the swell of her breasts. She arched against me and I savoured the fragrant smell of her skin as we came together. Her body was so warm as I covered it with mine. Soon we’d joined together, creating our own rhythm and enjoying the building sensation within our bodies.
‘I love you so much,’ she cried, shuddering from the sheer force of her release. My own followed shortly afterwards and was just as powerful. I lay down next to her, completely spent but feeling so much better than I had for several days.
‘I love you too, Fran,’ I whispered. We both panted gently, getting our breath back in the silence of my living room. Fran stood first, gathering her clothes to go to the bathroom. She emerged a short while later, looking just as breathtaking as before.
‘Thank you so much for giving the wine to my dad earlier, that was really kind of you both. Thierry seems to be quite taken with my sister, and she didn’t deny she felt the same, either.’
‘It was our pleasure to give you a bottle of wine to share, after all you’ve done this week. I’m really pleased to see Thierry coming out of his shell. He’s had a very hard time of it over the past year. It’s been really good to see him getting on so well with Lottie.’
’Shall I make a drink and we can have a talk about what happened with Isabelle’s lawyers?’
I nodded with a sigh, disappearing to get dressed myself before returning and taking a seat next to her on the sofa. I leaned forward to take a large gulp of the wine she’d poured out for me. My heart sank as I thought of the conversation ahead. When I didn’t say anything, she turned towards me, looking deep into my eyes.
‘Okay, I get the feeling it’s not good news but you just need to come out with it. This delay is making me more and more nervous.’
And so I relayed my conversation with Alain. Fran’s shoulders had slumped by the time I’d finished.
‘Do you want me to go away? If you believe that’s the answer, I will.’
I took her hand. ‘Of course it’s not the answer. Isabelle left me long before you were back in the country. I know we’re not divorced yet but that shouldn’t mean there’s one set of rules for her and another for me. I want you here with me, Fran, by my side, as Isabelle and I work this out.’
‘I understand that but Chlöe is your daughter and more important than anything else. You mustn’t do anything that’s going to put your relationship with her at risk.’
I stared at her and then put my head in my hands. Whatever decision we took, it was going to be difficult for both of us.
Fran
When I woke up, Didier was snoring gently next to me. I let out a sigh and turned onto my side to study his gorgeous features in the early morning light. His hair was all ruffled and he had grown a fine covering of stubble on his face overnight. I wanted to touch but I knew if I did, he would wake up and my secret study of him would be at an end. He had a smattering of dark hair on his chest - just the right amount - and his upper body was nicely developed without being overdone. His arms were folded across his chest and his muscles firmly defined. Sadly, the duvet was tucked underneath his arms, preventing me from seeing any more of his delectable body. I snuggled up next to him, spooning myself against him and enjoying his warmth. I breathed in his manly smell, mixed with a faint hint of citrus, and laid one hand on his hip, the other on his chest. His breathing changed almost imperceptibly as he stirred and became aware of what I was up to.
‘You have a one-track mind, Miss Schell,’ he said huskily. I smiled at the sleepy sound of his voice. I let my hand roam around under the duvet, tracing his ribs and wandering further. To my delight, we were thinking along the same lines. He turned lazily towards me and kissed me on the lips, awakening all my sensitive areas with just the one touch.
‘How are you feeling today, ma chérie?’ he asked me some time later.
‘I’ve been awake for hours, thinking over everything, and I still don’t know what we should do about Isabelle.’
‘Nor me. It is a real dilemma.’
He kissed me gently before slipping out of bed and into the bathroom.
After a while my need for coffee grew too strong so I made my way downstairs. As the coffee pot gurgled in the kitchen and the logs crackled in the stove, I stood at the window looking out at the vineyard while I waited for Didier to finish in the shower. His arms curled round my waist a few minutes later and I relaxed back against his firm body.
‘I asked Mum to supervise the breakfast this morning so I could spend more time with you, but I’d better get up there now. You take your time and I’ll see you later. Try not to worry about things. We’ll work out a way.’
‘I’m going into the office this morning to ring the builders and to catch up on the paperwork. I probably won’t see you till casse-croûte time.’
‘That
sounds like a good plan.’
After we’d kissed goodbye, I thought again about all Isabelle had said in the letter. My instinct was to go, to leave the way clear for Didier to gain custody of Chlöe, but my head told me I shouldn’t really have to do that. I had done nothing wrong and neither had Didier; however, we didn’t want to do anything to jeopardise Didier’s custody claim. It didn’t matter how many times I went round it in my head, I still came back to that. I continued to think about it as I had a shower and got dressed but even as I was walking up to the office, I still hadn’t managed to reach a conclusion I was satisfied with.
I settled down to tackle the stack of letters on my desk, sorting the paperwork into two piles in order to deal with all the urgent matters first. Afterwards, I called the builders and arranged for them to come for their first meeting on Monday morning. They were delighted to get the job. I was so engrossed in my work that I was startled when the office door opened and Henri poked his head round.
‘Hey, Fran, it’s time for casse-croûte. Are you going to join us?’
Didier
‘Morning, everyone. I just wanted to say a quick thank you for the wonderful work you have done this week on behalf of Domaine des Montagnes. I’m so grateful to you all for giving up your time. As we’ve done so well, we’re going to take a day off tomorrow and start again on Monday.’
A light cheer followed my speech. Fran grinned at me from across the courtyard. They didn’t know I would be working most of the day tomorrow in the winery with Thierry. We wanted to make sure everything was going according to plan with the pressing of the fruit we had picked so far. I’d been checking every day and Thierry was mostly pleased. Still, it would be good to make sure everything was going well before we went into the second week. I was also looking forward to spending more time with Chlöe over the weekend.
The afternoon passed quickly and soon I was on my way back with Thierry to collect Fran and her family for dinner at my mum’s house.
‘You’re looking smart,’ I told Thierry, as he appeared from the winery in a jacket, shirt and tailored trousers.