by Julie Stock
‘I thought I’d make the effort for your mother,’ he said.
I grinned knowingly at him. ‘Your dressing up has nothing to do with my mother and everything to do with Lottie.’
He slapped me playfully on the arm. ‘I really like her. I haven’t felt like that about anyone, not since… since Nicole passed away. It feels really good and I think - I hope - she feels the same way about me.’
When we arrived at the cottage Fran came out first, followed by Lottie and her parents. We paired up to walk to the village. I took Fran’s hand as we walked, enjoying the feel of her skin against mine.
‘You look gorgeous. I love seeing your hair down like that,’ I told her, leaning close enough to smell her floral scent.
‘Thank you, and thanks for inviting Thierry. Lottie was delighted when I told her he was coming too.’
‘He told me he really likes her and thinks she feels the same.’
‘Oh, that’s a given. I wish she could find a job here so she could stay. Otherwise, she’ll have to go home and look for a job there.’
‘We can mention it to Mum tonight and see if she knows of anyone who’s hiring at the moment. She’s always up-to-date on that sort of thing.’
We walked on in comfortable silence. Henri joined us at the village crossroads.
‘Any news from Ellie?’ I asked him.
‘I’ve been calling her every day. She spoke to the police, as you know, and she’s heard nothing more from Paul. Neither will we now, I hope. She’s had some other news about work, though. Has she told you?’ He glanced at Fran.
‘No,’ she said with a slight frown. ‘I’ll have to call her tomorrow. I haven’t spoken to her for a while.’
When we entered the garden, delicious smells wafted our way on the breeze and my stomach rumbled in anticipation, making Fran laugh.
‘Your mum is a truly wonderful cook, Didier. You really do get your cooking skills from her.’
I paused to give a little bow and looked up to find Chlöe barrelling towards me.
‘Hey, sweetheart! How are you?’ I picked her up looking deep into her eyes.
‘I am fed up with this harvest,’ she said with a sigh. ‘It lasts far too long!’
She was growing up already and her vocabulary had improved greatly since starting at school.
‘I am sorry, my little one. Still, we’re going to eat a lovely dinner tonight with all our friends. What’s grandma cooking? Do you know?’ I set her down and she took my hand to lead me off to the kitchen.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Fran
As our families and friends gathered together, I looked around at the familiar smiling faces, and wondered how I could ever have found life in Alsace dull and boring. Didier told Sylvie all about Isabelle’s demands as we ate the delicious boeuf bourguignon she’d prepared for dinner. She listened intently before reaching out and patting my arm. That small gesture reinforced how much I already cared for her.
‘So, what’s your advice, Maman?’ Didier asked.
‘Fran belongs with you. You should fight this together. Don’t give in to her by going away, Fran. That will only make you look guilty when you’re not.’
‘I agree, Sylvie. Deep down, I know it’s right for me to stay and not to let her intimidate me into leaving.’
Didier’s face brightened with relief at my decision to stay and a thrill of pleasure ran through me at the obvious love shining in his eyes.
‘Changing the subject,’ Sylvie continued, ‘it is marvellous to see Thierry coming back to life. Will Lottie be around for a while longer, Fran?’
‘I don’t know. It depends on whether she can find a job. We did wonder if you knew of anyone in the village needing staff?’
She thought for a moment. ‘Let me have a chat with a few people and see what I can find out. I’ll let you know as soon as I can.’
The wine flowed and the food kept coming but soon it was time for Chlöe to go to bed. Even though she had been allowed to stay up a bit later, she still cried when Didier told her to say goodnight. She went round all the adults giving each one a tearful kiss as though she were going off on a long voyage and might not see them for years. When she reached Lottie, who she’d been chatting away merrily to all evening, she whispered something in her ear. Lottie smiled delightedly in response but raised her eyes to Didier.
‘What is it?’ he asked.
‘Would it be all right if I read Chlöe a story tonight? She asked me if I would but I don’t want to take away from your time with her.’
‘Of course. We’ll do bath time and then I’ll read the first story and you can read the next one.’
Lottie nodded and smiled, pleased little Chlöe had taken an instant liking to her. We left the table and reassembled in the various comfy chairs in the living room. My mum came over to sit with me on a small sofa while my dad chatted to Sylvie and helped her to clear the table. He was asking for recipes and I had to smile at his dogged pursuit of new food ideas. He and Sylvie had a lot in common.
‘We will have to go home tomorrow, Fran. I have work on Monday and I need to get the house sorted. I’m sorry we couldn’t stay longer.’
I patted her hand. ‘Mum, we’re so grateful you could come at all. It’s been good for you to be here and to meet everyone. I’m sorry I haven’t seen much of you.’
‘Don’t worry. You’re happy and that’s the main thing. Thank you for looking after Lottie too. I can’t tell you how relieved we are. Are you sure it’s okay if she stays with you a bit longer?’
‘Of course. We’re trying to find her a job so she can stay indefinitely. She and Thierry have obviously hit it off.’
‘And what about you and Didier? He seems lovely by the way.’
‘Everything is wonderful between us but we still have the problem of his wife, Isabelle, to deal with.’
‘He’s still married?’
Her sharp intake of breath surprised me, even though I understood her reaction.
‘He’s trying to get a divorce, as well as full custody of his daughter, although Isabelle’s fighting him, trying to say his lifestyle isn’t suitable because he’s going out with me.’
‘Charming! So, what are you going to do?’
‘I’m going to support Didier in his claim for custody. I know Isabelle is her mum but I honestly believe Chlöe will have a more settled life with her dad.’
‘Look, I hope everything works out but you will let me know, won’t you?’
‘You know I will.’
Thankfully, Mum and Dad didn’t want to get off too early so I was able to indulge myself with a bit of a lie-in the next day.
‘Take care both of you and come and see us again soon,’ my mum said as she climbed into the car after our leisurely breakfast. I put my arm round Lottie and she hugged me back as we waved them off.
‘So, what shall we do today?’ Lottie asked.
‘As little as possible. The only thing I must do is call Ellie. What about you?’
‘Thierry has asked me out on a lunch date. He said he’d pick me up at midday. Would you mind if I went?’
‘Of course I don’t mind, silly. I’m really pleased for both of you. Didier said he’d been through a really tough time this past year and you’ve brought him out of it. I think it’s great.’
‘Did Didier tell you what happened to Thierry?’
‘No, and I didn’t ask.’
‘He still hasn’t told me yet, either. I think he’s nervous about sharing so much when we hardly know each other, and that’s understandable. I haven’t told him all about my past yet either, although I can’t exactly hide my bump, can I?’ She grinned before continuing, ‘We need to take it slowly and get to know each other better.’
‘That’s a good plan. Didier asked his mum today if she could find out whether there are any jobs going in the village. If something does come up and you decide to stay, you can carry on living here with me in the cottage for the time being if you’d like to.’
>
‘Oh, that’s fantastic!’ She threw her arms round me and I hugged her tight, glad we were together again and things were looking up for her.
‘Right, I’m off for a shower,’ I said. I spent a relaxing half an hour on my own in the bathroom before slipping on my easiest clothes and going back downstairs, just in time to hear Thierry knock on the door for Lottie.
‘Hey, Fran, ça va?’ He gave me a wicked grin, displaying at once what Lottie liked about him. He was very laid-back and almost film star gorgeous. His tall figure filled the doorway as he leaned his arm against the upper frame. I smiled back at him and did my best not to stare but he seemed to enjoy the attention.
Lottie threw on her coat. As I closed the door after them, I tried not to be disappointed to be spending the afternoon alone. Instead, I settled on the sofa, picked up my phone and dialled Ellie’s number.
‘I’d just about given up hope of hearing from you again,’ she cried. ‘How the hell are you?’
‘I’m sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been thinking about nothing but grapes all week.’
‘It’s good to hear your voice, especially after what happened with Paul. I’ve heard all about it from Henri.’
‘I know. It was awful. I’m so sorry I haven’t called you sooner, I just haven’t had a chance. Everything was okay in the end. I hope that it’s all over now, for us and for you.’
‘How is the harvest going? Still as well as when I spoke to Henri the other day?’
‘It’s still going well and on schedule but it’s so back-breaking. I had no idea. Mum and Dad have just left after spending a few days here, helping us with the picking. Lottie’s living with me here now and has fallen head over heels for our winemaker.’
‘Come on, I’m all ears.’
By the time I’d filled her in, I’d almost forgotten to ask her about the news Henri said she had to tell me.
‘It’s your turn to tell me your news now.’
‘You won’t believe it but I’ve been made redundant. As I’ve been there for so long, I’m going to get quite a good payout.’
‘That’s great news! Perhaps you can take some time now to think about what you’d really like to do. When will you finish?’
‘Very soon. In fact, I was thinking about coming over again but this time to help with the harvest. I thought I could have a bit of a holiday while I consider my options.’
‘Oh, Ellie, it would be wonderful to see you again and for longer this time.’
‘Brilliant! That’s settled then. Henri has said I can stay with him so you wouldn’t have to worry about Lottie having somewhere to stay.’
‘I hadn’t even thought of that but that’s even better.’
We carried on chatting until I glanced at my watch. We’d been on the phone for nearly an hour.
‘I’d better go,’ Ellie finally said reluctantly. ‘Good luck with the harvest and with Isabelle, and I will see you very soon.’
Didier
Thierry and I had spent a productive morning in the winery, getting off to an early start because of his lunch plans with Lottie. Once he’d gone, I set off for my mum’s to spend some time with Chlöe, trying not to dwell on how much I missed Fran.
I had another enjoyable meal with my mum and Chlöe but it was quiet without all our other friends. After lunch, we went for a long walk around the village. The autumn trees were just beginning to shed their leaves and Chlöe enjoyed crunching them under her feet in her little wellies. Just as we started the walk back to the park, it began to rain. It was only a light shower but it was enough to spook me about the harvest.
‘Do you know what the forecast is for tomorrow?’ Mum asked me.
‘It was just a bit of light rain today but clear again tomorrow.’
She placed her hand on my arm. ‘Try not to worry.’
I gave her a tense smile.
It didn’t rain again while we were out, but I slipped away shortly after we got back to my mother’s house so I could go and check the grapes still on the vine. Rotting grapes were the last thing we needed and that was a very real danger when it rained at this time of year. I pulled on my woollen hat and hunched my shoulders against the cold as I rushed back to the vineyard to check for damage.
I walked straight past Fran’s cottage, intent on what I needed to do, rather than giving in to what I wanted to do. It had started to rain again and I prayed it would be another light shower. At least it wasn’t too cold. I reached the vines and bent down to inspect them. There was still enough foliage to protect the grapes for now, as long as the rain didn’t get any heavier. I walked a few rows over to check a different batch of grapes and breathed a sigh of relief to find them just as healthy looking. The harvest would still be all right if the rain held off. I stood up straight and stretched my back. It was definitely getting harder to keep coming out in all weathers to do this work. I was looking after myself but if I was to continue doing this for the rest of my life, I’d need to do better than I was doing now.
I turned to head back up to the château only to see Fran coming down the hill towards me. My spirits lifted immediately to see her coming out in the rain to check on me.
‘Didier! Is everything all right?’
Our eyes locked as she came closer and then she was in my arms, kissing me and holding me.
‘Is everything okay?’ she repeated.
‘It will be, as long as the rain doesn’t get any worse. Thanks for coming out to find me.’
‘I was worried about you. I didn’t want you to be down here on your own.’
Taking Fran’s hand, I gave it a squeeze and led her up the hill towards the château.
We shrugged off our wet coats and boots and then I went to light the fire.
‘Would you like a hot drink?’ Fran asked me from the kitchen. As I turned round to accept her offer, I was struck by how perfectly she had fit back into my life.
‘I wish we could be together like this all the time,’ I told her as I sat down at the breakfast bar.
She looked up from stirring the drinks and smiled at me. ‘I’d like that too.’ She slid a cup of hot chocolate towards me and I picked it up to warm my hands.
‘Let’s move in together then,’ I suggested.
‘Do you really mean that?’ she asked, wide-eyed.
‘No, I was just joking.’ I chuckled, as she came round the counter and sat down next to me.
‘Where would we live, if we were going to move in together? In the cottage or here?’ I reached out with my fingertips to smooth away her frown.
‘Which would you prefer?’ I asked, caressing her cheek and watching her eyes glow from my touch.
‘It’s not just up to me. There’s Chlöe to think of too. She’d be better off here but I really do love the cottage. I don’t mind it here but it’s just not very homely.’
‘I know what you mean but if you moved in, we could make it our home together.’ I smiled and let my hand fall away, not wanting to distract her from this important conversation.
‘Hmm, well, I’ll give it some thought,’ she said, picking up her cup to finish her drink.
‘I know you love the cottage and I’m happy just to be with you. If you’d prefer to stay there, then that’s what we’ll do.’
‘I need some time to think about it, Didier. I’ve only just regained my independence. I’m not sure I’m ready to give it all up again so quickly.’
‘That sounds to me like you’ve already made up your mind.’ I stood up to go and put our cups in the sink, trying very hard not to feel rejected by Fran’s honest statement.
‘No, I haven’t. I’m just trying to explain my thoughts and obviously not doing it very well.’
I came back round the counter and pulled Fran into my arms. I held her to me, inhaling her intoxicating fragrance, never wanting to let her go. I bent my head and kissed her softly on the lips, hoping to convey all my love for her in that one touch before pulling apart. I waited for her to return to the conversation but s
he didn’t say anything more. She needed some time alone to consider my proposal and I had to give her that space. It was definitely the next step for us but I didn’t want to push her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Fran
Sylvie greeted me as I went to give her a hand with serving the breakfast to the team. ‘Morning, Fran. You don’t look good, if you don’t mind me saying. Did you have a bad night?’
‘I couldn’t get to sleep for ages and then I fell asleep in the early hours just before it was time to get up.’
She groaned sympathetically. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Yes, just a lot on my mind, that’s all.’ I’d left the château the night before in a daze. I was excited by Didier’s proposal but also afraid of the leap we would be taking if we moved in together, as well as the commitment I would be making to this quiet country life.
‘I wanted to let you know I’m going to Strasbourg today for some appointments,’ Sylvie continued, ‘so I won’t be here for the casse-croûte or for lunch but all the food is ready. You’ll just need to put the slow cookers on for the casserole, if you wouldn’t mind. If you do that at break time, it will all be heated through by lunch.’
‘That’s fine,’ I said, stifling a yawn. She patted my arm and continued serving. ‘Will you be back in time for Chlöe or will Didier need to go and pick her up today?’
‘Oh no, I’ll be back in plenty of time for Chlöe.’
‘I’m having the first meeting with the builders this morning, so that will be interesting.’
‘I look forward to hearing about it. Would you and Lottie like to come over for dinner tonight? You could tell us all about it then.’
‘I’d love to. I’ll see if Lottie’s free to come too.’
‘Ah yes. She’s been a bit busy lately.’ She grinned and I returned her smile. Lottie still hadn’t returned from her date with Thierry when I’d gone to bed the night before. I’d heard her come in some time in the early hours.