I am immensely grateful to Imogen Taylor, for being clever enough to commission this book and for the continuing faith in my writing, which has been the best inspiration any author could possibly have. Above all, of course, I would like to thank Chloe, for saying, ‘Go for it, Mum.’
List of Illustrations
1. Maison Bergez, shaded by pollarded catalpa trees
2. The squirly ironwork chairs of my dreams
3. Lunch at Maysounabe – clockwise from left: Sandy, Chloe, Willow, Benjy Lewis, who’s in charge of restoring a local chateau, London fashion writer Shelley Vella, Tony, Andrew, Jan Weller, who works in a school in Bordeaux, Geoff and Annie
4. Andrew, out walking with Otto and a guest
5. Esprit de Beverly Hills: Margaret by her front gate
6. Poster for Rostand’s instant hit, Cyrano de Bergerac
7. Hercules fell in love with Pyrène, the shepherdess
8. Saliès-de-Béarn, the bandstand. Watercolour by Glynn Boyd Harte
9. Detail from Roger Hallet’s panorama of Saliès-de-Béarn, showing La Terrasse.
10. Rock pools at Biarritz
11. Saliès-de-Béarn: townhouses overhanging the River Saleys
12. ‘More than I could possibly have imagined, I miss the mountains.’
The Pic du Midi d’Ossau above the Lac de Bious-Artigues
13. The Duchess: ‘So, Mr Bond . . .’
14. Piglet hunting among the violets
1. Maison Bergez, shaded by pollarded catalpa trees
2. The squirly ironwork chairs of my dreams
3. Lunch at Maysounabe – clockwise from left: Sandy, Chloe, Willow, Benjy Lewis, who’s in charge of restoring a local chateau, London fashion writer Shelley Vella, Tony, Andrew, Jan Weller, who works in a school in Bordeaux, Geoff and Annie
4. Andrew, out walking with Otto and a guest
5. Esprit de Beverly Hills: Margaret by her front gate
6. Poster for Rostand’s instant hit, Cyrano de Bergerac
7. Hercules fell in love with Pyrène, the shepherdess
8. Saliès-de-Béarn, the bandstand. Watercolour by Glynn Boyd Harte
9. Detail from Roger Hallet’s panorama of Saliès-de-Béarn, showing La Terrasse.
10. Rock pools at Biarritz
11. Saliès-de-Béarn: townhouses overhanging the River Saleys
12. ‘More than I could possibly have imagined, I miss the mountains.’
The Pic du Midi d’Ossau above the Lac de Bious-Artigues
13. The Duchess: ‘So, Mr Bond . . .’
14. Piglet hunting among the violets
First published 2004 by Pan Books
This electronic edition published 2012 by Pan Books
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ISBN 978-1-447-23144-8 EPUB
Copyright © Celia Brayfield 2004
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