Belinda didn’t have the energy to search her brain for Breton words to have a stilted conversation with Bernie, so she simply smiled when he held out BB’s lead and said, ‘Merci. À demain,’ and hoped he’d understand and forgive her for not staying.

She started to walk away but felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Bernie, with a smile on his face, was holding out three large Marguerite daisies for her. Daisies he’d clearly just picked from the large plant growing at the front of the cabin. Touched, she took them before leaning in towards him and kissing his cheek. ‘Merci, Bernie.’

Fighting back the tears at Bernie’s unexpected kind gesture, Belinda walked on towards her favourite place: the bench by the river. Ten minutes here would calm her and restore her equilibrium before she returned to the cottage for supper with Alain. She pushed open the gate in the hedge and sank down gratefully on the bench. Her presence disturbed a heron standing on the bank just metres away and she watched as the large bird took off to fly downriver before curving towards the opposite bank and landing on the mud at the water’s edge.

Belinda sat there letting her mind wander over the day. The way her father had been so pleased to see her. The way he’d said Jean was the love of his life. The way he’d spoken the name Helena and shrugged.

A question that only he could answer, but one that Belinda knew she could never ask him at this stage of his life, dropped into her mind: Had he been truly happy with Helena? Or had he, like her mum, lived the last thirty-five years with the biggest mistake of his life?

Belinda sighed. She’d never know the whole truth. Neither would she tell him how unhappy Jean had been living her life without him.

Her mobile rang at that moment. Alain.

‘Are you okay? Where are you?’

‘I’m fine. Sitting down by the river.’

‘Supper is ready when you are.’

‘Okay. On my way back. And, Alain, thank you. Thank you for today.’

Belinda sniffed the air appreciatively as she walked into the kitchen. ‘Supper smells delicious. Meals like this are going to be so popular in the café. Fern will be the making of it. I hope the new owners will appreciate her.’

Alain glanced up from the salad he was preparing. ‘If they’ve got any sense they will.’

Belinda put the cutlery and glasses on the table and started to tell Alain about the decisions she’d made.