BooksBarbecue
Back A French Affair
Chapters (54)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. Epilogue
  51. Acknowledgments
  52. More from Jennifer Bohnet
  53. About the Author
  54. About Boldwood Books

‘It’s complicated and not that easy to sell up,’ Fern said. ‘This place has been in the LeRoy family forever. When Laurent and I married, I sold my house in the UK and we used the capital to do up this place. We were in our forever home, where we were going to grow old together. And that’s the problem now. Under French inheritance laws, as Laurent’s widow, I can live here until I die, but in reality it is Fabian’s inheritance. It’s an arrangement which gives me a home but no access to capital. Or the ability to move,’ she added quietly. ‘Without an income, I can’t afford to even rent somewhere.’

‘Can Fabian buy you out? Or agree to sell it? Does he want to live here? Run the auberge?’

‘I think Fabian and his family will eventually live here. Whether they will run the place as an auberge, I don’t know. Fabian doesn’t have any money and couldn’t afford a mortgage large enough to pay me back. There have been a few hints about me closing the auberge and letting them move in with me.’ Fern shook her head. ‘As fond as I am of Fabian and his wife, that arrangement would be a disaster. Selling the place is out of the question, the extended family would be horrified at the thought. It’s such a large part of their heritage.’

‘Difficult,’ Belinda said. ‘I hadn’t realised French inheritance laws were so complex. Would you like to return to the UK?’

Fern shrugged. ‘To be honest, I don’t know any more what I do want. I do know things have to change though. Bumping into Scott today has made me think a bit more about the future. Oh.’ She looked at Belinda. ‘I’ve realised who he reminded me of – Richard Gere.’

‘Shame you ran away from him then.’ Belinda smiled. ‘Dinner with a Richard Gere lookalike could have been your first step into a new life.’

10

The next week at the campsite sped past as Belinda got to grips with a mountain of things. One of the first things she did, unbeknown to Alain, was to save everything on the office computer to a memory stick and download it onto her laptop. That way, there were no arguments when Alain wanted to work on the computer. It also had the added benefit too that she could work from the comfort of her own room at the auberge of an evening before wandering downstairs to enjoy a nightcap with Fern.