BooksBarbecue
Back Escape to the French Farmhouse Save as PDF
Chapters (79)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. Also by Jo Thomas
  4. DEDICATION
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. FORTY-SEVEN
  52. FORTY-EIGHT
  53. FORTY-NINE
  54. FIFTY
  55. FIFTY-ONE
  56. FIFTY-TWO
  57. FIFTY-THREE
  58. FIFTY-FOUR
  59. FIFTY-FIVE
  60. FIFTY-SIX
  61. FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. FIFTY-NINE
  64. SIXTY
  65. SIXTY-ONE
  66. SIXTY-TWO
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgements
  69. RECIPES
  70. Lavender shortbread
  71. Apricot jam sponge cake
  72. Lavender lamb
  73. READ MORE
  74. Prologue
  75. ONE
  76. TWO
  77. THREE
  78. FOUR
  79. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘To be honest, we weren’t as good at painting as we thought we might be!’ says Rhi, after I’ve told them the news about Stephanie. They lead me upstairs like guilty children.

‘I don’t know how all these TV programmes make it look so easy!’ says Lou. ‘You’d think anyone could buy a château and pick up a paintbrush …’

We stand in the doorway of the room Lou has been sleeping in and they’ve been painting. To be honest …

‘It looks dreadful!’ I say. We wince, then start to laugh, a release, and find we can’t stop. Tomas joins in, then stands on the paint tin’s lid and walks white footprints across the floor.

‘You can see all the cracks still!’ says Rhi.

‘I like the cracks,’ I say. ‘They add character.’

‘Isn’t that where the light comes in?’ asks Lou.

She’s probably right. It’s going to be a while before this place could ever be ready for B & B guests. Anyway, right now, I like it being just us. ‘It makes it what it is, cracks and all.’

‘Just like us!’ says Rhi. I walk across the room, drawn to look out of the window at the sun-drenched valley. Once more, I wonder where Stephanie is and when – if – she’ll be back.

‘Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no!’ I run to the stairs, the others in hot pursuit behind me.

THIRTY-TWO

Ralph is panting proudly, his fur stained red from the freshly dug red soil he’s standing in. There is soil everywhere and lavender too, from the new plants Carine and Fabien gave me. I put them in and have been diligently watering them every day. I could cry. In fact, I hold my hands over my face and let the tears come in sobbing gulps for the mess I’ve made of things. Everything. The house, Stephanie and Tomas, Fabien …

Rhi and Lou wrap their arms around me. Tomas hugs my knees. Ralph barks, not wanting to be left out.

The sobbing eases, and I say what I know everyone is thinking.

‘What if I’ve made a mistake? What if I shouldn’t have stayed? What if it was just an impetuous hormonal moment of madness? Maybe I should have gone home and made it work with Ollie.’

My friends look at me and for once Lou doesn’t speak first.

‘What if you’re just tired and worried?’ says Rhi. ‘Only you can know if this is what you really want, or if you’d rather have your old life with Ollie. No one’s going to judge you.’

‘You’ve always been there for us, Del, and we’re here for you, whatever you want to do,’ says Lou. I straighten and look at the dug-up plants with despair.