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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

Maybe, just maybe, life is settling down for me here. I have a small business and I could enquire about any paperwork that needs to be filed. I have help with the business from Stephanie and my friends, who have given no sign that they intend to leave just yet. Life is starting to look pretty good, even without Fabien in it. Although I can’t help but wish he was …

‘Encore, encore!’ shouts Tomas.

‘Un, deux, trois! Wheeee!’

I may not have everything I want in life, but I’ve got a lot that makes me smile. I have enough to be content.

I am definitely moving forward.

THIRTY-FOUR

‘What do you mean, a man?’ I say to Rhi, as I put the empty boxes and cash tin on the table in the cool of the kitchen.

‘A man! Hanging around at the end of the drive!’

‘What was he doing there?’ I ask, concerned.

‘Just sort of hanging around,’ she says.

‘Did you get a good look at him?’ I ask.

‘No. I think Ralph scared him off, though.’

‘Okay,’ I say.

‘I mean, if there’s a homeless project just down the road …’ she says, in a low tone.

‘Now you’re beginning to sound like Cora,’ I say firmly.

‘I’m just saying maybe you should be careful.’

I think about Stephanie stopping at the clearing where the homeless gather. Surely no one from there would think of … No! No one would think of breaking in. Not that I’ve got much to take. The notion scratches at the back of my mind, but I push it aside. This is supposed to be our second chance, and Stephanie knows I can’t give her another if anything bad were to happen here. I trust her, I tell myself firmly. I’m going with my instinct. I just hope it hasn’t deserted me.

I clear the table and see Rhi’s iPad. She seems to be finding less time to watch her salon and the staff, and less to pick them up on. Instead she’s spending her time watering the lavender and Lou has been helping. Bedroom painting seems to have been abandoned in favour of the lavender field. Maybe I’ll get some more plants. Keep buying them. After all, if I’m to keep going with the business, I’ll need the lavender. Or was Cora right? Will I be shut down without the right paperwork in place? I wonder if I can find out more online.