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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

I look at the iPad, then sit down. The tab for Ollie’s Facebook page is still there. When did he change his profile picture? Was it after we spoke on the phone, the day Stephanie went missing? I look at the picture. I don’t remember seeing it before. Thank goodness he’s taken down the one of me, though. I never liked it. I don’t think I’ve liked seeing photographs of myself for years now. In fact, I avoid mirrors if I can. I know I’ve put on weight, since all the treatment. I peer at the new photograph: is there anything about it to make my heart leap, make me think this was some kind of madness? No. Nothing at all. My mind turns to Fabien and how my whole body shivers when I see him. He makes me feel … alive. I look at the photo again. Ollie appears happy, and I’m glad for him. There’s nothing left between us. It was the right decision.

I’m about to close down the page when something catches my eye. The name of someone liking the picture. The name of a woman he worked with, whom he hadn’t been in touch with for years … not since that one time. Suddenly I feel cold, despite the sunshine outside.

My hand shaking, I press on her name. And there it is: ‘in a relationship with Ollie …’

I stare at the photograph in front of me and feel like I might be sick.

So, this is why we left the UK. And this is why he had been planning to go back. He ran away and now he’s gone back because …

‘Are you okay?’ Lou’s come in for a glass of water.

‘No,’ I say. ‘I don’t think I am.’

‘What’s up?’ Rhi comes in for water too.

‘Ollie,’ I say. I turn the screen towards them and show them the photograph and the byline. ‘He’s having a baby!’

And we stare at the picture of the heavily pregnant woman and her scan picture: ‘Mummy and Daddy, finally together!’

THIRTY-FIVE

‘So, let me get this right. He was having an affair all the time you were having IVF and when your mum died.’ Lou is straight to the point as ever.

‘Looks that way.’ I sigh.

‘And he suggested moving out here to get away from the situation, having clearly got her pregnant.’

‘It seems so.’

‘Looks like when she decided to go through with it, he felt guilty and made up a load of excuses to move back.’

‘He was going to keep his girlfriend and baby a secret from you,’ Rhi joins in.

‘That’s why he sent us out here, to check you really meant it and weren’t going to come back to him.’ Lou puts the pieces in place.

‘So he could go public with his—’ Rhi is interrupted.

‘Pregnant lover!’ Lou bangs the table.