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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

As the sun sets over the valley that evening and dusk turns to night, Stephanie and Tomas are tucked up in the gypsy caravan. Fabien has taken JB back to the bus stop in town and he has promised to return tomorrow. I hope he does. Rhi hasn’t looked at her camera link with the salon all day, and Lou has removed the nail polish that got ruined when we planted the lavender. I can’t stop thinking about Fabien’s words. Did he mean them, or was he just being nice? I’m exhausted and head straight to bed.

Outside the dark sky is scattered with stars. The cicadas are chirping and I can’t sleep. I think again of Ollie and his new life. And Fabien’s words: ‘Love yourself, and let yourself be loved.’ Despite the heat of the night, I shiver.

THIRTY-SEVEN

The following week slips into a pattern: Stephanie and I work, and JB visits in the afternoons. They seem to be getting closer.

‘I think it’s time we went home,’ says Rhi.

I’m cleaning down the old wooden work surface in the kitchen. ‘Why?’ I say.

‘Well, we only came to try to persuade you to come home. And now we know you’re not going anywhere, we should probably go back to our own lives.’ Rhi doesn’t seem too happy at the prospect and neither does Lou. But they’re right. They can’t stay here just keeping an eye on me for ever. This is my life and my home now. And I’m happy here, with or without my friends, just me, Ralph and my lavender. I’ll still have Stephanie and Tomas: they’re not going anywhere.