BooksBarbecue
Back Escape to the French Farmhouse
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

‘Del,’ he says, and my nerves fray as I wonder if it’s news about Henri. Fabien kisses me on each cheek.

‘How’s Henri?’ I say, distracting myself from the smell of his aftershave, which sends my hormones into a frenzy.

‘He’s sitting up and talking, and the doctors say he’ll be home soon. But he must take it easy.’

‘Oh, that’s brilliant news!’ I fling my arms around him and hug him tightly. Too tightly and too enthusiastically.

Tomas laughs and claps and, embarrassed, I release Fabien from my tight embrace, which seemed to enfold everything I care about right now. Stephanie and JB laugh too. JB is a man of few words, but he has the most beautiful smile, which we’ve seen more and more over the past few weeks.

‘You’re happy, then?’ Fabien says.

‘Very happy,’ I reply. And then I do the most natural thing in the world. ‘Come on, let’s all eat. Stephanie, bring some wine. Fabien, you’ll stay?’ Then I falter. ‘If there’s nowhere else you have to be?’ And suddenly JB and Stephanie look at each other, as if holding their breath. ‘Rhi too!’ I say quickly. ‘Lou is … Lou seems to have gone to meet Alain. He’s going to show her the riverside and its plants.’ I look at my text messages.

‘I didn’t know Lou was into plants,’ says Stephanie.

‘Neither did I!’ We all laugh.

‘And Rhi?’ I’m looking round for her.

‘Rhi,’ says Fabien, ‘can’t join us.’

‘Oh, that’s a shame. I’ll save her some,’ I say quickly. ‘Why?’

‘She’s stayed with Henri to keep him company,’ he says steadily, holding my gaze. ‘It seems they have a lot in common – running small businesses, kids who have left home …’

‘Oh!’ My eyebrows shoot up. Rhi and Henri: I’m slowly processing the information. ‘Right. Well, I understand if you …’ What am I saying and why am I saying it? I look at him and I’m trying to say, ‘It was the most wonderful kiss I’ve ever had!’ But maybe it was just another kiss to him. For a moment we’re tongue-tied. The words just don’t come.

‘It’s lemon and lavender chicken,’ I say, and it smells delicious, ‘followed by honey and lavender shortbread with ice cream.’