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

‘Er, Stephanie, can you keep an eye on things for a moment? I just need to … Fabien and I, we’re just taking a walk up the riverbank,’ I finish pathetically. Come on, Del. You have to be stronger than this, I tell myself. You’ve been married, you’ve had your time to set up home with someone and dream of a future together and what it might bring. You can’t take that away from Fabien. He has to meet someone he can have dreams with too. I’m me. Just me. This is it. I’m not dreaming of the future any more, just living each day as it comes and, as it happens, loving it. But I can’t be the person he deserves to be with, the person to have dreams of a family with, of being a father, a grandfather, even. I have to tell him. I whip the tea towel out of the apron, tied around my waist, and wipe my hands nervously.

I tilt my head towards the path, away from the group gathered around the firepit and the new sofa there, even though the blue one has dried out now. Most people are drifting away, dogs leaving with their owners, and there’s just a few left. Alain is talking to them, but has no intention of staying. He has a hayloft waiting for him and an evening stroll with Lou.

We walk a little way up the riverbank, listening to the cicadas and the frogs. I gather my thoughts, and feel I have them lined up enough to say what I need to say, no matter how hard it will be. I must make sure I explain it properly. It’s not that I haven’t fallen in love with him. I have. But I have to let him go. He will meet someone else, closer to his own age. He can’t waste time being with me while there’s a chance he could still have everything he wants in life.

I can hear the laughter of the few people sitting round the firepit, the shutters going down on the kitchen in the hut, and Tomas starting to cry as it nears his bedtime, Stephanie attempting to soothe him. I hear JB too, helping her, but neither seems able to placate him. We should start making our way back to Le Petit Mas. It’s been a long day for all of us. But at least Henri will be home tomorrow and there’s been healthy takings at the bistro to show him that while he’s been away we’ve kept things going and will continue to do so as he gets back on his feet.

Fabien stops suddenly, takes me by the arms and turns me towards him. ‘Del? What’s the matter? Why are you upset?’