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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

We barely speak on the way to JB’s parents’ house. I have no idea exactly what I’m going to say.

As we pull up at the house, I have no idea if she will even see me, let alone talk to me, and I couldn’t be more nervous. If Stephanie won’t see me I’m not sure I could bear it. I stare at the front door. The same door she knocked on when she came to find JB, who sent her away. I stare at it and wonder if the same will happen to me, presuming, of course, that they’re here. My heart is pounding.

‘I’ll wait down the street,’ Fabien says. ‘Take as long as you need.’

I open the door and slide out from beside Ralph, who is happily reunited with Fabien’s Jack Russell, Mimi.

I walk slowly up the road, in through the front gate and through the neatly tended little garden up the crazy-paved path to the sage-coloured front door.

I stare at it. Right now, everything that matters is, hopefully, on the other side. I raise my shaking hand and knock. My new life in France hangs in the balance.

FIFTY-NINE

JB answers the door and, to my relief, invites me in and introduces me to his parents, who seem a little guarded, understandably so. I handled things so badly. I feel wretched.

We stand in awkward silence as JB goes to tell Stephanie I’m here. He runs upstairs in the small modern house, which is now filled with four adults and a toddler and seems very cramped.

My hands are sweating and I feel light-headed.

Finally I hear footsteps on the stairs and Stephanie is coming down with Tomas in her arms. My heart leaps at the sight of them, then plummets as I remember this could be our last goodbye.

JB’s parents are still looking at me from their position on the sofa, surrounded by bags of nappies and a plastic car. Through the window, I see a football in a neat flowerbed in the back garden. Everything was clearly in its place before Tomas arrived, but they’re delighted to see him now. I’d ask to have a moment alone with Stephanie, but I don’t think there’s anywhere we could go to be on our own.

‘Stephanie,’ I say. It’s a start. She accepts my kiss on both cheeks and Tomas too. He holds out his arms to hug me, as if I’m a special aunt who’s come to visit. And that is exactly how I feel, not like his mother, but a special aunt, and it’s lovely.

I clear my throat. Everyone is looking at me. Stephanie’s eyes are guarded and dark.