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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

‘Del,’ I hear faintly. ‘Del!’ It’s Stephanie’s voice. I turn back. She’s standing at the door. I walk towards her. She steps outside under the porch, pulling the door to behind her.

‘Del, wasn’t it you who said that everyone deserves a second chance? You gave me one when I stole from you. You gave me a second chance, no questions asked, no looking back. But you said there wouldn’t be a third!’ she says firmly.

‘Yes, I know. But I thought—’

‘Everyone deserves a second chance, you said.’

I nod. I did.

‘I’m giving you a second chance,’ she says, and a smile pulls at her lips, ‘but there won’t be a third!’

Did I hear her right?

‘I accept your apology,’ she says. ‘I understand why you might have thought it was me, why you asked me. The money was in my bag, after all. I should have just told you it wasn’t me. But I was too proud.’

‘I know but—’

‘No more buts. Cora was clever. She got what she wanted.’

‘I’m not going to let her win, Stephanie. She nearly did. She nearly broke us.’ And I open my arms. This time Stephanie steps into them and I hug her, like I’m welcoming her home after a family meltdown, when things are said, and people act before they think. I should have trusted my instincts and from now on I will!

‘How did you get her to confess?’ she says, pulling away.

‘CCTV! The mayor had it fitted at her insistence. He was trying it out before he announced it to the town. That’s who those people were the other day when I passed them at the riverside clearing.’

‘Ha!’ Stephanie laughs and so do I. We laugh out of sheer relief as the wind whips up and around us. When the laughter dies down, I think of Mum. ‘Least said, soonest mended’: her words are loud and clear in my head, like she’s right here with me.

‘Come home, please?’ I say.

I watch her face as she considers her answer.

SIXTY

‘Room for a few more?’ I ask Fabien, as we run back to the truck having packed up all of the little family’s belongings. JB’s elderly parents are delighted to get their home back but they, JB and Stephanie promise to visit each other and not to be strangers. They thank me for keeping an eye on the three of them and for finding JB work. Looks like bridges have been built here too. They have a grandson and an almost-daughter-in-law as well as their son now.

Fabien looks as ecstatic as I feel to have got his workmate back as he ushers the dogs into the truck, while Stephanie and Tomas tuck in beside them. Tomas is delighted to be reunited with Ralph, who pants happily that his friend is back.