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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

‘So, you can stay here and I can work the restaurant this evening, if you like,’ I suggest to Nonno, who’s watching me with a smile.

‘It’s a lovely idea, but I need to be in the kitchen to serve my customers.’

‘Nonno, I can do that. I’ve been helping you in the kitchen and watching you cook pizza for as long as I can remember. Why not let me take over today? You could play bocce with your friends.’ I take another glorious bite of pastry. The crumbs tumble over my front, my plate and the table.

‘It’s a kind offer. If you’d like to help me, and you’re sure there’s nothing you’d rather be doing, I’d like that very much.’

‘Of course I’d like to help. What else would I be doing?’ I smile. ‘If you’re certain you don’t want me to open up for you.’

He shakes his head.

Nonna heads back to the kitchen.

‘I wish I’d been here when you were in hospital,’ I say, looking back at how busy the last few weeks have been at work.

‘It’s fine. I closed for a while.’ He shrugs.

Nonno never closes, and I know it must have hurt him to do so. ‘I just wish I could have run the place for you then.’

‘But you’re here now, and that’s what counts.’ He pats my arm.

The scent of tomato sauce drifts to me from the kitchen, and I know Nonna has been up early, too early, cooking for our family meal later.

‘And your brother. He’s well? I spoke to him this week,’ says Nonno, not catching my eye.

‘He’s fine. We barely see each other, to be honest. You know how busy things are. He has his business and the family now.’ I really must make an effort to see them, I think, when I get back. When I have the new apartment, I’ll invite them over. They can be the first people I cook for.

Nonno nods thoughtfully as if he’s miles away. ‘He’ll be out here with the family soon, I’m sure,’ he says. ‘It would be nice for us all to be here together.’

‘I’d like that.’ I hope with my promotion I’ll be able to plan my work a little more easily and not be picking up Anthony’s as well, maybe work from home some days … ‘Perhaps I should come out for longer next time. Work from here. People do. Remote working.’ Maybe, with the promotion, I could do that. With my laptop and my phone it might be possible. I feel excited all over again at the prospect of being promoted and how it could change my life.