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

Inside is the leather-bound recipe book with the aged pages. Recipes with lavender.

‘Fabien!’ I exclaim.

‘It is a gift. A moving-in gift!’ He laughs. ‘I can see you are going to be a very good customer in the future.’

I’m touched by the present, but he’s right. He knows a good customer when he sees one. I’m going to need much more now that I’m staying. It’s good business sense and tears are in my eyes: tears of relief, of trepidation about how I’m going to make a living, of joy that one part of my life is over and a new one is beginning.

‘Merci beaucoup, Fabien. Très gentil,’ I say. I open the book and a little bunch of dried lavender falls out. Fabien picks it up, sniffs it and hands it to me. I take it, my fingers brushing his. Something like an electric shock passes through me.

‘I hope we will be friends.’ He smiles, his green eyes alight. My stomach flutters and his charm makes me shy again.

‘I hope so too,’ I say, and gaze down at the book in my hand, running my fingers over it.

And Ralph barks. I think he’s as happy to be at home as I am.

‘Yes, and you,’ Fabien tells Ralph.

‘Thank you for bringing the furniture, Fabien. Would you like something to drink?’

‘Non, merci. I have to return to the shop.’ He gets into the cab where his Jack Russell is waiting patiently. ‘Bienvenue!’ But his earlier words echo in my head: here to invade us. I’m determined to show him I’m here to be a part of local life, not on the outside looking in.

‘I hope you will be very happy.’ He raises a hand, and I watch the truck drive away.

I have a feeling that, when the pain stops, I’m going to be just that, I think as I hold the book and the dressing-gown. I look out over the view, trying to imagine it covered with lavender. A happy, healing place indeed. I breathe in the lavender scent and smile.

SEVEN

The following morning I’m up early. After cleaning the house from top to bottom last night, getting rid of the layer of dust the mistral left, I’d made up my bed, just as I do now, with the floral eiderdown I bought from Fabien. I place the dried lavender on the pillow: last night, it gave me the gentlest of dreams. The birds are singing. The cockerel in the distance and the donkey, a little closer, are heralding another new day.