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

‘And to say thank you for driving my furniture to the house.’ I put the situation on a firm business footing and feel much better.

‘Fabien is very kind,’ she says, and takes a bite of the biscuit. ‘Hmm, these are good,’ she says. ‘Just the right balance of lavender.’ She confirms what Fabien said.

‘You should have a stall at the market. Sell lavender bakes, biscuits, macarons. They even make nougat with lavender.’ Fabien tops up our glasses. ‘Use recipes from the book!’

‘Yes!’ Carine exclaims. ‘That’s a brilliant idea! Biscuits and sweet treats from Le Petit Mas de la Lavande!’

My heart is pounding with excitement. ‘Really? Do you think I could?’

‘Of course!’ they say.

‘Do you have any experience?’ Carine asks.

‘Well, I used to work in a shop. A big shop.’ My confidence is about to leave me. I may know about shops, but a market stall, selling bakes I’ve made? ‘I’m not sure …’ I’m worried that my French isn’t good enough – or my baking for that matter.

Carine claps her hands gleefully. ‘I will speak to Monsieur le maire for you. His office will deal with everything. I will tell him you are a friend of mine! It won’t be a problem. I will organize a stall for you for next Monday,’ she says. ‘It is sorted!’

Fabien looks at Carine with a raised eyebrow. I’m not sure what his expression means.

‘But … why would you do that for me?’ She barely knows me.

She seems to understand. ‘I like you. I like your …’ she searches for the word ‘… your bravery. You are making a life for yourself. Everyone needs a helping hand. I think you will take it,’ she says. ‘Not everyone wants to come here and make a life. They want a life without change.’ I wonder if she’s referring to the people she showed around Le Petit Mas. ‘I see it all the time. And when it’s not how they want it, they leave. You want to stay,’ she blows smoke into the air, ‘and I’m happy to help.’

‘And I will find you a stall,’ says Fabien.

Carine and Fabien are looking at me. I’m not sure if it’s the wine, or the sunshine, or just that I have no other ideas as to how I’m going to make a living. Or maybe I feel I still have something to prove to Fabien that makes me say, ‘In that case, I’d love to! If you think I can.’