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

‘Well, I may have only just moved here, and I want to be part of things, but where I come from …’ I stop and think to myself. ‘Where I come from we do not go out with our friends’ partners for lunch to “understand each other”. ’That was where it went wrong for Ollie. ‘I’m really grateful to you and Carine for everything. But I can’t meet you for lunch. Perhaps we can meet with Carine, soon.’

He nods slowly, as if not quite understanding. I thank him again. He wishes me luck as he turns to go and open the brocante, hands shoved into jeans pockets. He is in a relationship with a friend. It was the right thing to do. And then, as I watch him go, I wonder why I feel so disappointed that I had to say no. Just for a moment I wonder what it would have been like if Ollie had stayed, if we’d tried to be part of the community instead of just hanging out with the expats. Life might have been very different. I feel lonely again. Just like I did when I told Ollie I wasn’t going back with him. I take a deep, restorative breath. Right now, I need to be me, on my own.

I start to lay out my tuiles and shortbread with shaking hands. I’m not sure if it’s nerves about showing the world my cookery or that Fabien has put his cards on the table and so have I. I lay out some macarons too, hiding the wonky ones under the better ones. I drop sprigs of lavender across them, and sprinkle over some of the flowers. Then I put a bunch in a jar on the table. Other stallholders and some shopkeepers are in the main square opening up, or pass me on the way to the car park and wish me a good morning, eyeing me and my products with interest. Will anyone buy anything? Or will they just walk past?

Henri comes out with a coffee for me, and a mini croissant. ‘A welcome gift,’ he says, refusing any money.

‘Merci, Henri.’ I smile gratefully.

I sip my coffee as the market in the main square begins to fill with people. Even Ralph settles down to watch them passing without expecting to greet everyone.

‘You need to let them try your goods,’ Henri tells me. ‘They need to know the story of the food and where it came from, from the hills around here.’ He squeezes my shoulder and returns to the bistro. ‘Tell them your story,’ he calls back to me, ‘why you fell in love with the place. Why this food matters.’