BooksBarbecue
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

‘I’ll see you next week at the market. And you, Tomas,’ I say, touching his little hand once more, for the first time in ages not feeling that anyone is judging or pitying me. I turn with Ralph and push back the curtain. An argument is taking place on the floor above. A woman is berating someone loudly. A man is arguing back. Now, two men are arguing with the woman. I shudder. What a place! I can’t wait to get back to Le Petit Mas. I hurry towards the door, holding Ralph tightly. As I reach it, the two men are tumbling towards the landing at the top of the stone stairs, obviously exchanging blows. Ralph barks loudly, lurching towards them. This is not Ralph who wants to play but Ralph on the defensive, a Ralph I haven’t seen before. The two men are still in dispute at the top of the stairs but turn to stare at me. I hold on to Ralph’s lead even tighter, taking hold of his collar too. He growls and I’ve never heard him like this before, clearly unhappy. The two men are glaring at me and I swallow hard. I reach for the front door, open it, pull Ralph outside and slam it shut behind me.

Then I stand against the wall to the side of it, finally letting myself breathe again. The sooner I get out of here the better. On the waste ground in front of me a group of young boys are playing football. That will be Tomas in a few years. A couple of bigger lads walk through the middle of them, sending them on their way, and sit on a graffitied wall. If I’m not mistaken they’re doing business, exchanging a small package for euro notes. The two older boys shake hands and go in opposite directions.

The front door to the flats opens and one of the men involved in the scuffle emerges. Ralph barks at him loudly. He swears at me, wiping his hand across his mouth, and storms off, shouting at the teenager on the wall as he goes.

I take my opportunity to get out of here, and hopefully not come back. Just like every town, life isn’t all roses around the front door, but I’d quite like to get back to the lavender by mine. My house, I think, where I intend to stay. Something about it makes me feel that life is going to be okay. I’m happy there. That house has given me a second chance at life and I’m grateful.