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

‘It’s … it’s not right, is it?’ I stammer. ‘It’s not suitable for Tomas. I’m sorry. Like I say, I don’t have children. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to do something. That place was so horrid. I’m sorry,’ I gabble. ‘I’ll help you back with your stuff,’ I say, and look up at her.

Her face breaks into a huge smile. ‘It’s perfect! Thank you! Tomas seems to love it! It will be an adventure! He’s safe here. We will sleep well.’ She gazes at the pine trees and breathes in deeply.

‘Right!’ I say. ‘Let’s clear this rubbish out, get it aired and the bed made. Tomorrow we’ll start fixing it up.’

‘And I can really stay here?’

‘For as long as you want,’ I confirm. ‘Or move into the house when I get some more furniture.’ And we laugh.

‘I have always dreamed of my own little place for me and Tomas. My own front door. This is perfect. Thank you,’ she says, with what I think might be a sparkle of tears in her eyes.

‘You’re welcome,’ I say.

And that evening as the big sky turns from baby pink to red, we clear it out, clean it and make up the bunk bed with the remainder of the bedding I had. Then we eat omelettes cooked outside, over a fire in an old bin lid, and sit by it until the sky is dark and the stars are shining.

Tomas is curled up asleep in one corner of the bed as I wish Stephanie a good night. ‘Up early tomorrow. We have desserts to make!’ I say, and call Ralph to my side, reluctant to leave his new playmate. I walk back to the house, feeling content. I glance up at the big sky over the empty valley and wonder if Mum is looking down on me. Whether she is or she isn’t, I can feel her with me, telling me I did just fine today.

‘Thank you, Mum, for everything. For giving me the strength to do this.’ I think of Stephanie and Tomas tucked up in bed, safe and sound. I did some good today. I open the front door and wind my way to bed with Ralph by my side. And as I walk up the stairs I remember Fabien’s words: ‘Enough to be content.’

Fabien! Why do my thoughts always come back to him? Carine has been so kind to me and I hope we will be good friends. So I must stop thinking about Fabien. I can’t let thoughts about him get in the way of my friendship with Carine.

EIGHTEEN