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

‘Yes, for my business. Lavender bakes from the heart of Provence.’ I look at Stephanie proudly, throw my arm around her shoulders and pull her to me.

Lou and Rhi are still confused.

‘You sound as if you’re staying here,’ Lou says, and Rhi laughs. ‘Ollie told me to help you pack up and get you home. He said you were … unwell.’

‘I’ve never felt better.’ I look out over the lavender fields. ‘And I’m not going anywhere. This is my home. Mine, Stephanie’s and Tomas’s.’ And I pour myself a glass of wine and a small one for Stephanie, who has to look after Tomas and says she doesn’t want much. ‘To Le Petit Mas de la Lavande.’ I raise my glass.

Lou and Rhi raise theirs too, clearly wondering if I’m insane or the happiest they’ve ever seen me.

‘So, you’re running this as a hotel?’ Lou asks.

‘A chambre d’hôte,’ I tell them, offering them the biscuits Tomas has left. ‘A B-and-B. Well, that’s the plan. When we’ve done the work.’

‘Great! So you’re okay for us to stay, then?’ says Rhi.

‘Of course!’ I reply. ‘Plenty of room. And you can help with the painting while you’re here. Just out of interest, how long are you here for?’

‘A few days, a week maybe,’ says Lou.

‘Just as long as you need us!’ Rhi says.

‘Rhi, you left the salon!’

‘Ah, but I have this,’ she says, fishes out her iPad and opens it. ‘I’ve had CCTV fitted all over the salon and I can watch everything that’s going on from here.’ She beams, looking at the screen.

‘Oo, internet’s not great!’ and she peers at the screen.

‘I’ve managed to reschedule my nail appointment for next week, although, they may need doing while I’m out here,’ says Lou, flourishing her perfectly manicured talons.

‘So, we’re all sorted.’ Rhi claps her hands together.

‘There’s only one problem,’ I say. ‘We just have to find you something to sleep on.’ And there’s only one place to go for that. I swallow hard.

TWENTY-THREE

We walk along the river path into town, past the clearing where the homeless people greet me as I pass, and one praises my ‘macarons délicieux’. Again Lou and Rhi are bemused. And I have no idea how he knows about the macarons: I’ve only left biscuits here, and only once.