Chapters (79)
- COVER
- About the Author
- Also by Jo Thomas
- DEDICATION
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- RECIPES
- Lavender shortbread
- Apricot jam sponge cake
- Lavender lamb
- READ MORE
- Prologue
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
‘Would you like some chocolat chaud, Tomas?’ I ask. Usually Stephanie has started to get out the ingredients for the next recipe in the book and decide what she needs to buy when she walks into town to deliver that day’s desserts. Today the work surface is empty and she hasn’t turned on the oven to warm up.
‘Stephanie,’ I call again, looking outside towards the caravan. There’s the toot-toot of the bakery van, and Tomas jumps down from his chair, clutching Monsieur Lapin, which he never goes anywhere without, and the two of us run down the drive to buy bread and croissants for everyone’s breakfast. I hand over a box of biscuits to Simone, the baker, and receive our baguettes, croissants and Tomas’s pain au chocolat. He insists on carrying the baguettes, which are far too long for him and almost topple out of his arms. It makes me smile, until I remember Stephanie’s tears when she walked away from JB’s home. Today we will throw ourselves into our work and hope that it helps to mend her broken heart.
We walk into the house as Rhi and Lou are coming downstairs.
‘Coffee? Tea? Breakfast?’ I ask. ‘Stephanie!’
‘Maman!’ Tomas shouts, carrying his bread with pride into the kitchen.
It’s only then I see a note on the table.
TWENTY-EIGHT
I snatch it up and read it, the blood draining from my face. Suddenly I’m freezing cold despite the sun warming the day outside. My phone rings. I spin to left and right, looking for where I’ve left it. Rhi and Lou join in. Rhi sees it in the fruit bowl and hands it to Lou, who tries to pass it to me but it slips through my hands on to the floor with a clatter, making Tomas jump. He drops the baguettes and bursts into tears as Ralph snatches one and runs off with it.
‘Allô! Stephanie!’ I shout, into the phone. I scoop Tomas on to my hip and sway gently to soothe him.
‘Del? It’s me!’
My heart plummets.
‘Ollie,’ I say flatly, disappointed. ‘Look, I’m really sorry but I can’t talk right now.’
‘Del, I really need a conversation with you.’
‘Ollie, there’s something I really need to do.’
‘Del, after ten years of marriage, it’s the least you can do. Just hear me out!’
I take a deep breath. Tomas has settled and Rhi has handed him a pain au chocolat, which he is eating, scattering crumbs over my right shoulder. I try to put him on a chair, but he starts to cry again so I stand up and hold him.
‘What’s that noise?’ asks Ollie.
‘Oh, nothing, just a chair, squeaking.’ I look at Rhi and Lou.
‘So, Rhi and Lou are there. I asked them … I wanted to be sure, Del. Is this what you really want?’