Patricia died peacefully in her sleep, just one month after Stefan died of cancer. In the final moments before her eyes closed for the last time, a smile flickered around her mouth. The two men whose lives she’d felt privileged to be a part of were waiting for her. The next chapter was about to begin.

Bastien

No one knew Bastien’s story until after he died, unexpectedly, from a heart attack, twelve years later. Always the gentleman, kind-hearted, he was the proverbial gentle giant. Arms like steel, he was never happier than when the forge was fired up and the almost unbearable heat reddened his skin.

Among his personal effects were some letters and Pierce made contact with someone he assumed was a relative. A woman named Ana.

Ana turned out to be Bastien’s estranged wife of many years. Their only son had drowned in a pond in the back garden of their home when he was three years old. Unable to cope with his loss, Bastien disappeared one day and it was years before he contacted Ana again.

She wanted to see where he’d been living and made the trip from Vittel, in the north-east of France, accompanied by her sister. When she stood in Bastien’s room, her eyes swept around and immediately alighted on the black, wooden crucifix hung on the wall. Her religion had saved her sanity, but as a devout Catholic she had feared for Bastien’s soul when his faith lapsed. She stood and cried, as she lifted it down and hugged it to her body. The relief was immense and she thanked God for looking after the man she had never stopped loving.

Margot

When Sadie took over from Ceana, the first initiative she implemented was the visitor’s wish list. A little form they completed after dinner on day one. It encouraged guests to focus on what they wanted to achieve during their time at The Haven. She tied this in with Pierce’s end-of-course wrap-up, on the final day. The word cloud, as it came to be known rather affectionately, was a huge success, but Sadie’s idea was clever, too. As everyone ticked off the items on their wish lists, they were encouraged to give feedback and make suggestions.

It turns out that Margot’s occasional cookery demonstrations were becoming increasingly popular. When she was asked if she was willing to become a tutor, running three sessions a week in the evenings, she was delighted.