Chapter 40
40
‘You didn’t tell me that Sasha came to see you about a box she found in the attic at your old cottage,’ Alice said, looking at Eliza.
‘I didn’t see the necessity of mentioning it. I told Sasha to either throw it away or put it back in the attic. I hope she did one of those things,’ Eliza said.
‘Sasha was worried about throwing it away unopened and asked Peter and Ingrid what they thought she should do, as it wasn’t truly her property to dispose of and she didn’t feel happy with the responsibility.’
‘If she doesn’t want to throw it away, she can simply put it back in the attic.’
‘Do you have any idea what’s in the box?’ Alice asked.
‘No. And I honestly don’t want to know or to see what it contains all these years later. I’m too old for it to make any difference to me now.’
Alice gave her grand-maman an exasperated look. ‘Anyway, when Sasha mentioned your unopened box to them, they agreed with her and so do I – the contents should be looked at before it’s thrown away. Just in case there is anything important in it. So she’s asked them and me to be with her when she opens the box. They would like you to be there too.’
‘Why would they want that?’
‘Because it’s your box. And as it’s come from a notaire , there could possibly be legal papers inside?’
Eliza shook her head. ‘I doubt that there will be anything like that in it. The notaires would have contacted me when I didn’t reply if it was anything of significance. And they never did.’
Alice shrugged. ‘We have been invited to a champagne afternoon tea at the chateau in two days’ time, as a thank you for all your help with the curtains and serviettes for the orangery; and afterwards, the plan is to open the box and then you can decide to throw or not to throw the contents away.’
‘Thought I’d already decided that,’ Eliza muttered. ‘All this fuss over a box that I simply wanted thrown away. Well, you can go, and tell me about it afterwards. The date they’ve suggested isn’t convenient. I already have a rendez-vous in the village.’ The look she gave Alice dared her to question that statement, even if she realised it was not true.
Late the next afternoon, Alice was in the kitchen with Peter going through the fete plans for Bastille Day when Penny walked into the kitchen. ‘How’s it all going?’ she asked.
‘Coming together well, thanks to Alice, who is an organizer par excellence,’ Peter said. ‘She’s a stickler for detail and making sure everything is covered.’
‘I’ve enjoyed it,’ Alice said. ‘Although it’s made me realise how much I miss organising events and that I’m going to have to start looking for another job soon. I can’t be a lady of leisure forever.’
‘Have you ever thought of going freelance?’ Penny asked.
‘Fleetingly. I could start small with just my laptop, but I’d really need a business address to look professional for the upmarket events and I don’t have the funds.’ Alice stood up. ‘Right, I think we’re finished here for now, so I’ll be off. See you soon.’
Penny followed Alice out. ‘I’m off to La Maison du Jardinier for another look around. Are you in a rush? Or would you like to see it too? Maybe even give me some ideas.’
‘Love too,’ Alice said, and the two of them strolled through the grounds towards the house. She glanced at Penny. ‘Lucas told me what happened when Rory turned up. Are you okay?’
Penny nodded. ‘Yes, thanks.’ She hesitated. ‘Your brother is something else. Did he tell you how he stood up to Rory?’
Alice nodded. ‘Your knight in shining armour, I gather?’
Penny laughed. ‘That’s one way of putting it. I feel guilty about his car though.’
Alice waved the comment away. ‘Superficial damage, nothing major.’
Just then Sasha, walking Mimi and Mitzi down to the stables, waved to them from the footpath.
‘Come and join us and have a look around my new home,’ Penny called.
‘I’d love to but better not,’ Sasha said. ‘I know the house is empty, but I wouldn’t want the pups to be naughty in there. Another time maybe?’
‘Definitely,’ Penny answered.
‘Wow,’ Alice said as they walked into the large kitchen a few moments later. ‘This is a wonderful space. You’ll cook up a storm in here.’
‘Come upstairs, I want to show you something.’
‘How many bedrooms has the house got?’ Alice asked.
‘Four, but I think one could be used as an office.’ Penny glanced at her friend as she opened the door of one of the rooms. ‘If I start doing outside catering as well as opening a small cookery school, I’m going to need an assistant for the admin and the marketing, as well as organising some events in the chateau. To start with I can only afford a part-time assistant – or a freelance one who uses this as her office for her own business as well. Would you be interested?’
There was a short silence as Alice looked at her. ‘Are you serious?’
‘I wouldn’t have mentioned it otherwise. Of course, there’s the small question of renovating the place, but Lucas is keen to help with that.’ Penny gave Alice a mischievous grin. ‘If we start with the kitchen and this room, we can both be up and running at the same time.’
‘I’ll need to pay rent,’ Alice said. ‘And we’ll have to draw up a proper agreement for both our sakes.’
‘We can sort all the paperwork no problem, if you think it’s a good idea?’
Alice nodded. ‘I think it’s a great idea. Thank you.’
After Alice had left, Penny walked back to the chateau and found Ingrid and Peter in the sitting room about to have aperitifs before supper. Penny accepted the gin and tonic her father poured for her and raised her glass as they all said ‘ Santé ’.
‘I know you’re on tenterhooks about me staying or not staying so…’ She took a deep breath. ‘I’d love to stay here with you and accept your generous offer of both La Maison du Jardinier and taking over the catering for the chateau.’
Ingrid tried to wipe her happy tears away unseen as Peter said, ‘Good. We hoped you would.’
‘There is one other thing. Alice is going to start a freelance events business, working from one of the rooms in La Maison du Jardinier . She is also going to do my admin and organise events here at the chateau. I think we all agree that is good news.’ And Penny raised her glass in a toast. ‘To Alice.’