Chapter 34
ONCE AGAIN , GEORGES ALARIE was sitting in his office chair, preparing for the day. Outside, the birds were singing in the morning sunshine, Narnesse locals were strolling back and forth across the square clutching paper bags filled with croissants, and Madame Desmoges was sitting on the bench outside the glacerie , writing that day’s specials on the blackboard.
Once again, Georges was holding an espresso cup between his thumb and his forefinger, about to take that first, deliciously bitter sip.
And once again, the door burst open, his hands flew upwards in shock and coffee covered his shirt.
‘Georges!’ Maggie raised a hand to her mouth. ‘I did it again, I’m so sorry.’
‘ Non , non , eet ees …’ Georges rubbed at his shirt with his handkerchief. ‘ Pas de problème , Maggie. Bonjour , ?a va ?’
‘Yes, all fine, but I, er …’ Maggie gazed at his shirt while he continued to dab it. But she wanted to get this part over as soon as possible. ‘I came to say there’s an offer. I mean, I’ve accepted an offer, for the hotel.’
Mungo had left in a taxi for Nice airport the previous afternoon and Maggie had spent an hour in the kitchen afterwards, pitting apricots, debating the best way forward. I’m sorry for the way the weekend ended, she eventually texted him, but I really am grateful for the offer and would like to accept. I’ll go and see Georges on Monday. Speak after that? X
Mungo’s one word answer had come back later that night: Fine .
She hadn’t replied; if he wanted to sulk, he could sulk. For once, she wasn’t going to pander to him.
Georges looked up. ‘ Vraiment ? Who ees buying eet?’
‘A contact of my husband’s. A hotelier from the UK. He has a chain called Boho House? And he’s offered way over asking price on the condition that we don’t show it to anyone else, and also that we’re out of there in two weeks.’
‘Two weeks?’ Georges’s hand stopped dabbing his shirt.
She nodded. ‘Is that feasible? Can we get the paperwork done?’
‘Pfffffft, with the right amount of money anything can be done.’ He leant forward and tapped at his computer. ‘I ’ave been preparing the documents already, so we are in good shape but I will need the details from your ’usband.’
Maggie had woken in the night wondering why her chest felt leaden before she remembered: her time at Le Figuier was finite. She had to accept the offer; she had to be out of there in two weeks. Questions had whirled through her head as she’d rolled from side to side in the dark. Was this what Phil would have wanted? Was there any alternative? Would Bob Lacey really look after the place?
‘Georges, first, can I just ask,’ she began, lowering herself to the sofa opposite his desk, ‘in England, we have this status for old buildings. Listed status, which means they can’t be pulled down because they’re protected. Do you have that here?’
Using a thumb and a forefinger, Georges pinched his damp shirt and peeled it away from his chest. ‘Protected status? Oui , Monuments Historique , they are called.’
‘And does it apply t—’
‘To Le Figuier? Oui , eet’s covered by that.’
‘So it can’t be pulled down?’
‘ Non , Maggie. Do not worry. The ’otel ees classée , or listed, like you say, so any building plans would need a permit and would be monitored. He wants to change it, this hotel man?’
‘I don’t know. I get that the place needs work but …’
‘You don’t want the ’otel to be ruined?’
Maggie exhaled with relief, grateful that he understood. ‘Yes, exactly. I couldn’t sell it to someone who was going to change it. But if it’s safe then …’ She paused again before continuing, ‘It’s a good offer, so I guess we just need to get going?’
‘ Bon , in that case, this is good news!’ Georges lifted his hands in the air and smiled, before cocking his head. ‘But you look sad, Maggie.’
‘Oh,’ she replied, taken aback by his abruptness. ‘Yeah, I am a bit. It is sad but it’s the right thing to do, so …’ She trailed off, unwilling to go on because she thought she might cry if she picked at her feelings too much. The next two weeks were going to be an emotional assault course, but at least they’d go quickly in a blur of boxes and packing tape until the time she had to leave the chateau for the final time.
‘You are not letting her down.’
She frowned.
‘Your aunt. You are not letting her down. I saw ’er, in the last months, and she felt bad, leaving all this to you to organize. And she would be proud now that you ’ave found someone to take it on.’
‘Do you think?’
‘I know .’
She smiled again. ‘OK, thank you. Oh, and we’re having a party, Georges, to say goodbye. At the hotel next Saturday. If you’re free? Jamie, my friend, he’s organized it, and I’ve asked various people from Narnesse. Gabriel and Simone, and Madame Desmoges, and so on. I thought, since Phil didn’t have much of a send-off, we should throw her one last party.’
‘It would be my ’onour.’
‘Good.’
‘And what are you going to do, Maggie?’
‘I’m going to make the food and we’re going to sprinkle Phil’s ashes over the garden.’
‘ Non . After this. When the ’otel is sold. What do you do then?’
‘I go back to London,’ she said, trying to ignore the leaden feeling. She wasn’t sure what her life would look like there, either, but she was going to have to operate a one-problem-at-a-time policy. ‘I’ll come back and visit though. Next summer, maybe? I’ll come and see how it is.’ She was fibbing. Once she’d left here she wasn’t sure she’d be able to return.
‘You will always ’ave a home here. You are welcome to come and stay with us any time you like.’
‘Oh, well, thank you. I don’t know if … well, let’s see.’
Georges smiled again. ‘And now if you can give me details of your ’usband I will, ’ow do you say, get the balloon rolling.’
‘Ball.’
‘Ah, ball. My mistake.’
‘And it’s via another agent, someone my husband knows who represents Mr Lacey, but I’ll give you her details and he can put you in touch.’
‘ Pas de problème , I will get on to it.’
‘Thanks, and also …’ Maggie grimaced, ‘I’m sorry about your shirt.’
‘Pfffft. Please do not make it another thought. I will ring you later when I ’ave spoken to the other side.’
Maggie left his office telling herself she’d just done the right thing, before she started walking towards the hotel while pondering the most troubling question of all: how to break the news to Audrey?