Chapter 26
26
The morning of the vide-grenier , Sasha and Freddie took the pups for an early walk on their leads. Freddie was giving them their ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ commands and they were so good. They certainly responded to their names, but Sasha didn’t feel they were ready yet to be let off their leads in the chateau grounds.
Once back at the cottages, Freddie fed the pups a small breakfast whilst Sasha made the coffee. Freddie was going to paint the orangery wall that afternoon.
‘I’m looking forward to starting in there asap,’ Sasha said. ‘I’ve done rough sketches for each of the three trompe l’?ils . I just hope the Chevaliers like it when it’s finished. It will be too late to change it before the wedding anyway.’
‘Honestly, sis, you know they are going to love what you do. You’ve never given your art much of a chance before. Now you’ve got the opportunity to do a Banksy and show everyone how good you are.’
‘Hope so,’ Sasha said. ‘Have to admit I’m excited. I’ll get on designing the menus Penny wants while you’re painting the wall this afternoon.’
‘Come on, let’s get to the vide-grenier before all the good stuff is sold,’ Freddie said. After shutting the pups in the kitchen, Sasha and Freddie left for the village. It was easier to walk there than to take the van and have difficulty parking with so many more people around.
It was barely nine o’clock, but already the village was teeming with stalls and crowds. ‘I don’t know where to begin,’ Sasha said. ‘I didn’t expect there to be so many stands. Oh, they’re down the side streets as well.’
Freddie found a stall selling second-hand gardening equipment and other tools, so Sasha left him to it and strolled slowly along the main street. Getting her studio up and running was still high on her to-do list, but downgraded from number one to two after the orangery.
There were lots of tables full of stuff she wasn’t remotely interested in, and she was beginning to feel a little despondent. Most seemed to be full of either baby clothes or toddler’s toys, DVDs, kitchen equipment from the dark ages and lots of mocha coffee pots. About to turn and walk up the other side of the road, she saw something that she was definitely interested in. A rusty, round, white wrought-iron table and four chairs that once rubbed down and repainted, would be perfect for the cottage terrace.
Sasha saw the stallholder looking at her and pointing to the table. ‘ Cinquante euros pour tout ,’ he said, including the chairs in a gesture.
‘Tell him forty euros,’ Lucas whispered in her ear, suddenly appearing at her side.
‘ Cinquante is fifty, isn’t it?’ Sasha said, turning to look at him. ‘I think fifty is a fair price.’
Lucas nodded. ‘But forty-five would be better. You have to play the game and bargain,’ Lucas said, turning to the man. ‘ Quarante euros .’
‘ Quarante-cinq ,’ was the man’s immediate response.
‘ D’accord ,’ Lucas said, and held out his hand to shake on the price.
Sasha watched, bemused at what had just happened.
‘Now you have five euros for the sandpaper and paint,’ Lucas said.
‘True,’ Sasha said as she handed the money over. ‘Can you tell him I’ll collect them later this afternoon please?’
Lucas wandered with her up the other side of the main street, where she found a small cupboard that would be perfect for lots of her craft things. Afterwards, she headed down a small side street on her own that was mainly full of people selling clothes, ornaments and crockery. And birdcages. Three rusty round hanging ones that would be perfect in the orangery, sprayed gold and hung with some greenery draped around and LED candles inside, or even a model bird. As she was standing there debating how many to buy, the woman selling came over. Sasha pointed at one and said, ‘ S’il vous pla?t – combien ?’
‘Twenty euros.’
‘Fifty for the three?’
‘Okay. You have a bag? Non? I’ll put them in a box.’
Wandering through the crowds clutching an awkward box and trying to look on various stands as she walked by was not easy, and Sasha was pleased when she bumped into Lucas again. Especially when he instantly took the box from her.
‘Shall I take this into Eliza’s cottage for you to collect after? It’s over there,’ and he pointed to a terraced cottage on the other side of the road.
‘Brilliant. Thank you.’
‘Alice and Penny are down there,’ he said, pointing to another side street with yet more brocante for sale.
Sasha wandered on down through the village dodging the crowds, and met up with Alice and Penny by a table full of crockery. Penny was trying to contain her excitement. ‘Oh, I wish Mum had been up to coming. She’d have loved all this vintage stuff.’
Alice pointed out some white porcelain plates with a gold rim at the back of the stand. ‘Have you seen those?’
Sensing their interest, the female stallholder handed Penny one of the plates. ‘I have trente-six plates of the dinner size, and the same of smaller size. From a Quimper restaurant,’ she shrugged her shoulders. ‘It closes.’
Penny pointed at a box of beautiful art deco plates of various sizes. ‘I am also interested in that box. How much for the two lots all together?’
The woman named a price that Penny knew was a bargain but hesitated before agreeing. It was still a lot. ‘No chips or cracks in any of it?’
‘ Non . Good condition.’
Penny smiled at her. ‘Okay. I’ll take the two lots please.’
While Penny and Alice waited for the crockery to be boxed up securely, Sasha wandered off to look at a table on the opposite side. Rolls of material, curtains of all sizes, remnants of material in a jumble in a box, and tablecloths. A pile of curtains caught her eye. Cream with a green toile de Jouy design. Opening one out, she saw that it was very faded in patches. The vendor opened another one out and held it up, just managing to keep it from dragging on the ground, to show the length. Again, it was faded in patches. Sasha counted the number of curtains there were – five.
Alice appeared at her side at that moment. ‘Penny and Lucas have taken the crockery to Eliza’s. Safer than carrying it around. It was a bit heavy too. What’s with the curtains?’
‘It’s not just these curtains. There’s a roll of lightweight muslin over there, perfect for the orangery,’ Sasha said. ‘But there’s enough material in these curtains with some careful cutting out of the faded parts to make dozens of really lovely idiosyncratic serviettes – the design is a traditional countryside one with horses and chateaux. And the material is really good quality. I’m not sure I have the time to do them though.’
‘Grand-maman has. And she has a sewing machine,’ Alice said. ‘I remember her making lots of things in the past. She’s a bit down at the moment, missing Grand-papa. Making curtains and serviettes for the orangery would be a perfect occupation.’
Penny and Lucas joined them as Sasha was attempting to get a grip on the roll of muslin while Alice took the curtains. ‘Look like I am your personal errand boy today,’ Lucas said. ‘I take those over to Eliza as well, yes?’
‘You really are a star, thank you,’ Penny said. ‘Can you manage the curtains or shall I bring them?’
‘Good idea.’
Penny took the curtains from Alice with a smile and followed Lucas.
‘I think my little brother likes Penny,’ Alice said, smiling as she watched the two of them joking together. ‘Do you think she likes him? Or is it too soon after her break-up with Rory?’
‘I know she finds him attractive,’ Sasha said. ‘But I think probably it is a bit soon, although she seems happy and relaxed in his company.’
The four of them were joined by Freddie and Jean-Paul as they abandoned their hunt for bargains and headed for the catering van selling coffee, crêpes and galettes.
‘I can’t believe it’s only eleven o’clock and we’ve found so much stuff. It’s been brilliant,’ Sasha said, looking at her watch. ‘Not quite sure how we are going to get everything back to the cottage, though. Some of the furniture won’t go in the van, that’s for sure. Does anybody know somebody who can deliver?’
Lucas pointed at Jean-Paul. ‘He already offer. Late this afternoon when it quiet down, he come back with a tractor and trailer and pick up everything. Just have to tell him which stalls. I come with him too.’
Sasha gave Jean-Paul a relieved smile. ‘ Merci beaucoup .’
‘I’ve bought a small settee and a fireside chair and a strimmer,’ Freddie said. ‘Please can you pick them up as well? I’m working this afternoon, but I’ll be at the cottage to help unload and get it all indoors.’
Lucas gave Jean-Paul a rapid translation and he nodded.
‘Thanks,’ Freddie said, finishing his coffee. ‘Sasha, have you got five minutes before I head off? There’s something I’d like your opin— I’d like to show you.’
‘Sure.’ Sasha stood up. ‘I’ll catch up with everyone in a bit.’
Sasha followed Freddie down the main street, wondering what he wanted her to see. He stopped at a stand selling a mixture of home-made sweets and jams, children’s toys and books, and a few clothes on a rail. There was a little girl sitting on a chair colouring a picture in a book, and a young woman standing behind the stall. The small girl’s face lit up with a smile when she saw Freddie. ‘Hi, Mister Freddie.’
‘Sasha, this is Maddie and her daughter Jade.’
‘ Bonjour . Nice to meet you, Maddie, and you, Jade,’ Sasha said, smiling down at the little girl who must have been about five or six.
‘Hello. Freddie’s told me all about how you and he came to live in France,’ Maddie said.
‘You’re English,’ Sasha said, surprised, wishing Freddie had told her about Maddie and Jade before introducing them.
Maddie nodded. ‘Been over here seven years now.’
‘Do you live in the village?’
‘My mother lives in one of the newer houses on the edge of the village. We live in the next one over. How do you like living here?’
‘We both love it, don’t we?’ Sasha said enthusiastically, turning to her brother.
‘Best thing we could have done,’ Freddie answered. He glanced at his watch. ‘Sorry this is such a short meeting, but I’ve got to get back to paint the orangery this afternoon.’
‘And I’ve got a couple of puppies at home to sort out,’ Sasha explained.
‘Freddie said I could come and see the puppies one day,’ Jade said, looking up hopefully.
‘If Freddie said that, then I’m sure he’ll arrange it,’ Sasha replied.
‘Not today?’ Jade pulled a miserable face.
‘We will make a definite date soon,’ Freddie promised.
‘Okay,’ Jade nodded happily.
‘Maddie, I’ll give you a ring and arrange it, okay?’
‘Bye then, Maddie, Jade. I hope to see you both again soon,’ Sasha said as she and Freddie turned to leave. She gave her brother a questioning look. ‘Maddie seems nice. Any particular reason you wanted me to meet her?’
‘No. I had no idea she was going to be here today. I’ve wanted you to meet Maddie for a few weeks now, so I grabbed the opportunity to introduce the two of you.’
‘And now I have?’
‘I thought maybe we could invite her and Jade for tea or something?’ Freddie ran his hand through his in-need-of-a-haircut hair. ‘Anyway, can we talk later? I’ve got some painting to do.’