Chapter 27
27
It was early evening when Jean-Paul arrived at the Cottages du Lac, the large trailer behind his tractor piled high with everything Sasha and Freddie had bought. Freddie, hearing the noise, came running down from the chateau as Lucas drove in with the things from Eliza’s cottage in his car. Quickly, Sasha put Mimi and Mitzi in the garden out of the way and the three men began unloading the trailer.
The wrought-iron table and four chairs were placed straight on the terrace. The small cupboard and the worktable were carried upstairs to the workroom. Freddie’s settee and matching armchair were quickly placed in his sitting room. Sasha’s final purchase, a large office desk with eight drawers which she’d spotted as she was leaving the vide-grenier , was the last thing to be unloaded.
Lucas took the box of birdcages out of the car and said he’d take the crockery and everything else up to the chateau. Freddie jumped into the empty passenger seat and went with him to carry on painting the orangery.
Sasha and Jean-Paul, left alone, looked at each other. ‘ Café ?’ Sasha asked, picking up her phone from the kitchen table and opening the translation app, ready to use it.
‘ Merci ,’ Jean-Paul said, pulling his own phone out of a pocket. They both left the volume turned on this time. It wasn’t perfect, but at least they were communicating.
Sitting out in the garden with their coffee and Mimi and Mitzi at their feet begging for attention, Sasha felt a flash of boldness. ‘Would you like to come to supper one evening après the wedding. A thank you for all your help – today and with the terrible two,’ she said, laughing at the pups chasing their tails.
‘Thank you. I would like that,’ Jean-Paul said hesitantly in English, without first translating it from the French.
‘Brilliant. You said that perfectly,’ Sasha said.
‘We do some more puppy training soon. They know “sit” and “stay” now. We need to make sure they come when you call and to heel.’
‘That would be good,’ Sasha nodded.
‘I leave now because—’ and this time he typed something into the translator before reading it out, ‘—I have to check the sheep and feed them. à bient?t .’ And with a gentle cheek kiss, he left.
Disappointed that he hadn’t stayed for longer, Sasha covered the wrought-iron table with cardboard and newspaper and wire-brushed each of the three birdcages. She’d seen some tins of spray paint in the DIY section of the village shop. She’d pick up some cans tomorrow when she went for the breakfast croissants.
Looking at the table and chairs on the terrace, Sasha began to dream of the day when she’d invite friends to supper and they’d sit there, good food on the table and a glass of wine in hand, watching the sunset.
The slam of a door told her Freddie was back and Sasha’s thoughts switched to him and Maddie. It was so long since Freddie had had a serious girlfriend. Had he finally met someone whom he wanted to be with?
As she prepared a supper of ham salad with jacket potatoes, Sasha broached the subject. ‘Maddie seems nice. Where did the two of you meet?’
‘Her parents are one of my gardening clients in the village. She was there one afternoon and her mum introduced us. We clicked straight away.’ Freddie opened the fridge. ‘I fancy a beer with supper. Do you want a glass of wine?’
‘No thanks, I’ll have a glass of water. Is Jade’s dad not around?’
‘No, never has been apparently. Didn’t want the responsibility. His loss. Jade’s a great kid.’
Sasha gave Freddie a worried look. ‘You don’t think you’re getting involved too soon with them both? Particularly Jade. Children can be hurt and upset when things don’t work out.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m taking it slowly. Honestly, I’m so busy and Maddie is too, we don’t have the time to see each other more than occasionally, but Maddie knows I like her.’
‘Taking things slowly is good,’ Sasha said.
‘Is that what you’re doing with Jean-Paul?’ Freddie asked, grinning at her.
‘We’re just friends getting to know each other,’ Sasha said. ‘And he’s helping me train the pups.’ She moved across to the fridge and opened the door. ‘Local strawberries and cream for dessert?’
‘Sounds good,’ Freddie said before taking a swig of his beer. ‘Maybe moving to France is going to be even better than we hoped for both of us.’
Penny was on her own in the chateau kitchen when Lucas knocked on the door. ‘I bring the crockery and the box of vintage stuff. Alice say leave the muslin and the curtains at Grand-maman, so I hope that was right.’
‘Yes, Eliza has agreed to make the curtains and serviettes for us, which is so lovely. You don’t think it’s too much work for her, do you?’
‘No, I think she’ll love helping you and the chateau. I fetch the crockery first from the car.’
‘I can carry the box of vintage plates. I’m longing to see Mum’s face when I show her what I found.’
‘Ingrid and Peter not here?’
‘Dad’s taken Mum to visit some friends down on the coast somewhere. They did tell me where, but I’m not sure I can remember the name well enough to pronounce it.’
Once both the boxes were safely on the kitchen table, Penny started to take the art deco plates out.
‘These are beautiful, Mum is going to be so thrilled. I think there’s enough to mix and match for the wedding. Big problem now is to find some lovely glasses.’ She looked up at Lucas. ‘Would you like a coffee or a beer? Sorry, I should have offered before.’
‘No thanks, but I would like you to have dinner with me one evening,’ Lucas said quietly.
Penny’s hands, lifting some more plates out of the box, stilled. She glanced up at him. ‘That sounds lovely, but I’m going to have to say no. I’m not going to have a lot of free time until after this wedding.’
‘How about after?’
‘Maybe afterwards if you want to ask me again.’
‘I do want to ask you again. I am going to keep asking you until you say yes,’ Lucas said, looking at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Penny smiled and carried on unpacking the last of the vintage plates.