A French Pirouette (13 page)

Once everything was put away she sank down onto the settee and allowed herself to think about being a news item on national TV. Who exactly were these ‘sources close to her’ who were worried? They only needed to talk to Malik and surely he would set their minds at rest without divulging where she was.

Next time she spoke to him she’d suggest he told anybody who was still interested that while he didn’t know where she was, they were in contact and everything was fine. The media would soon get bored then with nothing salacious to feed their curiosity.

Evie picked up the postcard from the table and reread the message. To accept or not? Why not? Now she was staying here for the summer it would be good to get out and about, make new friends. She tapped out the number on her mobile and listened to its ringing tone.

When it clicked into message mode she took a deep breath before saying, “Hello. This is Evie Patem. I would be delighted to have dinner with you one evening.”

Chapter Fifteen

Libby

Libby put the final touches to Lucas’s cake and stood back to look at it. Cake decoration had never been a skill of hers so she’d simply covered it with an easily made chocolate ganache. It certainly looked good enough to eat.

She glanced at the kitchen clock. Evening surgery would be finishing about now. She’d give Lucas a ring and see if he wanted to collect the cake on his way home. An unusual noise sounded outside as she went to pick up the phone and she hesitated, listening. Silence.

She dialled the surgery number and waited. Just as Lucas answered the noise sounded again.

“Hi. The cake I promised you is ready if you’d like to collect it tonight?”

There was that noise again. Louder this time. Definitely an animal in pain. She’d have to investigate. “Sorry, Lucas, I’ll ring you back. There’s something going on outside.”

She hung up and after grabbing a jacket from the cupboard, ran outside.

Which direction was the noise coming from? She checked the chickens and the ducks before walking quickly down onto the canal path. The noise sounded again and appeared to be coming from a field bordering the canal path fifty yards away.

Libby began to run down the path wishing she’d thought to pick up her mobile phone. She had no way of calling for assistance if she needed it. If only the Bichets had been around in the auberge—François in particular. She was sure he’d have joined in on her mission. But the Bichets had elected to go to the cinema in the nearby town and didn’t expect to be back before eleven o’clock.

It would be dusk soon, which would make seeing and finding any injured animal more difficult. As she ran she heard a car coming down the canal path behind her. She turned and sighed in relief as she recognised the car. Lucas.

“Heard the noise down the phone and thought you might need a hand.”

Taking a large industrial-sized torch from the front seat, he slammed the car door shut.

“Whatever it is seems to be in that field there,” Libby said pointing to the field on their left. As they made their way into the field another pitiful cry filled the evening air and Lucas switched on the torch and shone the light around the field.

“There it is.”

Halfway up the field a young fawn had somehow got caught up in some orange electric fence netting the farmer had placed across the field opening. Every time the fence pulsed he cried. Standing ten yards away a doe was watching.

“Right. Need to get some things from the car. Wait here.” And Lucas ran back down to the path. A minute later he was back with three thick rubber gloves and a large wooden-handled knife.

“If we go this way we should be able to get to him,” Lucas said, starting up a small track alongside the hedge.

Heart in mouth Libby followed him.

“Can’t see why the farmer has left this fence on. There aren’t any animals in the field. Unfortunately I can’t see anywhere to switch the damn thing off. Luckily he’s this side so we can at least reach him,” Lucas said. He handed Libby the torch. “Think I can manage without light. It will only distress him more, shining in his eyes.”

Quickly he pulled on two of the industrial black rubber gloves and wrapped the third around the knife’s wooden handle.

Kneeling down beside the distressed animal, he murmured quietly as he stroked it gently, trying to work out the best way to do things.

Somehow the fawn had got his head through one of the small squares of the mesh netting but couldn’t pull it back. Working between the regular pings of electricity and talking softly, Lucas quickly cut the mesh in several places.

Libby could see that Lucas, although somewhat protected by the rubber gloves, was also receiving a short shock with each cut he made, but it took less than ten seconds to make the hole big enough and he was able to gently pull the fawn’s head back through the opened-up space.

The poor animal was exhausted. Gently Lucas picked him up and carried him into a corner of the field before laying him down on clear ground under the shelter of a hedge.

“Goodness only knows how long he’s been there,” he said. “If we move away the doe should go to him.”

“I don’t think he can have been there more than half an hour,” Libby said thoughtfully. “I only heard his cries as I rang you.”

“Are you OK?” Libby asked as Lucas peeled off the rubber gloves.

“I’m fine. Didn’t get too many shocks. These definitely protected me.”

Together they stood in the shadows watching as the doe made her way to the fawn and started to nuzzle him.

“D’you think he’ll be all right?” Libby whispered.

Lucas nodded. “Think we got here just in time. Let’s leave him to mum. We’ll come back later and check on him.”

Back at the auberge, Libby made some coffee. Lucas, after admiring the cake, insisted she shared a slice with him.

“You are still coming to the jazz down in Châteauneuf? I picked up the tickets today,” Lucas said.

“Definitely. I’m looking forward to it,” Libby replied. “And to meeting your friends.”

“How’s your daughter? Enjoying her job?” Lucas asked.

Libby nodded. “She seems to be doing really well. She’s promised to come over soon but I’m not holding my breath.” Libby sighed. “She’s really busy at work and now she’s got a boyfriend her social life has also taken off.” No point in telling Lucas how much she was missing Chloe. It was something she had to get used to.

She glanced at Lucas. “D’you have any children?”

“Never been married, so no. I have a niece and a nephew though, both about to start uni. My sister is already fretting about them leaving home.”

“Know how she feels,” Libby said.

“Luckily she’s got our mother living nearby,” Lucas said. “She’ll make sure she doesn’t have time on her hands.”

“Whereabouts in France do they live?”

“Bordeaux,” Lucas said. “My parents moved there when they retired to be near Veronique and her family. I was busy being a locum here, there and everywhere and basically had no idea where I was going to end up.”

“Where are you from originally?”

“Paris. But for the last twenty-odd years I’ve lived all over France—Burgundy, Dordogne, Provence, the Lot, Côte d’Azur and now here I am up in Brittany. Finally managed to set up my own practice.”

“Does that mean you’re settled up here for good?” Libby asked. “Or do you plan to build up the business and sell it on? I should imagine it’s very different to all those other French departments—especially the south of France ones.”

Lucas cut another slice of cake and offered it to Libby. When she shook her head he put it on his own plate.

“Sell up? No I don’t think so. After the crowds of the south—all those tourists—it’s wonderful here,” he said. “Mind you I do miss the wall-to-wall sunshine but I’d had my fill of over-pampered pets. Now I’ve got a real mixture of animals to deal with—domestic, farm and even the occasional wild one. Which reminds me. We’d better go and check up on our fawn.” Lucas looked at his watch. “He’s had long enough to recover now I think.”

Libby glanced up at the kitchen clock. She’d lost track of time chatting to Lucas and was surprised to see it was over an hour since Lucas had pulled the fawn out of the fence.

Dusk had given way to darkness and this time they did need the torch as they made their way along the canal path. Silently they turned into the field and Lucas shone the torch to where he’d left the young fawn.

There was no sign of either him or the doe. “Good,” Lucas said. “Mum has obviously taken him off somewhere safer.”

Walking back to the auberge, Libby missed her footing in a pothole and would have fallen if Lucas hadn’t grabbed her and then taken her by the hand.

“Thanks.”

Lucas didn’t answer—he didn’t let go of her hand either.

As the moon appeared from behind a cloud, outlining the auberge, Libby breathed a sigh of relief—home. She gently but resolutely removed her hand from Lucas’s clasp. Her hand had felt far too comfortable resting in Lucas’s capable one and she didn’t want to give him any ideas.

Later after Lucas had left, she locked up the auberge and secured the shutters against the gale that appeared to be getting up, before making her way upstairs to bed. Lying in bed listening to the wind howling through the trees, Libby thought about the evening and Lucas. She really liked him but she meant what she’d told Helen—she didn’t need a man in her life. However gentle and attractive the man. For some reason though, her last thought as she drifted into a fitful sleep as the wind whipped around the house, was that Lucas and Dan would have liked each other and been friends if they’d ever met.

Chapter Sixteen

Brigitte

“What time is your appointment with the
immobilier
?” Brigitte asked Isabelle as they walked along the canal path towards the auberge. Libby had invited them for lunch.

“Two-thirty. So plenty of time,” Isabelle said. Debris from the gale earlier in the week still littered the path in places and she stopped to pick up a branch and threw it into the bank. “This house sounds exactly what I’m looking for. In a small hamlet, three bedrooms, a good-sized kitchen, a large garden and neighbours not too close. Plus it’s not too far away from you.”

“Good. I’m looking forward so much to having you living back up here,” Brigitte said. “I’ve really missed having you around. Besides, I’ll be able to help you with…with things,” she added looking at Isabelle.

Isabelle laughed and stood still to look at her mother. “You’ve guessed, haven’t you?’

Brigitte tried to look innocent but failed. “Guessed what?”

“That I’m pregnant and you’re going to be a grandmother.”

Brigitte smiled and hugged her daughter. “I wasn’t sure but hoped I was right. So exciting. When is it due?”

“Early February.”

“And Laurent? Is he thrilled?”

“Now he’s got used to the idea. The fact that I’ve decided to come back here has helped. We didn’t plan this baby and he’s been worried about how I’m going to cope with him being away so much.”

Brigitte hooked her arm through Isabelle’s and they continued walking.

“Oh it’ll be such fun having a baby in the family. Can we tell Libby today?”

Isabelle smiled. “Of course.”

Libby was setting the table for lunch under the loggia when they arrived. “Bruno not with you?” she asked.

“He’s joining us later,” Brigitte said. “Sends his apologies but he had an appointment in Quimper. Said to go ahead and start lunch without him.”

“It’s quiche and salad so not a problem to keep him some back,” Libby said looking at Brigitte and Isabelle. “You’re both looking very happy with life today? Any special reason? Or just looking forward to your holiday?”

Brigitte looked at Isabelle who smiled and nodded. “Go ahead. You can tell Libby.”

“I’m an expectant grandmother,” Brigitte said excitedly, unable to keep the news to herself a moment longer. Both Isabelle and Libby laughed at the way she’d delivered the happy news.

“Wow. Congratulations both of you. I’d open a bottle of bubbly but I guess you’re not drinking?” Libby said looking at Isabelle. “We’ll save it to wet the baby’s head instead.”

Both Isabelle and Brigitte looked at her blankly. “It’s an English tradition for after the baby’s born,” Libby explained.

“You pour champagne over the baby’s head?” Brigitte asked.

Libby laughed. “No. It’s just what we call opening a bottle of wine, champagne or whatever, to toast the new arrival.”

“You have it with toast?” It was Isabelle’s turn to sound incredulous.

“No!” Libby said, shaking her head. Some things definitely got lost in translation. “When the baby is born I’ll introduce you to the tradition—it’ll be easier than trying to explain it now. Shall we eat?”

Sitting around the table eating and listening to her daughter and Libby chatting away, Brigitte felt content for the first time in months. Since selling the auberge to Libby and moving to the village her life had seemed to lack any sort of real purpose but everything was about to change again.

There were things to look forward to now. Isabelle moving back to Brittany. A grandchild next year. Bruno happier than he had been for years. A holiday in the south of France starting tomorrow. She reached down and picked up her bag.

“Libby, I forget to ask you. Would it be a problem for you to look after my houseplants while we are away? One visit in the middle of each week to water should be sufficient. I give you the key.” And she put the spare house key on the table.

“No problem,” Libby said. “Don’t forget to send me a postcard or two, will you?

“I promise. Now Isabelle and I have to leave. We have a house to look at this afternoon.”

“Exciting,” Libby said. “I’m looking forward to having you live near. Chloe will be pleased too.”

Brigitte didn’t need telling that the house nestling in a nearby valley was an immediate
coup de foudre
for Isabelle the moment she set eyes on it. As the estate agent showed them around Brigitte could see Isabelle mentally painting and decorating rooms, especially the small one at the front of the house, which would be an ideal nursery.

“I have to show another couple around later this afternoon,” the agent said quietly.