Page 30 of The Forever Cottage

They all burst out laughing.

‘You’re probably not wrong there,’ said Tess, giggling.

‘We’ve done our bit, brought up our children, who are leading their own lives now, made fabulous homes, and lost a few husbands, and partners, along the way.’ Gina gave a sympathetic smile in Suzy’s direction. ‘That’s all in the past. Now it’s all about the futures we would wish for ourselves. What about you, Suzy? Have you got any plans in mind?’

‘I have, actually. I’m thinking I will probably go part-time next year so that I have more time to pursue my own interests. I want to visit my cousin Amy in New Zealand. I’ve not seen her since we were teenagers, just before her family emigrated, so it would be nice to get that trip organised now I have the freedom to do it. Basically, I feel as though I’m ready to start living my life again now that I don’t need to worry in the same way about the boys. I know it’s taken a long time for me to get to this point, but it’s never too late, right?’

‘Exactly,’ said Gina, clapping her hands in encouragement. ‘And you’ve worked so bloody hard all these years. It’s time for you to follow your own dreams. How about you, Tess?’ Gina topped up their glasses from the carafe on the table. ‘What do you think you’ll do, with Charles gone?’

‘Oh, so many things,’ she said airily, really believing it to be true. ‘I love the idea of letting out the annexe on a bed and breakfast basis. Providing welcoming trays of beverages and cakes, meals to order, that kind of thing.’

‘I can imagine you doing something like that,’ said Suzy with a smile.

‘And there’s part of me that would love to do a master’s degree in English Literature or something similar, so I might start having a look to see what’s out there.’ It was something she had mused over for years, but had never really voiced, and saying it aloud gave it a validity that inspired her.

‘That sounds amazing.’ Gina smiled.

‘Your turn, Gina?’ prompted Tess.

‘Well, I want to expand the business.’ Gina ran a fashion accessories business importing handbags, jewellery and scarves, supplying to local retailers. ‘I’m thinking of selling direct through an online shop but also my own retail outlet if I can find the right premises. It would be nice to have that interaction with my clients.’

Now it was Tess’s turn to say, ‘Amazing!’

She supposed it was the constantly flowing wine and the faraway location that were helping them to reminisce about the good old days and also to share their hopes and plans for the future. She had lived an idyllic life in those early years with Charles at Hollyhocks. They’d been so madly in love and perhaps because of that, she’d overlooked some of Charles’s less becoming traits. Had she been guilty of being complacent, taking it all for granted and for even being a little smug in her domestic bliss? It didn’t matter because, as Gina said, it was all in the past now. She took a sip of her wine, looking around the vibrant restaurant, enjoying the moment and the sound of animated chatter and laughter, feeling part of something much bigger. Her life with Charles seemed like a lifetime away.

23

The following morning, they met in the restaurant of the hotel for an inviting buffet breakfast laid out over several tables which consisted of colourful fresh fruit, pastries, different kinds of breads, continental cheeses, ham and yogurts. They didn’t have long to linger though because Suzy, true to her secretarial background, had organised a full schedule for the day.

‘So what are we going to do first?’ Tess ventured, happy to relinquish control to her friend.

‘I thought we’d go and explore. There’s a market on this morning in town which I thought might be good to mooch around, then we can follow a walking trail along the river and by the lake. It will give us chance to walk off some of this food,’ Suzy said, looking at her plate of delights. ‘Then after grabbing a light lunch, we can go and visit the museum in the castle.’

‘Or else we could have an afternoon nap,’ suggested Gina, who wasn’t terribly excited by the prospect of a dose of culture.

Suzy laughed. ‘Don’t be like that. It will only take an hour at the most, and then we can go and get some cocktails. There’s a few different bars we can try.’

‘Well that sounds more like it,’ said Gina, laughing.

Tess was more laid-back about the plans and was happy to go along with everything that was suggested, although the promise of cocktails later was especially appealing.

As they wandered around the market, Tess marvelled at the unfamiliar scenery, soaking up the atmosphere, relishing the sensation of the warm sun on her skin and hearing the convivial chatter around her. She had always been a people watcher and here there were plenty of stylish and flamboyant characters to observe. The market was abuzz with activity, the individual stalls selling a variety of foodstuffs, including local specialities of Reblochon cheese, charcuterie and a vast array of colourful fruits and vegetables that were a feast for the eyes. They then wandered along the cobbled streets of the old town, finding a specialist chocolate shop where the three friends stood outside making appreciative noises as they eyed the trays of sweet delights in the window, deciding they would pop back on their final day to buy some as gifts.

As they left the busy town centre, they headed for the Pont des Amours, a renowned beauty spot. The pedestrian iron footbridge gave outstanding views over the lake, the moored rowing boats bobbing on the water creating a scene that Tess could easily imagine in a painting by a French impressionist artist.

‘It says here that the Pont des Amours or “Lovers’ Bridge”, to give it its English name, is so called because if you kiss your partner here, in the middle of the bridge, then it means that you’ll stay together forever. Isn’t that lovely and romantic?’ Suzy was poring over her visitor map and guidebook.

‘Lovely,’ said Gina with a sigh. ‘Perhaps I should have brought Ryan here after all,’ she added with a wry chuckle.

‘Well, what were we saying about men the other day? Our lives are full enough without them and we certainly don’t need them to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings.’ Tess looked all around her. There were plenty of couples making the most of the photo opportunity, snuggling up together in romantic clinches, exchanging kisses as the local folklore encouraged them to do. It was funny to think she had barely given Charles a second thought since she’d been here and she certainly couldn’t imagine sharing a romantic moment with him here or anywhere else to be fair. ‘I think it’s a lovely sentiment to include friends as well as romantic partners in the legend of the Pont des Amours. Come on.’ Tess opened her arms wide, urging her friends into an embrace and kissing them on the cheek in turn. Then the phones came out and they took several photos to capture the magic of the moment.

It was as Tess was looking at her screen to make sure that she captured the perfect shot that she saw several notifications of missed calls and messages from Charles and Rob. Immediately, she felt a pang of alarm in her chest, her thoughts transported back to Lower Leaping. She hoped there wasn’t an emergency of some kind.

‘Everything okay?’ asked Suzy, sensing Tess’s change in mood.

‘I’m not sure. I’ve got some messages I need to see to. One moment.’

There were two missed calls and three texts from Charles and one message from Rob.

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