Page 38 of Summer at the Château
Pixie, waiting outside the front door looking for non-existent weeds in the two urns with their tumbling petunias, found herself hoping that during the next couple of weeks everyone would make some wonderful memories of their time here. Family memories that would become more and more precious down the years to her as this summer in the château became a distant memory.
She watched as Gus’s car swept into the drive, followed by Annabelle’s. Pixie smiled as car doors opened and everyone got out.
‘Welcome to Château Quiltu, everyone. It is so good to have you all here.’
The next few moments passed in a flurry of hugs and kisses between Pixie, her brother, sister-in-law, Sarah, and Annabelle, her niece, as well as Mimi, her great-niece.
‘Come on in, everyone, and I’ll show you to your bedrooms and then Mum and Charlie have got lunch ready out on the terrace.’
‘Charlie here already?’ Gus said. ‘That’s a surprise.’
‘Arrived a couple of days ago and saved my skin with a new pizza oven-cum-barbecue.’
‘Can I go find Charlie?’ Mimi demanded.
‘He and Great-Grandma are round the front. Mimi, there is a lake in the garden and there is only one rule for this holiday, but it is a strict one. You are not to go anywhere near the lake without a grown-up. Anywhere else but not the lake. Understood?’
Mimi nodded, ‘Yes, Auntie Pixie,’ before dashing off to find Charlie.
‘This is lovely, sis,’ Gus said as she led the way indoors. ‘Makes me want to move to France immediately.’
Sarah and Annabelle both loved their bedrooms and Annabelle gazed longingly at the large claw-legged old-fashioned bath in her bathroom. ‘I might have to bribe one of you to keep an eye on Mimi later. A long soak in that bath is calling to me.’
Back out on the terrace, Gus went straight over to Gwen and gave her a hug and a kiss. ‘How are you liking France then, Ma?’
‘I’m loving it. Brittany has always been one of my favourite places. You’re looking tired.’
‘Didn’t sleep on the ferry, that’s all,’ Gus shrugged off Gwen’s remark.
‘Here you go, Dad. Good to see you.’ Charlie handed both Gus and Gwen a glass of champagne before going over to Sarah and giving her a tight hug. ‘Champagne for you, Mum? Annabelle?’
Once everyone had a glass of bubbly, Pixie raised her glass.
‘Here’s to a wonderful holiday. Santé.’
Charlie had placed a few nibbles on the table – crisps, olives and peanuts – and once those had gone, he began to bring lunch out. Cold meats, cheeses, baguettes, a big green salad, tomato and mozzarella salad. ‘Tonight I’ll fire up the barbecue,’ he promised Mimi as he poured her a glass of lemonade. ‘And we’ll have beef burgers.’
Pixie made a large cafetière of coffee after lunch and they sat around chatting and discussing plans for the holiday. The general consensus appeared to favour a few day trips further afield, Quimper and Concarneau were mentioned, as well as local market visits, but staying in and mooching about at the château came out on top as the favourite for the adults. Mimi kept shouting, ‘Beach. Beach. I want to go to the beach.’ Until Annabelle promised she would take her ‘one day next week, if you’re good.’
They were all still sitting on the terrace when Justine and Ferdie arrived home. Gus raised his eyebrows and looked at Pixie as Justine gave a wave of acknowledgement in their direction, which Charlie returned before getting up and walking over to her.
‘Justine had an arrangement with Frank. She and her son, Ferdie, have lived in the cottage for over a year.’
‘Pays rent, does she?’ Gus asked.
Pixie sighed. Her brother always did cut straight to the chase. She put it down to him being an accountant. ‘No. I think she kept an eye on the place – unofficial caretaker type thing.’ She knew she would have to tell Gus her suspicions eventually, but right now she didn’t want to spoil the happy atmosphere.
Gus nodded thoughtfully. ‘That would make sense, it is a bit in the middle of nowhere here. But, still, he should have charged some rent. Typical of Frank though. He always was one to help the underdog.’
Five minutes later, Charlie returned with Ferdie holding his hand. ‘Mimi, meet Ferdie. Him and me are going for a walk down by the lake – wanna come with us?’
‘Yes,’ and Mimi was up and running.
Watching Charlie lope down through the parkland with Mimi and Ferdie, Pixie realised keeping the little girl happy for this holiday was going to require more than the occasional day at the beach.
* * *
The days settled down into a relaxed holiday routine for everyone except Charlie and Pixie. Charlie took his kitchen duties very seriously and while lunch was generally something with salad, dinner was another matter. Even Gus professed to be impressed with his son’s cooking abilities. On the evenings when the main course constituted of barbecued meat or fish, Charlie went to town on the accompanying dishes and desserts. He also spent a lot of time with Mimi, especially while Ferdie was at school. Setting up camps with old blankets in the parkland, finding a tyre and strong rope and creating a swing from the tall oak tree at the side of the small barn. All things Mimi shared happily with Ferdie every afternoon when he returned from school. Within forty-eight hours, the two children had become firm friends and played happily together. When Pixie unearthed an ancient croquet set hidden on a shelf in the utility room, it was Charlie who cleaned it, set it up ready for all of them to play and taught them the basic rules of the game.
