Page 45 of A French Country Escape
As they travelled down the main road, they talked about how successful the wedding had been, how wonderful the orangery now looked, and how much Penny had enjoyed organising everything. When Lucas asked, ‘Does that mean you maybe stay?’ Penny simply shrugged and said, ‘Who knows.’
It was less than an hour later when Lucas pulled into the town’s car park.
‘We got time for walking before lunch,’ Lucas said. ‘The tide is high, so you see the place at the best.’
Walking around the town with its footbridges festooned with flowers, stopping to admire the waterwheel on an old tidal mill building on the very edge of the river, and looking at the boats moored in the estuary, Penny smiled happily. ‘It’s such a pretty place, so many art shops. Sasha must visit, if she hasn’t already. I’m sure as an artist, she’d love it too.’
‘A lot of famous artist are inspired by this place through the years, Paul Gauguin included,’ Lucas said. ‘We better go to the restaurant now.’
Lucas had booked a table with a view of the river at one of its narrowest points. From their window table overlooking the water and one of the many bridges, Penny felt she could almost reach out and touch the bank on the opposite side. She watched as two swans glided serenely past on their way downriver, ignoring the impatient quacking of a crowd of ducks on the bank.
After handing them menus, the waitress fetched their drinks – a non-alcoholic beer for Lucas and a small carafe of rosé wine for Penny – before taking their food orders – a duck salad for Penny and moules and frites for Lucas.
Penny sipped her drink and looked around the busy restaurant before registering that Lucas was watching her with amusement. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’
‘You’re busy looking around and, I guess, as a professional caterer, you probably make mental note about all sort of things, from the decor to the food. I was just wondering if you actually enjoy eating out. Or if sometime you find it difficult to stop the working part of your brain?’
‘I love eating out, and casing the joint for ideas is an occupational hazard,’ Penny said laughing, before saying seriously, ‘It’s not something I have done much of in the recent past. Rory, my ex-boyfriend, wasn’t great at trying different restaurants. He felt more comfortable going to a place he liked and where he was known.’ Penny gently swirled her wine in the glass. ‘His favourite was a place called Billy’s Bistro. I was supposed to meet him there a few weeks ago but…’ She hesitated and looked at Lucas. ‘I stood him up and ran away to France instead. Not my proudest moment.’ She took a sip of her wine. ‘First time I’ve ever stood anyone up. It was a quite liberating feeling. I’m not sure why I’ve just told you that, it’s not remotely interesting.’
To Penny’s relief, the waitress arrived with their food before Lucas could respond. ‘Bon appétit.’
‘I’m curious about what it is you do?’ Penny asked, hoping to move the conversation away from herself. ‘This duck is delicious, by the way.’
‘Good. I was surprised to enjoy one of those liberating feeling a couple of month ago myself when I start this “sabbatical” which wasn’t my choice,’ Lucas said quietly. ‘I tell you about it another day. I try to accept it and think what I do next. I give myself the summer at Grand-maman’s to decide like where I go and what my next step are.’
‘Much like me then,’ Penny said. ‘I have nothing to go back to Bristol for, but I haven’t got a clue where or what I’m going to do. Actually, that’s not strictly true. I’ve realised I definitely do not want to return to Bristol to live, so I need to terminate the lease on my flat and make a quick visit to clear it, but what to do after that, who knows? Hey, I have an idea. Alice is jobless too, isn’t she?’
Lucas nodded.
‘The three of us could go travelling. I never did have a gap year.’
Planning an itinerary for their imaginary gap year kept them talking and laughing through to dessert and then coffee. It was gone three o’clock when they left the restaurant.
‘Time to go home, I think. We do this again soon, yes?’ Lucas said, staring intensely at Penny.
‘Thank you for today. And yes, it would be lovely to do it again another time,’ Penny said, feeling more and more drawn to Lucas. It was a shame that they were both only planning to stay in France for the summer so it could never be more than a holiday friendship because, she realised with a start, she liked Lucas a lot.
There was more traffic on the way back and Lucas needed to concentrate as he drove up the busy dual carriageway before turning onto the country lanes that led to the estate. Penny invited him in for a coffee as he pulled up outside the château, but he shook his head.
‘Thanks, but I get back to check on Grand-maman, I’m not sure what Alice is doing this afternoon.’ He leant across and kissed her cheek. ‘I see you soon.À bientôt.’
Penny stared after his car for several seconds as it went down the drive. Why had he promised to tell her about quitting his job another day? Why hadn’t he simply told her when it had come up in conversation? Was he hiding something?
Alice was in the kitchen making Eliza a pot of tea when Lucas got home and barged into the cottage.
‘Did Penny tell you about her ex-boyfriend that night you travelled over together on the ferry?’
Startled, Alice looked at him. ‘Why?’
‘She talk about him a little today, but she use the phrase “I ran away”, which worry me. Relationships end, you break up, but how often do you run away to end a relationship? Was he a bully? Or worse?’
Alice sighed. ‘It’s not for me to tell you about her past. Why not ask her?’
‘Don’t feel I know her well enough yet, and her past is not really my business. I’m more interested in her future. But I hate the thought of someone hurting her.’ Lucas rubbed his face. ‘We had a great time together today. I haven’t met anyone like her before. She’s different. She’s—I suppose basically there is no fake in her.’
‘You seriously like her, don’t you?’
Lucas nodded ruefully. ‘Oui.’
