Page 17 of A French Inheritance
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Leaving the farmhouse after supper, Elliot decided not to take his usual route down to the lake. The chances were that either Briony or her mother would be sitting there on the bench and tonight having to make small talk was not on his agenda. He wanted total solitude, a chance to banish all thoughts of Robyn, so he planned to take the track from the back of the farm and drop down to the woods from the other side, avoiding the lake all together. Luna loved the woods, chasing imaginary squirrels or racing after a thrown stick. For Elliot, it had the added bonus that nobody ever went there at this time. Luna stayed at his side as he walked and waited patiently whilst he opened the gate at the top of the second field and closed it behind them.
As he turned, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of Briony in the woods below, moving towards a tree, placing her arms around and hugging the trunk. Interesting. He wouldn’t have thought Briony to be the tree-hugging sort, but you never could tell.
Quickly, he grabbed Luna’s collar and slipped her lead on, not wanting her to run down and disturb Briony in her moments of absolute tranquility – or to alert her to his presence.
‘Come on, Luna, let’s get out of here,’ he whispered. He knew how precious those fleeting moments of being at one with nature had helped him. Not that he’d ever hugged a tree, just taking long walks alone in the countryside was enough for him. Turning, he started to walk across the field that would take him back to the farm, leaving Briony in peace.
12
A beautiful Riviera morning greeted Briony the next day as once again she was woken by the dawn chorus. As the bird song quietened and the sun rose, she threw the duvet back and stood looking out of her bedroom window and gave a happy sigh. The sky was already developing that deep daytime azure without a cloud in sight. After a shower, Briony dressed and crept downstairs. Five minutes later, she was on her way to the village for breakfast croissants.
Barely seven thirty but the village’s daily routine was already underway. The café’s coffee machine was filling the air with the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans being ground ready for the day’s customers. Odette, wiping down outside tables, waved at her as she went past. ‘Bonjour, Briony.Ça va?’
‘Oui merci. Et vous?’ Briony called back.
The boulangerie shop door was open and villagers were already leaving with their fresh baguettes and croissants and hurrying home for breakfast. She didn’t recognise the woman behind the counter who smiled and greeted her with the welcoming ‘Bonjour’, that every customer received.
A few moments later and Briony was walking home, trying not to squash the warm croissants and wondering what it would be like to live permanently in the cottage and be a part of the local scene.
Jeannie was in the kitchen making coffee when Briony returned. ‘Mm, still warm,’ she said appreciatively, taking the bag of croissants from Briony and putting them on a plate.
Briony waited until they were both sat down at the table, and had coffee and croissants in front of them. ‘Mum, we need to talk.’ Briony took a sip of coffee before saying quietly, ‘I’ve been thinking and…’ She paused. ‘I’ve made a decision about the cottage.’
Jeannie looked at her wide-eyed, anxiety written all over her face. ‘Tell me.’
‘I love the place and can’t bear the thought of selling it or being the one who lets it leave the family. So, if you are serious about wanting to sell up in England and move here, you can.’
‘You’re going to keep the cottage? Oh, thank goodness.’ Jeannie brushed a tear away as she let out a deep breath. ‘I was so worried you were going to put it up for sale.’
‘It might come to that in the end,’ Briony said. ‘Depending on how much it costs to run and how quickly I get a new job.’
‘Please don’t worry about money,’ Jeannie said. ‘The house in England will sell and the proceeds will be enough…’
‘No.’ Briony shook her head. ‘That is your money. The cottage is my responsibility from now on. If things get really tight, I might have to ask for a small loan, but if I do, I will pay you back, okay?’
Jeannie gave a resigned nod.
‘There is one other thing about you moving in though, which I hope you’ll be happy with.’
‘Which is?’ Jeannie looked at her and waited.
‘I’m going to try to come to live here too. No idea how I’m going to manage it and earn money but…’ Briony shrugged. ‘There has to be a way.’
‘My morning has just got better and better,’ Jeannie said. ‘The thought of the two of us living here makes me so happy.’
Briony fetched her laptop and began to make lists for both locations, starting with France as they were currently in situ. The next hour flew by as the two of them planned the best way to deal with everything; there was so much to organise here in France and in the cottage.
‘Don’t forget we’ve got the notaire tomorrow,’ Jeannie said. ‘And our flight is booked for next Tuesday. I don’t think we need to stay longer this time, do we? Be better to move over quickly and then sort the cottage out, yes?’
‘Yes, I agree. I will email my landlord today and give him notice on the flat. Get that underway. I don’t have many things, probably all go in half a dozen big boxes, so I can vacate it early and either come to you or return down here,’ Briony said.
‘I’ll need a removal company to bring the small amount of furniture I want to keep – all your stuff can come over with that,’ Jeannie said. ‘I’m probably going to have to stay there for a couple of weeks – get the house on the market, pack up my personal stuff, decide what to bring here and sell the rest. I’ll also need to tell the hospice they will need to find another volunteer to organise their library.’
‘If I stay with you for a few days before flying back down, I can give you a hand packing up,’ Briony said.
‘Oh, I’m so excited,’ Jeannie said. ‘I can scarcely believe that in a few months you and I are going to be living permanently in Owls Nest. I wish I could wave a wand and make it happen instantly.’
