Page 25 of A French Inheritance
Briony shrugged. ‘I’m not really, but it was very unjust the way they sidelined you with one of their American staff before making you redundant. Going back on your own terms would be different.’
‘Are you going to work in France?’
Briony laughed. ‘I’m going to be a Girl Friday for the summer,’ and she quickly told Maeve about the farm and Lucy wanting help. ‘Other than that, I’m going to enjoy my first summer in the cottage, improve my French and then in September I’ll start looking around for a job. That’s the plan anyway.’
‘I did hear somebody once saying that their French improved no end when they took a lover,’ Maeve said. ‘Maybe that could be a bonus over the summer? A handsome Frenchman will sweep you off your feet and…’ She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
‘I already speak French, Granny and Dad insisted I learnt, although I admit I’m out of practice,’ Briony laughed. ‘So I don’t need to take a French lover.’Or any lover, she thought silently. She glanced at her watch. ‘I’d better get back. I’ve got the removal company coming to give us a quote in about an hour. Ring me tomorrow, let me know how it went. And remember that cliché – You’re worth it!’
Walking home, Briony found herself wondering about the way a certain vet had sprung into her mind when Maeve had made the suggestion about a sexy French lover sweeping her off her feet. Which was silly, Elliot was English not French. Although she had to admit she’d thought him handsome on the two occasions they’d met.
This summer, though, was going to be all about laying the foundation for a new life in France. A life she intended to live on her own terms. After Marcus, there was no way she planned on letting a man back into her life any time soon.
18
SOUTH OF FRANCE
‘Furniture for the main rooms, rugs, beds and lamps for the Stables are arriving today. Are you going to be around in case the men need a hand? They shouldn’t, as it’s mostly flatpack, but there is a lot of it. I’m hoping I can persuade them to put things in the rooms, so we don’t have to move it ourselves. I’m definitely going to need help assembling it all.’ Lucy smiled at Adam as she watched him eat his breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast.
Adam groaned. ‘My favourite job – not.’
‘I thought we could make a start late afternoon tomorrow, work until supper and then finish the next day. So if you can keep tomorrow afternoon fairly free?’
Adam gave Lucy a look. ‘You weren’t exactly asking me, were you? You already had it planned.’ He shook his head. ‘You are so bossy.’
Lucy grinned at him. ‘With a bit of luck, Elliot will be able to help as well, so with two Alpha males on the case it shouldn’t be too hard or too long a job. Briony is returning tomorrow, so her first Girl Friday job can be giving me a hand making up the beds and dressing the rooms.’
‘I hope this Girl Friday business with Briony works out,’ Adam said thoughtfully. ‘I like Briony, but I’m not sure she realises what she’s taking on working here. She’s going to need to be pretty adaptable and hands-on with stuff. You going to give her a trial for a week?’
Lucy gave him a shocked look. ‘No, definitely not. That would be so awkward. I’ve already told her the job is hers for the summer.’ She gave a sigh. ‘Trust me. It’s going to be just fine, okay? She’s going to fit in here well.’ Lucy picked up the dirty breakfast plates and took them over to the dishwasher. ‘Anyway, aren’t you supposed to be helping Bruno in the vineyard this morning?’
‘Yes, he needs a hand with the early pruning and shoot thinning that he tells me is essential in spring for a good crop in September. Also, the rows need a gentle hoe to keep the weeds down. All back-breaking work.’ Adam stood up. ‘I’ll see you later.’
After Adam had left, Lucy made for her study and opened her computer. Time to do some editing of the next video and also to check on bookings for the gîte and prepare an advert for the Stables to go with the photos she intended to take once everything was in place over there. There was always so much behind the scenes and office work to do. Personally whatever Adam thought, she couldn’t wait for Briony to arrive and share some of the workload.
* * *
Briony settled back in her seat, did up her seatbelt as instructed and waited for the plane to become airborne. In just over three hours, she’d be back at Owls Nest Cottage – her very own home. If anybody had told her four weeks ago that her life was about to change dramatically, she would have said they were out of their mind. Even now, knowing that at the end of this flight she would be stepping onto French soil to begin a new and different life in the South of France, one that she’d never expected to happen, still felt strangely surreal. There was no doubt, though, that she was ready to embrace and enjoy her new life.
The plane gained height and soon they were flying above the clouds, something Briony loved. She found it exhilarating, if a little scary, seeing the clouds so close, rather than being on the ground looking at them from a distance.
The days in England had gone by in a whirl where she’d barely had time to draw breath. Between them, she and Jeannie had organised everything. The removal firm were collecting the things they’d decided to take to the cottage in a couple of days. Gerry, the owner of the removal company and an old friend she’d used on a regular basis to transport things for the auction house, had estimated it would take them several days to drive down through France. ‘Not often we get these kind of trips. No point in rushing, we can take the scenic route,’ he’d said with grin when he’d realised they weren’t desperate for a quick delivery.
The estate agent had been and taken photographs and the house would be on the market within the week. He was hopeful of a quick sell, he’d told Jeannie, saying the house was a sought-after property in a good area that didn’t come on the market very often.
Briony smiled to herself as she remembered Maeve’s excited phone call after her meeting with the auction house. ‘I did what you said – I asked for a substantial rise, definite working hours and four weeks holiday a year, plus of course Christmas, Easter and bank holidays. They didn’t bat an eyelid. Oh, and I’ve got an office upgrade – one with a bigger desk and an actual window. I start next week.’
The captain’s voice over the Tannoy broke into Briony’s thoughts. Apparently, the weather in Nice was sunny and twenty-one degrees and they would be landing in approximately ten minutes. Turning her head away from the window, Briony took a deep breath, determined not to think about the narrow runway landing strip.
* * *
With only a carry-on bag, she’d hoped to be through passport control and customs quickly, but it still took over forty minutes before she was through customs and exiting the arrivals hall and making for the taxi rank. She’d decided not to hire a car because at some stage soon she would have to buy one. Until then she would walk to the village and get the bus into town. Thankfully, the taxi driver, although perfectly polite and smiley, was not chatty, as he concentrated on navigating the traffic and finding the slip road for the A8.
Half an hour later, Briony was standing outside the cottage and watching him drive away. Putting the key in the lock and opening the front door, she smiled happily. She was home and it felt so good.
19
Briony was sitting out on the terrace sipping a mug of tea and feeling happy to be back, but it also felt a little weird being there on her own. She guessed that was something she was going to have to get used to until her mum arrived. Life was going to be pretty full on anyway when Gerry arrived with the van full of their belongings. Briony couldn’t help worrying where everything was going to go; she definitely needed to make space for her and Jeannie’s things. Before the van arrived, she wanted to try to give the cottage a bit of a makeover, nothing drastic but start to put her own mark on it.
