Page 34 of A French Inheritance
‘You obviously know there are a lot of amateur dealers down on the coast, working the vide greniers and the smaller markets,’ Elliot said thoughtfully. ‘You’d be one step ahead of them with your knowledge. Premises?’
‘I was thinking I could use the garage as a store and do the weekly market in Cannes for starters. And maybe the one in Antibes. I’d really like a base, but I know rents down here are extortionate.’
‘Why don’t you have a word with Adam about the empty renovated artisan outbuilding? I know both Lucy and Adam are keen to have it occupied.’
‘That would be brilliant. I’ll definitely ask.’
As the light started to fade, and they stayed chatting and sipping their wine, Briony felt a ripple of happiness spread through her. These kind of evenings had never materialised with Marcus. Too quiet. Too boring for him. Tonight had been anything but boring. This was the kind of evening she’d always longed to spend with someone special. Elliot had been good company and the evening had flown by. It was a long time since Briony had enjoyed an evening so much. Which was surprising really, considering how awkward their earlier meetings had been.
As a pair of owls started to call out to each other, Elliot stood up. ‘I need to walk Luna to the lake and home again before it gets too dark.’ To Briony’s surprise, he unexpectedly leant in and kissed her cheek. ‘Goodnight and thanks for supper and a lovely evening.’ Before Briony could even utter a response, the garden gate had closed behind him and Luna.
Briony stared after them. French people were always greeting and saying goodbye to each other with cheek kisses. It was just something that Elliot had adopted living in France. He had not meant anything by it, but it did feel as if a tentative friendship had started to be cemented over a simple supper. Briony sensed, hoped, that given time they could become good friends. Because that was definitely all she wanted, wasn’t it? Friendship not a relationship. After Marcus, she was not going to rush to let another man into her life.
Briony sighed. She would have loved to accompany Elliot to the lake if he’d suggested it. A walk would have rounded the evening off nicely. But Elliot had probably had enough of her company for one day.
She cleared the table, loaded the dishwasher and went upstairs. It had been a lovely evening, she wasn’t going to spoil the memory of it by being disappointed at not being asked to go for a walk.
* * *
Elliot walked slowly to the lake with Luna trotting ahead of him, his thoughts chasing each other round and round. Why hadn’t he suggested Briony accompanied him on this walk? It would have prolonged the evening nicely. What was he afraid of? She was good company. Tonight had been fun, he’d learnt a little more about her and realised she was nothing like Robyn – different values, different morals. If only he’d realised in the beginning that Robyn’s hopes and dreams for the future were so different to his own, it would have saved a lot of heartbreak, especially where children were concerned. Throwing a stick into the lake and watching Luna retrieve it, Elliot sighed. Why was he so wary of becoming friends with Briony? She was definitely someone he’d already inwardly admitted to himself that he’d like to have in his life but the timing was all wrong. Too soon after Robyn. Too soon after moving to France. He simply didn’t need, or want, the complication of a woman in his life whilst he concentrated on getting his career back on track. Not even one as attractive as Briony, with her understated natural beauty and her quirky footwear.
26
The next morning, Briony walked across the farmyard towards the artisan buildings. Elliot’s suggestion last night that she should ask Adam about the empty one had stayed in her mind. It would be perfect. The three individual buildings were all slightly different and the empty one looked to be the biggest of the three. Holly was in her workshop with the door open, but Calvin had a notice pinned to his door apologising for ‘Closure Exceptional’. As Briony approached, she could see Holly was hand-painting flowers on some plates. She glanced up as she saw Briony. ‘Bonjour.Lovely to see you again.’
‘Hi. You too. That’s beautiful. You’re very talented.’
‘I’m hoping the tourists will like them,’ Holly smiled.
‘Is this your only outlet?’
Holly nodded. ‘Yes, for now. In the summer, Adam puts a sign out on the road which attracts passers-by, and last year when The Cider House gîte was open for the first time, the holidaymakers staying there bought several pieces. To be honest, I don’t want too many customers as I couldn’t cope. The idea has always been to use this place as more of a workshop, build up stock and then find outlets in town. The downside is I could do with earning more money all year round. But it’s really a hobby at the moment, not a proper business, so…’ Holly shrugged.
‘Hopefully having more holidaymakers in the Stables this year will help then,’ Briony said.
‘Yes. And when the third workshop is occupied that should bring more people up here.’ Holly dipped her brush in the paint and Briony realised she was holding her up.
‘I’ll let you get on, I have to go up to the farmhouse and see Lucy. See you again soon.’
She’d rung Lucy earlier asking if she was free to come for coffee and Lucy had immediately invited her up to the farm, saying there was a cake in the oven she couldn’t leave. Briony sniffed appreciatively as she opened the kitchen door. ‘That smells good,’ she said.
‘Apple cake. There’s a slice with your name on it,’ Lucy said.
‘Have you ever thought about opening a little café up here?’ Briony asked. ‘Afternoon tea and cakes. I bet once word got around you’d be busy.’
‘A café is on the list, but I keep pushing it further and further down because it’s just another thing that would fall on me to organise and run and there aren’t enough hours in the day all ready. But now I’ve got a Girl Friday, you never know.’ Lucy smiled. ‘Did you want to talk about anything in particular or just wanted some company?’
‘Both really. I need to arrange insurance for my car before I can collect it later today, so was hoping you could give me a number? And you remember that idea I said I was thinking about and I’d tell you when I’d really thought it through? Well, I was wondering whether your third empty artisan building was still up for rent? And if it is, can I see inside it please.’
‘It is still available for rent,’ Lucy said, cutting two slices of the apple cake. ‘Why?’
Briony took a deep breath and told tell her about her brocante idea. ‘Being my own boss really appeals and the only thing I know anything about is the world of antiques and collecting. Packing up so much of Granny’s things made me realise too that she’d been quite an astute collector. But right now the cottage is just full of boxes and there’s more arriving from the UK in a few days. The garage is already stuffed, so I could use some extra storage space for a few weeks even if you don’t want to rent it to me permanently.’
As she finished speaking, Lucy gave her a worried look. ‘Does this mean you don’t want the Girl Friday job?’
‘No, of course not,’ Briony said hastily. ‘I wouldn’t let you down like that. I’ve said I’ll do the summer and I will. The brocante thing is going to take a little while to get up and running.’
‘I’ll have to run your idea past Adam, but I’m sure he’ll agree to you renting the unit and running a brocante from there,’ Lucy said. ‘If he doesn’t, we can always find you some storage space somewhere. I really like the sound of the brocante though. Right, let’s get your car insured. Adam is going into town this afternoon, and said to ask you, would you like him to run you in to collect it? And check the paperwork is all in order? He can pick you up at about three thirty?’
