Page 6 of A French Inheritance
Five minutes later, after the two of them had pulled the terrace table and chairs out of the shed they’d been stored in, Briony made the tea, plated up the palmier biscuits and carried everything outside.
‘I’d forgotten how quiet it is here,’ Briony said, looking out over the garden towards the bordering fields and countryside, where she could see a lake shimmering in the sunshine.
‘It’s a real little oasis of peace,’ Jeannie said. ‘Lovely to be able to see the lake in the distance again. Adam must have had some of the trees removed. I know he told Giselle he planned to do some management of the woods so that she’d be able to see the lake again. She told him he’d better be careful not to destroy any trees the birds nested in.’ Jeannie sighed.
‘Sounds like Granny.’
‘She often talked about Adam and Lucy and their plans, sad that she’d not seen many of them come to fruition before she came to live with me. One thing that did make her happy was the fact that they took on Luna.’
‘That was good of them,’ Briony said. ‘D’you think the owls still use that hollow in the old oak tree? The one that lost a branch in a storm.’ She looked towards the bottom of the garden where there were several large trees including a large mimosa and the old oak that had been struck by lightning several decades ago. ‘I remember listening to them calling on several occasions when we all came for the summer holidays. Seeing a tawny owl fly across the garden late one evening was special.’
‘I would hope they are still around,’ Jeannie said. ‘The cottage has been called Owls Nest forever, so the owls must have been here for a long time.’
‘Maybe we’ll hear them tonight,’ Briony said. ‘Do you want to go out to eat in the village this evening? Or shall we use some of the food Lucy has left us?’
‘Let’s eat in tonight,’ Jeannie answered. ‘It’s been a long day. There will be plenty of time to reconnect with people and to eat in the village restaurant. I suspect the local grapevine will already have announced our presence, so people are sure to want to talk to us and offer their condolences about Granny.’
‘Okay. Ham and cheese salad tonight, washed down with a glass or two of rosé out here in the garden.’ Briony stood up. ‘I’m going to unpack, have a shower and then go for a walk, suss out the lake.’
‘You can go through the field. You remember where the gate in the hedge is?’
Briony nodded as she gathered up the mugs and plates before taking them into the kitchen.
Jeannie watched Briony disappear indoors before letting worry over a certain matter take over her thoughts. Now she was here in the cottage, she was beginning to rethink the plan she’d made. The plan that had seemed a good idea now felt stupid – wrong even. It wasn’t going to be any easier here, like she’d hoped, than it would have been back home. She hadn’t even mentioned the appointment she’d made with the notaire for a couple of days’ time. She knew the questions would start immediately after she mentioned that. Maybe she could just say the notaire needed some papers signed and let him break the news.
No, it was her responsibility to tell Briony herself, like Giselle had wanted. But she knew whenever, whoever, told her the true situation, Briony was sure to be upset on Jeannie’s behalf and would probably be overwhelmed at first by the decisions she had to face making. Jeannie could only hope and pray that she would make what she and Giselle both considered to be the right one. When the dust had settled, she also had to find the right moment to broach the other subject that was playing on her mind.
5
With a vague memory that the path to and around the lake had often been muddy in the past, Briony pulled on a pair of her old wellingtons that she’d left at the cottage years ago before setting off on her walk. The gate in the hedge at the bottom of the garden was stiff from non-use, but after the second or third try, Briony managed to push it open. She made sure the gate closed firmly behind her, hoping it would be easier to open on her way back. Walking carefully along the track that stretched the length of the field, thirty-year-old memories of running along here with the grandchildren of the old couple in the big house surfaced in her mind. She didn’t remember the vineyard that surrounded the field on three sides being so big and well tended, though.
Approaching the lake, she could see where Adam had cleared saplings and shrubs from around the edge of the water and also taken down some trees to open up the surrounding area. There was a small rowing boat tied to a jetty sticking out into the lake that Briony didn’t remember ever being there. Imagine the fun she could have had as a child, learning to row and rowing the boat out to the middle of the lake and staying there, drifting in the silence. If she’d ever learnt to row she’d do that right now, but sadly she’d never learnt. She did remember swimming in the lake one hot summer, though. The water would definitely be too cold for that on this visit. Besides, she hadn’t brought a swimming costume.
Adam, the new owner, had clearly thought about the wildlife – the trees had been cut up and left in a couple of piles, providing shelter for hedgehogs and other creatures. Bird boxes had been fixed to a few of the beech and oak trees and Briony smiled as she saw a blue tit flying back and forth with nest-building material. The whole area was a mini nature reserve.
A bench had been placed near a weeping willow tree and Briony happily sat down and surveyed the scene before her. Her mum was going to adore this when she saw it.
Jeannie had been really happy on the flight over, driving the car here super excited, but after that short conversation about keeping the cottage for holidays or even living in permanently, she’d been uptight, less joyful. Now they were here, was she worried about emptying the cottage of Granny Giselle’s things? There had clearly been so much she’d been unable to take to England with her. It wasn’t going to be easy, Briony knew that, these things never were. But doing it together would hopefully make it less painful for her mum. Perhaps she’d try to get her to talk about it before they started. Get her to open up a bit.
Briony jumped with shock as a large silvery grey dog suddenly appeared from nowhere and headbutted her legs.
‘Luna?’ she gasped, stroking the dog’s head. ‘Where have you sprung from?’ Briony looked up just as the man reached the bench.
‘I’m so sorry. Glad you were sitting down, she might have had you over otherwise. She doesn’t normally rush at strangers like that. Luna, come here.’
The dog reluctantly left Briony and stood at the man’s side, her eyes watching Briony’s every move.
‘Maybe she recognised me? You must be Adam,’ Briony said, standing up and holding out her hand. ‘It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Briony, Giselle’s granddaughter. Thank you for keeping an eye on the cottage and big thanks for looking after Luna. She’s clearly very happy with you.’ Briony smiled.
‘I’m Elliot, Adam’s brother,’ Elliot said, shaking her hand and letting it go quickly.
‘Oh, sorry, my mistake. I knew Adam had taken Luna in and assumed you were he as I have yet to meet him…’ Her voice trailed away. ‘But Luna obviously likes you too.’
‘She’s my dog now, not Adam’s,’ Elliot said slowly and deliberately. ‘For some reason, when I arrived she became my shadow. We’re inseparable these days,’ he added with a self-conscious half shrug. ‘She comes everywhere with me.’
‘A case of love me, love my dog?’ Briony joked, her smile fading as she saw the look on Elliot’s face. ‘That’s good. Um, I hope Adam won’t mind me being here – technically, I suppose I’m trespassing. It’s a lovely spot he’s created. Totally different to when I played here thirty years ago. The new jetty is a lovely addition.’ Embarrassed, she could feel herself jabbering away in an effort to change the subject.
‘I’m pretty certain Adam will expect you and your mother to enjoy the lake whilst you are here,’ Elliot said. ‘I’d better get back. Nice to meet you, Briony. We’ll probably bump into each other again whilst you’re here – I’ll make sure Luna behaves next time.’
