Page 8 of A French Inheritance
‘The second thing I have to tell you is, Granny told me exactly what she would like, and what she hoped, you would do, when she was gone.’ Jeannie exhaled a breath slowly. ‘Before we discuss her wishes – how do you feel knowing that the cottage is now yours?’ She smiled questioningly at Briony.
‘Stunned,’ Briony said. ‘I’d always assumed Granny would leave it to you, and then in the future you’d probably leave it to me…’ Her voice trailed away.
Jeannie nodded her understanding.
‘But why didn’t Granny talk to me before she died? Tell me herself whatever it is she’s told you.’
‘She was going to talk to you the weekend you came home and told us about the divorce; then it didn’t seem the right time. She was so cross about the way Marcus treated you.’
‘Granny was never his greatest fan, was she? And, to be fair, she turned out to be right.’ Briony took a deep breath. ‘So what does she hope I do about the cottage?’
‘A few things. She hoped you wouldn’t sell it – although, of course, you are free to do that if you wish. She wanted you to live in it, although Granny did realise that your current job would initially prevent that – but now there is no job.’ Jeannie gave her daughter an ironic look before carrying on. ‘If you decide you can’t move here permanently, she wanted you to at least come to stay. Use it like the holiday home you suggested to me.’
Jeannie paused.
‘She also had another idea. This one makes me feel particularly awkward putting it into words as it concerns me, and I completely understand if you don’t want this to happen and say an outright no to it.’ Jeannie bit her bottom lip anxiously. ‘If you can’t live in it, rather than sell it, Giselle said she would like you to let me move over and take care of the place.’
Silence followed her words as Briony stared at her mother.
‘Is that something you would like to do?’ she asked finally.
Jeannie nodded. ‘I’d sell up in the UK, apply for a resident’s visa and move into Owls Nest and be very happy. Look after it for you, maintain it, do the garden – anything that was necessary, so it wouldn’t be a burden on you. And, of course, you could come whenever you wanted.’ Jeannie pushed her chair back and, standing up, took the coffee mugs over to the sink. ‘Giselle might have made the suggestions I have just told you about, but they are not a legal requirement of her will. You can do what you like with the cottage – although Giselle did hope you wouldn’t put it up for sale immediately – if ever. I do know that Giselle truly believed living here in France would be a good life for you. And I know that is what she hoped you would decide to do. So promise me that you will at least think about it.’
7
‘I promise I won’t make a habit of leaving Luna with you,’ Elliot said as Lucy handed him a bacon sandwich. ‘It’s just this first day I’m supposed to be shadowing Julian and I’m not sure where exactly this shadowing is going to take me. Might be all day in the clinic, might be out and about, and I don’t want to have to leave Luna in the car for hours.’
‘It’s not a problem,’ Lucy said. ‘You forget this kitchen was her home before you turned up, and Django loves having her here. Jeannie and Briony are coming for coffee this morning and I know Jeannie at least will love seeing Luna. I haven’t met Briony yet.’
‘Luna has already greeted and been greeted by Briony with open arms down by the lake.’
‘What’s she like?’
‘She seems… nice. A sensible sort. But not too sensible.’
Lucy glanced at her brother-in-law sharply. ‘I take that “sensible” to mean she wasn’t tottering about on high heels down by the lake?’ Lucy had never forgotten the one and only time Robyn had visited the farm with Elliot, dressed like a fashion plate, right down to her Louboutin heels.
‘Blue wellington boots with rainbows on them.’ Elliot remembered, suppressing a smile. He’d seen the boots while Briony was petting and talking to Luna. Practical but fun.
Lucy looked at him thoughtfully. ‘Jeannie mentioned that her daughter had just gone through a bitter divorce and was depressed. Maybe you?—’
Elliot swiftly swallowed the last of the bacon sandwich and turned to leave. ‘Thanks again, I’ll see you later. Luna, be good.’
‘Good Luck,’ Lucy called out as he disappeared.
Elliot had known without the words being spoken where Lucy was going with her comment. Lately, she seemed to be making it her mission in life to find him a new, better, wife than the one he’d divorced. Useless to protest that, a) he didn’t want another wife, and b) he had no intention of ever getting close to a woman again.
Opening the door of his Toyota Outlander, he double-checked that his emergency medical kit that he routinely carried was in place before he turned the engine on. At the same time, he switched the thoughts in his head off and his brain into work mode. It was such a relief to be getting back to do the job he lived for. When he was in work persona, he was the respected vet he’d worked so hard to become, a safe outward version of who he truly wanted to be. Rather than the man who’d lost everything at the hands of a scheming woman.
* * *
Lucy stood leaning against the bar of the big cooking range, drinking from a large mug of tea and watching Adam devour the pile of toast that she’d made. Breakfast and supper were the two times of day when they could both be sure of having time to talk and discuss things.
‘Elliot get off all right?’ Adam asked between slices. ‘Big day for him.’
‘One he’s been looking forward to for some time,’ Lucy said. ‘His biggest worry was leaving Luna behind, but he knows she’s happy with us – and Django likes the company.’ She laughed, looking across to where both dogs were curled up in the extra-large dog basket together. She took her phone out of her pocket and took a couple of pictures of the dogs. ‘I need to start to put a new video together today and tomorrow – are you doing anything I can film today? Haven’t really got a lot of footage since the major renovations finished. I thought I’d showcase the gîte cottage and possibly Bruno down in the vineyard, although I know he’s not keen.’
Their YouTube channel had been a hit with viewers from almost day one and had become a useful source of income for them over the years and their subscribers had now reached almost half a million. Lucy was afraid, though, that their viewers would drift away if she didn’t continue to put out interesting content.
