Page 19 of A French Inheritance

ENGLAND

Briony stayed with Jeannie when they arrived back in the UK. There was little point in sleeping in her own place, she just needed to clean it and pack up her few personal things and move out.

Briony finished cleaning and emptying her apartment and handed the keys back to the agency two days later. Mentally, she ticked it off her list. Now to concentrate on helping Jeannie.

First, the two of them went through the house from top to bottom, Briony making notes while Jeannie decided what furniture she’d like to take to France.

In the end, there was only her favourite armchair, a couple of bedside tables, some lamps and two or three rugs.

‘Are you sure about this?’ Briony asked.

‘I know you decided your furniture wouldn’t suit the cottage, but what about your bed, for instance? ’

‘No, the bed in the cottage is more comfortable than this one,’ Jeannie said, laughing. ‘I’m hoping the house will appeal to a first-time buyer and they will appreciate the fact that it comes furnished. If it’s a problem, I can always get a house clearance company in.’

‘Okay. We’ll put all the things you want to take in the dining room, I think; we’re not using it. Now we need to start sorting through the smaller stuff – books, bedding, kitchen equipment, ornaments, cushions, clothes.’

By the end of the week, the local charity shops had received box after box of books, ornaments, miscellaneous things that defied naming but were deemed to be useful and clothes that Jeannie said she didn’t want to keep.

Despite all this decluttering, the dining room was overflowing with the furniture and the boxes earmarked for France.

Briony tried not to think about where on earth everything was going to go in the cottage.

While Jeannie had a hair appointment one morning, Briony met up with Maeve for a coffee.

‘Any news on the job front for you?’ Briony asked.

‘Sort of but…’ Maeve pulled a face. ‘The American company who took over have asked me back, said they made a mistake, but I really don’t want to work for them after the way they treated us.

What’s to stop them doing the same again in six months?

’ Maeve gave the waitress a smile as she placed coffee and cakes on the table.

‘But I don’t have any real choice. There’s just nothing around.

Anyway, enough about me, what’s happening with you?

You’re looking good, the French air obviously agrees with you,’ Maeve said.

‘Your mum still going to sell the place or did this visit change her mind?’

‘Not exactly,’ Briony laughed. ‘I’ve inherited the cottage, not Mum, and guess what?’ She gave a dramatic pause. ‘We’re both moving to France.’

‘Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.’

‘Neither was I,’ Briony said. ‘But I’m excited now it’s been decided. We’ve been busy getting Mum’s house ready for sale and I’m heading back to France the day after tomorrow. Mum will fly out once the estate agent is sorted and the house is on the market.’

‘I’m so pleased for you,’ Maeve said. ‘You’ve had a tough time recently.’

‘You will come and visit, won’t you? You and Brian – the girls too if they want to come. Just get yourselves on a cheap easyJet flight to Nice and come and have a holiday. Plenty of room in the cottage.’

‘Sounds like a wonderful plan,’ Maeve said wistfully. ‘But it probably won’t be this year, even if I do go back to Raise Your Hand Auctions.’

Briony looked at her friend. ‘Have they offered you a rise, longer holidays?’

Maeve shook her head. ‘I’ve said I’ll go in tomorrow and talk about it. I suspect there will be a little pay rise but not enough to make much difference.’

‘They’ve approached you to return so quickly, they obviously need your expertise on the system quite desperately.

Don’t just say thank you and return to your desk.

Name the wage you want, the holiday period you want and tell them the hours you’re prepared to work before asking for overtime.

You might not get all three things, but…

’ Briony shrugged. ‘Worth a try. You held that accounts department together and you were never given enough respect for that.’

Maeve was staring at her wide-eyed. ‘When did you get to be so demanding?’

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.