Page 27 of A French Inheritance

Briony made her way up to the farm later that afternoon, hoping she’d catch Adam or even Elliot. Elliot’s Toyota wasn’t by his cottage so he clearly wasn’t around. Fingers crossed that Adam was in the house and not out working in the vineyard or down in the avocado field.

Opening the farm door, she called out, ‘It’s only me. Can I come in? I need your advice please.’

‘Yes of course,’ Lucy answered. ‘Everything all right? I’ve just made a pot of tea, would you like a cup?’

‘Please,’ Briony said, happy to see Adam sitting at the kitchen table, tea and biscuits in front of him. ‘I hate to be a nuisance, but I think I’ve found a vehicle on LeBonCoin.’

‘LeBonCoin, the great French treasure trove of online advertising of all things for sale everywhere in France,’ Adam said, laughing.

Lucy handed her a mug. ‘Exciting. What kind? What colour? I know that’s a very girly thing to ask, but colour is important.’

‘It’s a 2012 Renault Kangoo. One owner since new; 104,000 kilometres on the clock. Colour red. Three thousand two fifty euros. Is it too old to buy? It sounds a good deal to me, but I know nothing about cars.’

‘Those Kangoos go on forever. There’s one in the village that is at least thirty years old,’ Adam said thoughtfully. ‘If it’s been well maintained and has a current control technique , the age doesn’t really matter. Where is it? And is it a private sale or a trader?’

‘It’s actually quite local – Cannes la Bocca. And it’s a private sale. Which was why I was wondering whether you could telephone and ask the questions you know I should ask, and then would you possibly have time to take me to see it if you think it’s okay?’

‘If you give me the number, I’ll ring now,’ Adam said.

Briony gave him the piece of paper she’d scribbled the number on.

She sipped her tea listening to the technical questions Adam was asking and wondering whether the answers were good or bad. Adam gave a smile as he finished the call with a cheerful ‘ D’accord. Merci beaucoup .’

‘It’s certainly worth a look,’ Adam said.

‘The owner has told me where it is and we can go and see it any time. I’d take you this evening, but Bruno is arriving soon for one of our regular vineyard progress meetings.

Elliot should be home any time soon, I’m sure he’d be happy to take you.

Otherwise I can take you in the morning. ’

‘Tomorrow morning will be fine,’ Briony said, swallowing her disappointment at the delay. ‘If you’re happy to take me.’

‘I’ll come and pick you up after breakfast,’ Adam said.

‘Thank you, I really do appreciate it,’ Briony said. ‘See you then. Have a good evening.’

She’d been home less than ten minutes when there was a double toot of a car horn outside. Curiously, she opened the front door to find Elliot in his 4x4 with Luna looking out of the back window.

‘Adam tells me you’d like to look at a Kangoo. Jump in and I’ll take you. He’s rung the owner and told him to expect us.’

‘Oh but I…’ Briony stopped. She didn’t want to be on tenterhooks, wondering if she was going to say something that would upset him. But she really did want to see the car. ‘I’ll just get my bag.’

As they drove down towards the coast, Briony said, ‘I hope Adam didn’t put pressure on you to take me. But I’m really grateful.’

Elliot gave a small shrug. ‘He knew I was the best person to look at this car – I had one years ago in the UK. It was a great car.’

‘Did Adam tell you how to find where we’re going?’

‘I’ve put the directions in the satnav. Basically we’ve to head for the bord de mer , and then take Boulevard Leader up towards the Croix des Gardes and the house we want is about two kilometres up on the left-hand side.’

Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling up behind the red Kangoo itself, with the owner, Francois, sat inside waiting for them.

After some introductions, Elliot took the car for a test run and came back smiling. ‘It’s a good one,’ he said. ‘The control technique was done only last week, which is good. Just drive up the road and back to make sure you can see over the steering wheel, you being five feet nothing.’

‘Cheek!’ Briony said, hiding her surprise at how relaxed Elliot was with her this evening.

‘The seat is quite low,’ Elliot said, grinning at her.

Briony drove the car up the road, did a three-point turn in a layby and drove back down to Elliot and Francois, smiling happily.

‘Francois says you can have the car for three thousand euros,’ Elliot said. ‘He thinks you’ll give it a good home.’

‘Yes please,’ Briony said, holding out her hand to shake on the deal. ‘I’ll give you a deposit and come back tomorrow with the rest of the money if that’s all right. I don’t have any insurance yet.’

Francois promised to have all the legal papers for the transfer ready to sign and the carte gris , the French version of the logbook.

Sitting in the passenger seat as Elliot drove them back to the cottage, Briony gave a contented sigh.

‘Thank you so much, Elliot. I know you’re probably tired after a day at work and the last thing you needed to do was drive me around.

’ She hesitated and glanced across at him.

‘Can I cook you supper as a way of saying thank you? Nothing fancy – you have a choice of pasta or pizza – but I do have wine.’ Elliot had been good company tonight and he clearly knew about cars, Kangoos in particular.

There was a short silence and Briony waited for him to refuse her offer, but to her surprise he accepted.

‘Thanks, a bowl of pasta would be good. I’ll drop you off, take the car back and walk down with Luna, give her a little bit of exercise.’

* * *

After Elliot had dropped her at the cottage, Briony rushed inside and started to organise supper.

First, she set her favourite soft jazz playlist playing, and hummed happily along with it.

It was nice enough to sit outside, she decided and set the table on the terrace with cutlery and wine glasses.

She lit a couple of anti-mosquito candles and opened a bottle of red wine before going back into the kitchen and quickly making some garlic bread as a small aperitif, tossing a green salad together to accompany the pasta, grating some parmesan cheese and topping up the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar in their respective containers.

Luna arrived before Elliot and barked impatiently at the garden gate to be let in. Briony laughed and lifted the latch and the dog was immediately at her side wanting a stroke.

Elliot arrived half a minute later and handed her a piece of paper. ‘I forgot to give you this. I made a note of the registration number and carte gris details, you’ll need those to arrange insurance before you bring Pascal home.’

‘Pascal?’

‘Your Kangoo’s name. Typically French, don’t you think?’

‘Yes, it is. Thank you. Come and sit down. Have a glass of wine while I go and put the pasta on. There’s some garlic bread to stave off your hunger pangs whilst the pasta cooks.’

As they sipped a glass of wine and nibbled the garlic bread, Elliot looked at her. ‘I hope you’re happy with Pascal, but are you sure it’s what you wanted? It’s a useful vehicle, but it’s more of a van than a car.’

‘True.’ Briony was silent for a few seconds.

‘Originally I planned to get a new or newish car on contract, but I saw the Kangoo and I knew it would fit in perfectly with some new plans I might be making. Although I haven’t actually decided on whether or not these plans are workable or even whether it’s a good idea.

’ She realised she was verging on talking nonsense when she caught Elliot’s amused glance.

‘Sorry that wasn’t very clear, was it?’ She picked up the wine bottle and topped up both their glasses.

‘I’ll fetch the pasta. Then I’ll explain why I bought Pascal. ’

As she placed the bowls of pasta on the table, she said, ‘I haven’t mentioned my idea to anyone else yet, so it will be good to get your reaction, good or bad.

Being Lucy’s Girl Friday for the summer is great, but eventually I’m going to have to have some sort of other income.

The only thing I know anything about is the second-hand trade, antique, vintage, however you want to describe it, having worked in it for nearly ten years.

Owls Nest is full of collectables and everyday French items that people like to buy.

Granny had a really good eye, but it’s not necessarily things that I would want, so I already have enough stock to start in a small way. ’

Elliot listened intently as she told him about her light-bulb moment in the market.

‘I’d obviously start slowly, but Pascal will be a great asset in picking up larger items when I find them.

And if in the end I decide running a brocante is not viable, he will make a fine run-around second car for Mum and me whether I buy a newer car or not. ’

‘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.