Page 35 of A French Inheritance

Jeannie was trying not to feel guilty as she sat in the Departure lounge Thursday evening waiting to board her flight.

Last night she’d pressed Briony’s number intending to tell her about the plan she’d made, but then her nerve had failed her and she’d cut the call before Briony could pick up.

Then she’d doubled the guilt by not answering when Briony had called several times today by letting it go to voice message.

Briony had only left one message and Jeannie knew from the stress evident in her voice that she was worrying about the silence.

Hopefully, the brief text she’d sent in response would stop her worrying too much.

She also hoped Briony would understand when she explained.

Jeannie glanced at her watch. Surely her flight should be boarding by now?

She glanced at the flight departure board and saw that boarding had been delayed by half an hour.

Jeannie groaned to herself. It was the last flight of the day to Nice, due to land at eleven ten.

It was going to be gone midnight before she walked into the Arrivals Hall at Nice.

She took her phone out and typed a message.

Boarding is currently delayed by half an hour. It’s going to be a truly late night. Shall I get a taxi instead?

She pressed send. Her phone rang almost immediately.

‘No taxi. I promised to meet you and I will, however late the plane is. Does Briony know you’re flying over tonight?’

‘No. I plan to surprise her in the morning.’

‘I know she will be pleased to see you, but I’m worried about her reaction to me meeting you tonight and the news you are planning to tell her. I think I should be at your side when you talk to her.’

‘I’d rather explain things on my own,’ Jeannie said. ‘And then together we can adjust to the new order of things. I promise you it will be fine. I’ll see you soon – hopefully today, not tomorrow!’

Jeannie bit her lip as the call ended. How hard could it be telling your grown-up daughter that her soon-to-be sixty-year-old mother was thinking about embarking on an affair with an old friend. In theory, not hard at all. In practice? Well, she’d find out soon.

The Nice flight finally boarded an hour later. Jeannie slept through most of the journey, waking only to hear the captain’s voice telling them they were approaching Nice and apologising for the lengthy delay.

It was 1a.m. when Jeannie finally walked into the Arrivals Hall. She smiled with relief when she saw him waiting patiently. ‘I’m so sorry Yann. Thank you for waiting.’

He pulled her into a tight hug. ‘I’m just glad you are here now. Come on, let’s get you in the car and home – well, back to my house anyway.’

It was nearly nine o’clock when Jeannie woke the next morning, briefly disorientated as to where she was when she didn’t recognise the curtains at the window.

She’d been so tired last night when Yann had carried her case into his spare bedroom, wished her ‘ Bon nuit ’ and left her to sleep.

Seeing the time on her watch, Jeannie hurriedly got out of bed and made for the en suite.

A quarter of an hour later, she headed downstairs to the welcome smell of coffee and croissants. ‘Morning. I seem to have overslept. That bed is very comfortable,’ she said as Yann kissed her on the cheek. ‘I’m so sorry, I know you said you have to be in Cannes this morning.’

‘It’s fine,’ Yann said as he handed her a coffee and a croissant. ‘We’ll have this and then I’ll drop you over to Owls Nest and carry on from there.’

* * *

Briony was busy in the garden rubbing the bicycle down ready for painting when Meg gave a sharp bark and stood up looking towards the side path. ‘Stay,’ Briony said, putting her paintbrush down and getting ready to greet whoever it was.

‘Briony, I’m back,’ Jeannie called out as she appeared around the corner.

‘Mum, how did you get here? And why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I’ve been worried sick, not hearing from you.’

‘I’m sorry about that,’ Jeannie said. ‘I ended up on a late-night flight and I didn’t want to drag you all the way into Nice.

Yann offered to pick me up, so I accepted.

I’m glad I did because the flight was delayed and didn’t land until after midnight and it was nearly one o’clock before I was through to Arrivals.

I wouldn’t have liked you to be hanging around at that time of night. ’

‘You stayed the night at Yann’s? Did he bring you here now? Why didn’t he come in?’

‘He has an appointment in Cannes, otherwise he would have stopped for a coffee.’

‘It’s Good Friday,’ Briony said. ‘Nowhere will be open. Oh, of course, for reasons I can never understand, it’s not a holiday in France, is it?’

‘So this is our new dog? She’s rather beautiful.’ Jeannie bent down to stroke Meg, who had come forward to her, tail wagging furiously.

‘Yes, this is our Meg,’ Briony said. ‘She is lovely and has settled in so well. She and Luna love each other.’

Jeannie looked up at Briony. ‘Do you and Elliot walk the two dogs together?’

‘Yes. Recently he’s been too busy at work, but usually it’s three or four evenings a week. It’s not a big deal,’ Briony said, not wanting her mum to start thinking that she and Elliot were more than friends. ‘The dogs get more exercise playing together.’

‘I’ll just pop my case up into my room and then you can tell me everything that has been going on,’ Jeannie said, straightening up.

‘You might find your room a little crowded. I got Gerry to put a couple of boxes with the things I thought you might want up there, but I haven’t rearranged the room. There’s a letter from the notaire on the dressing table for you too. Should have your new bank details in it.’

‘I slipped a packet of hot cross buns in my bag,’ Jeannie said. ‘Good Friday without hot cross buns is not on and I’ve never found them in France.’

‘I’ll put them in the kitchen. We’ll have them with coffee and you can tell me all your news.’

Twenty minutes later, warm hot cross buns were on the terrace table and the coffee was made. ‘Welcome back and here’s to the future,’ Briony said.

‘Why are you painting an ancient bicycle?’ Jeannie asked curiously, looking towards the garden shed. ‘That old handcart looks freshly painted too. Is the parrot cage also going to be upcycled?’

Briony took a deep breath. ‘I’ve got some exciting news.

I’ve decided that I’m going to use my knowledge of antiques to open a brocante.

I know I’m not an expert in any particular branch of antiques, but I know a little about a lot of different items. Importantly, I know a couple of experts who I can always ask for advice.

I’ve rented the empty artisan building on the farm from Lucy and Adam,’ Briony said, anxiously watching her mother for her reaction.

‘What a brilliant idea,’ Jeannie said. ‘You know I’ll help you as much as I can.’

‘I was hoping you’d say that. We’ll walk up later and I’ll show you the inside.

I’ve taken up some boxes from the garage and stuff from the house, but I was waiting for you to return to make sure I’m not planning on selling anything you want to keep.

The handcart and the bicycle are going to be turned into flower containers and one or the other will be placed outside the unit.

The parrot cage, still thinking about that.

Do you remember ever seeing a parrot here in the cottage? ’

Jeannie shook her head. ‘I don’t remember there ever being a parrot here, but I do remember your dad saying his grandparents had one when he was little. He hated it flying free around the cottage.’

‘Sounds like I’ve got a vintage parrot cage then,’ Briony said, laughing. ‘Must be worth a fortune. Those hot cross buns were delicious. Are you ready to walk up to the farm now?’

‘I need to talk to you first,’ Jeannie said. ‘About Yann,’ she added when Briony raised her eyebrows at her.

‘He’s more than a friend, isn’t he?’ Briony said, remembering the look that had passed between the two at the lunch in the village the first week they were here.

‘He wants to be,’ Jeannie said slowly. ‘How do you feel about that? I don’t want you to feel I’m forgetting your dad.’

‘Mum, Dad’s been gone for several years – of course I don’t think that.

You’re only sixty this year, you’ve got lots of years ahead of you.

If you have feelings for Yann, then go with the flow.

See what happens. You deserve to be happy with someone new.

You’ve both known each other a long time, it’s not as if you’re two strangers having to get to know each other. When did you start to grow close?’

‘After your dad died, both Yann and Evette telephoned me every couple of months. When Evette passed, Yann continued to telephone me, especially after Giselle moved over when he regularly phoned to talk to her. As her health declined, he’d talk to me.

He knew how I was feeling, what I was going through.

He’s a very kind man,’ Jeannie said, hesitating, wondering just how much she dared to tell Briony.

‘And I do like him a lot. I always have, but I never expected to be able to have a relationship with him.’

‘I’m sure Dad would be pleased at the thought of his best mate taking care of his wife.’

Briony pushed her chair back, stood up and began to clear the lunch things.

Jeannie started to help her, knowing that was one remark she didn’t dare to acknowledge or answer.

Because the truth was she knew that Jeromé would have been far from pleased about this particular new man in her life.

He’d always done his best to keep them apart.

‘Easter Sunday lunch – invite Yann,’ Briony said. ‘We can do roast lamb – and I can thank him for collecting you from the airport. And then I shall grill him about his intentions regarding you!’ Briony laughed at the expression on her mum’s face.

‘Don’t you dare,’ Jeannie said, laughing as Briony’s words cut through the tension she was feeling.