Page 44 of A French Inheritance

There was a card with the flowers and Briony smiled as she read the message.

Have supper with me tonight? Eight o’clock. Xx

Walking back to the cottage, Briony’s thoughts were filled with Elliot and the way she felt about him.

Jeannie glanced at the flowers in Briony’s hand when she walked into the kitchen. ‘Elliot?’ she said.

Briony nodded.

Jeannie smiled as she pointed to the vase on the kitchen table filled with the small white bell-like flowers.

‘Yann?’ Briony asked.

‘Yes, they were by the front door this morning.’ Jeannie looked at her daughter. ‘He was the first person to ever give me these flowers years ago,’ she said quietly.

Briony, putting her own bunch in a vase, stopped and looked at her mum. ‘I always thought it was Dad who gave you the first bunch, but it wasn’t was it? You planted that patch of lily of the valley at home to remind you of Yann – how he felt about you all those years ago.’

Jeannie nodded. ‘I’ve always been very fond of Yann, but I didn’t realise just how fond of me he was when we were young – until it was too late to do anything about it.’

Briony was thoughtful as she placed her vase of muguets next to her mum’s on the kitchen table.

Were they both being given a second chance for love here in France?

Her mum with Yann, years after they first met and herself with Elliot.

Elliot, the new man in her life who was so lovely and so different to her ex-husband.

* * *

Jeannie had invited Yann to have supper with her that evening and he arrived as Briony left to walk up to Elliot’s. ‘See you later,’ she called out. ‘Enjoy your evening.’

Luna gave an excited bark as Briony knocked on the door and Elliot called out, ‘Come on in. I’m out in the courtyard.’

‘This is lovely,’ Briony said, looking around the yard with its palm tree in a pot and a pale pink bougainvillea spreading itself out along the back wall of the cottage.

‘Love your aftershave,’ she said as Elliot leant in to give her a welcoming kiss.

‘Dinner smelt delicious as I came through the kitchen.’

Elliot looked guilty. ‘It’s confession time. I bribed Lucy to make one of her wonderful fish pies. I could have made you cheese on toast, but I thought Lucy would get a kick out of knowing you were dining here tonight.’

‘Thanks a bunch,’ Briony said, laughing. ‘Lucy will be asking lots of questions next time I see her, I already know what she’s like as far as you’re concerned.’

‘She just wants me to be happy,’ Elliot said in a silly voice. ‘And right now,’ he added in his normal voice, ‘I am.’

‘Thank you for the muguets this morning,’ Briony said. ‘I’m afraid I left it too late to find a bunch for you.’

‘You know the tradition of why the French give them on the first of May?’

‘Yes,’ Briony said.

‘Good,’ Elliot said, giving her an intense look before turning away. ‘Fish pie needs to come out of the oven,’ and he disappeared back to the kitchen.

Sitting out in the courtyard eating the delicious fish pie that Lucy had made and enjoying a cool glass of white wine, Briony, like Elliot, knew that right now she was extremely happy.

The picnic on the lake had been wonderful and romantic, but somehow sitting here in the tiny courtyard, a candle flickering on the table, French café music playing softly in the background, it was romantic and intimate, making Briony wonder where the evening might end.

Dessert was a meringue nest filled with raspberries and cream. ‘I didn’t make the nests, but I did fill them and put the cream on,’ Elliot said, laughing as he placed them on the table.

After the desserts were eaten, Elliot suggested coffee indoors and Briony cleared the table whilst he organised the coffee. It was all very normal, friendly activity until Elliot caught Briony by the hand as she closed the door of the dishwasher and gently pulled her into his arms.

‘I can’t wait any longer to kiss you.’

Coffee was forgotten for several minutes as Briony responded to Elliot’s kisses.

It was the quacking noise coming from Elliot’s mobile on the work surface next to them that drew them apart. ‘I have to answer it, that’s the alert for the practice. I’m not on call tonight, but something may have come up.’

Elliot reached out and picked up the phone.

‘Hi, Julian. Is there a problem?’

As he listened, his facial expression changed and he gave a sigh. ‘It was expected but still sad. Thanks for letting me know. See you in the morning.’

Elliot put his arms around Briony again.

‘Julian wanted to let us know that Doug passed away an hour or so ago.’