Page 94 of The Missing Sister

‘You are sure you don’t want me to drive you, Ally?’

‘Quite sure,’ she replied as she got in the car and turned on the engine. ‘Thanks, Christian. I’ll call you when I need you to come and collect me.’

‘Take care, Ally, and drive safely,’ he shouted above the noise of the engine as the car reversed.

‘I will, bye!’

Ally made good time through Geneva and across the border into France. She’d brought a collection of CDs and spent the journey alternating between classical and pop, singing her heart out to some of her favourite anthems. She stopped at anairefor coffee, a baguette and to express milk even though she was supplementing now, she didn’t want to finish breastfeeding just yet.

Reaching Grenoble, she pulled off theautoroute, suddenly feeling exhausted. After a twenty-minute catnap, she began the final stretch down into Provence. She watched as the countryside visibly softened around her.

‘It really is so beautiful here,’ she murmured as she drove past a particularly lovely pale yellow farmhouse. Up a gentle slope covered in vineyards stood a grand château. The gates were open and part of her longed to drive up to the advertisedcaveto take a taste of one of her favourite wines: Provençal rosé. A road sign told her she was only three kilometres away from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. So close now, she decided to pull over and gather her thoughts. Reaching into her bag for her mobile, she saw there were a number of text messages, all from Star.

‘Call me!’ was the gist of most of them.

Ally rang Star’s number and she answered immediately. ‘Hi, Star, what’s up?’

‘Oh, don’t worry, nothing awful has happened. As far as we know, Merry McDougal has not checked out of the hotel. Shehasleft her room, however, and Orlando has followed her to see where she’s going. Her bags are still here, according to the concierge.’

‘Okay. I’m almost at thecavewhere this Jack’s apparently staying and I’ve enjoyed the journey so much, I switched my brain off about what I’m going to say once I get there. I don’t know whether I should pretend to be a tourist and casually engage Jack in conversation about his family, or just come clean immediately. What do you think?’

‘Oh gosh, Ally, I suppose it depends whether Merry has already told him about CeCe and Electra’s visits.’

‘If I somehow manage to meet him and then get him to talk to me without having to kidnap him and tie him to a chair at gunpoint, I’ll do my best. Honestly, Star, you’re right: now that I’m actually here, this all feels very uncomfortable. If Merry doesn’t want her daughter to know about her origins, then I don’t think it’s right that we force it. Despite whatever reasons Pa had for wanting to find her.’

‘I agree. If I were you, I’d play it by ear. Just be yourself and let things progress naturally. Good luck, Ally, and please keep in touch.’

‘And you. Bye, Star.’

With a sigh, Ally started up the engine and moved out onto the road. She thought about the fact that all of her sisters had had someone with them when they’d been on the trail of the missing sister. CeCe had Chrissie; Electra, Mariam; and Star with Orlando by her side.

‘And here I am, going it alone again,’ she muttered as she saw a sign to the Minuet Cave. The building she was heading towards looked very much like the others scattered around the countryside: an old stone farmhouse with terracotta roofs and large blue-shuttered windows. Pausing at the turning onto a lane, which ran along a chalky path through the vines, she took a deep breath and saw an image of Theo in her mind.

‘Be by my side, won’t you, darling?’

With that, she pulled onto the track and drove towards the farmhouse.

‘Right, here goes,’ she whispered as she stepped out of the car and followed the signs to the shop. Housed in a dark, cellar-like room at one end of the farmhouse, it was empty of people. Bottles of red Châteauneuf-du-Pape were stacked closely together, with every inch of space used. She was just about to go in search of someone when a teenage boy of around sixteen walked inside and smiled at her.

‘Je peux vous aider?’

‘Yes, I saw your sign advertising thegîteyou have for rent and was wondering whether it was available?’

‘For when,mademoiselle?’ The teenager walked around the tiny counter jammed into a corner of the room and took out a book from a shelf beneath.

‘For tonight actually.’

He thumbed through the book then nodded. ‘Yes, it’s available.’

‘How much is it?’

The boy told her, and after saying she wanted to stay two nights minimum, she took her credit card from her purse.

‘No, no,mademoiselle. You pay when you leave. One moment, and I will callMamanto come and take you down to thegîte.’ Then he went to a small fridge and pulled out a bottle of rosé. ‘Would you like a glass?’

‘Do you know, I actually would,’ Ally smiled. ‘It’s been a long drive.’

Once she had been furnished with the glass of pale pink wine, the boy walked towards the door. ‘Excusez-moi,Mamanwill be here soon.’