by T A Williams
‘I’m booked on a flight on the twenty-third.’
Miss Beech nodded sagely. ‘So you’ll be here for your birthday. Have you made any plans?’ Faye shook her head. ‘Right, let’s have a party. It can be a celebration of the book, Christmas, and your birthday all in one. How does that sound?’
‘That sounds wonderful, but you shouldn’t go to any trouble on my behalf.’
‘And why not?’ Miss Beech gave her a smile. ‘After all, if I can’t have a party for my granddaughter, who can I have a party for?’
‘The next question is who to invite.’ Eddie looked across the room at Faye. ‘The trouble is, with a couple of old crocks like us, it’ll have to be a sit-down affair really. I don’t think either of us are going to be able to stand up for any length of time. And as for dancing …’
‘I used to love dancing.’ Miss Beech’s eyes were misty again as she thought back to her prime. ‘Have you ever danced all night, Faye?’ Faye shook her head. ‘I have. You get so tired after a while you stop feeling tired. I know that sounds silly, but I can remember seeing the dawn rise and then going for a long, barefoot walk on the beach until the sun was up properly and, only then, going to bed.’
She sighed and then shook her head, returning to the present day. ‘But, like Eddie says, it’d better be a sit-down dinner party. We can stick an extension into the table and seat twenty round it if need be. So, who do we ask? Faye, it’s your birthday. Who would you like to invite?’
There was one person at the top of Faye’s list, but she chose to relegate him to second spot so as to avoid further fuelling her grandmother’s curiosity. As it was, she needn’t have bothered dissembling. ‘Well, there’s Dominique and Gavin for a start.’
‘How could we not invite Gavin?’ Miss Beech glanced across at her and Faye felt herself flush again. ‘You know something? I think he’d be perfect for you, Faye.’
Faye couldn’t fault her logic, but she shook her head anyway. ‘He’s got a lot of mental sorting out to do first. It must be awful to lose your wife like that.’ Just like her own father had lost his wife. Sparing a tender thought for both men, she looked up and smiled. ‘And it would be nice if we could invite my dad. I don’t know if he could get away, but it would be nice to ask him.’
‘Of course, I’d love to see him again. So, who else?’
‘Why don’t we invite the doc?’ Eddie had been thinking. ‘He’s been pretty damn good to both of us.’
‘Is that Philippe? I met him at the dance in September. He looked nice.’ He was also having dinner with Dominique tonight, so he would be good company for her.
Miss Beech nodded. ‘Of course, we must invite him. He’s been so very helpful to Eddie and me. What about some of your students?’
‘Yes, definitely. I’d love to invite Chantal and Alain and a few of the others. Then there’s Obelix, of course. To be honest, Anabelle, I’d really like Claudette to come to the party, rather than for her just to be stuck in the kitchen all night.’
Miss Beech nodded approvingly. ‘Absolutely. I’m sure we can arrange that. Maybe she could prepare a cold spread in advance or we could get the Coq d’Or to do the catering for once. That way she could join us. You’re right; she should be there.’
Chapter Nineteen
Early in December, Faye received an email from Gavin. She had barely seen him for a good few days now and she was beginning to think he was trying to avoid her. In consequence, the email was very welcome. In it he told her he had read the biography of Miss Beech, loved it, and felt sure it would be a great success if it ever got published. This was essentially what Miss Beech herself, Eddie, and her dad had also said and Faye felt greatly cheered.
She felt even more cheered when she saw that the email invited her down to the farm for a drink that same evening. She replied immediately, saying she would love to accept his invitation and headed straight for the shower. When she got back to her computer, there was a one-line reply from him.
Great. See you at six. Do bring Marlon with you. G
‘Love me, love my dog’, she murmured to herself as she checked her appearance in the mirror. The fact that Marlon wasn’t her dog and nobody had mentioned love didn’t bother her in the slightest. She was going to see him again and that, at least for now, was all that mattered.
At just before six she went over to collect Marlon and found Eddie sitting in the kitchen.
‘Going out, Faye? You’re looking very smart.’
‘Why, thank you, Eddie.’ She gave him a smile as the dog bounced beside her. ‘As it happens, Marlon and I have been invited down to the farm for an aperitif.’
‘How are they doing?’
‘I think they’re doing better, Eddie. At least, I’m pretty sure Dominique is coming out of it. I’ll let you know about Gavin once I’ve seen him.’
‘And they’ve both said yes to your birthday party?’
Faye nodded. She had been very pleased to hear that her father would be coming, as would Gavin and Dominique, along with all the other people she had invited. After all, it wasn’t every day you got an invitation to a party in a medieval chateau with a great Hollywood star. So far, Faye hadn’t told anybody she was related to Miss Beech, feeling that should be left up to her grandmother to do, if and when she felt like it. She had a sneaking suspicion that might be at the party.
Faye and Marlon walked down the road to the farm, staying on the tarmac and avoiding the rough tracks, as she had chosen to wear a good pair of shoes, rather than trainers. Although these weren’t in the same league as the silver stilettos she had tried in Miss Beech’s wardrobe rooms, they were rather smart and had been pretty pricey – at least by her standards. She had opted to wear a skirt for a change and she hoped it wasn’t too short. As she walked down the road she kept tugging at the hem, wondering if maybe this was too much, too soon.
The lights were on in the farmhouse and Gavin’s door opened before she reached it. As it did so, a black shadow emerged from behind his master’s legs.
‘Hello, George, how’re you?’ George immediately revealed that his manners were no better than Marlon’s by sticking his cold, wet nose up Faye’s skirt, making her jump, before trotting over to say hello to his brother, who was busy peeing on the back tyre of Gavin’s car. Faye gave her hem another discreet tug and looked across at Gavin apologetically. ‘Sorry, about your tyre, Gavin. Marlon never had any manners.’
‘Hi, Faye. Welcome. Afraid my dog hasn’t got any manners either. And don’t worry about Marlon. If you saw what the chickens do to the cars, you wouldn’t give it a second thought. Come on in. I’m so glad I’ve finally managed to get you here for that drink I’ve been promising you for months now. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.’
He stepped to one side, but she wasn’t going to let him get away with that. They were in France after all and he was half French. She stopped as she reached him and stretched up to his face, kissing him on the cheeks. Just for a moment her cheek rested against his and the sensation sent her mind spinning back to their dance together back in September. She stepped away again and followed the direction of his outstretched arm.
The two dogs pushed in past her as she walked down a short corridor and she heard the door close behind them. A sensation of excitement began to build in her, even though she had spent the last hour doing her best not to expect anything more than a glass of wine tonight.
‘Just go on through into the lounge.’ She hesitated at the end of the passage, confronted by two open doors. She felt his hands on her shoulders as he turned her gently to the right. His touch reached deep inside her. ‘In here. I’ve lit the fire.’
It was a charming room. The fireplace was clearly very old, with a hefty wooden beam acting as a lintel across the front of it, blackened with age. Two logs were burning in the fire basket, throwing out a lot of heat. The two dogs made a beeline for the thick rug on the terracotta tiled floor in front of it and settled down happily.
‘Can I take y
our coat?’ Faye felt his hands on her collar and she slipped out of her warm down jacket, relishing the sensation as he slid it off her back. She took a few steps into the centre of the room and turned towards him. He had just hung her coat over the back of a chair and he was straightening up again. He was wearing a pair of freshly laundered jeans and a crisp blue shirt. The top two buttons were open, exposing just a hint of his hairy chest. His hair was freshly washed and he looked, predictably, gorgeous.
‘You look ravishing, Faye.’ There was genuine warmth in his voice and she felt a glow of satisfaction.
‘I haven’t worn this skirt since last winter and I have a feeling it might be a bit short.’ His expression gave the lie to that observation. She heard him clear his throat and saw him return his eyes to her face.
‘Take a seat while I get you a drink. What would you like?’
‘What’ve you got?’
‘Um, most things, I think. To be honest, I don’t drink much of anything apart from wine these days, but I’ve got beer and some spirits. I know there’s gin and I can probably find some tonic if that’s what you feel like.’
‘A glass of wine would be good. Have you got any of your own?’
He nodded. ‘Well, if you’re sure it’s wine you’d like, how about some of our rosé? I know it’s normally considered a summer drink, but last year’s turned out to be really rather good. How does that sound?’
‘Terrific, thanks.’ Faye took a seat on the sofa to one side of the fire. It was an old sofa and a lot softer than she had expected. As she sat down, she felt herself slipping backwards and had to catch the arm of the sofa to stop herself disappearing from sight. As it was, her legs waved most inelegantly in the air and she was thankful he had gone off to get the wine. Or so she thought.
‘I see what you mean about the short skirt.’ His voice made her look up, to see him standing by the door, an amused smile on his face. Along with amusement there was something else, maybe enjoyment. Faye felt the colour rush to her cheeks as he continued. ‘Sorry, I should have warned you. This is my dad’s old sofa and I’ve been meaning to replace it for ages. It’s a bit saggy.’
‘A bit saggy?’ Faye reached down and gripped the hem of her skirt that was somewhere up round her bottom by now. As she tugged it down, she looked back up at him. ‘I almost disappeared from sight. Have you ever checked under the cushions for coins? I’m glad I haven’t got any pockets or they’d be empty by now. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found enough small change in here to buy a new sofa.’
‘Now that’s a good idea. Right then, I’ve prepared a few nibbles if you’d like them. I’m afraid I’m not a great cook, but I thought you might like something to eat. All right?’
‘Anything, Gavin. A packet of crisps or whatever.’ He disappeared out of the door and she gradually managed to settle on the sofa, finding that by wedging two cushions behind her, she could stay more or less upright. On the floor at her feet, the two dogs had no such problems. Marlon was stretched out in front of the fire with his head on his brother’s shoulder. It was a very relaxed and a very intimate scene. As ever, Faye felt the same flicker of envy at their easy relationship.
‘Here you go.’ She looked up to see Gavin with a tray. He brought it in and set it down on the coffee table in front her. Both dogs looked in with considerable interest, noses wiffling as the smell of the food reached them.
‘I would offer to get up and help, Gavin, but it might take a while … and a crane.’
‘Stay there. The trick with the sofa is, once you’ve got comfortable, don’t move. I’ll just get the wine.’
As he disappeared once more, she checked the contents of the tray and was very impressed to see a whole lot more than a bag of crisps on there. He had prepared a big plate with slices of toasted baguette, some bruschetta-style with tomato chunks and olive oil, others with slices of goat’s cheese, dusted with spices. They were pretty clearly fresh out of the oven and they smelt delicious. There were big, succulent, prawns in another dish, and slices of salami on another. A bowl of fat olives completed the feast.
‘Here’s the wine.’ Gavin reappeared with an ice bucket and two glasses. He slipped a corkscrew out of his pocket, expertly opened the bottle, and filled two glasses with a very light, almost greyish rosé. ‘I hope you like it.’ He handed a glass over to Faye and then, to her disappointment, he didn’t sit down beside her, but took a seat in an equally old-looking armchair on the other side of the fireplace, the coffee table separating them. Suppressing a feeling of regret, she raised her glass in his direction.
‘Cheers, Gavin, and thanks for the invitation.’ She took a sip and nodded approvingly. ‘Great wine.’
‘Congratulations on the book, by the way. So, now that you’re pretty much at the end of your contract, have you decided what you’re going to do? Are you going to stay here?’
Faye looked at him for a moment without replying, debating what to say. The fact was that a good part of the answer to that question, if only he realized, lay in his hands. She had pretty well made up her mind already, but for now she decided to keep her options open. ‘I don’t really know, Gavin. On the one hand, I love it here and I’d be delighted to stay on, but, on the other, there’s the need to earn a living.’
‘I really hope you decide to stay.’
‘You do?’
‘Very much so. It’d be awful if you left.’ He looked and sounded as if he meant it.
‘When you say, awful …?’
‘I mean …’ He didn’t get to say anything else, as a plaintive wail from the other room disturbed them. He glanced across apologetically. ‘Elise.’ He jumped to his feet. ‘I’m babysitting tonight. Dominique left her with me and she’s supposed to be asleep. I’ll be right back.’
Faye watched him go, wondering if she should maybe accompany him, but decided against it, fearing that a second face might stimulate, rather than soothe the little girl. She sipped her drink and thought back to what Gavin had said. It was clear he would be sorry to see her go, but was there more to it than that? Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice, speaking in a hoarse whisper.
‘This might take a while. Go ahead and help yourself to the food while it’s still hot. Please.’ Gavin’s head disappeared back round the door frame again the moment he finished speaking. Faye followed his instructions and had eaten no fewer than three lovely hot pieces of toast before he returned. He paused at the door and listened intently for a few moments, but all was quiet once more. He came back across and sat down again.
‘She’d dropped her teddy. She can’t sleep without Ted.’
‘She’s lucky she’s got a loving uncle to look after her.’ Faye gave him a little smile. ‘Where’s Dominique?’
‘Out with friends. She’s started going out quite regularly again and I’m really pleased for her. Have you tried the food? Is it all right?’
‘The toast with tomatoes and olive oil’s amazing. Is this your own oil?’
He shook his head. ‘No, but it’s from just up the hill. We’ve never had olive trees here and the problem is they’re so slow growing, if I plant them now, it’ll be years before I can even think of getting enough olives off them to make oil. Try the prawns.’
If she hadn’t known better, she could almost have imagined that Marlon looked up in response to the invitation. She smiled down at the dog and then returned her attention to her host, risking a personal question. ‘And what about you, Gavin? Are you starting to go out regularly as well?’
In the ensuing silence, Faye reached forward and picked a prawn out of the dish with the aid of a cocktail stick. As she did so, before it had reached her lips, she suddenly found she had a companion. Marlon’s face materialized at her side like magic, his expression making clear what he thought of somebody trying to eat prawns without offering him one. In spite of her eagerness to hear Gavin’s reply, she found herself smiling again as she listened to him.
‘I go out. I was in Grasse for a flower producers’ meet
ing only last week. The company’s making some changes and they wanted us all to know.’
‘Dominique tells me that’s because Désirée’s moving to the US.’
Gavin nodded, reaching for a piece of baguette. ‘Yes, she’s finally found her Mr Right, after a disastrous marriage.’
‘For a while, I thought you might end up being her Mr Right.’
Gavin laughed – a warm, natural, open laugh. ‘No way. Dési’s the sister I never had. We had a little flirt at school but, since then, she’s become a sort of pal. The man she married was a pig. I told her before she went into it, but did she listen to me? Anyway, I’ve met the new guy and I think he’s just what she needs. I had lunch with her a few weeks back and she told me all about it.’
‘So, apart from business meetings, what about social outings?’ The dog’s eyes were trained on her now empty cocktail stick. She reached for another of the prawns and saw hope spring once more on the dog’s face. But hope wasn’t springing inside her yet. By the sound of it, Gavin still wasn’t moving on.
‘I don’t really feel like socializing, to be honest, Faye. Besides, I work a ten, twelve hour day and I’m pretty tired by the evening.’
‘But you are coming to Miss Beech’s party?’ At Faye’s insistence, the fact that it was her birthday hadn’t been mentioned, so as to avoid people thinking they had to bring presents.
‘Of course. I wouldn’t miss it. Dominique said Brigitte Bardot’s coming. Is that true?’
Faye shook her head. ‘No, I think she might have been invited, but she said no. Miss Beech knows her well but, by the sound of it, she’s even more of a hermit than you are.’
‘I’m not a hermit. I just don’t go out much.’ He gave her a gentle smile. ‘You know the situation.’ Before she could respond, he changed the subject back to the party. ‘And do I really have to wear a suit?’
Faye nodded. ‘Definitely a suit or, even better, a dinner jacket, if you’ve got one. Miss Beech is very insistent that this should be a dinner party of distinction.’
