The True Love Travels Series Box Set

by Poppy Pennington-Smith

  “Well, France is very happy to have you.” Sebastian smiled at her then waved ahead. “Ah, look. Here we are… Chateau du Colline.”

  Ahead, the black iron gates of the Chateau on the Hill gently began to open and as they drove through, and she spotted its silhouette at the top of the steep tree-lined driveway, Annie felt her lips spread into a grin. Leaning forwards, she put her hands on the dashboard of the truck and released a whoosh of air from deep down in her lungs, feeling just the smallest ounce of tension start to evaporate from her body.

  “Welcome home, Annie,” said Sebastian.

  3

  Sebastian

  When Sebastian pulled up outside the arrivals hall at the airport, he honestly didn’t think he was going to be able to make himself get out of the truck. He had spent three-quarters of an hour parked up by the river in town, staring out at the water and trying to pluck up the courage to do what Angelique Brodier had asked him to do – collect her granddaughter Annie and bring her back to the chateau.

  The last time Sebastian saw Annie, they were teenagers and she was his girlfriend. He had smothered her with kisses, waved her goodbye, and vowed to write to her every week until she returned. She had cried as she clung onto him. She had told him that even a few months was too long to wait. She had told him she’d miss him every minute and would write to him three times as often as he wrote to her.

  And then he’d never heard from her again.

  Glancing sideways from the driver’s seat of his large white truck, Sebastian breathed in sharply and steadied himself with the steering wheel. There she was… tall, blonde, and beautiful. The same. But different, too.

  He released his breath, whispered to himself, “You can do this Sebastian. Just be normal. Just be normal.” And got out of the truck.

  4

  Annie

  Sebastian drove them slowly to the front of the chateau.

  “It isn’t working?” Annie frowned at the dry, waterless fountain as she stepped out of the truck.

  Sebastian walked up beside her and wrinkled his brow at it. “It needs to be repaired, but I’m not sure your grandmother can afford to hire someone…”

  Annie placed her hand on the rim of the fountain. She had spent hours playing in it as a child, splashing her toys in the water then, as she got older, sitting beside Sebastian while they let the spray dance on their bare legs.

  She looked up at the large wooden doors at the front of the chateau. They needed painting, and so did the window frames and the porch swing. At first glance, her grandparents’ home still looked splendid – grand and beautiful, standing proudly on its little hill above the town – but now she was up close, she could see that there were weeds creeping up though the gravel on the driveway and that the lavender, which was usually springing to life in the beds beneath the terrace, was grey instead of purple.

  Usually, on arriving at the chateau, Annie would have been greeted by the subtle hubbub of staff coming and going – gardeners, handy-men, and decorators whose jobs were to keep the property looking pristine. But today, it was just her and Sebastian and the broken-down fountain.

  “Shall we go inside?” Sebastian gestured to the front door. Above them, the sun was growing hotter and brighter as it neared mid-day, so Annie nodded.

  “Yes. Please.”

  Annie expected her grandmother to be waiting eagerly inside, but the large wood-floored entrance hall was eerily quiet. Crossing it, she shuddered.

  “Everything feels so… still,” she whispered.

  Beside her, Sebastian looked up at the ceiling and sighed a little. “Yes. Too quiet.”

  “Do you know where GiGi is?”

  “Ah, maybe.” Sebastian breathed in deeply and shouted, “Madame, it’s Sebastian. I have your Annie with me.”

  From the back of the house, a voice Annie instantly recognised as her grandmother’s called back, “Oh, Annie. Annie! Come here!”

  Annie put her handbag down in the hall and hurried towards her grandmother’s favourite room – a large rectangular sun room that ran the entire length of the back of the chateau and looked out onto its sprawling gardens. It had high glass ceilings and the last time Annie visited it had been filled with all kinds of beautiful exotic plants.

  As she stepped inside, Annie breathed a sigh of relief. Her grandmother’s trademark orchids were still there, along with leafy green house-plants, indoor ferns, and a small collection of bonsai trees.

  Annie almost threw herself at her grandmother, who was standing watering-can-in-hand beside a silvery bamboo, but then she steadied herself and tried to be a little more gentle.

  “Annie, let me look at you.” GiGi placed her smooth palms on Annie’s cheeks, kissed them three times, and looked up at her. “You are even more beautiful than the last time I saw you.”

  Annie felt tears spring to her eyes and tried to blink them away. Like a tidal wave, the realisation that Grandpa wasn’t there, pottering about in another room, washed over her. “I’m so sorry I didn’t…”

  Gently, Annie’s grandmother put a finger to Annie’s lips and, in her delicate French accent, whispered, “Shhhh. You’re here now. This is a happy time. Not a sad time.”

  After embracing for a long time, they finally pulled themselves apart and GiGi turned to Sebastian. Lingering in the doorway, he rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his feet as if he was intruding on something private. But Annie’s grandmother reached for his hand and dragged him into the room.

  “Sebastian, you will stay for brunch, yes?”

  “Oh, no, I won’t interrupt. You two need some time together. Family time.”

  “Nonsense.” GiGi tutted and tossed her long white hair over her shoulder. “You are family, Sebastian. And, besides, you are working for Madame Despart this afternoon. You will need fuel for your patience.”

  Sebastian laughed and grimaced, then said something in French that Annie didn’t understand. In response, her grandmother laughed back and patted Sebastian’s shoulder. The gesture made Annie bristle a little and she wasn’t sure why; perhaps it was because – in that moment – Sebastian seemed more like family than Annie did. Perhaps it was because the fact she didn’t understand what had been said magnified how distanced she’d become from France and her grandparents since she was a teenager.

  Had she really stayed away for fifteen years? Away from Provence, and her grandparents, and Sebastian?

  She had. She knew she had. But, looking at the two of them, she suddenly couldn’t think of a single good reason why.

  Outside, on the terrace behind the sunroom, a wicker-based table and four wicker dining chairs were positioned under a large parasol. The rest of the terrace was already smouldering in the mid-morning heat. But in the shade of the parasol, the temperature was just right.

  “You two sit down,” GiGi instructed. “I’ll fetch croissants and coffee.”

  “Let me help you,” Annie offered, lingering beside the table.

  “Absolutely not. You’ve had a long journey. Sit down and talk with Sebastian.”

  Annie opened her mouth to protest, but beside her Sebastian whispered, “Don’t bother arguing. She is still a very stubborn lady.”

  GiGi waved her hand at him and made a pfft sound. “Away with you,” she smiled. Then turned and ducked back inside.

  Annie sat down and breathed out a long slow sigh.

  “Is that a happy sigh or a melancholy sigh?” Sebastian was sitting next to her with his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles.

  “A little of both, I think. It’s so good to be back. And GiGi looks so well. But...” She looked up at the chateau, then out towards the overgrown lawn. “The chateau looks tired.”

  Sebastian nodded. “Yes.”

  “Shall I talk to GiGi about it?” It felt strange to be asking Sebastian for advice about her own grandmother, but he saw her almost every day and Annie merely spoke to her on the phone a few times a month.

  “Not just yet. Let her
be happy to see you first, yes?”

  Annie breathed in and tried to smile. “Yes. Yes, of course.”

  Sebastian paused, then looked at her sideways. His voice softened and his care-free aura changed to something a little more serious. “It’s good to see you, Annie.”

  Annie blushed and shifted uncomfortably in her chair; the growing heat of the morning was making the wicker stick to the backs of her legs. “It’s good to see you too,” she said.

  Sebastian smiled at her – the same warm, cheeky smile he’d always had – and for just a moment, just a flash of a moment, they were Annie and Seb again.

  Her grandmother’s voice, drifting out from the kitchen, disrupted them. “Here we are!” She emerged from inside carrying a large tray that looked far too heavy for her. Annie moved to stand up but Sebastian was already on his way, striding over and whisking the tray out of GiGi’s hands.

  “Angelique, please let me.”

  GiGi didn’t protest, and even allowed Sebastian to pour the coffee.

  In France, coffee with milk or cream was unusual. Back home in London, Annie couldn’t stand drinking it black but as she looked hesitantly at her cup her grandmother said, “French coffee is so good you don’t need milk or sugar. Trust me.”

  Annie sipped at it, and her grandmother was right; instantly she wanted more.

  “So, Annie, tell us... what made you come for a visit so suddenly?”

  Annie had forgotten that her grandmother had the knack of being surprisingly, and unashamedly, direct. She took another sip of coffee, not sure what to say. “I just wanted to see you... it’s been too long.”

  “It has been a long time, and you’re always welcome.” GiGi reached out and patted Annie’s hand. “But you know you can tell me if it is something more, don’t you?”

  Annie glanced at Sebastian, who was watching her over the rim of his coffee cup. “Of course. But there’s nothing to tell.” She tried to laugh light-heartedly, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “I just wanted to see you...” She paused, purposefully meeting her grandmother’s eyes because she wanted her to know that she was being sincere as she said, “I should never have stayed away so long.”

  GiGi shook her head. “You have a busy life.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Did Sebastian tell you his news?” GiGi interrupted, beaming at Sebastian. “He’s his own boss now. And he’s doing fantastically well. He is an amazing carpenter, and he is very popular... especially among my female friends.” GiGi winked at Sebastian and Annie expected him to blush, but instead he just tipped his head back and laughed – a loud guffawing laugh that caught her off guard.

  The sound of it, and the surprise, made Annie laugh too. “Well, I always knew you’d do it, Sebastian.”

  “Become popular with the ladies?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Become a carpenter,” she corrected him, smiling.

  “Ah yes,” he replied. “Speaking of my work... I should go.” Slowly, he stood up from the table and glanced at his watch. “I know French time is a little flexible, but I have to fetch some supplies for this afternoon.”

  Despite the fact that when she’d decided to come to France, Annie had almost hoped she wouldn’t see Sebastian – because she was worried it would be awkward or frosty between them – now that she was with him, the familiar sensation of just needing him to be close was starting to creep back into her skin and the thought of him leaving made her feel instantly uneasy.

  Trying to sound as if she wasn’t really all that bothered, she kept looking down at her coffee cup as she said, “Oh, well, will I... will we see you later?”

  When she looked up, Sebastian was grinning at her. “I expect so, seeing as I live just over there...”

  He was pointing to a cluster of trees just a little beyond the driveway – where a small shady wood enclosed a stream that flowed down to meet the river in the village.

  Was Sebastian talking about the wood? Surely not? He must mean the village.

  “Sebastian is converting the old stable,” GiGi offered, waving her hand towards the spot where the building was nestled, invisible from their current vantage point, in the trees.

  “I thought you were using it as a workshop?” Annie asked, squinting at the trees, even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to see the stable from where they were sitting.

  “What can I say? I live for my work. It seems sensible to have my house and my tools in the same place,” Sebastian said, grabbing a croissant and taking a large bite. “Au revoir, Annie. See you later.”

  Annie opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Instead she just waved meekly and then, when Sebastian had trotted down the steps, crossed the lawn, and disappeared around the front of the house, she flopped back in her chair and shook her head at herself.

  Beside her, GiGi laughed. “He still ties you in knots, doesn’t he?”

  Annie frowned as if her grandmother was way off-base. “Of course not. We’re completely different people now. All that... it’s in the past, isn’t it?”

  Her grandmother took a sip of coffee. “Is it?”

  5

  Sebastian

  At the front of the chateau, out of sight of Annie and her grandmother, Sebastian stopped and put his hands on his knees, bending over and taking a long slow breath.

  Annie must have noticed how nervous he was – when he kissed her cheeks at the airport, he had been so clumsy he’d almost trodden on her toes – and yet she was behaving as if everything was completely normal.

  Sebastian had expected her to be awkward or embarrassed, and he felt he knew her well enough to spot these things even if she was trying to hide them. But she was neither. While he was struggling to remember how to speak English, she was cool and unflappable, and absolutely stunning. Which was making things worse.

  Had she completely forgotten what had happened between them? Or was it simply so long ago that she wasn’t giving it a second thought?

  Sebastian stood up and brushed his fingers through his hair, glancing back in the direction of the terrace. He had dreamed of Annie’s return to Provence so many times. And now here she was, and he was managing to do none of the things he had always pictured himself doing. He wanted to come across as laid back, unflappable, confident. But beside Annie, with her bright red sun dress and knock-out smile, he felt scruffy and awkward. The way he always had as a kid.

  Back then, he had won her over with his humour and spontaneity. Perhaps he could do the same again? Perhaps he could win her back?

  Sebastian shook his head and forced himself to trot down the front steps and unlock the truck.

  Annie had been back less than a few hours and, already, he could feel himself gravitating towards her in a way he hadn’t ever experienced with anyone else.

  He had even been tempted to call his afternoon client and cancel so that he could spend the afternoon with her. But he needed to be sensible.

  This time, he needed to remember that Annie Mackintosh would be leaving at the end of the summer. Perhaps sooner.

  This time, he wasn’t going to let his heart get broken.

  6

  Annie

  After their brunch on the terrace, Annie’s grandmother took her for a tour of the property.

  “You’ll notice that it’s not the same as it was,” she said quietly as they descended the steps towards the lawn.

  Annie took her GiGi’s arm and sighed. Deep down, the proactive, highly-organised part of her wanted to leap into action, look at the chateau’s accounts, list the repairs that needed to be made, figure out how to increase bookings and hire back some of the staff that had clearly been let go. But, trying to remember Sebastian’s advice, she simply smiled and said, “It’s still the most beautiful place on Earth to me.”

  They walked around the grounds of the chateau for just under an hour. Around each corner, GiGi dolefully pointed out something else that needed fixing. The lawn was dry – the sprinklers that kept it fresh and green, even in the
heat of the summer, long turned off – the swimming pool was empty, the secret pathways in the Italian garden were overgrown, and the paintwork on the windows and doors needed treating to a fresh coat.

  As the sun climbed higher in the sky and the heat of the day started to beat down in full force, Annie suggested they go back inside.

  The interior of the chateau had always been a welcome oasis of cool and shade. In the summer, unless they had guests, her grandparents had always kept the shutters closed during the day to ensure the rooms remained a bearable temperature at night. Except for the sun-room at the back, which was practically a sauna because of its glass walls and ceiling.

  GiGi took them through to the lounge on the shady side of the house and daringly opened the shutters. “It shouldn’t get too hot, the sun is at the back,” she said, sitting down and letting out a tired sigh.

  Annie sat down beside her and put her hand on her grandmother’s knee. “GiGi, why didn’t you tell us how difficult things were?”

  GiGi shuffled in her chair and shook her head. “Because your mother and your aunt would have told me to sell up. And I kept thinking things would turn themselves around.”

  As gently as she could, Annie said, “Are there any weddings in the books?”

  Her grandmother grimaced. “No. I stopped taking bookings last year.”

  “You stopped?” Annie tried to keep her voice calm and steady.

  “I had to, Annie. Look at this place... it’s not fit for a tea-party let alone a wedding.” GiGi sighed and smoothed her skirt. “After your grandfather died, I let things get on top of me. We’d always managed things on our own. We had a bit of help – gardeners and handy-men – but mostly it was just us. I should have hired someone, but I suppose I just didn’t want to let go. And now, there are so many things to fix and no money to fix them with.”