The True Love Travels Series Box Set

by Poppy Pennington-Smith

“And is that a bad thing?” Sebastian was watching her carefully, as if he was trying to figure out whether she was being playful or whether she genuinely found the slower pace irritating.

  “No. Not at all.”

  Sebastian nodded, then leaned back and sighed at the river. “This is one of my favourite spots for coffee,” he said. And, as if he had tempted fate, the waitress appeared behind him with a mug of espresso. Sebastian downed it in one, put some Euros down on the table and stood up. “This way,” he said, sauntering off towards a street a little way from the village square.

  Annie hesitated. Part of her wanted to bound up beside him like an excited puppy, bubbling with enthusiasm. But a bigger part – the part that had only minutes ago decided she was going to remember that they could never be anything more than friends – was telling her to restrain herself. So, she casually walked beside him, glancing occasionally at her notebook and trying not to think about how handsome he looked in the sunshine.

  15

  Annie

  TWO WEEKS LATER

  It was late afternoon. Annie had been staring at the chateau’s business accounts for hours, and her mind was swimming. The study was incredibly hot and making her brain feel foggy and sluggish. She’d tried opening the shutters, hoping for even the hint of a breeze to waft through and cool the beads of sweat at the nape of her neck. But they had simply let in more light and allowed the temperature to climb even higher.

  Checking her phone for the local weather, it told her it was thirty-eight degrees but felt like forty-two. Annie clunked the phone down sharply on the desk in front of her, taking her frustration out on it because if she didn’t she might start ripping up sheets of paper or crumpling them into balls and hurling them at the waste-paper basket.

  She had looked at the chateau’s accounts for the last four years, going back before her grandfather had died. And she’d discovered that, actually, the problems had started long before his death. GiGi had told her not to worry, to focus on the festival but – knowing that her grandmother was thinking of selling up – Annie simply couldn’t leave it alone.

  Closing the folder in front of her, she sighed and scraped her fingers through her hair.

  Examining the books, it was clear what had gone wrong; as her grandparents had gotten older, they’d refused to take on the level of help they needed. The chateau had fallen into more and more disrepair, bookings for wedding and large corporate events had stopped, and then the money had stopped too. And now, her grandmother was stuck. There were no bookings scheduled to bring money in and there wasn’t enough cash to do all of the work that was needed to bring bookings in.

  Annie had done all of the calculations. But the chateau was in limbo, and Annie couldn’t see a way out of it. She’d even considered injecting some cash herself, but the amount the chateau needed was too much even for her, especially if she considered that GiGi would need to hire a chef, a grounds keeper, an on-site maintenance man, and an events coordinator.

  If they opened up the chateau’s grounds for tourists as well as events, that could provide an extra stream of income. But, again, it would require improvements and alterations.

  The only solution Annie could think of was the kind of investment that had helped her and Jeremy get their business off the ground back in London – a silent investor who would stump up the cash and take a percentage of the profits, as well as a stake in the property, going forward.

  If she could write up a solid business plan, it might just work. A silent investor would allow GiGi to keep control of the property, and losing a little bit of the equity in the building and the business was, surely, better than losing the chateau altogether.

  So, ignoring the voice in her head that was still unbelievably angry with Jeremy, Annie opened up her laptop and navigated to her emails.

  Jeremy,

  I’m sorry I left so suddenly. After everything that happened, I needed some space to clear my head.

  I know you’ll be taking care of the business. I appreciate you stepping in and respecting the fact that I asked for some peace and quiet and not to be bothered with work while I’m here.

  I’m not sure when I will be back. I have some urgent family business to fix before I can return. Which is why I’m emailing you.

  My grandparents’ chateau is in financial trouble. Since Grandpa died, GiGi hasn’t been coping and the place has fallen into disrepair. I’ve been looking things over and I think I could draw up a solid business plan that would attract investors.

  I know you’ve got contacts at Jarold’s, so I was wondering whether you might put some feelers out and see if there’s any interest before I investigate further?

  I appreciate this is a big ask, especially given the way I left. But I hope you know me well enough by now to understand that I wouldn’t have taken the time out if I didn’t think it was best for the agency. I needed space to recalibrate, and I think you did too.

  Let me know what you think about the chateau. I haven’t mentioned anything to GiGi yet, so at this stage it’s all hypothetical, but I can’t leave until I’ve come up with some kind of solution for her. I’m really hoping that solution doesn’t involve selling up. It would break her heart. And mine.

  Best wishes,

  Annie

  Signing off her email with ‘Best Wishes’ felt extremely odd, and so did the slightly grovelling tone she’d adapted. But Jeremy had always responded well to that kind of thing. So, Annie gritted her teeth and pressed send.

  If Jeremy came back with some positive feelings from his friends at Jarold’s, she would talk to her grandmother and draw up a business plan.

  If he didn’t, then Annie would have to face the fact that selling was the only option they had left.

  16

  Sebastian

  Sebastian found Annie in her grandmother’s study. Angelique had been in hospital for two whole weeks and, although he hadn’t admitted it, he had missed her terribly.

  Angelique and Michael Broudier had been like parents to Sebastian when he moved to Saint-Sabran. His aunt had taken him in, but Angelique and Michael were the ones who had really cared for him.

  Since he had moved into the old stable at the chateau and started to convert it into both his home and his workshop, he had seen Angelique at least once a day. And now that she wasn’t there, it was reminded Sebastian just how awful it would be if she was forced to sell.

  He knew that Annie was determined to find a way to prevent it from happening. She had been holed up in the study for hours, poring over the accounts. But, even though he knew how brilliantly business-minded she was, Sebastian was not hopeful that she’d find a solution.

  Even he could see that the numbers would not add up. Which meant that, in all likelihood, by the end of the year he would lose his home.

  He would also, he was certain of it, lose Annie.

  When she had first arrived, he had been determined not to fall for her again. Absolutely resolute that he would not allow his heart to be broken.

  But within days, he had weakened.

  The beach, the festival in Mimette, dancing together to blues music – it had all been too much for his heart to resist.

  That night in Mimette, he had wanted nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her and never let her go again. But he had stopped himself. And, since then, he felt like she had been pulling away from him.

  At the beach, when they were paddling in the crystal blue waters, and in Mimette, when they were eating and dancing and drinking wine, Sebastian had been certain that the spark between them was mutual – that Annie wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  But something had changed. After he walked away from her that night, she drew back from him. Sebastian could feel it – a veil had been drawn between them – and he wasn’t sure how to navigate past it.

  He wanted to tell her that the reason he’d pulled away was because it was all just too much, too soon. Because he couldn’t quite believe she was back in Provence and because he w
as terrified of falling for her again and having to say goodbye. But he couldn’t find the words, so instead he had spent the last two weeks trying to bring back the Annie he’d danced with that night by just being… himself.

  He had moved work around, made time to help her with the festival, made her laugh. They had spent the evenings eating and talking together on the terrace. And she had been friendly, warm, funny and open.

  She had told him about her life in England, the agency she had started with her ex-boyfriend Jeremy who, she said, she’d had a narrow escape from.

  She had talked to him about the celebrities she’d met through her work, about Borough Market and Tower Bridge and the eclectic mix of people that made London one of the most amazing places in the world.

  But she hadn’t mentioned what had happened between them, all those years ago. She hadn’t explained why she left, or why she stopped writing to him. And she hadn’t looked at him the way she did when they were dancing in Mimette.

  Now, he was almost beginning to think that he’d been imagining it. Perhaps she hadn’t looked at him that way. Perhaps, even if she had, it was best that they kept things neutral – no more than friends – because in a few weeks she’d be flying back to London.

  But, Sebastian couldn’t help it. Despite his head telling him to be sensible and carry on as they were, his heart was shouting something different. His heart wanted Annie – needed Annie. So, he decided to give it one last shot.

  “Annie?” As he stuck his head around the door of Angelique’s study, he waved and smiled broadly.

  Annie looked up from the desk, sighed and pulled her hair away from her neck.

  “Any luck?”

  She shook her head and looked at the paperwork in front of her. “No. I’m afraid not.”

  Sebastian walked across the room and perched on the lip of one of the large windows that looked out onto the front driveway. “I think maybe a break is in order.”

  Annie’s nose wrinkled as she considered what he’d said. “What kind of break?”

  “Well, we still have vendors to secure for the festival. We have booked music and food but we need some local craft too I think.”

  Annie sighed again. For the first time since she’d arrived, she looked on the verge of being overwhelmed by everything. So, Sebastian quickly strode over and spun her chair around to face him.

  Placing his hands lightly on her arms, he bobbed down and grinned at her. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  “Fun?”

  “Ah, well, you said you always wanted to see the lavender fields…”

  Annie’s eyes brightened a little.

  “There’s a woman I have heard about. She weaves the most incredible things from lavender. She has a workshop towards the fields near Aix. We could visit her? And take a walk through the lavender?” As he spoke, Sebastian could feel his throat tightening. Walking through the lavender fields was something they had always dreamed of doing together. Annie had talked endlessly about it when they were teenagers and it had been first on their list of places to visit once Sebastian finally bought his scooter.

  Annie closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Sebastian wished he could tell what she was thinking. For a moment, he thought she was going to say no. But then he saw her shoulders relax a little, and the muscles in her face began to un-tense. “Alright,” she said, opening her eyes and smiling at him. “That sounds wonderful.”

  17

  Annie

  Sebastian stopped the scooter in front of a small, unassuming, grey stone farmhouse. Unclipping the helmet he kept forcing her to wear, Annie tied it onto the handlebars and pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head.

  Looking around, she frowned. “I don’t see many swathes of purple…”

  “Ah,” Sebastian grinned. “That’s because these fields are one of Provence’s best kept secrets.”

  “Secret lavender fields?”

  Sebastian nodded solemnly, but then winked at her and said, “Mai oui… but of course! Most of the fields here have become tourist spots. But these fields – Madame Gerrard’s fields – are hidden. Super special.” He reached out and took her hand. “Come. This way.”

  Annie almost took her hand back. The sudden, intimate, contact made her heart do a somersault and, since the festival in Mimette, she had been trying so very hard not to feel at all… somersault-y.

  But once her skin met Sebastian’s, she found she couldn’t make herself break away from him.

  Sebastian knocked on the door of the farmhouse and a short middle-aged man answered.

  Sebastian spoke quickly, in French, and the man nodded, grinned, nodded some more, then gestured for them to step inside.

  The centre of the farmhouse was cool and dark, with low ceilings and stone walls.

  The man who answered the door showed them through a large hallway and a series of arches, then suddenly they were outside again.

  Annie stopped. Her breath caught in her chest and she heard herself whisper, “Oh, my.”

  In front of them, fields and fields of vivid purple lavender stretched almost as far as she could see. Set slightly below the farmhouse, from the road, they had been utterly obscured by the stone wall surrounding the property. But now there they were… like something from a travel magazine. Rows and rows of splendid colour.

  Annie turned to Sebastian and grinned. “Seb…” She almost called him by his nickname, but then corrected herself. “Sebastian… this is incredible.”

  “Would you like to take a walk?” he asked. He was still holding her hand.

  “Yes. I really would.”

  At the bottom of the slope behind the farmhouse, they entered the lavender field. Stepping between the rows, Annie stretched out her arms and grinned.

  She turned to Sebastian and he was watching her carefully. He was standing one row over and the glint in his eyes told her he was about to do something mischievous.

  But then he simply took out his phone and held it up. “I need to capture this,” he said. “For a memory.”

  Annie felt her smile falter. “For a memory?”

  Sebastian was still holding the phone up, gesturing for her to pose. “Yes, hold out your arms again.”

  “That’s what you always used to say…”

  Sebastian lowered the phone. He was still smiling but his eyes were searching her face. “Yes, I suppose I did.”

  “We made a lot of memories, didn’t we?” Annie was remembering the box under the bed.

  “And we can make lots more.” Sebastian blinked quickly, as if he was shrugging off the seriousness of the moment, and then waggled his phone at her again. “Come on… arms out.”

  Annie smiled and rolled her eyes, but did as she was told. Then she said, “Let’s take one together… a selfie.”

  Sebastian laughed. “Were selfies invented back when we were kids?”

  “No. I don’t think they were.”

  “Then we have lots of time to make up for.” Sebastian squeezed in close to her so that both of their faces filled the screen. Then, just as he was about to press capture, he turned and kissed her firmly on the cheek.

  Annie was so taken by surprise that she almost gasped. And when they looked at the photograph, she had a comical raised-eyebrow expression on her face.

  “You look horrified,” Sebastian laughed.

  Annie shook her head. She was laughing too. But then she found herself saying, “I could never be horrified to be kissed by you.”

  Sebastian didn’t look at her. He was still holding the phone and staring at it as if he didn’t dare move. Nervously, he cleared his throat.

  Annie breathed in slowly. He was so close to her that her skin was flickering, as if it was about to catch light.

  She didn’t want to ruin the moment. She didn’t want to take away the possibility that he might turn to her and kiss her and tell her he’d been going crazy since the moment she arrived back in France.

  But all of a sudden, she knew she needed to tell him the
truth. She had to tell him why she abandoned him the way she did. Why she never came back. Why she broke his heart.

  18

  Annie

  “Seb...” This time, she didn’t correct herself and use his full name. She allowed the word Seb to just settle there, between them, sounding exactly the way it used to.

  “Oui?”

  “I want to explain to you what happened that summer.” She looked down at the dusty path between the lavender bushes and scuffed her toe against it. “I want to apologise.”

  Sebastian slid his phone into his pocket and looked at her. His mouth had settled into the same almost-smile that it always did, but his eyes were still and watching her carefully.

  Annie took a deep breath. “I handled things very badly. I was young, and I know that’s not an excuse but... well, now I’d do things very differently.”

  “Annie, you don’t have to—”

  “I want to. I try not to have any regrets in life. I believe everything happens for a reason. I like who I am, and I wouldn’t be this person if things had gone a different way. But I will always regret the way I left. I’ll always regret the way I treated you. And I’ll always, always regret not writing you back.”

  Sebastian took his sunglasses from where they were perched on top of his head and picked thoughtfully at them. “Why didn’t you?”

  Annie sighed. This was it. Truth time.

  “You remember when I wrote to you before I arrived, and I told you I was going to ask my parents if I could come to live in France?”

  Sebastian nodded. “Of course.”

  “And when I arrived that summer I told you that they had agreed?”

  Sebastian smiled a little. “Yes. We spent many, many hours talking about it, Annie. Talking about what we’d do and how wonderful it would be–”