Page 104 of Second Chance Summer
‘Hold on, let me help,’ Sam said, rescuing the heavy jug and half-filling her glass.
Étienne clapped his hands together and inhaled. ‘Is that the smell of pains au chocolat?’
‘It is!’ Lily said.
‘Did you sleep well?’ Étienne asked when Sam went in the kitchen. The girls were crunching on cereal and giggling over some shared in-joke.
Lily wasn’t fooled by his innocent tone. ‘Yes. I was tired out after our day sightseeing.’
‘Me too,’ Étienne said. ‘Even these two didn’t wake me in the night, though I had the devil of a job to get them to pack. We seem to have acquired extra stuff. Tania had a bag of pebbles in her case and Amelie had a dried dogfish egg case!’
‘It was a mermaid’s purse, Daddy. Sam explained all that and you should have paid attention,’ Amelie said sadly, as if Étienne was a clueless first-year medical student.
‘Whatever it is, it stinks and it isn’t coming home with us.’
‘Why can’t I take all my pebbles?’ Tania piped up accusingly.
‘We have stones in London,’ Étienne said. ‘And I said you could take afewof your favourites with Amelie’s shells.’
Sam came back in.
‘Can we come back and get some more?’ Tania said.
Étienne exchanged a glance with Lily.
‘Of course we can come back. It’s not long until the school holidays.’
‘Can we stay here?’ Amelie asked.
‘If Sam has room. The cottages might be booked.’
Tania shook her head and pouted. ‘He would let us stay anyway. He would make other people move out.’
‘I don’t think he could do that, sweetheart,’ Étienne said.
Sam smiled. ‘I’d find room for you somehow. Whenever you decide to come back.’ He shared a glance with Lily and she felt like crying.
Perhaps sensing the tension between them, Étienne stepped in. ‘Girls, please finish your breakfast because we have a plane to catch and they won’t wait for us.’
‘Can I get you anything else?’ Sam said, back in host mode.
‘No, thanks,’ Lily and Étienne said in unison.
‘In that case, I’ll load your luggage onto the boat.’ He held up his hands to forestall any argument. ‘Please stay here and enjoy breakfast. I’ll get everything ready so we can get away as soon as you’ve finished.’
After that, there was no chance to speak alone with him. Time galloped by and soon they were stepping onto theHydra,mooring at Tresco then trundling in the golf buggy to the heliport.
‘Stay by me!’ Étienne ordered, taking his daughters by the hand as the helicopter landed.
‘I don’t want to go home!’ Tania wailed.
‘I want to see Laura!’ Amelie said, referring to their nanny. ‘She can come with us next time.’
‘Laura’s gone to Ibiza with her boyfriend,’ Étienne said. ‘I’m sure she’s enjoyed her holiday too. Oh, look, there’s a red squirrel on the field.’
‘Will it jump on the helicopter?’
Lily didn’t hear what Étienne replied to Tania. She took her chance to speak to Sam.
