Page 33 of The Riviera House Swap
‘Oh, it is an expression,’ Sabine said, smiling, ‘you know, under a moment’s impulsion.’
‘Oh, I understand,’ Nina said. ‘Like suddenly, we say in English, “on the spur of the moment”,’ she said, lapsing into English.
Sabine nodded. ‘Yes, like a spur,’ she said.
‘I’m the opposite usually,’ she found herself saying. ‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me.’
‘A holiday?’
‘Well, no. I do go on holiday, I suppose. But a month, on my own, you understand?’
Sabine nodded. ‘I am your opposite too then perhaps,’ she said. ‘I have been travelling,’ she waved her hand towards the enormous rucksack and scattered bags, ‘for three months now. I was with a friend but she quit me – she got a job somewhere and wanted to take it. It is fine, but I came to Jean-Luc’s for a break to consider what to do next.’ She looked suddenly sad.
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ said Nina instinctively, sipping her coffee. ‘What do you think you will do? Get a job too? Do something else?’
‘No,’ Sabine shook her head, losing some of her hair from its messy bun. ‘I will carry on travelling. It is my passion. I just need to take a little time to plan first for once. I am lucky – I have agood business with my jewellery and of course I can sell it from everywhere.’
‘Must be nice,’ Nina found herself saying. ‘You know, to do what you want at any moment, please yourself.’
Sabine shrugged. ‘It is selfish, perhaps. But I feel that life is short and it is up to us to live it properly. Of course, it helps, too, if you have a successful brother with a nice house where you can come to collapse when you need.’
‘So a week, then?’ Nina asked cautiously.
‘Yes, a week or two then probably I will go. I want to travel to Vienna by Christmas – to see the markets and drinkWeihnachtspunsch. It is wonderful, they say, in December. I would like to take my time to get there, not to waste the places I pass through.’
It sounded suspiciously as if Sabine was putting down roots.
Nina nodded. ‘Don’t you usually sleep in the van?’
Sabine nodded. ‘Yes, I always sleep in her when I am on my travels in Europe. When I travel by plane, I sleep where I can. Maybe in a hostel, or some camping.’ She shrugged as if it wasn’t important. ‘And of course, when I am close to family, I stay with them.’ She looked at Nina pointedly.
‘And it’s probably a bit cold this time of year,’ Nina said, her practical side kicking in.
Sabine laughed. ‘I hope not. I have done some work on insulation! But if it gets too bad, I can stay in achambre d’hotesor something. I will find my way, do not worry.’
Nina glanced at her watch. It was almost lunchtime. Pierre would possibly be leaving his offices and going to a café. She wanted to see where he went, what he did so she could engineer a ‘chance’ meeting with him. But she wasn’t quite sure how to get out of the conversation without having to explain what she was doing – and probably make Sabine believe she was completely mad.
‘But I am keeping you?’ Sabine said, noticing the glance.
‘No, it’s fine. I’m… I was going to go to lunch. It doesn’t matter.’
‘But it does! You must go and do your plans. I will not get in the way. But if you want, I would like to cook you dinner this evening. To thank you. I will prepare something special for us, if it is OK?’
‘You don’t have to…’ Nina began, then, ‘Yes. Yes please,’ she said. ‘’That’s kind of you.’
It was, after all, the least her rather unwelcome guest could do.
18
THEN
‘Ca va?’ he asked her, falling into step as they approached the classroom together.
‘Oui, merci,’ she replied politely. To her horror, she realised she was blushing.
‘Because Brigitte, she seems not to spend much time together,’ he said, in imperfect English.
It was true. Brigitte, although perfectly polite, had disappeared when they’d arrived at school, seeking out a group of friends who weren’t part of the exchange programme. At first, Nina had wondered whether she ought to follow her, but something about the way she’d slipped off almost secretively stopped her – she’d sensed she wasn’t welcome.
