Jed had done a fabulous job of laying the wooden floor and the balustrades that enclosed it just needed varnishing. He’d been right when he suggested it, because not only did it look magnificent, it was a perfect place to eat and relax. There was even a screen door and it was great for admitting fresh air, keeping buzzy flies out and, when necessary, the Frenchies in. The sloping tiled roof provided shade from the sun that bore down on the south-facing garden for most of the day, and protection from the rain. Frankie was going to take her time choosing furniture for the other side of the veranda, and maybe a fire pit so she could sit outside in the winter.
Winter… On sweltering days like this it was hard to imagine her home during the chilly months, it was even harder to imagine that Jed wouldn’t be here when they arrived. Shoving that thought away, Frankie concentrated on the table that was laid for twelve. She had placed two vases of wildflowers she’d picked earlier between candles in Kilner jars that would light up the table at dusk. The glasses and cutlery were polished and gleaming and after watching a tutorial on YouTube, the linen napkins were folded to perfection in a fancy fan shape.
Frankie had no idea there were so many useless but fascinating ways to fold a piece of cloth, or that she was totally rubbish at it. She’d persevered out of stubborn determination, then finally admitted defeat, giving up on the double star which frankly resembled a scrunched-up mess, and a swan that looked like a wonky duck. She also managed not to rise to Jed’s raised eyebrows and teasing when he saw her first attempts, or his sarky comment that it was an hour of her life she’d never get back!
He made her laugh though, all the time, in fact her days were filled with smiles and jokes and love. She could hardly remember what it was like to be alone, not unless she was stupid enough to dwell on it so now the past was blurry and the present crystal clear. And the future? Well, that was kind of hazy.
Realising she was daydreamingagain, Frankie turned to where Jed was working in the garden and smiled, shaking her head slightly at the sight of her traitorous Frenchies who were sitting under the table watching his every move. Luc had laughed when she mentioned that Belle and Oscar had ditched her, assuring her it was pack instinct. ‘They see him as leader. Once he goes home, they’ll come running back to you,’ he’d said. Even though he’d meant well, Luc’s words had stung, verbalising the inevitable.
Making her way down the three veranda steps, Frankie went over to check on progress. Jed was assembling a wooden hostess trolley. This purchase also resulted in teasing. Looking up, screwdriver in hand, Jed sounded confused, perplexed even. ‘Seriously, Frankie, what the hell do you want one of these for? It’s a bit 1970s. Why can’t you just carry stuff out on a tray? My gran had one but hers was gold and cream, and it creaked when she wheeled it into the front room like she ran a tea shop or something, the loon.’
Frankie put her hands on her hips and tutted. ‘Because I’ve always wanted one, that’s why! And it’ll be really handy because I can move things from the kitchen to the veranda in one go… and my wooden one is cool, nothing like the old-fashioned ones.’
‘It’ssonot and you’re gonna look like my gran when you wheel it out, I reckon you need some fluffy slippers and a pinny, you know, really feel the part.’ At this quip Jed fell about laughing.
When his dad joined them in the garden, he put his ten-penn’orth in. ‘Bloody hell, that takes me back…’
‘Women and their knick-knacks, Dad, I’m just doing what I’m told.’ Jed fixed the wheels while Frankie huffed and rolled her eyes.
‘Do you remember when your mum wanted one of those Teasmade things for the side of the bed? Mithered the life out of me until I gave in. She loved that stupid machine. Thought she was right posh and told all her friends.’
Frankie sprang to Jenny’s defence. ‘Don’t be tight. I think they’re a great idea if you want a nice lie-in and a brew when you wake up. What’s wrong with them?’
Ken had the answer to that. ‘It was a bloody nuisance that’s what’s wrong. First the alarm would go off, even on a Sunday, then it made the noisiest cup of tea ever, then we’d have to sit there and drink it and have a nice morning chat, otherwise Jenny would take the huff. And it tasted like gnats’ pee too! Thank Christ it didn’t make toast, otherwise I’d have moved into the spare room. Bloody thing.’
Frankie ignored Jed’s sniggering. He obviously found the whole thing hilarious. ‘I bet you can still get them, you know… I’m going to have a look and if they do, I might treat myself.’
Jed let out an exasperated sigh and pointed at his dad. ‘See what you’ve done? You’ve prodded the monster. Amazon deliver here, you know, and the Mademoiselle has Prime. Watch out for the man with a van. Betcha he turns up tomorrow.’
Shaking his head, Ken offered his son some sage advice. ‘In my experience, lad, it’s best to keep shtum. You know my motto, owt for a quiet life, and this one reminds me of your mother once she gets summat in here.’ Ken tapped his head, then winked at Frankie before sauntering back into the house.
She loved it, though, the banter and gentle teasing even if she was the butt of the joke – which happened frequently, like when she found a giant tarantula in the bath, and Jed was summoned to remove what he described as a baby spider. And then she’d not been able to work the range once it had been wired up and connected to the gas. So many knobs and buttons and an oven timer with a mind of its own.
Thankfully in the cheeky-chappy banter stakes she came second only to Spud who had the thickest skin in the world, or maybe half the time he didn’t hear because his earbuds were firmly plugged in. Frankie wouldn’t change any of it and their joking and laughter had finally filled up the rooms and shown her how happy her home could be. She only hoped that the vibe would linger once they all left at the end of the week, a thought she quickly rammed to the back of her mind.
Focusing her attention on Jed was a cure-all, like the bottle of orangey-yellowguérir toutthat Luc had given her, a strong alcoholic concoction that the locals swore rid you of most ailments. Apparently, a glass of that in the morning would sort out the flu, migraines, stomach bugs, whatever. Frankie wondered if it might work on heartache, come the day.Stop it! You’ll ruin today.
Watching Jed as he assembled her granny trolley, she secretly admired the tanned and toned body, with muscular arms that could lift and carry the most ridiculously heavy things, and hold her gently when need be. To Frankie he was perfect. Maybe it was those eyes, deep brown and soulful that in serious moments seemed to soak up all her worries, and in joyful and wicked moments would shine, a mischievous glint that lit up her heart. Yep, she’d got it bad.
The ten days they’d spent together had sealed the deal. She kind of knew before she left England how she felt but having him with her at La Tournelle clinched it. Frankie liked to think that if things were really written in the stars then her and Jed’s names would light up the whole of the valley, the Loire. No, actually, all of France.
* * *
Frankie had arrived at Aeroport de Nantes ridiculously early and the relief she’d experienced when she saw Jed appear through the automatic glass doors at the airport almost made her cry. It was as though her whole body relaxed, her head finally let go of her heart and allowed it to be happy, unburdened and light. From the second their bodies collided Frankie gave in to it all, to being secretly in love, letting someone take care of her and as they drove towards her house, home, sharing it with Jed. Even for a short time.
He adored La Tournelle, even the fact all the properties they passed had their own names but when they drove up the lane and the house came into view, his reaction touched her heart.
‘Is that it? Wow, Frankie, it’s massive! Well bigger than it looks on the photos and now I can see it in its setting, it’s a hundred times more perfect than I imagined. You really picked a gem when you bought this, I’m really proud of you, love, and I’ve not even been inside yet.’
Frankie was driving slowly up the lane to avoid the potholes and felt a bit teary, not used to anyone saying stuff like that so when they stopped outside, opted for bluster, not a blub. ‘Well, come on then, make yourself useful and open the gate and I can show you. Chop-chop.’
Jed’s reaction to La Tournelle had been one of the best bits, apart from the sex of course which was much better on her new bed than a mattress on the floor. Since Jed’s arrival this and her trusty power drill had seen lots of action, the wardrobes weren’t wobbly anymore and slowly but surely the voids became filled with furniture.
Even though she’d banned him from working, insisting that he had a holiday, Jed was clearly of the workaholic breed and seemed incapable of relaxing, not for a full day anyway. Once they’d tested out the new mattress that had been resting against the wall (Jed assuring Frankie that the camp bed wasn’t going to survive what he had in store) the first thing he did was assemble the bed and after that there was no stopping him, in all departments.
It had worked well, though, because Frankie was able to put in a few hours’ work while Jed pottered about upstairs. The sound of him clomping about above while she tapped away at her laptop was comforting. The sound of two whining lovesick puppies not so much.
From the minute they’d stepped through the front door and Oscar and Belle raced over to say hello, sniffing the stranger, the Frenchies were besotted, immediately throwing her over for the big strong pack leader who fussed and cuddled them. In the evening when Frankie and Jed ate their meal outside, Oscar and Belle would position themselves at his feet and follow his commands far more obediently than hers, and the way they trotted around after him was comical. The thing was, she knew exactly how they felt.
