A Year at the French Farmhouse(88)

At least, she thought, as they arrived at the airport and she pulled up in the car hire drop-off point, popping the paperwork and the keys into the designated letterbox, she’d be able to say goodbye and reassure Tyler privately before he left. But the minute they exited the car, Frédérique appeared by her side so instantaneously she wondered for a moment whether he was able to teleport.

‘Ah, so ’ere we are,’ he said, gesturing with his arms. ‘Like a leetle family, eh?’

‘I’ll walk you into the building,’ Lily said to Ty. ‘See you off. Say goodbye properly.’

‘Nah, you’re all right,’ he said.

She wasn’t sure whether this brush-off would have happened anyway, but suspected it had a lot to do with Frédérique’s presence. ‘Are you sure?’ she said.

‘Yeah.’

‘Well look,’ she said, putting her arms around him and giving him a squeeze, ‘I’ll miss you.’

‘Thanks,’ he said.

‘And you know… I’ll be in touch with… your dad.’

‘Uh-huh.’

Tyler was about to turn towards the terminal when Frédérique stepped forward and gave him such an enormous pat on the back, Lily worried he might get sued for assault. ‘And,’ Frédérique said. ‘I only just meet you, but I also will miss you too, eh?’

‘OK?’

‘And ’oo knows? Per’aps when I marry your mother, I will be your father one day!’ he added, delighted with himself. ‘You will be my son, huh?’

‘Yes, well, that’s not happening at the moment,’ said Lily quickly, trying to minimise the damage without hurting either of them.

‘Ah, but I can dream, uh?’ Frédérique continued, unperturbed. ‘And I think it is easier for ’im to understand when he know that I am in love, oui?’

‘Well…’

‘Mais oui, mon coeur. It is difficult for a boy when ’e think I am just one of ’is mother’s lovers. That I am ’ere just to make love to you, to satisfy the desire. Children do not like to think of their mothers making love, huh? But if he think I may be your ’usband one day per’aps it is different.’

‘Bye then.’ Ty said and sloped off to the entrance, his shoulders hunched.

‘Bye, darling! Come again soon!’ Lily called after him.

Ty lifted his hand in acknowledgement, but didn’t turn around. Lily turned to Frédérique, exasperated.

But his face was so wide-eyed and hopeful and expectant and innocent that she didn’t have the heart to crush him. And there wouldn’t be much point in any case – the damage to Tyler’s imagination was no doubt already done. She would have to explain, gently to Frédérique that ‘lovers’ wasn’t a term they used quite so much in English normally. That it was too… graphic somehow. Especially when speaking about someone’s mother.

‘And now, I ’ave you to myself,’ he said, with a smile. ‘I am a lucky man, eh?’

‘Right,’ she said.

She followed him back to his car and plonked herself in the passenger seat, grateful, now the exhaustion of the last few days was catching up on her, that she didn’t have to seek out the train station.

But despite appreciating the lift, she knew she’d have to find a way to slow things down with Frédérique. She needed time to think, to process the news about Ben; to concentrate, too, on the house; on the business to complete seemingly endless paperwork. She didn’t want to end things – if they could really be described as having begun – but keep him at arm’s length, just for a while. Just until she knew what she wanted.

‘Per’aps we stop pour d?ner?’ he suggested as they drove back towards the city centre. ‘I know a restaurant – you will love it.’

She nodded. ‘Yes, I think it would be good. To be honest, Frédérique. I think we need to talk.’

In any of her past relationships, uttering those words would be a heads-up to the other person that what came next might not be exactly what they wanted to hear.

But Frédérique, unused to the subtle undertone, smiled at her.

‘It will be a pleasure,’ he said.





30





‘Thanks for popping over,’ Lily said, adding a drop of milk to the mug of tea she was making and squeezing the bag a little too enthusiastically. ‘Sorry, hope you like it strong.’

‘Thanks for inviting me.’ Sam grinned, taking the mug from Lily’s hands and gulping down at least half. ‘God, I needed that.’

‘It’s just nice to actually drink tea with someone again,’ joked Lily. ‘I mean, I like coffee, but…’

‘I know. My first month here, I didn’t sleep a wink.’ Sam grinned. ‘It took me that long to work out not to just order coffee, but to be more specific.’

‘Too much espresso?’

‘Yep. Plays havoc with my bowels too.’

‘Thanks for sharing.’

They watched through the window as Derek and Claudine rushed around the garden, jumping on the hundreds of molehills that seemed to have popped up overnight. As they watched, Claudine picked up a couple of handfuls of earth and began to pursue Derek with it.