Page 51 of The Village Cafe in the Loire

‘Well, an alternative. To the high-flying lifestyle.’ Maud laughed. ‘You may not want that, of course. But I had to be sure.’

‘Sure of what?’

‘Sure that your life choices are making you happy, rather than fulfilling some need of your mother’s.’

‘Oh! No. They’re all my choices. I love my job! And…’

‘Well, that’s good then,’ Maud said. ‘So if you want to, you must sell the café. It’s no good to me from here. I don’t need the money. And it would come to you anyway when I die.’

‘You don’t need the money?’ Becky thought about the rather shabby furniture in some of the guest rooms. The fact that the café looked a little run-down, at least to her eyes.

‘No. I have plenty of the stuff. From my work as a photographer. I used to sell quite a few photos. Anyway, no matter. That’s the truth. I don’t need it. It’s yours.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I suppose it’s a little unfair of me to have brought you out here like this. Although I can’t be blamed for faking my own death, that’s for sure.’

‘No! That was all in my head.’ They smiled at each other, but there was sadness there.

‘I don’t have to sell it,’ Becky said, suddenly. ‘I could… oversee it. From England if I have to. Find a manager?’ The beautiful flat she was planning to buy flashed up in her mind, but she pushed it away. It just wasn’t an option – selling the café now simply to raise the deposit would be heartless. ‘You could visit it still, sometimes? I can come over?’

Maud touched her hand. ‘Becky,’ she said. ‘You do you.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Don’t do what you feel I might like, or Cynthia. Or anyone else who’s important to you. Do whatyouwish. There are enough expectations on people of your age without me piling on more.’

‘Oh,’ Becky said. ‘Thank you.’

The conversation petered out and Maud began to look a little restless.

‘Are you OK?’

‘Yes, it’s a complete nuisance but I need the loo and I need to get one of the nurses to help me get there,’ she said.

‘I could…’

‘Don’t be silly.’ Maud said. ‘It’s just so frustrating. It’s what you fear most, you know, as you get older. Falling. As a child you don’t care. When you’re an adult – a younger adult at least – you just find it embarrassing. But now? It’s the start of the decline.’ She said the last words with a touch of humour, but Becky could see the fear in them.

‘But you’re getting better?’

‘There’s a limit.’ A nurse noticed Maud’s waving hand and came to help her, talking to her in rapid French. Maud replied fluently, but there was no way that Becky could keep up.

‘I expect you’ll be off, then?’ Maud said, her tone sounding slightly sharper than it had.

‘If you… I don’t want to stay too long.’

‘Right then. Well, it was lovely to see you.’ Maud heaved herself up, the nurse’s hands hovering, prepared to break a potential fall. ‘Do visit again before you go.’

Compared to her welcome, it was cold. But perhaps Maud was tired.

‘Of course! It really was lovely to see you.’

‘You too.’ Maud’s tone softened as she took a couple of steps forward, leaning on her crutch, nurse at her back. ‘Look after yourself, Becky. Burnout is no joke.’

Becky gave a nod. As Maud made her painfully slow way across the wooden floor she tried to avert her eyes, look out of the window, as if something interesting had caught her eye. Itwas only when Maud reached the door that Becky looked at her fully again and gave a little wave.

Moments later, she walked out to the front drive again, leaned against Pascal’s car and hoped that he hadn’t gone too far. They’d yet to exchange mobile numbers so she couldn’t call him. Instead, she texted Amber, who’d left her on read the last couple of times.

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