Page 55 of The Village Cafe in the Loire

‘I am coming home. It’s just… It’s the café – things are… well, I’m still decorating and?—’

‘Really, Rebecca? Do you honestly need to be there for that? Surely you can just get a man in. I can always send some?—’

‘No. It’s OK, Mum. It’s well on the way!’ She forced some positivity into her voice.

‘You do realise the seriousness of the situation, I suppose?’

‘Mum.’ Becky tried to keep the impatience from her voice. It went against her nature to let someone talk to her like this; but she’d learnt the hard way that locking horns with her motherwas both exhausting and pointless. Humouring was a better option. ‘I am going to get back to work as soon as possible. I just have to finish up here. We’re nearly done,’ she lied.

‘Botheration.’

‘Yes.’

‘I do actually have some news though,’ she said, closing her eyes. Might as well get it all over with at once.

‘You do? Well, come on! Out with it!’

‘You know that we got the letter from thenotaire?’

‘Well obviously.’

‘We assumed that Maud had… passed,’ Becky said. ‘But if you think about it, the letter didn’t say that explicitly.’

‘I don’t understand… Why would the letter?—’

‘Mum,’ she said, gently. ‘Maud isn’t dead.’

‘Heavens to Betsy!’ her mother exclaimed loudly. ‘Maud is alive. Is shethere?At the café? Why didn’t you say anything before? What on earth would make you keep this from me? Did you know before you went out there? Is that why you were so keen to fly over?’

Becky waited for her mother to draw breath, then, ‘No. Mum. Wait. I didn’t know. And she isn’t here. She’s in a care home. I only found out myself yesterday.’

‘Good gracious.’

‘Yes, I went to see her.’

‘Oh.’ Her mum’s tone sounded guarded. ‘How was she? I expect her memory’s not what?—’

‘Actually, Mum, she’s doing really well. Her mind is completely intact. It’s just a broken hip and I think a loss of mobility after that. She couldn’t run the café and needed care so… It’s a nice place, too.’

‘Well, yes. Of course. Of course that was the right thing to do. But heavens! What a shock!’ There was a pause. ‘Did she… mention me?’

‘A little.’

There was a silence.

‘Rebecca, I really think it would be a good idea to come home. You clearly haven’t inherited a café, and I’m going to investigate how the solicitor’s letter got it so very wrong. And it’ll be time to get back to the office soon, I’m sure. Perhaps we could get a second opinion on the burnout and…’

‘No, Mum. Maudhasgiven me the café.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yes. A sort of advance gift from her Will.’

‘Sounds a little more like subterfuge,’ her mother said darkly. ‘Tax avoidance probably. And, it seems, a way to get you to visit her against your will!’

‘A little strong, Mother?’

‘You don’t know Maud like I do.’

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