Page 43 of Sisters Making Mischief
‘I expect you to find out everything,’ Isabel said with a wicked gleam, ‘I think he likes you.’
Did he? I felt a bit odd – and dare I say it? – nervous at the thought. For most of my adult life, I’d assumed that this sort of thing wouldn’t happen. I’d been a wife and mother by the time I was in my early twenties, and since Stephen and I had divorced,the prospect of any man looking at me with interest again hadn’t crossed my mind. Until now.
I feigned indifference. The moment Isabel got a whiff of my interest in him, she would want to sink her teeth into it and would never let it drop, like Marcel with his rubber banana.
‘You can’t possibly know that.’
‘Maybe, maybe not. We’ll see.’
‘So, when will the boys finish the base for the shepherd’s hut. I thought they were supposed to be starting the concrete this week.’
‘Who knows? There’s no point trying to chivvy them along. It just puts their backs up, and then I get irritable and then Felix gets irritable. It’s much better to accept that they will get it done in time. I can’t wait to see it. It used up all my savings. It’s pale green, with the sweetest little kitchen and bathroom. Perfect for one person, or two people, if they get along.’
‘You should advertise it as a romantic getaway and put a little table and chairs outside. I saw some in the storage unit, which would be perfect once they are cleaned up. And some solar lights. And perhaps a chiminea.’
Isabel nodded. ‘Good idea. I knew you would be good at this sort of thing. Now then, I suppose we should go and see if Eugénie is ready to go home. It’s been nearly an hour since we dropped her off. Well, good heavens, speak of the devil, which actually we weren’t, and who should I see…’
I turned in my chair to follow her gaze and saw Luc coming towards us, carrying a brown paper parcel under one arm.
Remembering our very recent discussion on the subject of himlikingme, and my own thoughts about him, I felt very awkward.
Isabel hailed him and pulled out a chair, encouraging him to sit down. After a moment’s hesitation, he did.
Mimi came out like a shot.
‘Du café,m’sieur?’
He agreed that would be good and she scuttled back inside, her eyes bright with excitement to fetch it.
‘So what are you up to?’ Isabel asked, ‘anything interesting?’
He dumped the package on the floor by his feet.
‘Just a few things. Nothing interesting at all. A new spirit level because I ran over mine in the car. Someruban de masquage– masking tape. I will be painting soon, as Gaston has finished the plasterwork.’
‘Then you are nearly finished,’ Isabel said, ‘well done, you. Do excuse me I need to just pop inside to – you know.’
Luc and I looked at each other for a moment. And then I started babbling with nerves.
‘You’ll enjoy that part I expect. Moving in and making the place look nice. That’s always my favourite part. Do you have a lot of things in storage? It will be like Christmas when your things arrive, won’t it?’
‘I wouldn’t go that far,’ he said.
‘No, perhaps not. Well, if nothing else it will be good to have your home looking nice again, won’t it?’
Mimi returned at that point with a large cupof coffee with a couple of little macarons in the saucer.
‘Ceux-ci sont gratuits.On the house,’ she said, with a winning smile. ‘Always nice to have customers returning, you have stayed away too long,m’sieur. And ’ow is your building? I hear Gaston was finishing off the plastering. That’s a relief. Tell him I am still waiting for him to do my back passage. It has been months and still he does not return.’
‘I will be sure to mention it,’ Luc said.
He sipped his coffee in silence for a moment.
‘They are very good,’ Mimi said, pointing at the macarons, ‘I made them.’
‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘Almond,’ she added.
