Page 89 of Sisters Making Mischief
Then I pulled on some jeans, a blue shirt and a pink sweater, which I had always loved, but seldom wore because it had been quite expensive.
The first problem was my outfit from the previous evening, and the damage I had done to the trousers. I took a look. Actually, it wasn’t too bad, I had probably massively overreacted. All they needed was dry cleaning and a few stitches, the fabric was undamaged, what a relief.
Then I went over to Isabel’s kitchen which was filled with the heavenly smell of freshly brewed coffee and proper French croissants in all their buttery, shiny glory.
Sitting in her usual place at the end of the table was Eugénie, of course. She had obviously been raiding Paulette’s wardrobe again and was dressed in some very stylish stripedtrousers, a green jacket and a very cute maroon beret with a silver, bird shaped brooch pinned to the front. It reminded me of something. Had she ever been in the Parachute Regiment? It seemed unlikely but I thought it best not to ask.
‘Ah,’ she said as I came in, ‘there you are. What have you been doing?’
‘Just getting up. Nothing in particular,’ I said, ‘although I have been writing a bucket list.’
‘Bucket list? What is this bucket list? You are going to make a list of all your buckets? How many do you have?’
Isabel explained. ‘A list of all the things she wants to do before it’s too late.’
‘You are fortunate to have the time. For me, the buckets are all empty, so many dreams, so little time. And what do you want to do before your health gives out and you are left an invalid?’
‘Things I enjoy,’ I said accepting abolof coffee from my sister. I paused for a moment, inhaling the wonderful smell. ‘Travel, do the things I want to do, buy more colourful clothes, like you. That’s a wonderful colour, a beautiful green. You are an inspiration.’
Eugénie preened a little. ‘Old women are easily missed and overlooked.’
‘Not you,Mamie,’ Isabel said.
Eugénie was not one to be distracted. ‘And I understand you had dinner with the doctor last night?’
I gave Isabel one of my best, hard looks.
‘I didn’t say a word about it,’ she said.
‘I heard from Arnaud. He is an old friend. He said you wereabsorbée– engrossed.’
‘Oh, I don’t think so,’ I said, dreading what was to come next.
‘He said you wereabsorbéein the car park,’ she said with a knowing drawl, ‘for quite some time.’
‘Mmm, is one of those croissants for me?’ I said, hoping to change the subject and trying not to laugh.
Not a chance. I began to look at the back door, wondering if I could somehow get out of this cross examination with my dignity intact.
‘And is there much damage to the trousers Paulette lent you? My friend’s daughter, Sophie, met with you in the ladies’ room, she said there was some incident.’
Ah, the young woman in the blue dress with the safety pins.
‘What damage?’ Isabel said, looking puzzled.
Honestly, did this town spend every moment of everyday on the phone to each other?
‘A minor problem, in fact, I need to go and return the lovely things Paulette leant me, and I think I will go now,’ I said.
‘But first, tell us about Jean-Luc,’ Eugénie said, grasping my wrist. She felt surprisingly strong for a woman her age, I certainly wouldn’t have liked to come up against her in an arm-wrestling challenge.
‘We had a lovely evening and a delicious meal,’ I said, ‘and then I came home.’
‘And what is this man to you?’
‘A friend,’ I said, ‘and that’s all. Like you and your friend, Charles.’
Eugénie looked a bit misty-eyed for a moment.
