A Year of Taking Chances: a gorgeously uplifting, feel-good read

A Year of Taking Chances: a gorgeously uplifting, feel-good read Jennifer Bohnet ‘Utterly enjoyable from beginning to end!’ Being Unique BooksLife is about to change forever…When best friends, Tina and Jodie, make a drunken New Year’s Eve vow to change their lives before they hit the big 3 – 0, neither expected to end the year with much more than another hangover…Twelve months later, Jodie is married and living in Provence – and Tina is exactly where she was a year ago (although now her rent is double). Tina can’t help but feel a little bit left behind, but as Jodie reminds her, she’s not thirty yet, there’s still time to quit her job, start her own literary agency and sign the man of her dreams!Don’t miss the new gorgeously uplifting holiday romance from bestselling author Jennifer Bohnet.Praise for A Year of Taking Chances:‘A must-read!’ Anita Tarrant (NetGalley reviewer)‘There are no words to justify how beautiful this book is. I loved every minute!’ Karen Whittard (NetGalley reviewer)‘Utterly enjoyable from beginning to end!’ Being Unique Books‘Fabulous!’ Lianne James (NetGalley reviewer)‘Amazing…I couldn’t put it down.’ Nicola Clough (NetGalley reviewer)‘Well-written and engaging… made me laugh and cry!’ Harriet Salkeld (NetGalley reviewer) Life is about to change forever… When best friends Tina and Jodie make a drunken New Year’s Eve vow to change their lives before they hit the big three-oh, neither really expects to end the year with much more than another hangover… Twelve months later, Jodie is married and living in Provence – and Tina is exactly where she was a year ago (although now her rent is double). Tina can’t help but feel a little bit left behind, but as Jodie reminds her, she’s not thirty yet, there’s still time to quit her job, start her own literary agency and sign the man of her dreams! Don’t miss the new, gorgeously uplifting holiday romance from bestselling author Jennifer Bohnet. JENNIFER BOHNET is originally from the West Country but now lives in the wilds of rural Brittany, France. She's still not sure how she ended up there! The saying ‘life is what happens while you're deciding what to do…’ is certainly true in her case. She's always written alongside having various jobs: playgroup leader, bookseller, landlady, restauranteur, farmer's wife, secretary – the list is endless but does provide a rich vein of inspiration for her stories. For three years she wrote a newspaper column for the South Hams Group of Newspapers (Devon) where she took a wry look at family life. Since living in France it is her fiction that has taken off, with hundreds of short stories and several serials published internationally. Allergic to housework and gardening, she rarely does either, but she does like cooking and entertaining and wandering around vide greniers (the French equivalent of flea markets) looking for a bargain or two. Her children currently live in fear of her turning into an ageing hippy and moving to Totnes, Devon. To find out more about Jennifer, visit her website at jenniferbohnet.com (http://jenniferbohnet.com) or chat to her on Twitter at @jenniewriter (https://twitter.com/@jenniewriter). Also byJennifer Bohnet (#ulink_20b15350-b2c6-5d47-a986-49c104ca1b3d) Summer at Coastguard Cottages Rosie’s Little Caf? on the Riviera The Little Kiosk by the Sea A French Pirouette You Had Me at Bonjour I’m Virtually Yours A Year of Taking Chances Jennifer Bohnet ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES Copyright (#ulink_797d2d24-fa13-5e61-b93c-21b0f0b2c2e2) An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018 Copyright © Jennifer Bohnet 2018 Jennifer Bohnet asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins. E-book Edition © April 2018 ISBN: 978-0-00-826272-3 This one is definitely for Richard, my husband, remembering all the chances we have taken together down the years – some that failed dismally, others that turned out to be spectacular! xxx Contents Cover (#u0d32837f-c778-5f1d-9b66-ee0f8c832768) Blurb (#u9446100a-02a9-5402-92ae-113c977c8335) Author Bio (#ufcaa5ce4-18e0-517d-bb80-9a750b22bf16) Booklist (#ulink_04b099ef-26b8-5a59-827b-d416d900e592) Title Page (#u3e2258cb-b8d3-5313-a4d8-8ee992a789af) Copyright (#ulink_00b6ddcc-072e-5b6b-b3f1-16f088d68351) Dedication (#u18824945-feec-5043-8d28-415c429a3420) Prologue (#ulink_75ee5e76-05d8-5c2a-9c41-10a05a34c386) Chapter One (#ulink_3f12934b-5f57-5b73-91e8-79d25639f468) Chapter Two (#ulink_288978e0-32df-542f-8be6-f58264ac4f58) Chapter Three (#ulink_34026b44-669a-578f-af37-002891c4ddcf) Chapter Four (#ulink_b9554d64-11e5-5a2a-a463-d2c898746e0e) Chapter Five (#ulink_4e4e643a-c2f8-5b01-940b-bde88d29c52c) Chapter Six (#ulink_90af1193-6321-5b26-a044-4f75d96e6f2f) Chapter Seven (#ulink_f07ccf9f-d0d3-593d-aa05-97c43825506c) Chapter Eight (#ulink_6e918b9d-6683-5628-8667-1533e2796e67) Chapter Nine (#ulink_e4fa6d7f-1a26-5c10-b639-ff9f4da6063e) Chapter Ten (#ulink_8feb0379-3758-58d9-a46b-b75882f4dfd3) Chapter Eleven (#ulink_12acffd2-3218-5c38-a88e-dc8b282d8609) Chapter Twelve (#ulink_86d48aae-b057-581b-a85c-f34e88a02e80) Chapter Thirteen (#ulink_f18848d5-d392-5ab6-a29b-fd68daaf4172) Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-Three (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-Four (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-Five (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-Six (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-Seven (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-Eight (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Twenty-Nine (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-One (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-Two (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-Three (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-Four (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-Five (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-Six (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-Seven (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-Eight (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Thirty-Nine (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-One (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-Two (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-Three (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-Four (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-Five (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-Six (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-Seven (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-Eight (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Forty-Nine (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Fifty (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Fifty-One (#litres_trial_promo) Chapter Fifty-Two (#litres_trial_promo) Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo) Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo) Excerpt (#litres_trial_promo) Endpages (#litres_trial_promo) About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo) Prologue (#ulink_fbbab8d5-b60e-5a2d-aea4-b06b69876da5) New Year’s Eve Fourteen Months Ago ‘I hate New Year’s Eve,’ Jodie Saville muttered to her friend Tina Matthews. ‘All the enforced jollity and bonhomie. Nobody believes a word of it. It’s just an excuse to drink too much.’ Tina nodded in agreement. ‘I do swish you a Happy New Year, though. And me of course.’ She gave an involuntary hic at the end of the sentence. ‘Going to have a headache tomorrow.’ The two of them were standing close together with a crowd of other people in their local park watching fireworks light the night sky. Tina jumped and uttered a loud groan as an extra-loud bang vibrated the air around them. As the crowd uttered the obligatory ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ she said, ‘Fireworks are very pretty but do they have to be quite so noisy? That one hurt my head.’ ‘We ought to make a New Year’s resolution,’ Jodie said, watching the scarlet shower turn into a spectacular burst of gold sparks. ‘Make this the year we change our lives for the better. That big three-oh is getting closer and closer for both of us.’ ‘Chance would be a fine thing,’ Tina muttered. ‘Maybe we should do what that bloke on the telly did years ago – Noel somebody. He reckoned he ordered the Cosmos to change his life and it did.’ ‘So, whatd’youhavetodo?’ Jodie said, slurring her words together. ‘Dunno really. Think you have to decide what you want and shout it out to space. Bit like positive thinking, only louder and more pre… hic… precise.’ ‘Nah,’ Jodie said. ‘We can try but I can’t see it working. Tell you what, if nothing’s changed by the time we hit thirty we’ll jack everything in and… and join a nunnery.’ Tina, about to hurl the last of her Prosecco down her throat, almost choked. ‘You’ve got to be joking.’ ‘OK,’ Jodie said. ‘How about promising ourselves if we’re still single at thirty, we’ll run away to deepest Wales and become madwomen who keep cats.’ ‘Alpacas,’ Tina said. ‘I’ve always fancied living in the country and keeping alpacas. Much better than cats. And we can knit bobble hats with their wool.’ ‘Whatever,’ Jodie said. ‘You hear that, Cosmos?’ She tilted her face up and stared at the star-filled sky. ‘You’ve got under two years to change our lives, otherwise we’re off to deepest Wales to live with alpacas,’ she shouted. The loudest bang of the evening from the last firework drowned out her words. Chapter One (#ulink_006ba296-a69d-55bd-a4a1-3c7c57415ccd) February This Year Tina began the third Friday of February by oversleeping. Never good in the mornings, since Jodie had left and she was living on her own in the flat, mornings were reverting to being one mad rush to get to work on time. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy her job as a literary agent – she loved it and couldn’t imagine ever doing anything else. She just didn’t do mornings, never had done. She’d driven her mum to distraction and many a shouting match trying to get her to school on time. She’d improved a lot as she got older and left home – it was a case of having to really. Employers could be less than understanding in Tina’s experience, even though she always tried to make up the time on the days she was late. Sharing a flat with Jodie, she’d been spoilt because Jodie had definitely been a morning person. She’d always got up when the alarm went off and had made it her mission in life to make sure Tina got up to. It had been all too easy relying on Jodie. After Jodie had left, Tina had given herself a strict talking to and even made a New Year’s resolution that this would be the year she embraced early mornings. She’d bought two alarm clocks and set them – one for an hour and the other for half an hour earlier than the time she actually needed to be up. The first one she placed on the bedside table where she could easily stop the noise it made and snuggle down again, secure in the knowledge she didn’t have to get up just yet. The one set for half an hour later, she placed over by the door, knowing she’d need to get out of bed to stop the alarm. Once she was up to do that, she’d obviously stay up and use the extra time for a leisurely coffee. Late mornings would be no more. That had been the theory anyway, and in practice it had worked – most of the time. But cold, dark February mornings were the pits and today the plan had failed spectacularly. This morning the extra thirty minutes had disappeared because, after switching the second alarm off, Tina had decided she was awake enough to lay on the bed planning her day. Instead she’d fallen back into a deep sleep, which meant she’d be lucky to get to the office before nine o’clock. In fact, it was five minutes past when she slung her bag over the back of her chair and switched on her computer. Thank goodness the main office was empty still and there was no sign of Kirsty, her boss and senior agent. Tina breathed a sigh of relief. Time to catch her breath and… ‘Morning, Tina. I’m guessing you missed breakfast this morning. Can I get you a coffee?’ Leah, newest member of staff and a pain in the proverbial as far as Tina was concerned, stood in front of her, smiling a knowing smile. ‘I’m just off to fetch a couple for Kirsty and me.’ Tina shook her head. ‘No, thanks, Leah. I had a latte on the way.’ ‘OK,’ and Leah walked away. Tina watched her go. Saying she’d had a latte on the way was a downright lie but there was something about the way Leah had almost smirked about her missing breakfast that had got her back up. She’d kill for a coffee right now but no way was she going to admit that to Leah. Leah had been in the office for three months and everyone agreed she was a real asset. Tina, though, was still wary. Oh, Leah was good at assessing the slush pile of manuscripts, always helpful and a whizz at marketing, but there was something about her that irritated Tina and made her decide to keep her distance. It wasn’t just because Leah had made no secret of the fact that she was extremely ambitious and didn’t plan to stay a glorified office junior for long. It was also the feeling that Leah didn’t care who she trod on as she made her way to the top of her chosen career. Recently Tina had begun to suspect she was the first person in line for that honour. Tina pushed all thoughts of Leah out of her mind and clicked open the pending file on her computer. In among the usual unsolicited, indifferent manuscripts she received every day there had been one, two days ago, that had caught her attention. She’d immediately replied asking to see the full manuscript. She’d been hoping it would arrive today but there was no sign of it in her email box. A time-slip story, it had a modern-day heroine learning about her grandmother’s life during the bleak days of the First World War. The covering letter from the author, Lucinda Penwood, explained it was a debut novel and she wondered whether the agency would be interested in representing her. A debut novel it might be, but Tina knew, if the full manuscript showed as much promise as the few pages she’d read, that she definitely wanted to snap up the writer as a client. Lucinda would be an ideal addition to her growing list of women’s fiction writers. Besides, she had this gut feeling the novel would turn out to be the ‘high-concept’ something demanded by publishers these days and would make it big time. Tina’s day flew by in a succession of emails, computer work, telephone calls, and a quick ‘keeping in contact’ lunch with a publisher who was looking for the ‘next big thing’ until it was four o’clock and time for the last editorial meeting of the week in Kirsty’s office. To Tina’s surprise, Leah was also at the meeting. ‘Thought it was about time we gave Leah more responsibility,’ Kirsty said. ‘Starting with sitting in on these meetings. Now, Tina, anything good to report this week?’ Tina nodded. ‘A couple of things but mainly a time-slip novel. I’ve asked for the full manuscript.’ No point in showing too much enthusiasm at this point. ‘Ooh, I love time-slip books,’ Leah said. ‘Can I read it when it comes?’ ‘Sure,’ Tina said. The words ‘after me’ stayed unspoken in her head. ‘How about you?’ she asked, looking at Kirsty. ‘Anything interesting to report?’ ‘A children’s cookery book aimed at playschools, with an interactive DVD.’ Kirsty glanced across at Leah. ‘This book is a bit of a departure for one of our clients. Thought you might like to sit in on my meeting with the author next week?’ ‘Thanks.’ Tina, detecting a distinct lack of enthusiasm in Leah’s voice, knew a child’s cookery book was not on the list of things she thought would advance her career. Leah wanted nothing less than to be involved with the blockbusters. ‘Tina, next week we’ll need to spend some time working on our schedule for the Book Fair. Can you keep Tuesday morning free for that please?’ Kirsty said. A quarter of an hour later, the meeting came to a close with Kirsty wishing everyone a good weekend before rushing off to spend the next couple of days in her country cottage with her husband. Leah was going away for the weekend too, muttering something about catching an evening flight over to Paris with her latest boyfriend. ‘Have fun, both of you,’ Tina said and quickly made for her own desk before she was forced to admit to anyone left in the office that she was sadly lacking in plans for the next two days. With her parents now retired and living in Portugal, where they played endless rounds of golf it seemed to her, she didn’t even have the option of seeing them this weekend. She could phone them, though, and hope to catch them between a round of golf and evening aperitifs with their neighbours. She hadn’t chatted to her mum for ages and it would be something cheerful to do this weekend. Weekends had always been busy when Jodie was around. The two of them were spoilt for choice when it came to the numerous invitations for parties, receptions, opening nights of plays and the occasional nightclub. But when Jodie married and moved to France, and no longer involved her in the mad world of PR, Tina’s social life had virtually vanished. These days, with no imminent book launches in the diary, an invite to the local charity shop’s annual coffee morning was the only thing pencilled in on the kitchen calendar and that was weeks away. Of course, when she had been with Jake life had been different again. A lawyer with a Porsche, Jake had been a bit of a clich? as a boyfriend but they’d had some good times together, until he’d been headhunted and disappeared off to Dubai nine months ago. The promises to fly her out and keep in touch had failed to materialise so far. But, hey, she wasn’t holding her breath. She was over him now. He definitely hadn’t been ‘the one’ her mother kept on telling her she would meet some day. Five minutes later, after closing down her computer and picking up a couple of manuscripts to read over the weekend, she was on her way home. As the bus made its way through the busy streets Tina wished Jodie was still living in London. Fleetingly, feeling a tad jealous of Jodie, she even found herself wishing she’d never introduced her to Ben. That she’d be back in the flat waiting for her and the two of them would get ready for a night out at the latest hotspot – making the most of being single in the vibrant city on their doorstep. Tina sighed ruefully to herself. Those days were over. The last few months had seen her life shrink into a boring routine of all work and no play. And she was getting older all the time. If she wasn’t careful she’d be buried in the deep rut that was currently her life when she reached her thirtieth birthday in… God, was it that soon? She’d be on her own in deepest Wales with those alpacas before she knew it. The Cosmos had answered Jodie’s plea to change her life in a spectacular way – while ignoring Tina’s completely. Looking around at her fellow commuters, Tina resolved it was time to shake up her life. She was clearly on her own and needed to ‘Do Something’. The only question being – what? And how was she going to change things? Chapter Two (#ulink_3770d22c-52c2-562b-917b-73534b81fed0) Seven hundred miles away from London, in a small village in a fold of the mountains behind Nice, France, Jodie Delahaye woke at stupid o’clock that same Friday morning. Turning her head, she stole a look at Ben, flat on his back and still in a deep sleep. Ben Delahaye, writer of bestselling crime novels and her husband. If she were honest, she still pinched herself occasionally, not quite believing the fairy-tale-like twist her life had taken recently. The stressed-out PR executive of four months ago had become a married woman living the dream in the South of France with the man she loved. It had been a real coup de foudre moment when Tina introduced her to Ben. She’d known instantly that her life was about to change. For once, she and Tina had been working at the same event, the Frankfurt Book Fair. Tina was manning a stand with the literary agency she worked for and Jodie had been assigned to represent her company, who were handling the PR for one of the big six publishers at the Fair. It was the very last evening and they were at the closing party when Tina said, ‘Oh, Ben’s here. Come on, I’ll introduce you.’ ‘Who’s Ben?’ Jodie hissed, dodging around a large man blocking the way as Tina led her across the crowded room. ‘Benjamin Delahaye, crime novelist. Used to be one of my clients but sadly got poached by a big agent with lots of connections. Couldn’t blame him for leaving – they had the expertise I didn’t at the time for him to expand in the US.’ As Tina introduced them, Jodie’s hand was taken and held firmly by a tall man who regarded her intently with the most amazing chocolate-brown eyes she’d ever seen, and who, as far as she was concerned, eclipsed every other man in the room. His sexy French accent when he said ‘Enchant?’ took her breath away and she realised she was unlikely to return to her humdrum existence any time soon if Ben had anything to do with it. She was right. From that moment, things took on a life of their own. Ben bought her a drink, they found a quiet corner and talked to each other nonstop. His English was good and Jodie could have listened to his sensual voice telling her about himself all night, but he wanted to know about her too. Two hours later, when they were asked to leave as the venue was closing, Ben escorted her and Tina back to the hotel, asked Jodie for her telephone number and promised to ring her the next time he was in London, around Christmastime. ‘So, you liked Ben then?’ Tina had said, smiling at her as the lift carried them to their room on the seventh floor. Jodie had nodded, happiness shining from her face. The next day she’d returned home in a daze, wishing the next two months away. She’d been back just twenty-four hours when Ben rang. He was in London, longing to see her again, and would she please join him for dinner? Just eight weeks later, in the Mairie’s office of the small French village where Ben lived, they were married. Ben’s mother, Annette, and Tina, who flew over especially for the ceremony, were the only witnesses. The day had been perfect in every way, except that her mother wasn’t there to share in her happiness. Jodie had never missed her so much as she did that day, and she’d only just managed to keep back the tears. Thinking about her mother now, Jodie’s fingers clasped the chain of the gold locket around her neck. Her mother’s locket. Two years ago, Jacqueline Saville had been knocked off her bicycle by an out-of-control car driven by a joyrider. The hospital had fought hard to save her but she’d died from her head injuries less than twenty-four hours later, a distraught Jodie holding her hand. The locket had been around her neck ever since that horrible day when the nurse had gently removed it from Jacqueline’s body and handed it to Jodie. Dazed with grief she’d opened it and stared at the picture of herself as a toddler standing between her parents, holding their hands. The nurse had come running back when she’d screamed at the pair of them for dying and leaving her alone in the world. When she and Ben fell in love, it had been left to Tina to assume the grown-up position with regard to Jodie’s sudden rush to get married. Although she was openly envious of Jodie’s unexpected change of fortune, Tina had taken her to task about the quickly arranged wedding and the new life she was throwing herself into. ‘Think about what your mum would say. You barely know Ben. You’ve been a townie all your life. The only place you ever go on holiday is Devon because you reckon it’s the perfect place – you’ve been muttering for years about moving down there one day. And now you’re getting married to a Frenchman and actually going to live in France? You’ll probably never set foot in Devon again. You don’t think you’re maybe rushing things a bit?’ Tina had paused for breath and shaken her head. ‘I just hope you know what you’re doing burying yourself in a village in a foreign land.’ ‘Mum would have loved Ben,’ Jodie said. ‘And he would have adored her too.’ ‘Maybe, but giving up your career and being a kept woman in a foreign country isn’t necessarily the right choice for you,’ Tina insisted. ‘You’re always out attending some party or launching a product. Your social life is as busy as your nine-to-five one. And…’ She’d paused as though what she was about to say clinched it. ‘You love shopping. How many shops are there in rural France? Not many.’ Jodie laughed. ‘I know, but honestly it’ll be a relief to step off the merry-go-round. Besides, I’m still going to have a social life, Ben knows lots of people. We’re only going to be an hour away from the Riviera so I’ll be able to go shopping on Rue d’Antibes in Cannes whenever I want. That can’t be bad, can it?’ ‘But what exactly are you going to do all day?’ Tina asked. ‘Turn into a Stepford wife overnight?’ ‘Of course not,’ Jodie had answered. ‘For a start I have to brush up my French. Try to become fluent so I can talk to the natives and make friends. Ben has promised me, once this latest book is finished, we can go house-hunting for a new home together. So I am going to be busy – just with different things. And I will look for another job, once everything has settled down.’ ‘Have you asked Ben about moving over here?’ Tina demanded in one of their heated ‘Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?’ exchanges. ‘After all, writers can write anywhere. All they need is a laptop, a gallon of coffee, and to be shut in a room to write!’ ‘True, but to be honest I haven’t even mentioned the possibility of him moving to London,’ Jodie said. ‘Why not?’ Tina asked. Jodie hesitated. ‘Because his mother is still alive.’ Tina had looked at her open-mouthed before closing her eyes and nodding understandingly. When Jodie had refused to even think about postponing the wedding, or worry about moving to France, Tina had given in, throwing herself wholeheartedly into helping her friend organise the wedding she’d always dreamt about. Quiet and romantic. The phrase ‘marry in haste, repent at leisure’ was voiced once and then never again uttered. Something for which Jodie had been extremely grateful. But why was it popping back into her head now, two months later? Chapter Three (#ulink_3e4a7171-5c2d-5fd4-83a3-2095768b3427) Wide awake now and knowing further sleep would be impossible, Jodie carefully edged herself out of bed leaving Ben to sleep for at least another hour. Picking up her dressing gown from the chair and slipping it on, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen. Still not quite light, she could hear the gentle morning breeze rattling the roofing sheets of the lean-to sunroom attached to the kitchen. Tess, Ben’s collie dog, raised her head from her basket in the corner and thumped her tail as Jodie switched on the lights, but didn’t bother to move. ‘Silly time to get up, isn’t it?’ Jodie said, giving Tess a stroke before switching the kettle on and spooning coffee into the cafeti?re. Ten years of working in a busy PR firm in London had etched the early morning wake-up routine deep into her subconscious. She sighed. How many years would it take for her to lose the habit? Now, near the end of February, and two months after her whirlwind romantic wedding, the major flaw in her new life was spending less time than she’d expected with Ben. Increasingly she was beginning to feel a tiny bit… not bored exactly, just lost. Her initial enjoyment at not having to adhere to a daily work routine was also beginning to wear off. Jacqueline Saville had drummed the need to be her own woman into her daughter from an early age, making Jodie fiercely independent and instilling a need in her to be self-sufficient financially. With Jacqueline’s insurance money still untouched and a respectable savings account of her own, it did mean getting another job wasn’t currently high on her agenda, but she definitely needed more to do. Contributing to their joint finances and not just being ‘a kept woman’, as Tina had so succinctly put it, was an essential requirement in this new life of hers. She was missing Tina too. Quick texts and a Skype chat at weekends just weren’t the same. Jodie couldn’t help feeling they were drifting apart as the course of their lives changed. Still, only another few weeks until the London Book Fair when she and Tina could have a good catch-up. Jodie made a mental note to ask Ben which hotel they would be staying in so she could let Tina know. Hopefully he, or his agent, had remembered to book one. Rooms in central London were like gold dust during Book Fair week. Pushing the cafeti?re plunger down and inhaling the deep aroma, Jodie debated whether to take a cup up to Ben but decided to leave him sleeping. Heaven only knew what time he’d got to bed last night. When she’d gone up at eleven, tired of waiting for him to join her, he’d still been in the study, furiously typing away. Apparently, meeting her, getting married and going on honeymoon had interfered with his normal working target of a book a year. Not that he had any regrets of course, he assured her, but it did mean meeting the deadline for his latest book was seriously under threat. ‘I’m going to have to burn the midnight oil for a few weeks,’ he’d said. Which was exactly what he’d been doing since they’d arrived back here the first week in January after spending Christmas and their honeymoon in the French Alps. Since meeting Ben and finishing work just days before their whirlwind wedding, Jodie had relished the unfamiliar feeling of not having anyone imposing impossible deadlines on her. Spending so much time alone during the last few weeks had at least given her time to catch her breath after the frantic pace of her previous life. She knew she’d been exhausted and close to burnout when she and Ben had met. But surely her new life in France wouldn’t always be this quiet and… and if she were truthful she had to acknowledge that it was currently quite a lonely life. She needed to meet more people and find something to do. Tess thumped her tail as a dishevelled Ben appeared. ‘Morning, ma cherie,’ he said, kissing Jodie. ‘Couldn’t you sleep?’ ‘Don’t think my body clock has adjusted yet,’ Jodie said, pouring him a coffee. ‘Although I’ve always been more of a lark than an owl. Unlike you,’ she added. ‘You were late to bed last night.’ Ben nodded. ‘I was on a roll. A couple more weeks and I’ll have finished. Have we got any croissants?’ Jodie lifted the lid off the breadbin and put two pains au chocolat on a plate. ‘These do you?’ ‘Perfect.’ After breakfast Ben disappeared into his study for the morning, as per normal, and Jodie poured herself another coffee and sat in the sunroom enjoying the view. A view so different from her previous one, when she’d been living with Tina in one of London’s high-rise apartment blocks, she caught her breath every time she looked at it. She doubted it would ever stop amazing her. In London the view from the flat had been all grey rooftops and skyscrapers with the noise of the traffic reaching even the ninth floor if she or Tina dared to open the double-glazed windows. Here, where the suburban buildings had been replaced by woods and green fields, windows seemed to be almost permanently open – even this early in the year – and the early morning noise was dominated by the cockerel on the farm up the lane and the mooing of the cows as they were led in for milking. The spire of the village church where the vicar had blessed their union following the civil ceremony was just visible over the tops of the trees. Ben had told her there were often deer down there in the woods and she longed to see them. She longed, too, for the long summer days when the two of them could eat dinner out on the terrace in the cool of the evening under the pergola. But a little niggling, negative voice had started slyly whispering in her ear: is this what you really want? A quiet life in a small French village? She might be in love with Ben but had Tina been right when she’d told her she was rushing things? Thoughtfully, Jodie finished her coffee and walked back into the kitchen. Today, at least, she was going to be busy. She was having her second French lesson with Madame Colbert in the village. Making new friends and being accepted into the community was difficult when you couldn’t speak the language fluently, so telling Tina that brushing up on her French had to be a top priority in her new life had been the truth. After the lesson she planned to finally investigate ‘Le Gout de la Campagne’ or The Taste of the Countryside – a shop on the main road just outside the village. The wooden, chalet-type building looked just the kind of place she’d enjoy browsing in and she’d been promising herself that she’d do that for weeks now. Become a Stepford wife like Tina had suggested? No chance. She’d never let that happen in a million years. Chapter Four (#ulink_906cfef2-81f4-55f3-8a63-28986808b419) Strolling around the local flea market, killing time on Saturday morning, Tina turned at the sound of her name being called. Beth, a friend from college she’d lost touch with, waved at her excitedly. ‘Hi, long time no see. What are you doing here? I thought you were living in Scotland these days?’ Tina said. ‘Let’s have a coffee and you can tell me all your news.’ Two hours later, when coffee had turned into a lazy lunch at the Italian coffee bar and they’d filled each other in on all the details of their lives, Beth looked at her watch and said, ‘I’ve got to dash. I’m supposed to be meeting someone the other side of London in half an hour. Here’s my card. Email me!’ Tina quickly scribbled her own address and email on a piece of paper. ‘Sorry I don’t have a business card on me today. We must stay in touch,’ she said, handing the paper to Beth. ‘Give me a shout next time you’re in town. I’ve got a spare room since my flatmate moved out, so I can even offer you a bed.’ ‘Are you looking for someone else to share with?’ Beth asked. ‘Only I know someone who’s desperate for somewhere to live. They’re having to couch-surf right now.’ Tina shook her head. ‘No. After having a few weirdos apply, I’ve given up on finding anyone suitable. Besides, I’m getting used to having the place to myself.’ ‘Shame,’ Beth said. ‘I think my friend is having a really hard time at the moment. Never mind. I’m sure she’ll find something soon. Bye.’ Once home, Tina unpacked her shopping, gave the flat a quick tidy and pushed the hoover around, with the niggling thought buzzing in her mind all the time – had she been too hasty in refusing to even meet Beth’s friend who was having to resort to couch-surfing as a way of life? It had been hard finding somewhere decent to live when she and Jodie had first arrived in London. It had taken them months of living in a less-than-desirable bedsit before they’d found this flat. Telling Beth she was getting used to having the place to herself was the truth but that didn’t stop it being lonely in the evenings and at weekends. Particularly at weekends. And the rent was quite high. Jodie’s contribution had definitely helped there. She couldn’t go on making up the deficit from her savings so she should really think about looking for a new flatmate. There had to be a non-weirdo out there somewhere looking for a place to live. Having someone new living in the flat would be a start to climbing out of the rut she was in. Maybe she should at least see what Beth’s friend was like? Opening her laptop, Tina typed in Beth’s email address from the card she’d given her. ‘No guarantees but I’ve been thinking. If your friend wants to come and see the flat sometime, maybe we can work something out.’ Half an hour later her email programme pinged. ‘Hi, Beth says you possibly have a spare room I could rent. I’m desperate to find somewhere so please may I come and see you later today? Beth’s given me the address. Maisie.’ Tina sat for a moment, her fingers poised over the keyboard. Whoever Maisie was, she was clearly as desperate as Beth had said. She wouldn’t turn out to be yet another weirdo, would she? No, Beth wouldn’t have suggested her if that was the case. Tina started to type. ‘Sure. Seven o’clock would suit me. Look forward to meeting you.’ She hesitated a fraction of a second before pressing the send icon. She could always say no, once she had met Maisie. Time to ring Jodie for their weekly chat – at least this time she had a little bit of news to tell her. Chapter Five (#ulink_8d5f3e46-1ae5-55e6-b87a-daf3cb2bc406) ‘Au revoir, Jodie. Same time next week,’ said Madame Colbert as she showed Jodie out. ‘Merci,’ Jodie said, her head buzzing from the effort of concentrating for the last hour on the difference between regular and irregular verbs. Dragging up vocabulary from her schoolgirl French had been painful and Madame Colbert was a hard taskmaster. She’d even given Jodie a page or two of homework to do before the next lesson. There were a few people wandering around the village as Jodie walked through, making her way towards The Taste of the Countryside. Chairs around the tables on the pavement outside the village caf? were occupied with people enjoying coffee or an aperitif before lunch. Further on from the caf?, Jodie stopped to look in the estate agent’s window. Apartments, villas, cottages, even a donkey shed were offered. The picture of a small, red-roofed cottage with wisteria climbing over the front porch caught her eye. Jodie squinted, trying to make out the price. €350,000. A quick look at other cards told her it was one of the cheapest properties for sale in the area. Only the donkey shed appeared to be cheaper. Was the cottage in their price range? Was it the kind of house he even had in mind? She had no idea of the answer to either question. Standing there, it struck her for the first time how little she really knew about the man who’d swept her off her feet. Oh, she knew how kind he was, how generous, that he loved animals – that he loved her. She knew the little everyday things about him, of course: the food he liked, the way he drank his coffee – typically French, black and strong – the clothes he wore, that he adored his mother. There were still some major things they’d not discussed yet, though. Houses and money being two of them. The question of children was another topic they’d never discussed. She knew she wanted at least two, but Ben? Did he want a family eventually? That was a question a sensible woman would have raised before leaping into marriage. She didn’t really have any idea of Ben’s income either, other than that he never seemed worried about money. His books regularly hit the bestseller lists, which had to be good money-wise, didn’t it? Looking at the property pictures she began to wonder where they’d live when they did buy something. Their current cottage was rented furnished and had been a typical bachelor’s home until she’d moved in and introduced a few pictures, candles and cushions into the sitting room. Ben, though, had flatly refused to sleep in a bed with pink sheets, her favourite, so she’d bought some pale-blue ones instead. Impulsively Jodie opened the estate agency’s door and went in. Taking the details home to Ben for his reaction would at least solve two mysteries: the kind of house they both liked and the price range they’d be looking at. The man at the desk glanced up from some paperwork on his desk, muttered ‘Bonjour’ and then returned to his paperwork. No ‘Can I help you?’ No ‘I’ll be with you in a moment’. Zilch. In England Jodie would have simply coughed and said loudly, ‘Excuse me, can you help me?’ But here she was lost for words and had to stand there waiting until the man deigned to look up and ask if he could help. At least it gave her time to frame a basic question. ‘S’il vous pla?t, la petite maison annonc?e dans la fen?tre?’ Jodie said. She had no idea how to continue. How to tell him which particular house she was interested in. The man stared at her, waiting for her to carry on. Getting crosser and crosser with him, her right foot tapping the floor impatiently, she finally found the words she needed. ‘La petite maison pour €350,000.’ The man opened a file on his desk, pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to her. ‘Make a rendezvous for next week if you wish to see it,’ he said in heavily accented English before returning to his paperwork. Friends had warned her that French customer service could be somewhat lacking, but this was the first time she’d experienced real rudeness first hand. Jodie took the paper, muttered a sarcastic ‘Thank you’ now she knew the man spoke English and walked out. No way would she be making a viewing appointment with this agency. Leaving the village behind her she walked along the main road to The Taste of the Countryside. It was further than she thought and she began to regret not driving down from the cottage. Ben had promised to buy her a small runaround but so far he hadn’t found anything he thought she’d like. In the meantime, he’d urged her to use his large 4x4. Only she couldn’t. It was bigger than anything she’d ever driven before and the thought of having to get used to it while driving on the wrong side of narrow roads terrified her, but it would have to be done and soon. Maybe next time they went out together she’d suggest she drove some of the way. The Taste of the Countryside was set back from the road and next to a pretty cottage with the name plaque Le Jardin de Dominique. As she pushed open the large shop door and stepped onto a mat, a buzzer buzzed. Jodie smiled as she saw two small children playing on a rug near the till. ‘Bonjour, Madame Delahaye,’ the woman behind the counter said, smiling. ‘Bonjour,’ Jodie replied, surprised. ‘How do you know… sorry, umm… comment savez-vous mon nom?’ ‘It’s a small village. I know everyone. It’s too early for tourists so you had to be Ben’s new wife. I’m Nicola Bongars,’ the woman said, holding out her hand for Jodie to shake. ‘Your English is very good.’ ‘That’s because I am English,’ Nicola said, laughing. ‘Married to a Frenchman.’ ‘Like me!’ Jodie said, judging that Nicola had to be older than her, probably in her late thirties or early forties. ‘Are these your children?’ ‘Two of them. I have an older son also. Olivier. I don’t usually bring the twins to work but today I’m standing in for the assistant, who has an emergency.’ ‘It’s a very inviting shop,’ Jodie said, looking around at the array of things on offer. Conserves, wine, pottery, apple and other fruit juices, sweets and biscuits, fresh vegetables, flowers and plants. A stand by the door held booklets and pamphlets about the local area. ‘Everything here is made or produced locally?’ Nicola nodded. ‘Within a fifty-kilometre area. Were you looking for anything in particular?’ ‘No, I was just curious to see what you sold,’ Jodie said. ‘I’ve just had my second French lesson with Madame Colbert and needed a walk to clear my head. My schoolgirl French is very rusty and Madame Colbert is very strict.’ Nicola laughed. ‘She’s a good teacher though. The main thing you have to do is speak French at every opportunity. Do you and Ben speak French at home?’ ‘Not really.’ Knowing her understanding of French was poor, Ben always spoke to her in English. ‘Talk to him in French every day for at least an hour and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you improve.’ ‘Mmm. That’s a thought,’ Jodie said, not wanting to say how little she actually saw of Ben at the moment or that, when they were together, she wanted their conversation to flow freely, which, if she was struggling for foreign words, it wouldn’t. ‘I see you’ve met Herve,’ Nicola said, looking at the estate agent details Jodie was holding. Jodie pulled a face. ‘Isn’t he a ball of fire! Sorry, he’s probably a friend of yours but I found him to be very rude. Maybe it was just me?’ Nicola shook her head. ‘No, not you. He’s like that with everyone.’ The door opened and the buzzer sounded as a couple entered the shop. ‘Bonjour,’ Nicola called out. ‘I’d better get going,’ Jodie said. ‘I’ll be back though.’ ‘I’m here three or four mornings a week,’ Nicola said. ‘If I’m not here, I’m usually next door. Le Jardin de Dominique,’ she said, seeing Jodie’s puzzled look. Come for a coffee. It’d be nice to chat to someone in my native language for a change.’ ‘Thanks, I’d like that,’ Jodie said. Later, as Jodie waited for Ben to join her for lunch, she looked at the cottage details again. She loved the photo of the sitting room with its French doors opening out onto a terrace. The views of the distant mountains were beautiful too. Maybe Ben would recognise the cottage and know where it was. ‘I see you’ve met the man who annually wins the title “Grumpiest Villager”,’ Ben said as he pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘Well-deserved title, I think,’ Jodie said. ‘I like the look of this cottage. Do you know where it is?’ She handed him the leaflet. ‘That’s interesting,’ Ben said. ‘You like it?’ Jodie said, hope rising that Ben would feel the way she did. ‘Grumpiest Villager said to make a rendezvous with him if we wanted to see it, but is there another way we can have a look without him?’ ‘It’s out to the east of the village, near the Italian border. Quite close to Mama. It’s expensive over that way. It’s a nice cottage but it’s not for us.’ Ben helped himself to half a baguette and a slice of cheese. ‘Besides, it’s too small,’ he continued. ‘It’s only two bedrooms and we need at least three and a study for me. The garden isn’t up to much either. Also, in my opinion, it’s overpriced even for that area.’ ‘Oh! That’s a shame, I rather liked the look of it,’ Jodie said, disappointed. ‘Houses here do seem expensive. This was the cheapest one in the window. Do we really need three or four bedrooms?’ ‘Mais oui – for the family we shall have in the future,’ Ben said. ‘But we could start off with a smaller house and move when we have children,’ Jodie said. ‘That’s what generally happens in England.’ ‘Here in France we prefer to find a home where we can grow our families and grow old together, from the beginning. A forever home.’ ‘So, why did you say it was interesting?’ Jodie said. ‘I am surprised the owner is selling, that’s all. He’s a friend of Mama’s. It was his family’s holiday cottage for years. He moved back up here last year and I thought he’d planned on living in the area permanently.’ ‘What sort of price range are we going to be looking in?’ Jodie asked, hiding her disappointment over the cottage. Knowing the answer to that would at least stop her falling for ones that were too expensive and out of their reach. ‘We can probably afford a bit more than the price of that cottage,’ Ben said. ‘Depends on where we decide to live and what we find – and how well the next book does.’ He stood up. ‘Talking of which. I’ll see you later. Oh, I forgot to tell you… Mama has invited us to supper this evening.’ He gave her a quick kiss and was gone. Jodie sighed. She’d assumed she and Ben would buy a house somewhere locally, maybe near the village, but perhaps Ben was thinking of moving away? At least she knew the size of house he wanted and had some idea of the price range, but she still didn’t know whether they shared the same taste. Something they still had to discuss. She smiled to herself. At least she knew now that Ben did want children in the future. Smothering a small sigh Jodie fingered her locket. ‘What d’you think, Mum?’ Talking to her mum when she was worried had become a reflex action. Somehow, holding the locket and voicing her worries out loud helped her. Made her feel her mum was still close. She could hear Jacqueline’s voice now, telling her to relax. ‘You’re in France and you know everything takes longer here. Once you start looking the right house will turn up, you’ll see. And the answers to all your questions will fall into place.’ Chapter Six (#ulink_27934b3b-0495-5b63-8d05-b0a8dd2f0c3e) ‘Come on, hurry up. You know what a stickler my mama is for punctuality. She forgives anything but lateness.’ Ben was standing by the car, its engine already running. ‘Sorry,’ Jodie said, slamming the cottage door behind her. ‘Tina wanted to chat!’ ‘She always does at the weekend,’ Ben said. ‘She needs another flatmate.’ ‘That’s why she rang. She’s seeing someone this evening. A friend of a friend. Fingers crossed they’ll get on.’ Automatically Jodie climbed into the passenger seat as Ben held the door open for her and snapped the seatbelt into its lock before remembering she’d planned to suggest she drove at least one way this evening. Too late now, the car was already moving. ‘Is it just us this evening?’ she asked, as Ben turned onto the road leading down to the village. He shrugged. ‘Mama didn’t say. I guess there might be a couple of neighbours there. I know she has a couple of friends she wants to introduce you to.’ ‘Are any of these neighbours likely to speak English? Even a little?’ It would be a long, mainly silent evening for her if they didn’t. Still, at least Ben wasn’t working for once and they were spending time together. ‘Mmm… possibly not,’ Ben said. ‘But don’t worry, I’ll translate for you.’ About to turn left, Ben slammed on the brakes instead. A large orange ‘route barr?’ sign had been placed in the middle of the turning. ‘Damn!’ he muttered. ‘Now we are going to be late. Have to go the long way round.’ ‘Any idea why the road is closed?’ Jodie asked. ‘Probably a small landslide somewhere. We’ve had a lot of rain this winter, which is always a problem with any unstable rocks.’ The long way round meant Jodie saw parts of the village and surrounding countryside she hadn’t seen before. Ten minutes later, as they drove down an even narrower lane than usual, she saw a small house set back from the road, a for sale notice fixed to its garden gate. ‘Oh, isn’t that the cottage I liked? What a lovely setting. Are you sure we can’t even look at it?’ she asked, as the cottage disappeared from view around a bend in the road and Ben turned onto another lane that led to the rutted driveway of his mother’s house. ‘Why? I’ve told you it’s too small for us.’ ‘OK, I admit it. I’m a house-ophile – if there is such a word! I love looking at houses. And that cottage is exactly the kind of house I’m drawn to,’ Jodie said. ‘Are there bigger versions around? And importantly, is it the kind of house you might like?’ ‘Oui. We’ll see lots that are very similar when we start serious house-hunting. It’s a traditional design in this area. We just need one with more space.’ Ben drew up alongside a scarlet Range Rover that was parked in front of the house. As they got out of the car Jodie said, ‘Who does that belong to?’ but before Ben could answer, Annette Delahaye had opened her front door and come out to greet them. ‘There you are. Last to arrive.’ As she was enveloped in a tight hug, Jodie fleetingly remembered Tina’s warning. ‘Mothers-in-law can be difficult,’ she’d said. ‘And we all know how close French men are to their mothers. She’ll probably turn out to be the mother-in-law from hell.’ Jodie smiled at the memory as she kissed Annette’s cheek. In the short time she’d known her, Jodie had become very fond of Ben’s widowed mother. A woman of copious energy and somebody you felt instinctively drawn to, she’d wholeheartedly welcomed Ben’s choice of wife into her family. Jodie knew she couldn’t have asked for a better mother-in-law. ‘D?sol?,’ Ben said. ‘Rue du Berger was closed.’ ‘Ah, my fault then. I forgot to warn you about that,’ Annette said, turning to Jodie and taking her by the hand. ‘Come on in and meet everybody.’ ‘Everybody’ included Adele and Bernard, who were nearby neighbours, Thierry Francis, who Annette introduced simply as ‘my friend’ with no further explanation, and, to Jodie’s surprise and delight, Nicola and her husband, Gilles. As she said, ‘It’s lovely to see you again’ to Nicola, Jodie couldn’t help noticing the scowl that flitted across Ben’s face when he saw Thierry. Mmm… her husband clearly didn’t like his mother’s friend although he was perfectly polite to him, at first. Too early in the year to eat supper outside, Annette had set the table in the conservatory that ran the length of the house overlooking the garden at the rear. Small lamps placed in strategic places around the room and candles that flickered down the length of the table, interspersed with bowls of flower heads and floating candles, created a gentle ambience. The food, a simple lamb stew followed by a pomme tarte tatin, was delicious. Conversation, in a mixture of English and French, some of which Jodie was able to join in with, veered from the weather to the number of tourists the village could expect in the summer. And then, over the cheese course, Ben said to Thierry, ‘I see you’ve got your cottage on the market. Bit expensive even for around here.’ Even though he spoke in French, Jodie understood enough and realised with a start that he was talking about the cottage she liked. She saw, too, the quick, worried look Annette gave Ben and the way her shoulders tensed at his provocative tone as he spoke to Thierry. ‘Are you planning on moving back down south?’ Thierry, for his part, regarded Ben steadily. ‘Oui, it’s a possibility, but a lot depends on other things, and other people,’ he said. An awkward silence followed before Gilles turned to Jodie and started a new conversation, in English, on how vibrant a city London was. ‘So full of energy. I love my visits there. And did you know London is the sixth-largest French city these days? So many of us have crossed the Channel for work. But now, of course, there are the worries over Brexit.’ He shook his head. ‘Things will change, that’s for sure.’ ‘There’s a certain buzz about the place,’ Jodie said. ‘I have to admit I’m looking forward to returning with Ben for the London Book Fair in a few weeks.’ She turned to smile at him. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask, which hotel have you booked us into?’ ‘Umm…’ Ben bit his lip as he looked at her. A habit of his she already recognised as a sign of nervousness. ‘Or would your agent have done it?’ she asked. ‘Can we talk about this later?’ Ben said. ‘In private.’ ‘Of course,’ Jodie said quickly, suddenly aware of the silence around them as everyone tried in vain to ignore their muted voices. ‘Jodie. A drop more wine?’ Thierry asked. Jodie picked up her glass and held it out. ‘Thank you.’ The mention of London had made her realise just how much she was looking forward to their visit in a couple of weeks. Not just to catch up with Tina and all her news but to take some flowers to her mum’s grave, wander down Oxford Street for some retail therapy, maybe go to the theatre one evening. Thoughtfully, she looked around the table. The convivial supper party had developed a certain undercurrent of unease due to Ben. What was the matter with her husband this evening? First his barely concealed rudeness to Thierry, and now evading her question about London and hotels. Surely Ben wasn’t thinking about cancelling their visit to London when he knew how much she was looking forward to it? He wouldn’t – would he? Chapter Seven (#ulink_5a08ad75-1fc7-556a-8f9f-12014d326c8d) Tina straightened the cream throw she’d placed over the settee and attempted to relax as seven o’clock approached. Telling Maisie she could come and see the flat wasn’t tantamount to saying ‘You can move in’ before they’d even met, was it? Lots of things needed to be discussed before that stage was reached – if it was reached at all. Some basic house rules would have to be laid down: no smoking, respect each other’s space, no leaving dishes to soak in the sink, a rota set up for the housework. Rules about privacy and bringing people back to the flat would have to be agreed. Of course, none of this had been necessary when Jodie had lived here – they’d known instinctively what the other would like and how they would react to things. But Maisie was a stranger with who knew what kind of habits. By one minute to seven Tina had convinced herself having a stranger as a flatmate was totally the wrong thing to do. She didn’t need or want one. She’d got used to having the place to herself. Being a slob if she felt like it; being obsessive over housework if the mood took her – or ignoring it totally for days. Coming home after a day at the agency working with Leah, she’d come to appreciate the silence and the fact that there was no one she had to talk to. Granted, mornings tended to be a problem for her, but then that wasn’t something she expected a new flatmate to help with. It was her problem. But it was too late to cancel now; Maisie would be here any minute. So she’d be polite, go through the motions of discussing things and then suggest they both took a couple of days to think things over. In reality, Tina knew she’d already made her decision. She was happy with the status quo and didn’t need a stranger as a flatmate. Until she found someone she knew and liked who needed somewhere to live, she’d continue to top up the rent from her savings. It wouldn’t be forever. Imagine if she unwittingly found herself living with someone like Leah. She shuddered. No, she wasn’t going to take that risk. Opening the door a few seconds later, after a gentle knock that if she hadn’t been listening for she’d have missed, Tina blinked. She hadn’t expected this. ‘Oh.’ Standing in front of her with a hopeful smile was a fair-haired girl – no way was she old enough to be called a woman. With her black-velvet jacket, torn jeans and blonde hair cropped short, she looked more like an escapee from a boy band. Why hadn’t it occurred to her that Maisie could be so young? She’d simply assumed she’d be near her own and Beth’s age, not someone who looked as if she should still be in kindergarten. Holding the door open and, despite trying not to, staring at the girl, Tina felt completely wrong-footed. ‘Hi. I’m Maisie,’ a quiet voice told her. ‘Come in,’ Tina said, feeling her earlier resolve not to offer Maisie a room weakening instantly. Why couldn’t Maisie have turned out to be older and a goth or something weird, rather than somebody who looked incredibly sweet and naive as well as absurdly young? And in desperate need of a helping hand. ‘Oh, let me help you with that,’ she said, as Maisie started to struggle to slip a large rucksack off her back. ‘This weighs a ton. However did you manage to carry it? There’s nothing of you.’ She stopped herself from saying ‘You’re far too thin’ just in time. Maisie shrugged. ‘No choice. Nowhere to leave it and all my stuff is in it.’ Tina put the heavy rucksack down by the door leading to the spare bedroom and turned back to Maisie. ‘Coffee?’ Maisie nodded. ‘That would be lovely, thank you.’ She sank down on the settee, tiredly pushing strands of blonde hair away from her face. ‘It’s lovely and warm in here.’ ‘Did it take you long to find me?’ Tina asked. ‘No. I wasn’t far away,’ Maisie said. Waiting for the kettle to boil, Tina opened a packet of biscuits and put them beside the mugs before pouring the coffee and taking it through to the sitting room. She placed it on the small table by the settee and offered Maisie a biscuit. ‘Beth said you were couch-surfing. Where was the couch last night?’ Maisie waved a hand vaguely in the air. ‘About twenty minutes away. Ooh, bourbons – my favourite. Can I have two, please?’ Tina nodded. ‘Of course.’ She pushed the open packet towards her. ‘How long have you been in London?’ ‘Two nightmarish weeks.’ Tina took a sip of her own coffee and waited for Maisie to say more, but her mouth was too full of biscuit to continue. Something wasn’t quite right here. The more Tina looked at Maisie, the more she realised how unkempt she was. Surely, even if she was couch-surfing in friends’ homes, she’d be able to use the shower? ‘Why did you come down to London in the first place?’ Thoughtfully, Tina watched Maisie devour the biscuits and then take a gulp of coffee. When she could finally speak again, Maisie looked at Tina and said quietly, ‘I came down to be with my boyfriend who’d got a job here four months ago. What I didn’t know until I arrived was that, along with his new job, he’d also begun a new relationship.’ She took another gulp of coffee. ‘John and I grew up together, our families are close friends. Looking back, I suppose we did drift into a relationship, but I thought we really loved each other. We were even thinking about getting engaged, which was when he decided, if we were to have a proper future, he needed to move down south and earn some real money.’ ‘I understand how hurt you must have been and I’m sorry about that, but I have to ask, why didn’t you get straight back on the train and go home?’ Tina said. ‘And why didn’t he tell you it was over and not to come down, when you told him your plans? That would have been the right thing to do.’ ‘I didn’t tell him. I wanted to surprise him. Instead it was me who got the biggest surprise.’ Maisie shook her head. ‘As for going straight back home. I felt such an idiot. I’d been telling everyone about this marvellous new life I was going to have in London with John. I just couldn’t face going home and having to tell people the truth. That he’d dumped me. I thought if I stayed and got a job it would be easier to admit in a month or two that John and I had broken up, but that I was fine and had made a life for myself down here.’ ‘But you’re not fine, are you?’ Tina said gently. ‘And you haven’t found a job.’ Maisie rubbed her eyes. ‘No.’ ‘How old are you?’ ‘Twenty – almost.’ ‘Do you have any money?’ A shake of the head confirmed Tina’s worse fears. ‘Not much. About three pounds.’ ‘When was the last time you ate a proper meal?’ ‘I had something last night from the soup kitchen.’ ‘Right. Stop eating those biscuits now. I’m going to make you some proper food. And then we’re going to talk,’ Tina said. ‘Bowl of pasta and Bolognese sauce OK?’ ‘Thank you,’ Maisie said. ‘Can I help?’ ‘No, it’s OK. Stay where you are. It won’t take long. You can talk to me while I do it. So, how d’you know Beth?’ For her own peace of mind and before things went any further, Tina needed to know there was a genuine link between them. Not just someone Beth had met who was down on their luck. ‘She’s a friend of my sister. I bumped into her outside… outside King’s Cross station.’ Tina noted the hesitation and looked up from the pasta she was pouring into the saucepan. ‘Were you begging?’ She barely heard the whispered ‘Yes’. ‘Did Beth realise what you were doing?’ ‘No. I saw her coming so I pretended to be just leaving the station.’ Tina sighed as she heated the Bolognese sauce. The mention of the soup kitchen and begging at King’s Cross filled her with dismay. No way could she let Maisie go back out to that life with all the dangers it posed for her. She was so vulnerable. She was lucky she was still in one piece after a couple of weeks in London without a home. When the pasta meal was ready she put it on the breakfast bar, but Maisie was asleep on the settee, looking so young and defenceless Tina could have cried. ‘Meal’s ready,’ she said, gently touching her arm. ‘Fancy a small glass of wine with it?’ Maisie gave a start as she opened her eyes. ‘Sorry. I haven’t had much sleep recently. A glass of wine sounds good.’ As Maisie ate her meal, Tina sipped her wine and watched her carefully for several moments before saying gently, ‘You weren’t telling Beth the truth, were you, about couch-surfing? So, where exactly have you been sleeping?’ ‘Some nights, when I’d made enough money begging, I managed to get a bed in a hostel,’ Maisie shrugged. ‘Otherwise, anywhere I felt safe. There weren’t many places where that happened.’ She looked at Tina as she scraped the last of the sauce of the plate. ‘That was delicious, thank you.’ ‘Right. We need to talk,’ Tina said, reaching a decision. ‘The facts are: one – you’ve got nowhere to live, two – no money to pay rent, and three – no job.’ ‘That just about sums it up,’ Maisie said quietly. Tina looked at her, knowing she had to help this… this girl-child. ‘So, if I were to give you the train fare to go home – would you take it and do that? Or…’ Tina took a deep breath. ‘If I said you could have my spare room rent-free for a month, sort yourself out, find a job, and start to create a new life for yourself down here, would you want to do that?’ Tina held her hand up as Maisie went to speak. ‘You don’t need to make a rushed decision. Think about all the implications properly.’ She picked up Maisie’s empty plate and glass before smiling at her. ‘You can spend the night here. Go and take a shower and then you can go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. Tell me your decision in the morning and we’ll sort things out one way or the other.’ While Maisie was in the shower Tina washed up, deep in thought. Would the girl take her up on her offer to stay? Or would she take the train fare and go back to Scotland? Or even rob her and then disappear? Was she being stupid offering Maisie a place to stay for a month? Closing the cutlery drawer Tina decided that, whatever happened, she had to offer Maisie help. It was all too easy for youngsters to get sucked into the lowlife she knew existed out there in the city. Especially when they were all alone. They were easy prey to the unscrupulous. Maisie was simply a young girl down on her luck who needed a helping hand. And she, Tina, was determined to be that helping hand. Chapter Eight (#ulink_ee64575a-f47d-584f-9649-a9d902429d24) ‘I enjoyed last night,’ Jodie said as she poured coffees for her and Ben at breakfast the Sunday morning after supper at Annette’s. She’d decided not to challenge him directly about his rudeness to Thierry but she had no intention of letting him think she’d forgotten about it. ‘It was lovely to see Nicola again. Did I tell you she’s invited me down for coffee any time? And your mum’s friend Thierry seems nice.’ Ben, concentrating on pulling his croissant apart and heaping a spoonful of marmalade on it, grunted. ‘I don’t understand why Mama encourages him.’ ‘Maybe because she likes him?’ Jodie said. ‘Why, don’t you?’ Ben shrugged. ‘He was my father’s friend. They grew up together in the next village. Best men at each other’s weddings. Then they had a spectacular falling out. Thierry’s wife was from down near Toulouse and they moved down there when that happened. Since he’s retired and moved back up here, he’s been hanging around Mama more and more.’ ‘What happened to his wife?’ ‘She died.’ When Ben didn’t say any more, Jodie said, ‘They’re probably drawn together because of shared memories of your father then.’ Ben gave her a look. ‘Maybe. So long as he’s not after her for any other reason.’ Jodie looked at him. ‘You can tell they’re fond of each other and that they’re good friends. Thierry certainly doesn’t look as if he needs anybody else’s money either, if that’s what you’re worried about. You should be pleased for Annette. She’s still got her life to lead and she seems to want Thierry to be a part of it.’ When Ben shrugged and didn’t answer, Jodie helped herself to a croissant before changing the subject and saying, ‘So, the London Book Fair. Are you going to tell me which hotel you’ve booked us into? Or are you planning on surprising me with somewhere glitzy?’ She smiled at him hopefully. She’d been too tired when they left Annette’s at midnight to broach the subject on the drive home. There was a brief silence before Ben said, ‘Nowhere. We’re not going.’ ‘That’s not the surprise I wanted,’ Jodie said, deflated. ‘I was so looking forward to it. Why aren’t we going?’ ‘I know how much you were looking forward to it and I feel really guilty about disappointing you,’ Ben said. ‘But my edits came back from the publisher yesterday and, even though they warned me, I can’t believe how many there are. I’m having to rewrite half a dozen chapters.’ Jodie sighed. ‘There’s still a few weeks before the Fair though. Maybe you’ll get through them quicker than you anticipate?’ ‘Perhaps. I promise you if that happens we’ll jump on a plane and go. Even if it’s only for one day.’ He stood up. ‘Right, back to the typeface.’ ‘I was hoping we might go for a walk together sometime today?’ Jodie said. ‘Or even out for lunch? Spend some time together – it is Sunday, supposedly a day of rest.’ She knew she sounded petulant but right now she didn’t care. She was fed up of spending so much time alone. And she was cross and upset about Ben cancelling the London trip. He didn’t seem to realise how important it was to her. As she stood up and went to clear the table Ben took her in his arms and hugged her. Jodie pretended not to hear his smothered sigh before he spoke. ‘Shall we have lunch in the village restaurant? But I warn you, I’ll have to work when we get back. And Jodie, I really am desperately sorry. I was dreading telling you about the Fair. That’s why I couldn’t tell you in front of everyone last night.’ He gave her a gentle kiss before saying, ‘You could go on your own if you wanted.’ ‘I suppose I could,’ Jodie said. ‘Wouldn’t be the same without you though. I was looking forward to introducing you to more of my friends. Taking you to my favourite haunts.’ ‘I promise we’ll do that soon,’ Ben said. ‘Go ring the restaurant and book a table for one-thirty. The number’s in the book. Give me a shout about one o’clock and I’ll have a quick shower before we leave.’ ‘OK. I’ll take Tess for a walk this morning,’ Jodie said, feeling happier at the thought of at least spending some time with Ben. An hour later, as she stood at the top of the hill behind the village, listening to the church bells tolling out across the valley, she thought about the new life she’d thrown herself into a few short months ago. A life she’d longed for. Falling in love with Ben had unleashed emotions and desires in her that she’d repressed for so long as she concentrated on her career, she’d forgotten they’d ever existed. Feelings of loving someone and being loved in return; wanting a family; needing to lead a less stressful life. So why did she feel so unsettled at the moment? Had Tina been right when she’d tried to warn her? Tried to make her think more about whether leaping into marriage with Ben was the right thing to do? As she’d flung herself into the excitement of loving Ben and planning the wedding, Jodie realised she hadn’t given enough – or any, really – serious thought to how her life would be as a married woman. Or how different life would be for her in a foreign country. Watching the cars travelling along the main road through the village to pick up the main route up to the local ski resort, she realised she’d also failed to take into account her independent streak. Jacqueline had often told her, ‘You’re too independent for your own good, young lady.’ Had she been foolish when she’d assumed she and Ben would talk and make joint decisions about the things that affected them both? This past week alone, he’d arbitrarily taken two decisions without discussing things with her. First, he’d dismissed the cottage she liked, and now he’d cancelled the trip to the London Book Fair. Was it a French thing? Did all Frenchmen like to play the dominant husband? Although, to be fair, on both occasions he’d given her good reasons, and an alternative when he’d suggested she went to London anyway, on her own. Maybe she should go on her own. She could stay in her old room at Tina’s so no need to worry about finding a hotel. A few days away, chatting to Tina and catching up with other friends; a day at the Book Fair, going to a show. Living life as she’d known it for so long. And then, when she got back here, she’d sort her life out. Make more of an effort to find some freelance work. ‘Come on, Tess,’ she called to the dog, who was happily inspecting some rabbit holes. ‘Let’s go home.’ She’d phone Tina when she got back, make the arrangements and tell Ben her decision over lunch. Chapter Nine (#ulink_0660bd7c-46e7-5c88-8968-0e2315fa6f65) It was gone ten o’clock Sunday morning before Maisie woke up. Initially confused as to where she was when she opened her eyes, a welcome feeling of relief flooded through her body as she remembered Tina and her kindness the evening before. The food, the hot shower, this warm, comfortable bed – it had all been sheer bliss. The nightmare memories of the past couple of weeks would take time to fade but the deep sleep she’d fallen into last night was a step in the right direction. A tiny flame of optimism that everything would work out began to burn inside her. Tina hadn’t judged her, she’d simply offered help. She could hear Tina now, moving around the flat, and just make out the sound of the radio turned down low. The omnibus edition of The Archers. Mum would be listening to that in the kitchen at home while she prepared the vegetables for lunch. Home. Mum. Maisie tried to push thoughts of home away. Time to think about them later. After she’d decided which of the generous offers Tina had made last night to accept. Leave or stay? And, in truth, after that last tearful scene at home, did she really have a choice? Mum had been so cross with her when she’d told her she planned to follow John down to London. ‘Running after a boy never works,’ she’d said. She’d told her not to be so silly, that she was young, that she’d be better off getting out and making new friends, expanding her relationships before settling down. ‘How do you know who you want to be with if you don’t have anybody to compare them to? Besides, I’m worried we’ve pushed you into a relationship with John that’s too comfortable, too familiar, and too much what we as parents would like.’ When Maisie explained how she felt about John, how much she’d missed him since he’d been gone, and how excited she was about a new life in London with him, her mum had sighed. ‘Och, lass, you’d better go join him then. But remember there’s always a place here for you – never forget that,’ she’d added, giving Maisie a tight hug. The thought of going back having made a success of life down here was infinitely preferable to having to go home and admit things hadn’t worked out. That she’d made a mistake. That John wasn’t the love of her life after all. Maisie swung her legs out of bed and rummaged in the rucksack for the last of her clean clothes. Whichever offer she accepted, and she knew she had to decide one way or the other, she’d ask Tina if she could do a load of washing – she was in desperate need of some clean things. ‘Morning, Tina,’ she said, opening her bedroom door. ‘Hi. Coffee?’ Tina said. ‘And I thought maybe we’d have poached eggs on toast for breakfast?’ ‘Sounds great. Can I help?’ Tina shook her head. ‘Kitchen’s so small there’s barely room for me. Sleep all right?’ Maisie perched on one of the tall stools by the breakfast bar. ‘It won’t surprise you to know I had the best night’s sleep in weeks. I can’t thank you enough for this and for last night. You were so kind.’ Tina pushed the cafeti?re and a mug towards her. ‘No worries. You look better than you did last night, which is a relief.’ ‘The down-and-out look isn’t really me,’ Maisie said. ‘Not being able to shower and have clean clothes every day.’ She shuddered. ‘I’ve been thinking about your offer. The sensible thing would be for me to go home and admit I’ve made a mistake, wouldn’t it? Settle back down at home, find another job up there.’ She glanced across at Tina who simply shrugged. ‘On the other hand, the thought of living down here, working, making my own way for once, is something I’ve dreamt about for ages now. I thought coming down to be with John would be the beginning of a new life. Instead it turned into the worst two weeks I’ve ever spent.’ Thoughtfully, Maisie stirred a few grains of sugar into her coffee. ‘What sort of job did you have at home?’ Tina asked. ‘I worked in our local bookshop when I left school. When it closed I got a part-time job in a coffee bar until I persuaded a friend’s mother to give me a job in her boutique. I loved it. Clothes, jewellery and make-up – it was heaven. I’ve not got the right qualifications to have an actual “career”.’ Maisie sighed and made finger signs in the air as she said the word career. ‘I’m computer literate though,’ she added. ‘At least John gave me that.’ She took a sip of coffee as Tina gave her a curious look. ‘He’s a computer nerd. I suppose my dream job would be either in one of the big bookshops down here or in a small boutique that sells vintage clothes. Oh, thanks, this looks good,’ she said, as Tina placed two plates of poached eggs on toast on the kitchen breakfast bar. ‘I don’t know about vintage boutiques but there are several bookshops around and lots of coffee shops here that always seem to be short-staffed. Might be a start?’ Tina said. ‘Not sure what they pay though.’ ‘Minimum wage,’ Maisie answered. ‘I’ve applied for some, but once they found out I didn’t have an address they didn’t want to know. Catch 22. No address – no job. No job – can’t get an address.’ ‘Minimum wage isn’t a lot,’ Tina said. ‘You’d need to work a lot of hours to earn enough to live on.’ ‘If I find a job and sort myself out,’ Maisie said slowly, ‘how much rent would I need to find for you?’ ‘I told you, nothing for the first month. After that…’ Tina pursed her lips. ‘You should know by then if you’re happy here or whether you want to go home. If you do decide to stay, we can work out a figure you can afford based on what you’re earning.’ Maisie concentrated on eating for a moment before saying, ‘I’d like to stay. See if I can make things work out.’ ‘Good. There’s just one thing – your parents. Have you spoken to them? Told them what happened with John?’ ‘I’ve spoken to them a couple of times,’ Maisie said. ‘But I haven’t told them about John or how I’ve been surviving. I didn’t want to worry them.’ ‘That’s the first thing then. Phone them. Tell them the truth about what’s happened and what you’re doing. If they want to talk to me, I’m happy to do that. To reassure them.’ ‘I can’t believe you’re doing this for me, a stranger,’ Maisie said, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. ‘Hey, you’re just down on your luck temporarily and I’m in a position to help. Maybe one day you’ll get the chance to help someone yourself. Pay it forward, as they say.’ ‘You’re like my guardian angel,’ Maisie said. ‘I promise you I’ll repay you somehow.’ ‘Not necessary but, as I hate washing up, I’ll leave you to do the breakfast things,’ Tina said. ‘Afterwards, I thought we might go out and I’ll show you the neighbourhood and you can start to suss out places that might have a job for you.’ Chapter Ten (#ulink_87be1c90-8528-574f-aab8-666d55fc0614) Sunday lunch at the village restaurant was lovely, but as soon as they got back to the cottage, Ben disappeared into his study again. Tina hadn’t answered her phone before lunch and Jodie really wanted to check with her about staying in the apartment before saying anything to Ben. It was early evening before Tina finally answered her phone. ‘Hi, Jodie. How’s things? Not long before the Book Fair. Do you know which hotel Ben’s booked you into yet?’ ‘He’s not coming,’ Jodie said. ‘Says he’s too busy. I’m thinking of coming on my own. Stay in the flat with you, if that’s all right?’ Tina didn’t respond straight away and in the silence Jodie could hear another voice whispering something. ‘Sorry, have you got someone there? Shall I call back later?’ ‘No, it’s fine. Maisie was just asking about having another shower.’ ‘Maisie?’ ‘My new flatmate. Well, for a month anyway, then we’ll see what happens.’ Belatedly Jodie remembered Tina telling her about someone looking at the room last night. ‘Didn’t turn out to be a weirdo then?’ she said. ‘If she’s moved in already.’ ‘She’d been sleeping rough and she’s far too young and vulnerable to be doing that. I had to help.’ ‘Hang on – sleeping rough?’ ‘Yes. Left home in Scotland to follow her boyfriend down here. Only to find she’d been dumped.’ ‘Rent? References?’ Jodie asked, knowing what the answers would be. ‘She’s staying as a friend,’ Tina answered defensively. ‘Once she’s got herself sorted we’ll talk about rent. Jodie, she’s just a kid who needs a helping hand. You know how frightening the city can be when you first arrive here. There’s always someone unscrupulous enough to take advantage, particularly a young girl like Maisie.’ ‘Oh, Tina, I do hope you’re not being taken for a ride,’ Jodie said. ‘I know I’m not,’ Tina said. ‘Anyway, Maisie’s got the spare room now but the sofabed’s still free if you want. Do come. I was looking forward to seeing you. I can’t take a day off during Book Fair week but I’ll organise you a ticket for the fair and we can maybe hit the town one evening.’ ‘OK,’ Jodie said, coming to a decision. ‘I’ll look into flights and let you know which day. I can check out this Maisie for you then too. I know what a big softie you are.’ Ben, when she told him her plans in bed that night, hugged her. ‘I’ll miss you but I’m glad you’re going. I know you miss your friends. I can lock myself away and, who knows, by the time you get back, my book might be finished and we can spend more time together. Might even have the time to start house-hunting.’ Jodie spent the next few days beginning to organise things for the time she’d be away. It was unbelievable how much there was to do for such a short time. Shopping for food so Ben wouldn’t starve. Dog food. Washing and ironing up-to-date. She couldn’t help remembering how, in her previous, single life, she’d just thrown things into a suitcase and taken off, not worrying about the chaos she left behind in her bedroom. Organising how to get down to the airport proved a major stumbling block. Leave the house at five and catch an early morning flight? Or book a mid-morning one? Both of which would mean Ben losing hours of his writing day taking her down. Annette offered to solve her problem. ‘Thierry and I can drive you down at a sensible hour. I’d quite like the opportunity to do some shopping in Nice,’ Annette said. ‘And Thierry has wanted to treat me to lunch at the Negresco for weeks now, so he’ll be happy.’ Thierry might have been happy at the prospect but Ben definitely wasn’t. ‘There was no need to ask him. I would have driven you down,’ he said when she told him the plan. Jodie gazed at him exasperated. ‘It’s a two-hour drive there and back and you’ve got a book to edit! Besides, I didn’t ask – Annette offered.’ ‘Well, I’ll pick you up, OK?’ ‘I’ll book an evening return flight so as not to disturb your day,’ Jodie said, smiling. But picking up the phone to book her flights, something inside made Jodie hesitate. Tina would never tell her she was in the way but London Book Fair week was one of the busiest of the year for her. She didn’t really need extra hassle from Jodie putting in an unexpected appearance and camping out in the flat. Besides, Jodie herself had always held the opinion that people sleeping on the put-u-up were invariably in the way, so how could she inflict herself on Tina? She began to seriously question why she was going on her own in the first place. What would she gain from going? Some indulgent retail therapy, and a couple of dinners with Tina and possibly a few other friends. Spending time at the Book Fair would be interesting, but she was so out of the loop now, was there any real point in her networking, trying to keep her name out there? Although there was always the chance of picking up some freelance work. Jodie sighed. It was beginning to feel more and more like she was really going just to make the point to Ben that she could still do things independently. Instead of looking forward to it she was almost beginning to feel as if she was running away from her new life – before it had begun properly. Deep in thought, her fingers fiddled with the pendant’s gold chain. What would her mum say? Would she encourage her to go and do her own thing? Or would she say ‘Sort yourself out, Jodie. Get your priorities in the right order.’ Well, she didn’t really have to think about the answer to that, did she? Chapter Eleven (#ulink_b88ab1cf-97bf-5e0f-bca1-bbde89090aed) ‘I wish I could stay and give you another day to settle in but this week is manic at work,’ Tina said as she prepared to leave on Monday morning. ‘I’ll be fine,’ Maisie assured her. ‘After the last few weeks, today will be a doddle, and hopefully, by the time you get home this evening, I’ll have some news about a job.’ ‘You’ve got a key and my office number? Any problems give me a ring. Right – I’ll see you later. Good luck.’ And Tina left in a rush. The weeks before the London Book Fair were always busy and this year was no exception. Meetings with publishers, foreign representatives, networking, clients… everything had to be organised before the Fair even began. Tina’s diary for the three days of the actual event had so many things marked in it, she felt tired every time she tried to squeeze in another appointment. When Kirsty stopped by her desk to tell her they’d been invited to join the panel at a seminar on ‘The Importance of Foreign Rights’ the second day of the Fair, she protested it was impossible. ‘It’s a bit last-minute, this invitation, isn’t it?’ Tina said, shaking her head as she scanned her diary. ‘Somebody let them down?’ ‘Doesn’t matter,’ Kirsty snapped. ‘Brilliant opportunity to get our name out there. I can’t rearrange my meeting so you’ll have to do it. Move whatever you’ve got planned for Wednesday afternoon to another time.’ ‘But…’ ‘When you’ve done it, make sure you give Leah copies of the timetable for each day, so she can coordinate things on the stand.’ ‘I thought Margaret was organising the stand for us like she normally does?’ Tina said. ‘With Leah staying in the office.’ ‘Change of plan.’ Kirsty lowered her voice. ‘Margaret’s getting a bit too old to cope with the travelling across London and all the frenzy of the Fair, so I’ve told Leah she’ll be coming with us instead. She’s thrilled.’ ‘I bet she is,’ Tina muttered. She sighed as she watched Kirsty walk away. Once upon a time they’d discussed things and Kirsty had valued her opinion. Treated her almost like a partner. These days, though, Kirsty was taking more and more decisions without involving her. And as for Leah being in charge of the stand at the Fair… Tina shook her head. Not good news. At least she’d be too busy to have much to do with Leah. Definitely no snatched coffee breaks like she’d enjoyed in past years with Margaret, that was for sure. Mentally Tina made a note to check with Margaret that she really was happy with this year’s arrangement. Not that there was anything she could do to change it. The complete manuscript of the time-slip story was in her email box that morning and she quickly checked to make sure it had synced into her mail programme on her laptop so she could read it at home. She sent a quick email to the author acknowledging receipt and saying she’d be in touch as soon as she’d read it. Eating a sandwich at her desk at lunchtime, Tina briefly wondered how Maisie was getting on. She picked up her phone to give her a ring but put it down again. She didn’t want Maisie thinking she was checking up on her or that she didn’t trust her, which she did of course. She was probably out job-hunting anyway. By the time Tina got back to the flat that evening she was exhausted and had decided that a bowl of pasta would be a quick and easy supper before she collapsed into bed. A happy, smiling Maisie greeted her. ‘Supper’s ready. Nothing special – just soup followed by an omelette. Things I found in the kitchen,’ Maisie added anxiously. ‘I hope that’s OK.’ ‘Sounds wonderful. You had a good day?’ Tina asked. ‘I’ve got a job. Well, two, actually.’ ‘Wow, that was quick. Where? When d’you start?’ ‘The coffee bar down by the station. Guy’s Italian. Start tomorrow at ten, finish at three. Says he can’t afford me more than three days a week and possibly a couple of evenings at the moment, but that’s fine, because next week I start a job in a dress shop for three afternoons.’ ‘The coffee from Guy’s Italian is good – I often pop in there.’ Maisie glanced at Tina. ‘Pay isn’t brilliant for either of them but it’s a start. It’s amazing the difference having an address has made.’ ‘Have you phoned your mum to tell her?’ Tina said. Maisie nodded. ‘She’s got everything crossed for me.’ She glanced at Tina. ‘She really appreciated talking to you yesterday evening. Says she owes you big time for sorting me out and any time you fancy a visit “up north” you’re more than welcome.’ ‘I might just take her up on that one day,’ Tina said. The last weekend before the Book Fair, Maisie was out working and Tina was blitzing the flat before dragging herself out to do a supermarket shop when Jodie Skyped. ‘Hi. How you doing? Burning the midnight oil as usual with Book Fair prep?’ ‘More than usual this year. Kirsty has become very keen on delegating. As for Leah, well, let’s just say the woman irritates me! I’m seriously thinking of moving on,’ Tina said. ‘Finding another agency.’ ‘You should start your own,’ Jodie said. ‘I know we’ve had that discussion lots of times, but seriously, why not?’ ‘Why not? In a word: money. Anyway,’ Tina said, changing the subject, ‘I’m about to go and stock up with food, including your favourite chocolate and wine – anything else you fancy? What time’s your flight arriving Tuesday? I’m really looking forward to having you here.’ ‘It would have been wonderful,’ Jodie sighed. ‘Would? What are you saying?’ ‘I felt so guilty about leaving Ben and jetting off to enjoy myself that I left it too late to book flights,’ Jodie said. ‘So I’m not coming. I’m staying here.’ She didn’t add that she’d deliberately left it too late, or that she’d decided she needed to sort out her French life before she could even think of taking a flight back to the UK. Chapter Twelve (#ulink_a3269a92-83de-5d41-9de9-17aabdc6ead7) Always exciting but exhausting, this year’s Book Fair had been no different and it took Tina nearly a week to recover from the long days and increased workload. Leah’s presence on the stand, too, had added an extra degree of tension into the working day, with an unsettling effect on everything. But Tina at least now knew for definite what, precisely, Leah’s agenda was. It was to take Tina’s job. Kirsty had been delighted with the way Leah managed everything, congratulating her in front of everyone on the smooth running of things. There clearly hadn’t been any hiccups in any of Kirsty’s appointments over the three days – the opposite of Tina’s experience. At first Tina had put it down to Leah’s not being experienced enough, but the incident with her notes for the ‘Importance of Foreign Rights’ seminar Kirsty had insisted she sat on the panel for had made her question that. She’d put the notes on the desk on the stand the morning of the discussion, ready to pick up later, only to find they’d vanished. ‘Leah, have you moved my notes?’ she asked crossly. ‘Where were they?’ ‘I put them on the desk earlier and now they seem to have vanished.’ ‘They’re probably in the bin.’ Leah had shrugged indifferently. ‘I knocked a couple of coffees over on the desk earlier. Everything was sodden. Thank God I managed to move the laptop in time. I just threw everything else in there.’ She gestured at the wastepaper basket. ‘Why the hell didn’t you tell me what you’d done? Or at the very least organise a new set to be printed out?’ Tina, knowing that screaming at Leah for being an idiot wasn’t an option, glared at her before pulling the coffee-stained papers out of the basket. Illegible. Strangely, though, nothing else in the bin appeared to have any coffee stains on it. Leah had simply looked at her and shrugged again before turning away. Not even attempting to mumble a ‘sorry’ in her direction. Tina was convinced Leah had spilt the coffee deliberately. A blatant attempt to try and sabotage her discussion seminar. Well, it hadn’t worked if that had been her plan. Tina smiled as she remembered how well the seminar had gone. All the congratulations heaped on her, with people asking if she could handle their foreign rights for them. Of course, she’d told them to write in to the agency in the usual way if they wanted to become clients. Tina sighed as she sank down on to the settee and kicked her shoes off. A work-free evening and weekend beckoned. The flat door opened and Maisie appeared. A different, happier Maisie to the one she’d met only a week or so ago. Because of the hours they’d both been working, Tina hadn’t yet had an opportunity to ask Maisie how things were working out. ‘You look shattered,’ Maisie said, joining Tina on the settee. Tina nodded. ‘Totally. You? How are the jobs going?’ ‘Love the coffee shop – Guy’s a great boss. The boutique is OK.’ Tina raised her eyebrows. ‘Just OK?’ ‘Oh, it’s fine really. One of the girls is a bit difficult to get along with but, hey, there’s always one, isn’t there?’ ‘Tell me about it,’ Tina said. ‘I think we both deserve a treat tonight. Fancy a takeaway pizza and some Prosecco?’ An hour later, sitting on the sofa letting the latest episode of some reality show wash over her, Tina remembered how, earlier in the year, she’d been determined to change her life, get out of the rut she was in. Yet months later nothing had changed. Her life was still following the same old pattern. ‘Start your own agency,’ a little voice niggled in her head. ‘Do things your way.’ She sighed. Was she experienced enough? Eight years in the publishing industry had to count for something. Surely, once it was known she was setting up on her own, authors would approach her and she’d soon build a client list. Maybe a couple of her current authors would follow her, although she knew Kirsty would do her best to stop that happening. Was she brave enough to go it alone though? It would mean doing literally everything herself in the beginning without the support or backup of colleagues. Her confidence had taken a bit of a bashing in the last few months, thanks in the main to Leah, and the thought of taking sole responsibility was terrifying. Maisie’s remark about there always being one difficult person to work with had touched a nerve. If she ran her own agency she’d make sure everyone worked well together – there wouldn’t be any people like Leah in her team, upsetting things. Her laptop on the small table in front of her was open on the time-slip manuscript. Being so busy at the Fair, she’d only managed to read half of it so far, but what she had read, she’d loved. She longed to work with Lucinda Penwood, editing and making her debut novel the best it could possibly be. If she left the agency she would be morally bound to leave behind the best story she’d received in ages. There was no way she could poach Lucinda from Kirsty. Leaving her other authors behind would be a wrench too. Tina sighed and Maisie glanced across at her. ‘Problems?’ ‘Just working some things out in my head,’ Tina said, thinking that maybe talking about it with Maisie would help her clarify things in her own mind. ‘Basically, I’m wondering if I’m brave enough to leave the agency and start my own.’ ‘It’s a big step,’ Maisie said. ‘But you must have lots of contacts in the business.’ Tina nodded. ‘I do. But cashflow would be a problem until I had a decent client list. I’ve got some savings but not enough to last me more than, oh, six months, I suppose, and it would take longer than that to get established.’ ‘Can’t help you there,’ Maisie said. ‘Although I can start paying you rent soon if that helps?’ ‘We’ll stick to our original arrangement and work out something you can afford at the end of the month, if you decide to stay,’ Tina said. ‘No, what I really need is a business loan and I can’t see the bank giving me that.’ But Jodie would, a little voice in her head said. Could she ask Jodie, though? What was that old saying about never mixing friends and business? ‘Jodie as in your old flatmate?’ Startled, Tina looked at Maisie, before realising she must have spoken her last thought out loud. She nodded. ‘My best friend as well as flatmate. She’s offered me a loan once or twice before to start my own agency but I’ve never taken her up on it. Only last week she offered again and I turned her down.’ ‘Well, there’s your answer then,’ Maisie said. ‘Go for it. Ring her and arrange it. Then you can give Kirsty notice first thing Monday morning.’ Tina laughed. ‘I love your optimism. I’ll think about it a bit more and maybe ring Jodie later and talk to her. See what she thinks.’ When there was no reply from Jodie’s mobile that evening she wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed or to take it as a sign not to do anything impetuous. Over the weekend, in between trying to speak to Jodie, she mapped out a business plan, sketched out a trade announcement, started to design a website and doodled on pages and pages of her notebook, trying to come up with a catchy name for the agency before settling on the simple, obvious one. Tina Matthews Literary Agency All this before she’d taken a definite decision to go it alone – and before she’d asked Jodie about a loan. But she was certain Jodie, having offered it more than once, would lend her the money without question. And the more she sketched out an agency plan, the more convinced she became that it would work. Which was why, among all the scheming and planning, she’d also written her letter of resignation from Kirsty’s agency. At first she’d kidded herself, pretending she was just writing a draft – practising the phrasing for when she wrote the real thing. But as she rewrote the letter for the umpteenth time, deleting certain words, adding others, she realised she truly didn’t want to continue working with Kirsty and Leah. She wanted out, come what may. After reading her latest draft Tina decided it was word perfect, switched on the printer and pressed print. First thing Monday morning she’d hand it to Kirsty and begin working the month’s notice she’d given her. If Jodie couldn’t lend her the money to help kick-start her business, she’d be in trouble, but at least she’d have a month to find a stopgap job. Whatever happened, in a month’s time she’d be free of Kirsty and Leah. And starting to climb out of her rut. Chapter Thirteen (#ulink_0468f7cc-4264-55e7-b547-a41ce38717d5) Jodie smiled happily as she placed the tray of almond cantuccini biscuits, fresh from the oven, alongside the madeleine cakes already cooling on the rack. Annette had rung earlier and asked if she could come over for coffee – if she wasn’t too busy? ‘I’m having a morning in the kitchen,’ Jodie had said. ‘I thought I’d have a go at making some madeleines – Ben seems rather fond of them.’ She hadn’t added that baking had currently become her favourite occupation as a means of passing the time. ‘You can test them for me.’ ‘See you about eleven then,’ Annette said. Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». 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