‘What’s that?’
‘The Breton Druids. A modern association, but they try their best.’ She sat back, sipping on her cider, watching Ari with an air of speculation. ‘What a fascinating area you chose to study, reconnecting us to history, to the places and people we came from, to the land, the stones and the sea. But why here? Why Sainte Sirène?
Ari dropped her gaze to the wood of the table, old and worn smooth. ‘Simon Poullain wanted to find Ys more than anything. He said he was looking for the pathway. I thought he meant figuratively, but I’m not so sure anymore.’
Le chemin de l’eau, she thought, the water path. The pathway to Ys.
‘Ah, I see. Simon. A matter of honour then.’ No trace of mockery remained in her voice. If anything, she looked briefly stricken. ‘Simon was a good man, Ari. A good friend to Sainte Sirène.’
For a moment, the question hovered on the tip of Ari’s tongue. How well had Gwen known Simon? Was she the woman he had written about? But she couldn’t force the words out of her mouth.
Gwen hummed softly to herself, watching Ari, waiting. Abruptly, she looked up, smiled brightly at the waitress who had arrived with menus for dessert.
‘Trois crêpescaramel au beurre salé maison, s’il vous plaît.Trust me on this one. There is nothing better. Jeanne makes it herself, the sauce. To die for.’
Ari’s phone rang and she glanced at it to see Jason’s name flash up. She shoved all thoughts of Gwen and Simon to the back of her mind. ‘I have to take this. Sorry.’ She fled outside as she answered. ‘Jason? Is everything—’
‘Fine. It’s all fine. They’re discharging him. He’s got the all-clear, but he has to rest for a week or so. Total rest. Whether he likes it or not.’
Two of them down then. That wasn’t good news. Jason wasn’t saying it, but he had to be thinking it. How were they going to proceed with his expedition now?
‘That’s good. That’s great. Do you want me to drive back and pick you up?’
‘No, we’ll get a taxi. Don’t drag Rafael all the way back here. Where are you anyway? I couldn’t get through. Are you home?’
‘No. We stopped for a meal.’
The silence lingered on the line and then Jason laughed, a slow meaningful laugh. ‘Oh right. A meal… You and him?’
‘Just a meal. Crêpes. Jesus, Jason. Knock it off.’
‘Yeah, yeah, crêpes. That’s what the cool kids are calling it now. Wait until I tell Nico. He owes me fifty euros.’
For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. They’d beenbettingon her? No, probably not. Not really. Not Nico anyway. But her face flamed red all the same. Because Jason was almost right. If Rafael had lived any closer to the hospital, she was pretty sure she would have been in bed with him by now.
‘You’re ridiculous,’ she choked out the words. ‘Go and take care of Nico. I’ll see you back at the gîte. Ring me when you’re on the way.’
She hung up and turned around to see Rafael standing in the door of the cottage housing the crêperie. ‘Is everything OK?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, yes.’ God, he hadn’t heard, had he? What had she said? Nothing bad. And he couldn’t have heard Jason and his insinuation, could he? ‘They’re discharging Nico. Jason’s going to get a taxi.’
‘That’s good news. Do you want coffee?’
She shook her head. ‘I should get back to the gîte. I’d like to be there when they arrive. Rafael, I’m sorry.’ The awkwardness of it swept over her. True, no promises had been made, but still. If not made, they’d been implied. ‘I really am. I just—’
He raised his hands in a placating gesture. ‘I understand. Really. It isn’t a problem. I’ll just pay the bill and then I’ll—’
She cut in before he could finish. ‘It’s fine. I can walk from here. It would be rude to run out on Gwen like that. Please apologise for me. And thank her as well.’
A flicker of disappointment crossed his beautiful features and she hated herself a little bit. The ghost of his lips against hers wouldn’t leave her and she longed to kiss him again. But it was neither the time nor the place. She couldn’t just throw herself at him again. Out here on the street, in full view of everyone. She needed to think, to get her emotions in order.
‘I could call over later. If you’d like. If it’s not an imposition.’ His tone was tentative, a question. It was also a plea. Did he think she didn’t want him?
How could it be an imposition after what they had shared earlier? ‘No, not at all. I’d like that. Please.’ God, she sounded like an idiot. And here she was, running away yet again. Well, not running away, not entirely. But putting some distance between them for now. A safe distance. Because she had to. He made her lose all reason. She wasn’t ready for the emotions he churned up inside her. No one had made her feel so much since Simon.
Her thoughts drifted back to Gwen, and the way she spoke about Simon, and what Ari suspected… Ari veered her mind away from that as quickly as possible. Back to Rafael. It was dizzying.
He was gazing solemnly at her, studying her, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what he saw.
