‘Well, yeah. I’m surprised you didn’t?—’
It hadn’t crossed her mind. But then Peyrat seemed so many miles away, a different life. She couldn’t imagine that she could actually travel from this world to that. But she could… just.
‘Je peux vous aider?’ said another voice.
They all jolted with surprise. Turning, Bella’s eyes travelled down to meet those of an old lady, whose dog sat patiently at her feet. ‘Madame Roux!’ she said, slipping into French. ‘Oh, it’s nice to see you. I— We were just looking… We?—’
Madame Roux laughed. ‘You think I am stupid? I know what you are doing.’
‘Oh. Please don’t tell Claudine.’
‘You must think me mad also? Claudine would ask you to leave immediately.’
‘But you don’t want us to?’ Bella tried.
‘Claudine is a silly girl. Proud. She has decided that it is all over. But if you can give her some hope,’ Madame Roux shrugged, ‘then I am happy to help you.’
‘Thank you. For not telling her.’
Madame Roux laughed. ‘I offered to help, not keep secrets. You think the only thing an old lady can do to help is to keep quiet?Non; do you not remember that I am a seamstress?’
‘Oh yes!’ Bella couldn’t help but glance at Madame Roux’s rather gnarled fingers. ‘But?—’
Madame Roux followed her eyes. ‘Ah, they are old, my hands, but they work!’ she said. ‘In any case, I have curtains at my shop.’
‘Your shop?’
‘Oui. It is small. It is closed for many years. But I have my materials, some curtains. My machine for alterations.’
‘You really think you could make… something beautiful?’
‘As if I would make anything other!’ Madame Roux tsked. ‘I am sure if Jean-Paul Gaultier trusted me, then you can too.’
Brad grinned. ‘Jean-Paul Gaultier?’ he said quietly to Bella.
‘I’ll tell you later.’ Then, ‘Well, thank you. I don’t know what to say.’
‘It’s OK.’ Madame Roux’s face fell a little. ‘It is nice, to be able to help. Claudine is too proud to ask, thinks too little of me, in any case. But perhaps this will show her that I can be an asset, not just an inconvenience.’
They all stood looking at one another, stunned for a minute that they had, somehow, put a plan together. Then, ‘I’d better call my buddy,’ Brad said, pulling his phone from his pocket.
‘I’ll go and select some art for you to choose from,’ said Odette.
‘I will get a taxi to my shop,’ Madame Roux said. ‘Yves can help me.’
‘And I guess,’ Bella said, looking at her sister, ‘I’m going to Peyrat.’
‘Looks like it.’ Kitty smiled. ‘Although I hope you’ll still have time to come with me to the airport later? And on the way you can tell me all the other plans. My French is pretty basic, so unless you were just telling them that Jean-Paul Gaultier is coming to help, I haven’t got a clue what’s going on.’
46
NOW
At 6a.m. the following morning, Bella was standing by the kerb waiting for Brad to bring his car around from wherever he kept it. At her feet was a small overnight bag – they hoped to do everything in a day, but had both decided to bring some basics just in case. Yesterday, she’d seen Kitty off at the airport as promised, and although she was used to not having her sister around, life felt emptier now she’d left.
Brad had been waiting for her when she’d returned yesterday evening, glass of wine ready-poured at the table. ‘Drink?’
She’d sighed and sunk into a chair. ‘How did you know?’
