‘And to see your children?’ suggested Alexandra.
‘Oh yes, that too, of course. I wanted to make sure they were being educated correctly.’ She paused, giving Alexandra a look that would have turned a lesser woman to stone. ‘Which they are not!’
‘I’m sure Antoine is sending them to the school which is best for them.’
‘He could afford to send them to a decent school now he’s marrying money!’
Alexandra wished Félicité and Henri would hurry up. Their mother was being particularly poisonous this morning. ‘Do sit down. Let me make you some coffee.’
‘You want to offer me cake as well, I suppose. You should know by now I don’t share your obsession with confectionery.’ In spite of this, Lucinda pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘You do know he married you for your money? You have very little else to offer him.’
Alexandra decided to bite back. ‘I think he does quite well out of the deal. He has a mother for his children, current and future. He has a chatelaine for his home. He has a bargain even without my fortune.’
‘I do indeed!’ said Antoine, who had appeared in the kitchen from the back door without anyone hearing his approach. His arms were full of baguettes and paper bags, presumably containing croissants and pastries. ‘And Alexandra’s fortune is exactly that, her fortune.’ He put down his packages. ‘Are you planning to stay for breakfast, Lucinda?’
‘No,’ she said, her bitterness apparently fading. ‘I’ve come to say goodbye to the children. I’m going back to Argentina. My husband is desperate to have me back and I have no life here.’
‘Sit down, Antoine,’ said Alexandra. ‘Thank you so much for bringing us breakfast. I’ll have coffee ready very shortly.’
Much to her relief, Félicité and Henri appeared with Stéphie. They were dressed, but looked as if they’d only very recently got out of bed.
‘Maybe you’d like some time alone with Félicité and Henri?’ suggested Alexandra, eager to escape from this painful scene. ‘Stéphie, let’s see what your papa has brought us, and go and eat it on the terrace. It’s a lovely morning.’ She picked up a couple of packets, hoping for Stéphie’s sake that one of them contained a pain au chocolat, and went out through the back door, trusting that Stéphie would follow. Milou and the cats obviously felt it was a good idea.
They stood on the terrace, looking out at the parkland towards the woods. It was going to be a beautiful day.
‘I’m pleased she’s going,’ said Stéphie, blowing crumbs. ‘Is that bad of me?’
‘No. It’s your opinion, and Lucinda has never been very nice to you.’
‘I don’t mind her not being nice, and never buying me any presents, but I don’t like her thinking I’m sweet.’
‘Oh, Stéphie!’ said Alexandra, laughing. ‘I completely understand. It’s really annoying to be thought sweet by someone you don’t like!’
A little while later, Antoine’s family, including Alexandra, stood on the steps of the chateau, waving as Lucinda’s car disappeared down the drive. When she was out of sight, Stéphie ran off and everyone else went inside. Alexandra found herself next to Félicité.
‘I’m sorry. I hope you don’t mind too much about your mother going away again when you were just starting to get to know her.’
Félicité shrugged. ‘It’s OK. She wasn’t like a mother to me, really. She was just a grown-up who thought she had the right to tell me what to do.’
‘We’ll go and visit her in Argentina when we’re older,’ said Henri, marginally more enthusiastic. ‘That might be good.’
‘That will be wonderful!’ said Alexandra. ‘You can gallop over the pampas on beautiful horses and have a lovely time!’
Félicité and Henri looked at her wonderingly. ‘Can you really see our mother doing that?’ Henri said.
Alexandra smiled. ‘Maybe not now, but people change …’
‘If you don’t mind,’ said Henri. ‘I’m going to see if there are any more pains au chocolat left.’
His sister followed him and Alexandra was reassured that Lucinda’s departure was not something that had upset either of them.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Alexandra had thought she was busy when she was getting ready for Penelope and Jack’s wedding. Her own was even busier. But one of the first things she did was to invite her friend Lizzie and her family to stay. They consisted of her husband, Hugo, and her small baby, Letty. The plan was that having delivered his wife and child and stayed for a couple of days, Hugo would go home and come back for the wedding. Lizzie would make Alexandra’s wedding dress.
Meg, another friend, was arriving as soon as she could get away from her job cooking directors’ lunches. She was set to make the cake. A third friend, Vanessa, would travel with her. Vanessa was going to do anything that was required of her, but really, she admitted to Alexandra on the telephone, she was just going to join in the fun.
The arrival of Lizzie, Hugo and their baby caused a lot of excitement and rejoicing. Stéphie instantly wanted to hold Letty and she handled the baby so well, her parents felt she was in safe hands.
