The other two were drinking soft drinks. Alexandra clinked glasses with Maxime. ‘This is so kind of you. Can I invite you to have lunch with us? While we’re here, it makes sense to eat.’ If he accepted, she’d have to nip across to the bank to cash a traveller’s cheque; she hoped they were open.
‘I am ahead of you,’ said Maxime, bowing slightly. ‘I have already asked for menus. And you will be my guests, of course.’
‘That’s wonderful,’ said Alexandra, having taken a few sips of champagne. ‘I would have needed to get some cash and wasn’t sure if the bank would be open.’ She paused. ‘Although I suppose on market day, it would be.’ Although she’d been given half her wages, her shopping in Paris as well as in the market just now had made inroads into them.
Maxime, having made to give her more champagne before she put her hand over her glass, said, ‘You shouldn’t have to worry about money to feed these children. Antoine may not be a millionaire but he can afford to feed his family – and their nanny.’
Alexandra shrugged. ‘There don’t seem to be arrangements for me to have money for housekeeping. Or food, really. Although Félicité did say someone brings bread at the moment.’
‘And things from the farm,’ Félicité clarified. ‘But of course there isn’t a lot of variety.’
She sounded a bit jaded, Alexandra thought. It couldn’t be a great life for a teenager stuck away in a chateau, miles from young people her own age. ‘Stéphie told me you don’t go to school,’ she said.
‘Papa is going to arrange a new, proper governess when he gets home,’ said Félicité.
‘Don’t you fancy going to school?’ asked Alexandra. ‘I had governesses for most of my education but I did go to boarding school for a couple of years and I really enjoyed being with girls my own age.’ This was a slight exaggeration of course but she had felt lonely a lot of the time before she went.
Félicité shrugged, as if such things were not for her to think about.
‘I’d quite like to go,’ said Henri. ‘I love my sisters, of course, but I do miss playing games and things.’
‘I hated school,’ said Stéphie.
‘She was bullied,’ said Félicité, ‘and I got into a fight and decided to leave. It was then that Papa hired a governess. But she didn’t stay all that long.’
Alexandra had also got into a bit of trouble defending the girl everyone was picking on and she too had decided to leave before she was asked to. Her guardians had got her a very strict governess after that. Luckily she didn’t stay long either.
‘What would we like to eat?’ asked Maxime. ‘I recommend the salade niçoise. It is very good here.’
Alexandra was putting a perfect forkful of anchovies, olives and hardboiled egg into her mouth when she became aware of being looked at. Two elegant Frenchwomen were glaring at her in a way that was surprising.
‘Oh, look,’ said Stéphie. ‘There’s Grand-mère.’
To her absolute horror, Alexandra watched, helpless, as two formidable women in their fifties processed across the square towards her. Briefly she calculated her chances of getting through the tables and chairs to the toilette before they arrived, but they were determined women – she had no chance.
Félicité, Henri and Stéphie got up and greeted their grandmother politely. They nodded to her companion, who was obviously familiar to them. Maxime also got to his feet, and bowed; he knew them too.
The briefest of harmless conversation passed before Grand-mère turned her attention to Alexandra. ‘And who are you?’ she said in perfect, accentless English.
‘I’m the nanny,’ said Alexandra, who didn’t think her name was relevant – she was only the nanny for a month, after all.
‘Really?’ said Grand-mère, obviously surprised. ‘What a strange choice, if you don’t mind my saying. I must speak to my son-in-law about this!’
Then she and her acolyte turned and moved away.
‘That was interesting,’ said Alexandra brightly, trying to pretend she wasn’t remotely offended.
‘Don’t worry about her, she’s very snooty,’ said Stéphie kindly.
‘And you’re only here for a month,’ said Félicité. Although she probably hadn’t intended to sound sympathetic, Alexandra felt that her attitude towards her temporary nanny did seem to have softened a bit.
After that, it was a very enjoyable lunch. Maxime promised to address several things Alexandra had been worried about – the most serious being the need for some housekeeping money. Maxime gave the children some francs to spend in the market while he and Alexandra enjoyed a cup of coffee. He offered her cognac to go with it, but Alexandra shook her head. ‘It’s a lovely idea but I’m responsible for three young people and a dog in a car that’s still unfamiliar.’
He bowed. ‘Very sensible.’
They fell into a companionable silence, Alexandra enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face. A lot had happened to her in the last few days and she’d hardly had a moment to take it all in. Now, in the sunshine, with a very handsome, companionable young man, seemed a good time to think how well things were turning out.
A little later they set off for home. Once again, Stéphie, Milou and Henri sat in the back, and Félicité in the front next to Alexandra. Driving out of the town was easier than driving in had been as most of the stalls had gone and with them the people and the cars.
