She nodded. ‘I managed to miss learning them.’
He shuddered. ‘I’ll speak to Jack about it,’ he said. ‘My children must know that, at the very least.’
‘Maybe you should talk to Félicité and Henri about going to boarding school,’ said Alexandra. ‘They’re too old to be just sent to places, particularly Félicité. She should have the choice.’
‘My ex-wife doesn’t seem to believe in choice for children.’
‘If she’s unhappy, Félicité will run away. I think Henri may be all right about it. He needs other boys to play with. And he needs to continue to study the cello.’
‘How do you know so much about children and what they need?’
Alexandra could tell Antoine was teasing her but he’d asked her advice and so she’d give it to him. ‘I’ve been a child and I also had an unconventional upbringing. I had a lot of nannies, companions and governesses. You’ve met my cousins Clothilde and Aimée. They were the relations most concerned in my upbringing, but they didn’t care enough to interview the applicants every time there was a change of staff.’
‘Yet you seem so self-assured.’
‘I learnt to look after myself to some extent. My life changed for the better when David let slip he needed somewhere to live and I realised there was more than enough room in the family property where I was living in Belgravia. First, I just shared with David, but later, two fellow students at the cookery school I went to moved in.’ She sighed. ‘We had a lot of fun.’
Antoine didn’t speak for a long time. ‘And then there’s Stéphanie …’
The thought of Stéphanie being sent away to school tore at Alexandra’s heart. But it wasn’t her place to be emotional. ‘Well, she’d be very lonely without the others. And, of course, you’re away most of the time.’
‘I know. It’s far from ideal but we must eat, and I must keep the roof on this place.’
Alexandra hesitated. Should she tell Antoine that she and David had had a good look round and saw plenty of potential for renting out bits of the property to holidaymakers? She didn’t think so. She stifled a yawn.
‘I’ll let you go to bed in a minute, but I should tell you I will be away all day tomorrow. Stéphie will need you to look after her.’
‘You know Stéphie and I can always have a good time together.’
‘Thank you, Alexandra.’ He smiled and Alexandra’s heart turned over and began to beat faster in response. ‘I’m glad you lied on your form. If you hadn’t, I might not have employed you.’
‘I thought it was that terrifying woman who employed me.’
He shook his head. ‘She took her orders from me. Now go! And goodnight.’
Chapter Fifteen
Alexandra and Stéphie cut short their reading the following morning in order to be first downstairs. Alexandra felt being the first one up would make Stéphie feel in control, as if she was the one making things happen. And they both enjoyed letting the hens out, seeing them emerge, clucking and pecking, waiting for the corn that she and Stéphie had with them.
Today they were going to cook pain perdu for breakfast which Alexandra knew as ‘Poor Knights’. They had discussed why they had different names for it and put it down to living in different countries.
‘I think Americans call it French toast,’ said Alexandra, soaking the thin slice of baguette in eggs and milk. ‘It has lots of names.’
‘Why?’ asked Stéphie, watching with interest as Alexandra put the first piece in the pan of sizzling butter.
‘I think everyone in the world has to use up stale bread sometimes and no one says “Ooh, let’s have stale bread for breakfast” as if it’s a treat.’
‘No,’ agreed Stéphie.
‘Now get the jam out. I found a jar of fig jam the other day. It’s in the larder.’
They were soon joined by David and Jack. Jack didn’t look terribly cheerful and David was being hearty to make up for it. Alexandra wondered if Jack’s leg was bothering him. She didn’t know how he’d got his limp and didn’t like to ask but he looked strained, and not like the cheerful character David had first introduced.
‘Morning, ladies!’ David said. ‘Another beautiful day!’
Alexandra gave David a look. ‘It is. Do you want tea or coffee? Jack? What would you like?’
‘Coffee please. Black, with sugar.’
