Alexandra passed him a cup. She was familiar with the habit of serving coffee in bowls in France but as it meant a pot of coffee only provided enough for two people, she didn’t endorse it.
‘Alexandra,’ said Jack. ‘Can I have a word?’
‘Come with me into the larder,’ said Alexandra. ‘I think we’re going to need more jam.’
Once they were there, Jack spoke rapidly. ‘I wasn’t quite honest with you when I came to be a tutor. I’ve told David some of it, but I must tell you everything.’
‘Jack! I realised you aren’t yourself at the moment, but what is it?’ Alexandra’s heart was beating hard, hoping Jack wasn’t going to confess to some dreadful crime so he’d have to leave immediately. He was a good tutor, a nice man and the family needed him.
Obviously seeing her anxiety, he gave her a reassuring smile. ‘It’s nothing too awful – at least not in the eyes of the world. I’ve been here before.’
‘What? In the chateau?’
‘In Saint-Jean-du-Roc. And in the grounds of the chateau, too, if I’m honest.’
That wasn’t too bad so far. ‘Go on.’
‘I met Penelope – Grand-mère. It was before the war. She was a widow with a young daughter, Lucinda. We fell in love but … well, it was in l939, and I had to go back to England to enlist. Inevitably, we lost touch.’
Alexandra turned her gulp of surprise into a cough. ‘And you didn’t try and find her after the war?’
He shook his head. ‘My leg got mashed up in a parachute jump and I was invalided out of the army, and after that I didn’t earn a lot as a teacher. When I first met Penelope, I was a promising musician, but after the war, and with my bad leg, I couldn’t do the touring I’d have had to do if I joined an orchestra. I had nothing to offer her.’ He paused. ‘And then a friend of a friend told me they’d heard she’d remarried.’
‘Ah. That must have been a blow.’ It was heartbreaking, Alexandra thought. ‘So, what changed your mind? What made you come back here now?’
‘When David said he needed a tutor and was coming here, I couldn’t resist, for old times’ sake. But it never occurred to me I’d meet Penelope again, and that she’d be a widow once more.’
‘But you have met, and she is a widow, so that’s all right?’ Alexandra very much wanted this to be true, but she didn’t really believe in fairy-tale romances.
Jack sighed. ‘She has other suitors, as you’d expect.’
Alexandra chided herself. It had never occurred to her that Grand-mère would have suitors. But why not? She was very well preserved and would have been beautiful in her youth, it was just that Jack and Grand-mère seemed a bit old for that sort of thing.
‘Ah, well …’ Jack still seemed upset, although he’d confessed his secret.
‘Why don’t you and David go out for the day?’ she suggested. ‘Explore the area a bit more? The older children are going out with their mother anyway. Stéphie and I will be very happy entertaining ourselves. You two take the day off! Antoine will be away working.’
‘It would be good to talk it all over with David, step back from it for a little while. If you’re sure you don’t need us?’
‘We’ll have a lovely day playing with dolls or something. Don’t worry about us. Now, can you reach that jar of jam on that shelf?’
Antoine was eating the last of the French toast when Jack and Alexandra came back with the jam. He smiled and Alexandra felt obliged to smile back. ‘I have to leave for Marseille now,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure at what time I will be back.’
Alexandra noted that while his English was perfect there was sometimes something a little different about his word order.
‘OK. Do you know when Lucinda is collecting Félicité and Henri?’ she asked.
‘Félicité will know.’
‘If it’s all right with you,’ said Alexandra, feeling brave, ‘I’ve told David and Jack they can have the day off.’
Antoine nodded. ‘Will you and Stéphie be all right?’ He turned to the little girl who nodded. ‘I have to go to the city and work.’
‘We’ll have an adventure,’ she said matter-of-factly.
‘Of course,’ said Alexandra. ‘Ah, here are the others. Hang on a minute and I’ll make more French toast.’
‘We’ll need to make more jam,’ said David, who had taken the news that he had the day off without comment. ‘Or there won’t be any for next year.’
