Stéphie started to speak but Alexandra interrupted, worried about what she might say. ‘She won’t want to tell you in the car in front of everyone,’ she said quickly before Stéphie, who was probably perfectly happy to do so, could confide. Alexandra couldn’t be sure, but she was worried that Stéphie had said something to her father about her fortune, which was fast becoming a curse rather than a benefit. ‘If it was a secret then, it’s a secret now.’
There was a certain amount of huffing and tutting and almost audible eye-rolling from the back seat, and Alexandra exhaled.
‘Véronique and my mother don’t approve of you, Lexi,’ said Félicité, possibly wanting to make trouble.
Alexandra saw Antoine frown and draw breath, possibly to tell off his eldest daughter.
‘What makes you think that?’ asked Alexandra, turning round so she could smile at Félicité.
‘I heard them talking. You don’t dress properly for a nanny and are far too sophisticated.’
‘They’re entitled to their opinion,’ said Alexandra calmly.
‘They don’t think you should mix with people as if you were on the same level. At least, that was what Véronique said, and then my mother—’
‘That’s enough, chérie,’ said Antoine firmly.
Alexandra mouthed ‘tell me later’, partly because she couldn’t resist hearing what Véronique and Lucinda thought about her, and partly so Félicité wouldn’t be mortified by being told off. Antoine couldn’t really be described as strict, Alexandra thought, but he wasn’t weak, either.
Chapter Twenty-one
Although it was very early, all three children and Alexandra got up to see Antoine off. Antoine had remembered it was Stéphie’s real birthday and gave her a very grown-up box of chocolates – the kind of box you would want to keep long after the chocolates were eaten – and Stéphie was pleased.
It was heartbreaking but all the children were brave and no one cried, although Alexandra, who almost felt she shouldn’t be there, felt tearful. The kittens and Milou did their best to help. Milou was serious, obviously understanding his beloved master was going away, and the kittens thought everyone had got up early to entertain them.
‘Happy Birthday, Stéphie!’ said Alexandra, the moment they had all come back into the chateau after seeing Antoine shoot off down the drive. ‘Let’s go and have a birthday breakfast. What about pancakes and chocolate spread?’
Although six o’clock in the morning was early for so much chocolate, it did help. But as she turned pancake after pancake on to a plate on the table whence they disappeared with terrifying speed, Alexandra decided the partings had to stop. It was just so sad saying goodbye.
When David appeared later it was to find them all smeared with chocolate, feeling faintly sick.
‘Happy birthday, Stéphie!’ he said. ‘And good morning, everyone else. Pancakes for breakfast? Excellent choice. Later, if you’re feeling up to it – maybe after a bit of a nap’ – he nodded to Stéphie who was yawning – ‘Jack and I thought you might like to see your proper present from us? But I warn you, it’s a bit like this chateau …’
‘How can it be?’ asked Henri.
‘It’s beautiful, but needs a bit of restoration in places,’ David went on. ‘Look, the kittens have gone back to bed.’ He gestured to where Milou was lying on his rug and the kittens were lying on him. One was in his groin, presumably because it was warm where he had less fur, and the other was on his neck. They all looked perfectly happy with the situation.
As he and Alexandra cleared up, the children having gone off, either to sleep or to read, he said, ‘It’s quite worrying to think that all the dog needs to do is turn his head and snap, and both those kittens would be gone. He reminds me of Antoine, rather.’
Alexandra wiped her sticky hands. ‘Milou does?’
David nodded. ‘He has a lot of power but chooses not to use it.’
A week later, Alexandra set off on her own into town. At home, the children were helping David and Jack renovate the doll’s house. Henri was learning maths doing the measurements, Stéphie’s nimble fingers were proving very adept at woodwork, making very tidy dovetail joints to create an orangerie, like the one in the chateau grounds. Félicité was painting a tiny piece of wallpaper with birds and exotic flowers which was destined for the salon in the doll’s house.
‘Who’d have thought a doll’s house could be so educational,’ said Alexandra as she said goodbye.
‘The University of Life,’ said Jack. ‘It will teach us everything if we only open our minds.’ He bowed, to indicate he knew he was sounding pompous and didn’t expect to be taken seriously. ‘Talking of which, I’ve heard of a group of young musicians that Henri could join. It would be good for his music and his social life. Do you think Antoine would approve?’
‘I’m sure he would. You could take him? Bring him back?’
‘Of course,’ said Jack with a smile.
When Alexandra went upstairs a few minutes later she felt that it wasn’t only Henri who would benefit from the sessions with other young musicians; Jack could use the hour or so while Henri was with the group to visit Penelope.
Alexandra had with her a very large parcel that was mostly layers of newspaper, wrapped round a box, in which the now mended soup cup nestled. David had packed it for her with all an antique dealer’s care. The papers that had been sent from Switzerland and were going to be discussed with Maxime were in an envelope, thrust into the old post bag that was Alexandra’s handbag.
Alexandra was looking forward to having some time on her own. Growing up, she had been very used to her own company and although subsequently she’d become accustomed to sharing her house, she found her present situation took up almost all her time and she missed solitude. And while she loved her charges and found looking after them very satisfying, sometimes it was nice only to have to think about what she wanted to do, rather than worry about the needs and wants of three children and a dog. (The kittens looked after themselves.)
