‘I think it’s this house,’ she said, with another smile at Angus. ‘My two sisters and I have all lived in La Maisonette at various times and we’ve all found the people we love enough to be with forever.’ She closed the front door but paused to let her gaze drift fondly around the room. ‘I think there’s a wee bit of magic inside these walls and it comes out when it’s most needed.’
‘Ohh.’ Tilly had her hand on her chest, as if she wanted to capture and keep the notion. ‘Maybe Ishouldcome and live here, then.’
Ellie put her arm around her friend’s shoulders. ‘I think you should.’
‘I’ll think about it,’ Tilly said.
The monitor in Ellie’s apron pocket came to life with a crackle and then an imperious small voice.
‘Mama? Up…Now.’
‘Oops.’ Ellie hurriedly let go of Tilly. ‘Sorry – I need to run.’
‘We’ll go, too, and get out of the way.’
The women exchanged a quick hug. ‘Lovely to see you. Enjoy your lunch and we’ll catch up properly soon.’
* * *
The little café that overlooked the main square and the church of Tourrettes-sur-Loup was delightful.
Angus and Tilly drank rosé diluted by ice cubes. The long, V-shaped frites were, indeed, the best and the steakhachéthat they both ordered to go with them was like a hamburger patty with no bun, well-seasoned and perfectly cooked.
It was Angus who finally broke the contented silence between them as they enjoyed their meal.
‘Do you think,’ he asked Tilly, ‘that you might want to live in La Maisonette for a while?’
‘No.’ Tilly shook her head. ‘I really am happy in my apartment and that little house is worth a lot more in rent than I’m paying now.’ Her gaze, over the rim of her glass, was steady on his as she took a sip of her wine. ‘Maybe you should think about it?’
It was his turn to shake his head but that was when Angus realised hehadbeen thinking about it – from the moment he’d realised that the opportunity might be there for the taking. The idea was hovering in the back of his head like an overfriendly butterfly.
He had to admit that he was getting used to this feeling of being someone different. He was liking the feeling of a freedom he’d never had before and, as a bonus, he was gaining a growing confidence that he wasn’t a predictable, totally risk-averseboringperson.
The idea of being Holiday Angus for a wee bit longer was definitely tempting.
He was his own boss, after all, and he hadn’t had a real holiday in far too long, so there wasn’t any real reason not to.
Apart from one that Angus couldn’t ignore. This time the shake of his head was intended to dislodge the thought. What had been happening in Provence that was supposed to stay in Provence had only been allowed to happen because it was temporary.
Changing something fundamental like when it was supposed to stop could be as risky as that first step on a slippery slide that could send him into the chaos of losing control.
He used his own wine to wash away the last of that impulsive idea.
It wasn’t going to happen.
16
Only one full day.
Twenty-four hours before Alfie was due to be taken to the airport, where the rental agency would be waiting for the car’s return and a plane to Edinburgh would be waiting for Angus to board.
Tilly was intending to make the most of every one of those hours and this morning was all about Nice – the largest city and the central hub of the Côte d’Azur. She couldn’t hope to show Angus everything, of course, but she’d lain awake last night trying to choose a flow of ‘must-see’ highlights that would give him a taste of this vibrant icon of the French Riviera.
She directed Angus to a parking area far enough along the Promenade des Anglais to enjoy a time that was more for locals than tourists. The sea was clear and calm, with just enough of a ripple to catch and throw the first glitter of sunshine. Some people were already swimming and others were starting to set up umbrellas and folding chairs to claim their patch of the pebbled beach for what was promising to be a perfect summer’s day, and there were joggers and cyclists on the wide pathbetween the palm trees, weaving through the obstacles of people walking their dogs or queuing at a coffee cart.
Tilly had wanted their day to begin with more than simply an espresso, so she’d ducked into a corner boulangerie near the car park to get takeaway coffee and pains au chocolat still warm from the oven, and they were carrying the small lidded cups and the paper bags to find the nearest cluster of bright blue chairs placed for people to sit and admire the Baie des Anges. The coffee was hot and strong and the warm chocolate inside the flaky pastry the most indulgent and delicious breakfast imaginable. She knew Angus was watching her as she took her first bite, but she didn’t realise how many flakes of pastry were stuck to her face until he smiled and raised his hand to brush some off her cheek.
And,ohh… in that brief moment, Tilly could have sworn that the look in his eyes, as a corner of his mouth lifted in just a hint of a smile, was far more than amusement. It looked – and, more importantly,felt– intimate.
