David left the chateau very early on Boxing Day. Alexandra was awake so got up to say goodbye. He hugged her hard and told her to take care of herself. Surprisingly, she felt a little tearful as she returned his hug. They’d been in a happy bubble, cooking together, looking after Félicité, Henri and Stéphie, enjoying living in France. He promised to be back for Twelfth Night, but him going home for a break reminded Alexandra that her time here might be nearly at an end. If her charges went away to school in the New Year, she would have to go and live in Switzerland.
By the time Véronique came downstairs the kitchen was spotless. She refused breakfast beyond a bowl of coffee, which she drank standing up. Antoine was already in the hall, waiting to drive her to the station. Alexandra said her goodbyes in the kitchen. She and Véronique were very polite and formal with each other.
An hour or so later, the household was sitting round the kitchen range, feeling a little flat. Even the kittens had settled on Milou, who was stretched out in front of the fire. No one had eaten much breakfast and Alexandra was trying to think of something to do to restore a bit of Christmas spirit when Antoine strode in having returned from the station.
‘This morning we will go into the woods and collect sticks and logs for the fires, and then we will go out to lunch!’ He clapped his hands. ‘Hurry, children!’ He looked at Alexandra, definitely including her in the ‘children’.
As everyone ran upstairs to change into more suitable clothes, Henri said, ‘Papa used to take us into the woods often, before he had to go away so much for work.’
Even Félicité forgot to be detached and adolescent at the prospect of the trip. Alexandra was excited too, telling herself it was just because she needed fresh air and exercise.
There was a big, battered basket attached to a trolley on large wheels that they dragged behind them. When they got to the edge of the woods everyone separated, competing with each other to find the biggest logs. The basket was soon full and Henri volunteered to take it to the house and then bring it back for refilling. Antoine had a small saw with him and soon there was another pile of logs and bits of wood for burning, waiting for the trolley.
Alexandra pulled it back the next time and saw the untidy pile that Henri had left, and added her load to it. When she returned to the others she found them all inspecting boar tracks.
‘You see here? The marks are quite clear in the mud,’ Antoine was saying. ‘Several animals and quite big.’
‘I don’t like boars,’ said Stéphie. ‘Can we go up behind the chateau? Away from them?’
‘Most people shoot them,’ said Henri. ‘Why can’t we?’
‘I prefer to let them live until they do serious damage,’ said Antoine. ‘Besides, I haven’t had time to do any shooting for pleasure although next time I do, I will take you, Henri, and show you how to be safe with guns.’
‘Can we go and see the lake?’ asked Félicité. ‘It’s so cold. I wonder if it’s freezing yet?’
They walked through the forest that curved round the chateau to the lake. Alexandra was surprised. ‘I didn’t know this was here!’
‘We’ve kept you far too busy indoors,’ said Antoine. ‘You haven’t had time to explore the grounds properly. Do you like being in the woods? Or do you prefer cities?’
‘I like both,’ Alexandra said firmly. ‘I’ve lived in London most of my life but I’ve always enjoyed the countryside when I’ve been in it.’ She was certainly enjoying herself now, but that might not have been because of the fresh air and the beautiful forest.
Antoine was very knowledgeable about nature, showing them more than just boar tracks. ‘I don’t get out enough these days. I love the forest and the trees and yet I only seem to see them when I’m driving away.’
‘Don’t worry, Papa,’ said Stéphie, putting her hand in his. ‘You won’t always have to go away to work. David said you could rent our outbuildings for people to have holidays in. The English will pay a lot to stay in a real French chateau.’
‘Is this true, Alexandra?’ Henri asked.
‘If the buildings were converted into places where people can stay comfortably, of course,’ she said. ‘They’d pay extra for the aristocratic surroundings, I’m sure.’
‘Let’s explore the buildings,’ said Henri. ‘You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Stéphie?’
As her brother made it sound like a huge treat, Stéphie instantly agreed. Alexandra was keen on the plan, too.
They found their way into a disused coach house, a wash house and a pigeonnier. They fought past veils of dusty cobwebs, climbed rickety wooden ladders and opened long-closed stable doors.
‘Look at the view from here!’ said Alexandra, having peered through a crack in the stonework.
‘You’re looking at a wall, Alexandra. You can’t see anything,’ said Antoine.
‘You could put in a big window! Maybe double doors. These places could be charming,’ said Alexandra, who didn’t understand why Antoine didn’t see the potential of it all. ‘It’s not very long since these buildings were full of farm vehicles and pigeons. Perhaps that’s why you can’t picture them being used for anything else.’
Antoine shrugged. ‘All the animals have been over at the farm for some years now, which is probably why I haven’t given these buildings any thought. Having a holiday in a place still full of pigeon droppings and cobwebs doesn’t seem very attractive to me.’ In spite of his snooty words, Antoine smiled at Stéphie to show that he was joking.
‘Well, please give them some thought now, Papa,’ said Stéphie sternly. ‘Then you can stay at home more.’
Antoine looked at his watch. ‘It is time to go back and make ourselves presentable. We’re going out for lunch.’
‘I thought you said you could cook!’ said Alexandra without thinking. ‘Did you really mean you know how to get us to a restaurant so we can eat?’ Then she saw his expression and her mouth went dry. He was a man whose honour had been questioned and he wasn’t taking it well.
‘Come on, children! Race you back!’ she said and set off for the chateau as fast as she could. She felt as if she had been playing with a kitten and it had suddenly turned into a tiger; she needed to get away quickly.
Back in her room, while she twisted her hair into a knot and found her oversized pearls, she instructed herself to remember she was the nanny, and shouldn’t tease her boss. It wasn’t (as Véronique would say) suitable.
The restaurant wasn’t smart on the outside. It seemed to be behind a butcher’s shop which was currently closed. But there were cars parked haphazardly around the building and far up the road which indicated it was popular. Antoine wriggled the car into a spot between two others and then led the way round the building.
The restaurant seemed full but the man in charge was there the moment Antoine opened the door. He obviously knew Antoine of old and the two men exchanged a few pleasantries before they were led to a table. Antoine nodded to many of the families and couples who were there. The restaurant was very crowded.
They were given menus immediately. ‘And for madame,’ said the owner, as he handed Alexandra hers.
Stéphie giggled. ‘That’s not madame, that’s Lexi.’
‘Bien sûr,’ said the owner and Antoine felt obliged to provide more detail.
‘Alexandra is the brave woman who has been taking care of my children while I’ve been away.’
Alexandra offered her hand and looked the man firmly in the eye in the hope that would stop any thoughts about her relationship with Antoine being anything other than professional. He shook her hand and bowed and left.
‘He thinks you are Papa’s girlfriend,’ said Félicité with a sigh.
‘It doesn’t matter what he thinks, does it?’ asked Alexandra.
Félicité shrugged. ‘Everyone here knows Papa. They’ll all be thinking the same thing. We come here quite often, but Papa has never brought a woman with him before.’
‘Let us just enjoy our lunch,’ said Antoine after a quick glance round the room. ‘Everything is fine. We don’t want to embarrass Alexandra.’
It was too late for that. Alexandra was indeed embarrassed. A bottle of champagne arrived at the table and now Alexandra became aware that the women were looking at her with speculation. She could only imagine what they were thinking: was this woman the right one for M. le Comte? Wasn’t she far too young? Had he finally found a replacement for the lovely Lucinda? She didn’t want to imagine what the men were thinking but consoled herself with the realisation that it was unlikely very many of them had met Lucinda.
Antoine clinked his glass against hers. ‘Here’s to you, Alexandra. Now drink up. Everything always looks better after a glass of champagne.’
She laughed and took a large sip. Too late she realised that although the tables were all crowded with bottles, theirs was the only table that had champagne on it. He must have ordered it specially. Everyone would have noticed.
Then the food started to arrive. Alexandra immediately understood why this unassuming restaurant was so popular – the food was superb.
There were hardboiled eggs served with tapenade, salty and full of olive flavour, a soup made with mushrooms and served with grated truffle (much to Stéphie’s delight), a green salad, and then a chicken casserole which made all the festive food they’d had the day before seem mundane and tasteless.
‘I love the fact you enjoy your food, Alexandra,’ said Antoine. ‘So many women think only of their figures.’
Alexandra was at that moment helping Stéphie extract a piece of bone from her bit of chicken. She turned back. ‘I’m glad I do something that pleases you. Quite often I think I just annoy you.’
‘You do many things that please me,’ he said and then directed his attention to his older children. ‘A little more wine and water for you both? Stéphie, do you want more lemonade?’
Alexandra picked up her wine glass, closer to blushing now than she had been before. His words had been simple enough and she knew she shouldn’t imagine they were particularly significant, but somehow they were. At least to her.
After the chicken, when Alexandra thought she couldn’t eat another mouthful, even to please Antoine, pears poached in red wine appeared, served with thick cream. After that came macarons and chocolate truffles.
‘I just want to go home and go to sleep!’ said Stéphie. ‘Is it all right if I pick my teeth in public?’ She had a paper-wrapped toothpick in her hand.
‘I’m not sure,’ said Alexandra. ‘Personally, I’d prefer it if you didn’t. Take the toothpick for later.’
Antoine laughed. ‘Your English nanny is very strict, chérie. I’ll go and settle up.’
Before he did that, however, he visited every table, exchanging news, making jokes, and looking back at Alexandra often. He’s explaining who I am, she thought.
‘Can I eat your second truffle?’ asked Henri.
‘As long as you’re not sick in the car on the way home,’ said Alexandra.
‘Ergh!’ said Stéphie. ‘Don’t be sick!’
‘I won’t be,’ said Henri. ‘Oh, look, there’s Jules. The boy you met at the party.’ He indicated someone who was sitting behind Alexandra.
‘Oh God,’ said Félicité. ‘I can’t have him seeing me like this! I’m probably bright red in the face, and I’m not wearing any make-up.’
‘It’s fine,’ said Alexandra calmly. ‘Look at me. Now laugh at something funny I’ve said. There! Now you look lovely. If you catch his eye he’ll be impressed.’
‘You used to be much more fun when you weren’t interested in boys,’ said Stéphie to her sister.
‘She’s still fun,’ said Alexandra. ‘And you’ll be interested in boys too, soon.’
‘Are you interested in them, Lexi?’ asked Stéphie.
‘Lexi’s just interested in Papa,’ said Félicité, making Alexandra wish she hadn’t stuck up for her.
Alexandra sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Your papa is my boss,’ she said calmly. ‘It would never be appropriate for me to think about him like that.’
‘Now you sound like Véronique,’ said Félicité. ‘And even if you’re not interested in him, like every other woman who ever comes near him always is, everyone here will assume you’re sleeping together.’
‘Please don’t talk like that in front of your sister. And why don’t you think about your own love life and stop concerning yourself with mine?’ said Alexandra.
Jules did indeed steal a few glances at Félicité, with her pretending not to care. Then his family got up to go and he paused at the table to say hello and goodbye. Alexandra made sure not to look at him and trusted he wouldn’t recognise her. She didn’t want him referring to the party. While she still felt she’d done what was best, she wasn’t sure if Antoine would see it that way and she was having such a nice time, she didn’t want it spoilt. But when Jules finally left, Félicité turned her attention back to Alexandra.
‘Don’t you care what people think about you, then?’ she asked.
Alexandra considered for a moment. She had to make sure she was teaching the right lesson here. ‘Well, I know I’m doing nothing wrong, which is the most important thing. Although I would care a lot more if these people were part of my community. But when you children go to school, I’ll go to Switzerland and never see any of them again.
‘Oh,’ said Stéphie. ‘That’s sad.’
‘Not really,’ said Alexandra, not believing what she was saying. ‘You won’t miss me when you’re at school, having fun. And I’ll send you postcards with pictures of the snowy Alps on them.’
‘But will you miss us?’ asked Henri.
‘Yes,’ said Alexandra. ‘Of course I will. I’ve very much enjoyed looking after you.’
‘Then you should stay!’ said Stéphie. ‘You could look after Papa!’
‘Your papa doesn’t need me or anyone else to look after him,’ said Alexandra. ‘Is that not true, Antoine?’ she added as he joined them to say it was time to go.
‘That’s quite true,’ said Antoine. ‘Now let’s go home.’
