The following morning, Alexandra was wakened early by Stéphie, quickly followed by Antoine, who was carrying a tray. On it were coffee, rolls, butter and fig jam.
‘Breakfast in bed,’ he stated, settling the tray on her knees. ‘And then you must get up. The lake is frozen and we’re going skating.’
‘I haven’t got skates …’
‘There are dozens of pairs here,’ he said. ‘It’s been a pastime at the chateau for years.’
‘So don’t take too long eating,’ said Stéphie, in case Alexandra hadn’t got the message. ‘I’ll teach you to skate. Don’t worry.’
Alexandra didn’t dawdle. She put on as many of her clothes as she could get on at the same time, ending with one of the boiler suits she had bought at the market, and then presented herself downstairs.
Antoine regarded her critically, made her put on a battered leather flying jacket, a scarf and an extra pair of gloves. ‘You will soon get warm but at first it is cold. What size are your feet?’
There was a bit of confusion because she was uncertain what her continental shoe size was but eventually she was found a pair of skates which nearly fitted when a pair of socks had been added to the two pairs she was already wearing.
‘Apart from looking like Bibendum – or a Michelin Man,’ she said, ‘I can hardly walk, I’m wearing so many layers.’
‘You can take things off when you’re warm,’ said Stéphie. ‘No, kittens, you can’t come with us. You’ll get cold.’
Although Stéphie had strong maternal instincts, the kittens didn’t recognise her authority and insisted on dancing out of the door behind Milou.
‘Are you sure the ice won’t break so we’ll fall into the freezing water and drown?’ Alexandra said to Antoine.
‘If the ice breaks we might get wet but we won’t drown. It’s more of a swamp than a lake. Come along. I’ll hold you.’
The children had all put on their skates and glided off with elegance and style. Antoine’s arm was strong about her waist and somehow Alexandra got to the ice.
‘Now, step on,’ he said firmly.
She stepped, slipped and fell over. He laughed.
‘Excuse me,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry to laugh but you are always so poised, so elegant, I can’t help being amused.’
‘In England it is not considered good form to mock the afflicted,’ said Alexandra, as haughty as it was possible to be while sitting on the ice with her limbs sliding underneath her.
He picked her up and set her on the ice again. ‘Hold on tight.’ He was certainly holding her tightly. She was clamped to his side. ‘Now move when I move.’
Henri, seeing her difficulties, swooped to her side and took her hand. ‘Come on! Papa and I have got you. One, two, one, two.’
Suddenly Alexandra found she was moving over the ice, if not with grace, at least without falling over. Henri, convinced she’d got it now, abandoned her, and for a moment, she thought she was going to fall again.
‘Just relax into it. I won’t let you go. You’re safe with me.’
Although Alexandra was concentrating very hard on relaxing, not something that was easy, she allowed herself a moment to imagine Antoine was using those words in a different context. Still, it was not to be. She must enjoy what she had and not pine for something she couldn’t have.
‘I think I’ve got it,’ she said. ‘Let me go but don’t move away.’
‘Very well. Bravo! You have got it!’
Alexandra stayed on her feet for a few minutes until Stéphie came racing towards her and couldn’t stop, making Alexandra fall over again.
Now she’d tasted the joy of skating, Alexandra became determined. No matter how many times she landed on the ice, she insisted on getting up again and striking off across the ice, only to fall over again.
Antoine helped her up again. ‘Chérie, you don’t have to do this. We can go inside and drink hot chocolate.’
‘No, no. I hate to give up on things. I’m going to get to that tree’ – she pointed to the edge of the lake – ‘and back, without falling over, and then hot chocolate would be lovely.’
It took her three more attempts before she finally made it. Antoine helped her up every time, getting her back on her feet and watching her tentative, staggering steps until, at last, she realised she was doing it properly. She was skating. She turned round when she got to the tree and headed back towards Antoine.
‘Come on, Lexi!’ he called. His arms were open and he was smiling, willing her to make it.
Nothing would have stopped her. She flew across the ice and into his arms. For a few wonderful moments he hugged her to him. ‘Well done, chérie, well done!’ He kissed the top of her head and mumbled something into her hair. Her heart knew it was something fond and loving but her mind told her it couldn’t be.
He released her. ‘Come on, let’s get you into the warm. I’ll make my special drink which will cure all your aches and pains. Sit down – let’s get your skates off.’
Alexandra hadn’t been aware of suffering any aches and pains until he mentioned them. Now, she sat on the frozen ground and let him deal with the laces and ease off her skates. Then he picked her up and carried her into the house, leaving skates, shoes and various discarded scarves and mittens lying on the ground.
‘I’ll get them later,’ he said.
She closed her eyes as he carried her, drinking in his smell, relishing his closeness. But her moment of bliss was short. He put her down when they reached the chateau.
‘Go and make yourself comfortable,’ said Antoine. ‘I’ll be with you in a minute.’
The children rushed past, Félicité to the office so she could telephone Jules (Alexandra was willing to bet), and Stéphie up to her room, taking Milou and the kittens with her. Henri, more relaxed than his sisters, ambled upstairs too, muttering something about playing some music.
Alexandra collapsed on to the most well-sprung sofa, the one that had been drawn up close to the fire. She pulled a rug over herself and tucked her feet under her. She should go to her room and put on her slippers, but she didn’t want to move. Just for a few moments she wanted to think about Antoine and how lovely it had been in his arms, having him close.
He brought her a steaming mug of chocolate. ‘Here you are. This will warm you up.’
She sipped. ‘Oh! It’s got something in it!’
‘Brandy. You drink it up and relax. I’m making lunch.’
‘I should—’
‘No, you shouldn’t,’ he said. ‘This is your time off. I’ll ask one of the children if I need help.’
A little later she was aware of having drifted off to sleep, affected by her early start, a lot of fresh air and exercise, and a large measure of cognac. She was also aware of someone putting a cushion under her head and rearranging the blanket. She could easily have stirred and done these things for herself but while she had her eyes shut she could pretend that Antoine was doing it because he loved her and not just because he was a kind man who cared about his employees.
The next two days would always be special, Alexandra felt. She wasn’t allowed to cook or wash up (although she did sneak down and tidy up early one morning). The washing was piled up in front of the new washing machine, waiting for the young woman who usually came in daily but was currently on holiday. During the day, they skated, rambled in the woods, read, painted or played instruments. In the evenings, Antoine taught them card games on which they gambled with matchsticks. Stéphie couldn’t have been happier.
‘It’s as if you and …’ Stéphie paused, obviously having been told she mustn’t say anything to embarrass Alexandra. ‘It’s like having two very kind parents.’
‘Maybe,’ said Alexandra. ‘Now, who would you like to read you a story? Me or Papa?’
‘I’d like you to, Lexi. You won’t be here forever.’
Alexandra followed the little girl up the stairs with a lump in her throat.
Next day, the weather was suddenly warmer and the ice on the lake had melted. Luckily, later in the morning, when Stéphie announced this sad fact, Penelope and Jack arrived. They were a little bit breathless and excited, holding hands and giggling. It was very endearing, Alexandra thought. Penelope was naturally a rather serious person.
‘We’ve come to talk about our wedding,’ said Penelope.
‘I found out from my brother when they’re planning to emigrate – they’ll be Ten Pound Poms!’ said Jack. ‘Which means the Australian government will let you emigrate for only ten pounds, subject to certain conditions. Emigrate means leaving your own country to go and live somewhere else,’ Jack explained to Stéphie, who had her mouth open to ask the question.
‘Has Lexi emigrated, then?’ Stéphie said.
‘Not really,’ said Alexandra quickly. ‘I’ve just come to live in France for a bit. It’s not quite the same thing.’
‘But my brother and his wife are leaving for Australia quite soon,’ said Jack. ‘We have to have the wedding by the first of April at the latest.’
‘And you have very kindly said we can have it here, in the chateau,’ said Penelope, smiling firmly at Antoine, who was looking taken aback.
‘We were also wondering if it might be possible for you to put up some family and friends in your outbuildings,’ said Jack.
‘Really?’ said Antoine. ‘Don’t you like your English guests? Have you seen the outbuildings?’
‘The thing is, Antoine,’ said Penelope, now more like her usual brisk self than she had been at first. ‘If you got a move on, you could have some of those buildings ready, and we would pay for people to stay in them. After that, you can hire them out to les Anglais for the rest of the year. They would pay lots!’
‘It would be a great deal of work,’ said Antoine, considering the matter.
‘Although of course the building I am most interested in is the orangery, for the reception,’ said Penelope.
‘Penelope,’ said Antoine. ‘I would love to help and had we more time I would be delighted, as I said before …’ He paused. ‘But we have just a couple of months—’
‘Three months. And Alexandra will help you,’ said Penelope. ‘The children will go to school in the New Year—’
‘Actually,’ said Antoine. ‘The school – I mean the progressive one that Philippe’s children go to – can’t take them until the following term. I haven’t had an opportunity to discuss it with Jack and David yet. Let alone Alexandra.’
‘Oh,’ said Penelope.
‘I heard just before Christmas and I didn’t want to talk about school during the holiday.’ He seemed embarrassed not to have told the family sooner. ‘I know Henri and Félicité were looking forward to going.’
‘It’s OK, Papa,’ said Félicité after a moment. ‘We understand.’
‘Well,’ Penelope went on, ‘if Alexandra is here, but isn’t really needed to look after the children all the time—’
Alexandra opened her mouth to say that if the children didn’t need her, she would have to leave. But she didn’t want to. Nor, it seemed, did Penelope want her to speak.
‘No, Alexandra, just a moment. If the children aren’t going away to school until after the wedding, they will be taught by David and Jack,’ said Penelope. ‘So although Alexandra will need to be here, in case Antoine has to go away, she will have time on her hands.’
Alexandra felt she should object strongly to having her time allocated without her being consulted but as the thought of overseeing the building work thrilled her, she merely gave a little grunt of agreement.
Antoine was more vocal. ‘Perhaps Alexandra doesn’t want to oversee the renovation of old buildings, or clear out the orangery. We mustn’t take advantage of her.’
Alexandra found her voice. ‘A project like this would be wonderful. I’d love to do it,’ she said. ‘If you didn’t mind?’ This she addressed to Antoine.
He shrugged and smiled. ‘If it makes you happy, I am happy.’
Although delighted with his reaction, Alexandra felt obliged to protest a little. ‘Except that it will be expensive to renovate the buildings.’
‘We’ve got my truffle money,’ said Stéphie.
‘And we will pay in advance for everything,’ said Penelope firmly.
‘Would you mind if I talked to Alexandra about this in private?’ said Antoine. Without waiting for an answer, he ushered her out of the room.
When they reached the study Alexandra remembered he was someone who told other people what to do with their businesses and wasn’t just a father who loved spending time with his children.
‘Before you take this on, Alexandra,’ he said seriously, ‘you must give yourself time to consider what it entails. You will have to deal with French builders, planning approvals, buying supplies at the best prices, all sorts of things which will be new to you and you may well not wish to undertake.’
‘Won’t you be here?’
‘Not all the time. There are some loose ends that need tying up with my last project. If we went for this, you would be in charge. Although of course I hope we’ll have David, too. And Maxime for the legal part.’
‘I’ve never done anything like this before,’ she said, suddenly filled with doubt.
‘If you want to do it, you will do it. I have perfect faith in you. We’ll do what we can and not worry about the rest.’
Alexandra felt a sudden flip of excitement. It was a massive project but so exciting. ‘I’d love to do it! And I know David and Jack will help when they’re not teaching.’
Antoine smiled and Alexandra felt she’d been breathed on by the sun itself. ‘Thank you, Alexandra.’
