Brigitte
Brigitte hummed softly to herself as she weighed, chopped and mixed various ingredients for the recipes she was preparing for the celebratory lunch she was cooking. It was not yet nine o’clock but she’d been busy for a couple of hours and already the result of her labours were showing.
Looking around her kitchen Brigitte sighed with satisfaction. The yeasty bread rolls were rising nicely in the small oven of her new top-of-the-range cooker, the duck was marinating in a red wine sauce on the worktop and the rouleau filled with chocolate cream and covered with white chocolate was rolled up and in the fridge.
Her wonderful modern kitchen was living up to all her expectations—she was going to be so happy preparing meals in here. She’d forgotten how much she enjoyed feeding friends and family. When Isabelle had left home, guests at the auberge had filled the cooking gap in her life but now there was only Bruno to feed regularly. She’d have to invite friends around often, she decided.
The sun was shining in through the kitchen window and she could see the willow tree with its newly green leafy fronds quivering in the gentle breeze as she set the coffee to brew. Bruno came in just as the coffee finished percolating.
“Good timing,” she said reaching for two cups. “Biscuit?”
“Thanks. Furniture cleaned and back out under the loggia ready for lunch,” Bruno said. “We could sit out there now.”
Sitting companionably drinking their coffee, Brigitte said, “Everything’s beginning to come together here,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to today’s lunch—although I hope I’ve done the right thing inviting Evie.”
Bruno glanced at her, surprised. “Why?”
“I told Pascal it would be just Libby—you know how shy he can be with strangers—and I don’t think he’d have agreed to come if he thought it would be more than just the three of us. I didn’t think about him when I invited Evie.”
Bruno shrugged. “It’s not as if it’s a huge crowd. Pascal will be fine. It’s only when his mother is around that he tends to clam up. You haven’t invited her, have you?”
Brigitte laughed. “Non.” She hesitated before adding, “I hope Libby and Pascal get on.”
Bruno wagged a finger at her. “You’re not matchmaking are you?”
Brigitte shook her head. “Non. But they are both single so anything is possible.”
“And you plan to help them along,” Bruno said smiling. “Lunch should be interesting.”
Libby and Evie arrived together promptly at twelve o’clock in the village taxi. Evie, knowing there was still no way her ankle was up to walking to Brigitte and Bruno’s, had invited Libby to share the ride.
The four of them were sipping aperitifs when Pascal arrived. Brigitte quickly introduced Evie to Pascal.
“Enchanté, mademoiselle,” he said shaking her hand. “I hope you enjoy your stay in Brittany.” He looked at her for several seconds before adding, “Would we have met before?”
Evie laughed. “I don’t think so. I only arrived a few days ago.”
“Evie lives in Paris,” Libby said. “So unless you frequent the city?”
Pascal visibly blanched at her words. “I hate cities so rarely go—even to Paris.” He turned again to Evie. “It must be that you remind me of someone else.”
Once their starters were finished—individual walnut and onion tarts with a salad—Brigitte placed the duck with asparagus and sauté potatoes on the table to accompanying cries of delight. “Enjoy.”
“This is so delicious,” Libby said a few minutes later. “I have a favour to ask,” she said addressing Brigitte. “I’m going to need some help during the daytime and with the evening meals—especially at weekends. Any chance of you being free? Just until I’ve got into the swing of things. Only if you’ve got time and want to,” she added. “If not can you recommend someone?”
Brigitte sighed. “Libby I’d love to.” She glanced at Bruno. “But Bruno here, he no want me to work every day.”
Bruno shrugged his shoulders. “You decide but remember our plan to have several vacances this year.”
“Maybe I come just on Saturdays?” Brigitte said. “I will tell a woman in the village, Agnes, that you need help during the week. She is a good worker.”
“Thanks,” Libby said. Hopefully this Agnes would want a job and be as good as Brigitte said.
Bruno was busy filling wine glasses when Brigitte said, “I’m thinking about starting a monthly Ladies’ Supper Club here. I miss the cooking and now I have this wonderful new kitchen I must put it to use and if I feed Bruno too much he will get fat.”
“Brilliant idea,” Libby said. “Can I be your first member?”
“It is a shame to limit it to the ladies though,” Pascal said. “Why not a Supper Club open to all?”
“Maybe that would be a better idea,” Brigitte said.
It was two hours later, after the chocolate rouleau had been eaten and the coffee and petits fours served, when Pascal pushed his chair back and apologised. “Brigitte, that was a wonderful lunch but I am sorry—I have to go back to work.”
He turned to Libby and Evie. “May I offer you both a lift back to the auberge?”
“I need to do some things in the village before I go home,” Libby said. “But I’m sure Evie would appreciate a lift.”
Evie nodded. “Thank you. I was going to call the taxi.” The telephone rang as they were all saying their goodbyes and Bruno went to answer it.
Brigitte was alone and clearing the table when he went back outside. “Who was it?” she asked, absently piling plates on top of each other.
“Isabelle.”
Brigitte looked at him sharply. “Is something the matter? It is not like Isabelle to ring during the day.”
“She is coming up for a weekend next month,” Bruno said.
Brigitte smiled. “What a treat. How long is she staying?”
“She didn’t say.”
“Is Laurent coming with her?”
Bruno shook his head. “No. She is coming on her own.”
“I expect he’s too busy at work to take the time,” Brigitte said before seeing the look on Bruno’s face.
“She said she wants to talk to us about the future.” Bruno paused. “I think Isabelle is maybe planning on coming back to Brittany permanently. But I’m not so sure Laurent is in agreement.”
Brigitte looked at him in dismay. Surely not. She couldn’t bear it if Isabelle’s marriage had failed.