RACHEL
Walking home, Rachel wondered about Johnnie’s wife. How had she died? How long ago? Had she been a local girl? He definitely didn’t want to talk about her, that was for sure. He’d left the sentence about the boat’s name hanging in the air without any other explanation.
Rachel stroked her wedding ring with her thumb, making it slide around her finger. She’d registered Johnnie looking at her wedding ring. A year since her world had fallen apart, but still she couldn’t bring herself to take the ring off. Johnnie hadn’t asked about her husband but then, she hadn’t volunteered the information either.
Johnnie had probably assumed she was divorced as most people did before she told them she was a widow. Maybe he didn’t have any intention of asking her to crew for him. Maybe he was just being polite to her face and would forget the conversation. He hadn’t asked about any commitments that might stop her going to France with him.
Not that there were any these days. She was as free as a bird. No-one to worry about, which was one of the reasons she hoped BB would like the room. There would have to be ground rules, of course, but it would be good to have somebody else in the cottage, somebody to maybe share a glass or two of wine out on the terrace of an evening. Having someone to house-sit the cottage if she did crew for Johnnie on this trip to France would be a welcome bonus.
The spare room wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. Just a couple of boxes she hadn’t unpacked yet – she wasn’t even sure what was in them if she was honest. They could go in the basement for now. Open the window, a quick vacuum and dust, make the bed, clean the en suite, find some towels and another bath mat and she was done. Quite like old times when the villa had been full of friends and she’d won the accolade of ‘Hostess with the Mostest’.
Would it suit BB though? Maybe he was looking for something more upmarket, something more along the lines of his room at The Royal. Oh well, if he didn’t like it at least she’d sorted the spare room.
BB, when he arrived promptly at 7.30, was carrying a bunch of flowers which he handed to her with a smile.
‘Thank you. I’ll just put them in water,’ Rachel said. ‘Then I’ll show you the room.’
Leading the way upstairs, she said, ‘I have to warn you it’s not a very big room.’
‘It’s perfect,’ BB said, taking it in with a glance. ‘It’s got everything I need. Can I move in tomorrow?’
Rachel laughed. ‘We haven’t discussed rent yet. Or how long you’d like to stay. And there will be a few ground rules.’ She looked at him anxiously. ‘You’re not a smoker, are you? If you are, then I’m afraid it’s not on anyway.’
‘No, not a smoker and I have to return to the States in September, so from now until then?’
‘Let’s go and have a glass of wine and discuss the terms and conditions then,’ Rachel said.
Sitting on her small terrace sharing a bottle of rosé, Rachel laid down the ground rules as she thought of them.
‘I’ll give you a key so you’ll be free to come and go as you like. I’m happy to provide toast and coffee for breakfast but any other food you want, you’ll have to buy. I’ll clear a shelf in the fridge for you. I have to warn you, I can’t stand a messy kitchen so make sure you clear up after yourself.’
‘I’m not a bad cook but I’ll probably eat out most days,’ BB said. ‘Talking of food. If you haven’t eaten, will you join me for dinner tonight? Celebrate our deal?’
‘Thank you,’ Rachel said. ‘You’re certainly starting off on the right foot. First flowers and now dinner. I’ll just get a cardigan.’
BB was looking at a photo of Rachel and a younger man in a silver frame on the mantelpiece of the sitting room when she came back downstairs.
‘My son,’ Rachel said. ‘Taken a couple of years ago. You may get to meet Hugo. He and his wife are hoping to come for a visit later in the year.’