‘ Mon enfant —when you have gone back to your own life, she will still be here, and Remy too. Are you being quite fair?’
Allie bent her head. ‘Tante—please don’t ask me not to see him again, because I don’t think that’s possible.’
Madelon Colville gave a heavy sigh. ‘Mon Dieu,’ she said, half to herself. ‘Has it already gone so far and so fast?’
Colour rose in Allie’s face. ‘No,’ she protested. ‘Nothing’s—happened.’
Her great-aunt’s brows lifted. ‘Nothing? You mean, en effet, that you have not yet given yourself to him?’ Her little shrug was a masterpiece of Gallic cynicism. ‘Well, it is only a matter of time. Every word that was spoken—every look—proclaimed that.’
‘But we didn’t…’
‘Precisely.’ Madame Colville nodded grimly. ‘Alys—I say this only from love. It might be better for you to go now. Leave Brittany before real damage is done.’
Allie looked at her across the table, sudden tears hanging from her lashes. She said, ‘I don’t think I can.’ And her voice broke.
CHAPTER SIX
A LLIE got up early the next morning. She pulled on shorts and a tee-shirt, and let herself quietly out of the house. She didn’t go down to the beach, but walked along the top of the cliff until she reached a patch of grass, where she sat. She turned her face to the sun while the fresh sea breeze lifted the strands of her light brown hair, letting the cloud of Tante’s anxiety which had hung over her since the previous day dissipate, while her heart thudded in eager anticipation.
She did not have to wait long before she was aware of Roland’s hoofbeats, quiet on the short turf, and horse and rider dark against the pale morning sky.
He said softly, ‘I knew you would be here.’ He reached down a hand, pulling her up on to the saddle in front of him. Settling her carefully.
‘Won’t Roland mind?’ She ran a hand over the glossy mane.
‘He will have to accustom himself.’ As they moved off, he said, ‘Is there anything you wish to ask me, ma belle ? Anything you need to know?’
‘No.’ His arms around her conveyed all the lovely certainty she needed. She found herself thinking Poor Solange, then added aloud, ‘Unless you have something you want to say to me?’
‘Many things.’ He pushed up the sleeve of her tee-shirt and kissed her bare shoulder, his lips warm and lingering against her cool skin. ‘But they will have to wait.’
‘Where are we going?’
‘To have breakfast,’ he said. ‘At Trehel.’
‘Oh,’ she said, a touch doubtfully. ‘Your family won’t mind?’
His lips touched her hair. ‘They will have to accustom themselves also.’
‘But how will I get back?’
‘Naturally I shall drive you home, before I go into Ignac. Or did you think I would send you back on Roland?’
‘It crossed my mind,’ she admitted, and heard him laugh softly.
They were quiet for a while, then she said, ‘Do you know this is only my second time on the back of a horse?’
‘ Vraiment? I hope you are a little more comfortable this time. And that you do not find it as frightening.’
‘Oh, I’m still a little scared,’ she said. ‘But for very different reasons.’
‘Ah, mon ange .’ His voice was gentle. ‘Alys, you must know that I would never willingly do anything to hurt you.’
Or I you. Never willingly. But I know in my heart that I shall — because I can’t help myself…
Perhaps their need for each other would be like a summer storm, she thought with sudden sadness. Raging for a while, then blowing itself out, with no lasting harm in its wake. Maybe even enabling them to say goodbye as friends.
‘ Qu’as-tu, Alys?’ He must have sensed her disquiet. ‘Is something the matter?’
‘No, nothing. Except—I was thinking how strange life is. How unexpected.’
‘You think so?’ She heard the smile in his voice. ‘Yet I know I have been waiting for you since the day I was born. Is it not the same for
Allie bent her head. ‘Tante—please don’t ask me not to see him again, because I don’t think that’s possible.’
Madelon Colville gave a heavy sigh. ‘Mon Dieu,’ she said, half to herself. ‘Has it already gone so far and so fast?’
Colour rose in Allie’s face. ‘No,’ she protested. ‘Nothing’s—happened.’
Her great-aunt’s brows lifted. ‘Nothing? You mean, en effet, that you have not yet given yourself to him?’ Her little shrug was a masterpiece of Gallic cynicism. ‘Well, it is only a matter of time. Every word that was spoken—every look—proclaimed that.’
‘But we didn’t…’
‘Precisely.’ Madame Colville nodded grimly. ‘Alys—I say this only from love. It might be better for you to go now. Leave Brittany before real damage is done.’
Allie looked at her across the table, sudden tears hanging from her lashes. She said, ‘I don’t think I can.’ And her voice broke.
CHAPTER SIX
A LLIE got up early the next morning. She pulled on shorts and a tee-shirt, and let herself quietly out of the house. She didn’t go down to the beach, but walked along the top of the cliff until she reached a patch of grass, where she sat. She turned her face to the sun while the fresh sea breeze lifted the strands of her light brown hair, letting the cloud of Tante’s anxiety which had hung over her since the previous day dissipate, while her heart thudded in eager anticipation.
She did not have to wait long before she was aware of Roland’s hoofbeats, quiet on the short turf, and horse and rider dark against the pale morning sky.
He said softly, ‘I knew you would be here.’ He reached down a hand, pulling her up on to the saddle in front of him. Settling her carefully.
‘Won’t Roland mind?’ She ran a hand over the glossy mane.
‘He will have to accustom himself.’ As they moved off, he said, ‘Is there anything you wish to ask me, ma belle ? Anything you need to know?’
‘No.’ His arms around her conveyed all the lovely certainty she needed. She found herself thinking Poor Solange, then added aloud, ‘Unless you have something you want to say to me?’
‘Many things.’ He pushed up the sleeve of her tee-shirt and kissed her bare shoulder, his lips warm and lingering against her cool skin. ‘But they will have to wait.’
‘Where are we going?’
‘To have breakfast,’ he said. ‘At Trehel.’
‘Oh,’ she said, a touch doubtfully. ‘Your family won’t mind?’
His lips touched her hair. ‘They will have to accustom themselves also.’
‘But how will I get back?’
‘Naturally I shall drive you home, before I go into Ignac. Or did you think I would send you back on Roland?’
‘It crossed my mind,’ she admitted, and heard him laugh softly.
They were quiet for a while, then she said, ‘Do you know this is only my second time on the back of a horse?’
‘ Vraiment? I hope you are a little more comfortable this time. And that you do not find it as frightening.’
‘Oh, I’m still a little scared,’ she said. ‘But for very different reasons.’
‘Ah, mon ange .’ His voice was gentle. ‘Alys, you must know that I would never willingly do anything to hurt you.’
Or I you. Never willingly. But I know in my heart that I shall — because I can’t help myself…
Perhaps their need for each other would be like a summer storm, she thought with sudden sadness. Raging for a while, then blowing itself out, with no lasting harm in its wake. Maybe even enabling them to say goodbye as friends.
‘ Qu’as-tu, Alys?’ He must have sensed her disquiet. ‘Is something the matter?’
‘No, nothing. Except—I was thinking how strange life is. How unexpected.’
‘You think so?’ She heard the smile in his voice. ‘Yet I know I have been waiting for you since the day I was born. Is it not the same for
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