“And Madeleine,” added Storm.
“And we are going fishing, no?” said Jean-Paul. He took his coffee and perched on a stool. “Then we will make a fire and cook what we catch.”
“Do you think you’ll catch anything?” Miranda asked.
Jean-Paul shrugged. “If we don’t, I have a fresh salmon in my fridge.”
“Ah,” she replied, grinning at him conspiratorially. Jean-Paul stared at her a moment. There was something unfamiliar about her. She was all fired up as if her heart were a burning coal. She no longer looked dry and stringy. He recognized it instantly as love. Ava had glowed like that, too, before the sun went in and the rainbow faded. Things must have improved between her and David. He was pleased.
After breakfast, Jean-Paul took the children off into the vegetable garden. Miranda telephoned Henrietta, her new friend, and asked her over. They had been seeing a lot of each other, their friendship blossoming with the apple trees. Cate had tried to inveigle herself into joining them for coffee, but Miranda didn’t like the way she patronized Henrietta and lately they had met in Troy’s or in Miranda’s kitchen instead.
Henrietta arrived, looking flushed. Miranda poured her a cup of coffee and they sat at the table gossiping. “How’s the diet?” she asked, observing that it had so far made absolutely no difference.
Henrietta’s eyes glittered. “I can’t do it,” she replied, turning pink. “I’m fed up with it. Abstaining from all the good things in life just makes me miserable. Every time I go for a croissant I see Cate’s thin face looking disapproving.”
“Oh, Etta. What are we going to do with you? You don’t know how lovely you are.”
“I don’t feel it. I love a man who’ll never love me back.” She stopped suddenly, aware that she had said too much.
“You’re in love?” Miranda asked. “Who with?”
Henrietta bit her lower lip. “I can’t say. I’m embarrassed. It’s silly.”
“Jean-Paul?” Miranda volunteered, pulling a sympathetic face. But Henrietta shook her head.
“I would never set my sights so high. I admit I fancy him, who doesn’t? But it’s like fancying Robert Redford. No, I love Troy.”
Miranda stared at her for a moment. Of all the men to lose one’s heart to, Troy was the very deadest of dead ends. “Troy,” she repeated.
“I know. It’s impossible. But I really love him.”
“Does he love you back?”
“Yes. But he doesn’t want to have sex with me. He wants to have sex with Tony the postman.”
Miranda sighed at the scale of the obstacle. “I wish I could give you some advice, but there is none. He’s gay. He’s not going to give you children and snuggle up to you at night. He’s probably repulsed by a woman’s body. You’ve got no chance.”
“I know.” Her eyes began to well.
Miranda frowned. “We’ve got to do something about you. It’s spring. The most beautiful time of the year. You should be feeling happy.”
Henrietta pulled out a piece of paper. “This was posted on the board in Cate’s Cake Shop.” It was an advertisement for a new Pilates class which had been set up in a studio behind the church. “I thought, I don’t know…I’m sure I’m not fit enough, but…”
“This is brilliant!” Miranda exclaimed. “I did a class like this in London. They use these incredible beds with straps you loop over your hands and feet. It’s tough. Really hard work, but the results are quick and lasting. This is definitely for you, Etta.”
Henrietta looked encouraged. “Really?”
“Really. I’ll do it with you. We could do it a couple of mornings a week when the children are at school. We could start next week.”
“Would you really do it with me? You’re so slim, you don’t need it.”
“It’s not about being fat or thin. It’s about feeling good about yourself and keeping in shape. By the way,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “You’ve got to do something about the way you dress. You can’t hide under big shirts and sweaters anymore. You should celebrate your shape.”
“Like Dawn French?”
“She’s not a bad example, but you’ve got a way to go before you’re her size. Have you ever watched Trinny and Susannah?”
“Of course, I wish they could give me a makeover.”
“Their message is brilliant. It’s not about killing yourself with diets, but dressing the best way for your shape. The results are instant and it really works. I’m going to buy you their book. Then we’re going to hit London!”