The French Gardener(111)

She ran her fingers down his face. “You’re not going to lose me, darling. But we have to work at this.”

“Then let’s work at it. My family is more important to me than work. I’d quit my job in a heartbeat if I felt it was driving a wedge between us.”

“You don’t have to go that far. Just watch less golf on weekends. Gus and Storm are such fun. They just want you to spend time with them. They want to feel valued.”

“You’re so right. I wish Blythe wasn’t here, then we could be alone together.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her forehead. I wish I had never fooled around with her, he thought to himself. I’ll tell her it’s over and put the whole stupid mess behind me.



Blythe lay in bed unable to sleep. The room spun. She stuck her foot out and planted it firmly on the floor to steady herself. It wasn’t much help. She seethed in fury. David hadn’t paid her any attention. He had kissed his wife in front of her—what an insult!—and not even given her a secret smile or knowing look. He hadn’t slipped her a note, arranging to meet in the pool house at four in the morning or in one of the spare rooms of the house. He had acted as if she were like any other guest. There was no fun in playing it so safe. So much for Miranda’s floundering marriage. They looked as smugly content as any happily married couple could look.

As the room slowed down she resolved to get him on his own the following day. She’d drag him into a bush if she had to.



Henrietta sat in Troy’s sitting room curled up on the sofa with a digestive biscuit and a mug of hot milk. “You know, Miranda’s going to take me up to London for a makeover,” she informed him. “We’re going to the personal shopping place at Selfridges.”

“Lucky you!” he breathed enviously. “You might even get Pandora.”

“She mentioned her.”

“Oh, she’s famous! Gorgeous, blond, as bubbly as a magnum of Moët and Chandon.”

“How on earth do you know that?”

“I make it my business to know important things.” He laughed. “Grazia magazine or InStyle, I can’t remember which one, but they gave her a whole feature. She takes care of the rich and famous. She’ll turn Cinderetta into a real princess at the ball.”

“You’re silly!” She grinned at him fondly. “I’m rather excited. It’s so generous of her.”

“She’s got a heart as big as her wallet and we love her for it!”

“She’s given me Trinny and Susannah’s book,” she said, pulling it out of her bag.

“Great! Let’s read it now.”

“Now? But it’s after midnight?”

“Well, you’re not a pumpkin, are you?”

“No.”

“You don’t have anyone to get back to?”

“Sadly not.”

“You can stay the night with me.”

“But I haven’t brought my toothbrush.”

“I have enough of everything for both of us. I’ll let you into my secret cupboard of cosmetics. It makes Selfridges look like the corner shop.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve only got The Haggis coming in at nine and she always cancels.” He snorted dismissively. “If you’re going to meet the glorious Pandora, you must know what suits you. She needs to be briefed. Go on, open it!”



Five miles away, Jeremy Fitzherbert lay in his large wooden bed over which a week’s worth of clothes lay draped. He never put anything away, leaving it all for his housekeeper who came once a week to wash and iron. He barely noticed the chaos until she had tidied it all away, at which point he resolved to keep it neat, only to slip back into his old habits the day after she had gone. He slept with the curtains open, and a window ajar. He liked the smell of the countryside and the sound of birds in the early morning, and he relished the pale, liquid light of dawn. He listened to the wind sweeping through the leaves causing them to rustle gently. It was a clear night. Small twinkling stars shone through the darkness and a crescent moon hung low in the sky. He sighed, thinking of Henrietta and his abortive trip to her shop. He replayed the moment they had met and smiled at the recollection of her extricating herself from the hollow tree. Her face had flushed with embarrassment, but her pretty eyes had sparkled and her smile was so endearing he had wanted to kiss her right there. He liked full-bodied women. To Jeremy a full-bodied woman was a woman who ate enthusiastically from the tree of life.

He hadn’t intended to go to the town hall party the following night. The older he got the more solitary he became. But there was a chance Henrietta might be there. He didn’t want to miss her. As he drifted to sleep he considered his life. It was time he shared it with someone. There was only so much solace one could get from Mr. Ben and Wolfgang.