ill? Maybe it was unfair of me to burden you with both a first and final memory of him.’
‘No, I’m glad you told me. Granny keeping family secrets was bad enough, so don’t you start.’ Chloe sighed. ‘Sorry, that sounded harsh, I didn’t mean it to.’
Belinda was silent for a few moments. ‘I honestly don’t know what to say or how to tell you to stop overthinking things. I’m struggling with that myself.’ She gave a rueful smile. ‘I guess once you get back to Max and start packing up for your new life in the Vendée, memories of yesterday’s visit will start to fade and merge into being something that touched you deeply but didn’t in the end have a detrimental effect on your life. I hope so anyway.’
‘But what about you?’ Chloe asked quietly. ‘It’s not going to be easy for you to forget what you’ve learnt and seen since you’ve been here.’
Belinda was quiet for several seconds before she took a deep breath. ‘I think, and this applies to both of us, it’s impossible to turn the clock back and there’s nothing we can do to change things, so we have to accept and try to move on. You will focus on a happy life with Max and the twins and I’ll concentrate on you all.’
‘Does that mean you’ll come to the Vendée?’
Belinda rubbed her face and eyes. ‘I still haven’t decided, to be honest. Give me a bit more time to think about it, okay?’ She finished her coffee. ‘Right, it’s your last full day. What do you want to do? Alain has suggested we have a barbecue this evening. Invite Fern, Anouk, and Bernie of course, and any of the campers who want to join us. What do you think?’
‘Sounds good. The twins and I met up with another family by the swings. I’ll find their caravan and invite them.’
‘That’s the evening sorted then. What about the rest of the day? There’s probably a market on somewhere.’
Chloe shook her head. ‘I’d just like to pootle about the campsite, if that’s all right with you. I might wander down to the shop and pick up a few bottles of wine and some cheese to take home for Max. And a final picnic lunch by the river again would be good.’
‘Okay, I’ll leave you to it and go and do an hour or two in the office. See you later for lunch.’
Belinda was on the phone taking a booking for a camper van for three weeks in August when Alain opened the office door and came in with a smiling Fern. Once she’d finished taking the details down and promised to send a confirming email, Belinda ended the call and turned to Fern.
‘We passed. We can open the café whenever we like,’ Fern said excitedly.
Belinda partially covered her face with her hand. ‘The kitchen inspection this morning. I’d completely forgotten about it. I’m so sorry.’ How could she have forgotten something so important? Having a lot on her mind was no real excuse.
‘It is okay,’ Alain said. ‘Now we make plans for the official opening party.’
‘We can celebrate a little tonight as well, can’t we?’ Belinda said. ‘Chloe likes the idea of a barbecue for her last night. You and Anouk will come, won’t you?’ she said to Fern.
‘Love to.’
Alain fired up the barbecue down on the entertainment area for the evening and news spread like wildfire through the campsite that the invitation was open to everyone. Still early in the season, there were only three or four camper vans and three caravans currently on site and nobody booked into the cabins. The family Chloe had mentioned arrived early with their two boys and were soon involved with Charlie and Aimee playing ball.
Watching Alain cooking at the barbecue, Bernie cheerfully helping him and handing out the food, Belinda found herself thinking again about the future when her time here was over. So far, the only decision she’d taken was to leave Milton Hotels when Nigel completed the sale. It was the first step in her new life and she should have felt happier about it than she did. It was not knowing the direction of her second step that was bothering her.
‘Penny for them? You look miles away.’ Fern wandered over to her side with two glasses of Prosecco and handed her one. ‘Cheers. I’ve settled Anouk down with some new camper-van friends and she waved me away, told me to find you, so talk to me.’
‘Not