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She hugged the shade as she walked through the village. Esme’s front door was open but Iris knocked anyway.
“Come in!”
She headed for the kitchen and found Esme lying on the sofa.
“I’m glad to see you’re resting. How are you?”
“Sooooo bored. But fine, otherwise.”
“That’s good to hear. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’d love a coffee, a proper espresso. There’s one of those Italian things in the cupboard over there.”
Iris located the percolator.
“How is Laure?” Esme asked.
“She’s doing really well. She’s been much happier lately.”
“That’s good. Has she really decided to leave Pierre?”
“I think so.”
“That must be hard for you and Gabriel.”
“It is.” Iris paused. “I don’t blame Laure for wanting to move on, although I’m not sure she would have moved on quite so fast if she hadn’t met Joseph.” Seeing Esme frown, she rushed on. “She talks to him quite a bit, looks to him for advice.”
Esme’s brow cleared. “I thought for a moment you were insinuating that there was something going on between them.”
The coffee made, she carried it over to Esme. “Would you mind if there was?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Why?” she asked, setting the coffee on the table. “I mean, they’re both adults.”
“Yes, they are. But Laure shouldn’t get involved with Joseph.”
“Why not? Sorry, I’m curious, that’s all.”
“Because it wouldn’t be good for her.” Esme reached for her mugand took a sip. “Just what I needed, thanks Iris. So, how is Gabriel? Has he decided to meet Charlie’s mum?”
Noting Esme’s swift change of conversation, Iris masked her unease with a smile and updated her on Gabriel’s change of mind. For the first time, she felt uncomfortable in Esme’s company, and as she walked home an hour later, she couldn’t work out if it was because she hadn’t been upfront with her about Laure and Joseph, or because Esme’s words—because it wouldn’t be good for her—had sounded like a threat.
32
Gabriel almost wished Iris hadn’t told him. At first, he thought she must have imagined it, because Laure spent a lot of her time in the garden now and he hadn’t seen anything to suggest that she and Joseph were more than just friends. But now that he knew, the signs were definitely there.
What was making him even more uncomfortable was that the relationship seemed to be one-sided, with Laure sending Joseph hot glances, or draping herself provocatively over the spade before calling for his help. She obviously thought Gabriel was blind and deaf, whereas Joseph was more wary. During the last week, Gabriel had seen him, on more than one occasion, move away from Laure when she got too close, shrugging her off physically when she put her arms around him. Earlier, he had heard Joseph telling her to back off. He got it, Joseph was a good-looking bloke, with the sort of charisma that was probably incredibly seductive to women. What made him even more irresistible to Laure, Gabriel thought, was that Joseph wasn’t as interested in her as she was in him. He didn’t like the idea of Joseph taking advantage of Laure. She was vulnerable at the moment; Joseph could end theirrelationship at any time, without any real thought as to the effect it would have on her.
No matter how fed up he was of Laure—she’d been with them for nearly two months, for God’s sake—he and Iris had a duty to protect her. And if anyone could protect Laure from Joseph, it was Pierre. Gabriel reckoned that if he told him Laure had moved on, it might spur him into action. July was drawing to a close; Pierre would be back in Paris this weekend, ready to start work on Monday morning. Perfect timing.
He took out his phone and messaged Pierre, telling him that Laure had become involved with someone else and that if he didn’t come over and sort out the mess he’d created, he would lose her forever.
Gabriel looked through the window at the gathering clouds. A huge storm was forecast for tonight. Perhaps it was an omen.
33
Iris stared at her computer screen. She had finally plucked up the courage to email Samantha Everett, to ask if she’d made a decision regarding the interior designer for her town house. She pressed send and sat back. It was out of her hands now.
