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“How about a run later on, then?” Laure had asked, aware perhaps that she’d been neglecting her in favor of Joseph.
“Thanks, but I’ve got some tidying to do and I plan to have a long bath,” she’d replied.
She’d been tempted to say that she was waiting for a call from Samantha Everett, to see if it would jog Laure’s memory. But what was the point? The damage had already been done.
“Okay.” Laure hadn’t seemed to mind, and Iris couldn’t help thinking how much had changed since she’d first arrived.
“Pierre should be back in Paris this weekend. Do you have any plans to go and see him?”
“Not at the moment. I’ll wait to see if he contacts me.”
As Iris returned to her bedroom, her phone rang. It was Gabriel.
“Just checking to see how you are,” he said.
“That’s nice of you. I’m fine. I’m about to have a bath.”
“Good. Did you see Laure at all?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“I didn’t mention Samantha Everett, if that’s what you mean.” She paused. “I think she had a row with Joseph.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound good. I hope we don’t have even more pieces to pick up. I heard him telling her to back off earlier.”
“Her place is with Pierre, not Joseph. I asked her earlier if she planned to go and see him, given that he’ll be back in Paris this weekend. She said she didn’t. Sometimes I wonder if she’ll be with us forever.”
“There’s absolutely no way,” Gabriel said so fiercely that Iris could imagine his face darkening. “Forgetting to tell you about Samantha is the last straw. We can’t tiptoe around her anymore.”
“How about you?” Iris asked, hurriedly. “Have you had a good day?”
“Not bad. If I’d stuck to the main roads it would have been better, because the state of the smaller roads are atrocious after the storm last night, with broken branches everywhere. Anyway, I’m on my way home.” He paused. “So where is Laure now?”
“She went for a run. She’s probably gone to the quarry as I’m not with her.”
“At least you’ll be able to enjoy your bath in peace.”
“True.”
Iris was in the bath when Gabriel arrived home.
“Is Laure back from her run?” she asked when he came to find her in the bathroom.
He ran water into the sink and bent to drink from his hands. “I didn’t see her when I came in.”
“What about Joseph?”
Gabriel straightened up. “He’ll be in the garden, won’t he? It’s only five o’clock, he’s got another hour to do.”
“I thought I saw him go after Laure.”
“I’ll check once I’ve had a shower. Shall I use the other bathroom?”
“No, it’s fine, the water’s cold, I’m getting out.”
He dipped his hand in the bath. “It’s freezing. No wonder you’ve got goose bumps.”
