All Stephanie wanted was to create a truly special centrepiece for her dear friend’s celebration…
BY JO THOMAS
Her hand shaking, Stéphanie slid the key into the lock with a feeling of trepidation. Judging by the duck that was paddling about in the deep puddles that appeared after the rain last night, she had an idea of what might be here to greet her.
Her neighbour, a potter who made beautiful bowls in the Provençal colours, had phoned and told her she should get to the unit to check things out.
There were no bright colours now. It was dark and grey and the clouds were still full of rain. Stéphanie looked at the duck, which quacked at her. Then she pushed open the door.
She stood and stared.
There was water everywhere.
The duck quacked again. She looked back to the river running through the town, which must have burst its banks in the deluge the previous night, then turned to her little bakery unit.
She stepped inside, water lapping around her ankles. The smell was revolting. She walked slowly in the direction of the refrigerator.
The duck swam in after her.
Stéphanie went behind the chrome work surfaces and the counter.
The kitchen set-up had been a family effort. When they first saw it, they had known it would be perfect for her business, making baked goods with lavender from the farm she considered to be her home.
It was three years ago that she’d met the owner of the farm, when Stéphanie had been struggling to make ends meet and to care for her little boy Tomas.
Del had offered her accommodation and food in return for helping at the farm and developing her lavender baking business, selling to local restaurants and cafés and at the weekly market.
Del had given Stéphanie and Tomas the home they needed, in the little caravan at the farm. Stéphanie had also helped Del learn to speak French and get back on her feet after splitting with her husband, who had returned to the UK.
Together they had taken each day at a time, baking from an old cookery book of lavender recipes from the local brocante. Del and Fabien, the brocante’s owner, had got together while Stéphanie had reunited with JB, Tomas’s father. Del had gone on to take over the local bistro, Henri’s, and Stéphanie had taken over the baking business.
Childhood sweethearts, she and JB had married, had a second baby, and found this place – the icing on the lavender cake!
Now she wanted to give something back to Del for throwing her
