Read The French for Always for Free Online Page B

deliberately and placed them on the kitchen counter. ‘And then we need to loosen up the Strictly Taken hairdo,’ she continued, easing the elastic band off Sara’s tightly pulled-back ponytail, letting her glossy dark hair tumble over her shoulders.
    ‘Hey!’ Sara protested weakly, and Hélène and Héloise giggled harder.
    ‘And finally we need to loosen up the No-Fly Zone modesty shield.’ Karen undid a couple of buttons at the neck of Sara’s blouse.
    ‘There,’ she said, stepping back to admire her handiwork. ‘What d’you reckon girls?’
    ‘ Pas mal ,’ laughed Hélène.
    ‘ Much better,’ declared Héloise.
    ‘You see, in case you hadn’t noticed, thanks to the force field you’d erected around yourself as Gavin’s loyal fiancée, Thomas is a man. And not only that, he’s a French one. And rather a cute one too. And he might not have been quite so ready to take on the role of DJ if you weren’t a very attractive and suddenly single woman of roughly his own age, in an area where people matching that description are somewhat few and far between.’
    ‘Oh Karen, that’s rubbish! I’m sure he’s only interested in the business angle really. It does make sense to sell his wines to our guests.’ Sara blushed. ‘Anyway, shh now! He’s coming back.’
    She smoothed her hair behind her ears as she went out to meet him.
    ‘Fantastic sound system! And the lighting looks really professional; the glitter ball’s a great touch. I’m looking forward to making my debut on the decks this weekend. If it’s okay, I’ll come back for an hour or two on Thursday afternoon before your guests arrive. I want to make sure I’ve got the hang of the systems and set up a playlist or two. And what time do you need me to come over on Saturday?’ Thomas’s natural enthusiasm for life reminded Sara of the bubbles in a glass of champagne.
    ‘About six thirty? We’ll give you a plate of dinner in the kitchen too if you like? Thanks again, Thomas, you’re a lifesaver.’ She deliberately kept her back towards the kitchen door, conscious that Karen and the Héls Belles were watching this exchange intently.
    Thomas leant in to kiss her on both cheeks and she inhaled the faint fresh-baked-bread scent of his warm skin, suddenly acutely conscious of the muscularity of his clean-cut jawline. ‘It will be my pleasure,’ he said gallantly, that slow smile lighting up his face again. ‘I’m looking forward to it, Sara.’
    She waved, watching as he drove off down the drive. Karen came out to stand beside her and, without turning, Sara murmured, ‘He really is quite cute, isn’t he?’
    ‘Attagirl,’ Karen said with an approving nod. ‘You know what they say: you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet your prince! It’s good to see you getting straight back out there.’
    Sara shook her head. ‘I was only joking,’ she laughed. ‘But thanks for even thinking it, Karen—you’ve made my day! Anyway, once this season’s over I’m going to turn the château into a nunnery and appoint myself the Mother Superior. No men allowed, ever again. I’ve learned my lesson. Now, let’s get to work. We’ve got bedrooms to clean and loos to scrub. You know what they say, Karen,’—she dug an elbow into her friend’s ribs—‘no rest for the wicked!’

Niamh & Keiran
    M r and Mrs Padraic O’Callaghan
    request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter
    Niamh
    To
    Mr Keiran Best

    a t Château Bellevue de Coulliac
    On Saturday 4 August
    At 3.30 o’clock
    RSVP , Greenways, The Oaks , Straffan , County Kildare.
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    S ara began to chop the vegetables for a ratatouille to accompany tonight’s supper, hot oil sizzling in a pan on the stove beside her. The smell of frying onions and peppers filled the château’s cavernous kitchen.
    She threw in garlic, courgettes and tomatoes and, as she stirred the fragrantly steaming pot, she gazed out of the kitchen window across the courtyard to the barn