It was hard not to be enchanted by the ancestral home of Maurice’s ancient aunt. If someone had asked Ashley to list the features of what she imagined to be a typical Côte d’Azur farmhouse, Villa Marguerite would have ticked most of them. Wildflower garden – check. Olive trees – check. Vines hugging a gnarled old network of trellises – check. Extensive wine cellar – check. Sleepy cat on the veranda – check. Built from local stone and rendered in a warm salmon-pink plaster with chunky terracotta roof tiles, the air of its gardens humming with pollen-laden honeybees and the chirruping of crickets, the house was instantly welcoming. Maurice’s extensive family had been even more so, and it hadn’t taken Ashley and Molly long to disappear into the warm bosom of that very convivial collective.

Ashley was curled up now on an old wooden swing seat outside the back door as the balmy air of a coastal evening laid the tang of salt over the perfume of marguerites and lavender. She’d been a guest of Maurice’s aunt, Madame Violette Dupont, for less than three hours but already, full of sausage casserole and red wine, she felt as if she’d always belonged here. Molly had gone off for a walk down to the harbour with Maurice and a young distant cousin of his from Paris who Ashley suspected Molly had developed an instant crush on. It was easy to see the appeal – he was good-looking, around Molly’s age and infused with the instant veneer of glamour that living in France’s vibrant capital would give anyone. Just so long as an innocent crush was as far as it went she was happy to indulge any whim Molly might have in that regard, and she had to be glad that there was someone Molly’s age staying at Madame Dupont’s house to keep her occupied for the week.

Sue appeared with two glasses of wine and kicked Ashley’s legs out of the way with a grin so she could sit next to her.

‘More wine?’ Ashley said, taking one of the glasses from her mother.

‘Well, we are in France. What else are we going to drink?’

‘I don’t know… when I took French lessons at school they all drank Orangina.’

‘I think Violette would faint if you asked her for one of those.’ Sue held her glass up to the evening light and gazed appreciatively into its claret depths. ‘This wine’s made by her family, and it’s bloody good stuff too.’

‘Oh, nobody is debating that point. It’s wonderful stuff, but do you really want me singing filthy songs and throwing up over the poppies on my first night here?’

‘Maybe save it for the second night,’ Sue said with a solemn nod, and then looked at Ashley as they both burst out laughing. ‘I’m so happy you decided to come,’ Sue said. ‘I love Maurice and his family, of course, but it’s not the same as having your own around, and I’ll have a lot more fun with you and Molly here.’

‘If we ever see anything of her. I’ve a feeling she’s got her week planned out already, and it might involve quite a lot of… whatever his name is.’

‘Blimey, you’ve forgotten already? Perhaps you’d better cut back on the wine after all.’

‘There are so many names to remember. What is it?’

‘Bastien.’

‘Bit of a mouthful.’ Ashley took a sip of her wine and turned her gaze to the warm glow of a sun setting pink and gold over the burnished garden. ‘We’ll have to shorten it to Bazza or something.’

Sue giggled. ‘I don’t think that will go down too well with the uncle and aunt who’ve brought him down.’

‘Perhaps not.’ Ashley turned back to her with a grin. ‘Why haven’t his parents come with him again?’

Sue shrugged. ‘Something to do with the company they run. It all sounds very glamorous and high-powered, but I haven’t actually been able to work out what it does yet. But there was some boardroom crisis, and they had to stay behind at the last minute.’

‘That’s a shame. At least he seems sweet and polite, so that’s something. With rich, powerful parents he could so easily have been a spoilt brat.’

‘Molly wouldn’t have cared if he was spoilt or not. She’s too busy losing herself in those big dark eyes.’

‘That’s true.’ Ashley took a sip of her wine. ‘We’ll have to keep an eye on her.’

‘She’s a sensible girl. And she’s growing up so there’ll come a point where she won’t appreciate us keeping an eye on her in quite the same way.’

‘I suppose you’re right. I just worry…’

‘You’re bound to, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Maurice and I will intervene if we think there’s a need, so I don’t want you to stress about it. This week is a rest for you as well as anything else, and I’ll be cross if you don’t take advantage of that. God knows you deserve it.’

‘Thanks, Mum.’ Ashley smiled. ‘I appreciate that.’

There was silence for a moment as both women contemplated the glorious evening. Swallows had begun to dip in and out of their home in the eaves of the house, and Ashley watched them race to and fro, swooping and soaring in the clear sky. The crickets seemed louder than ever, and yet all around was peace. The whisper of a breeze lifted the scent of night-flowering jasmine into the air and Ashley took a breath of absolute contentment. It had been a long time since she’d felt this relaxed.

‘Isn’t it just perfect here?’ Sue said into the gap.

‘Don’t…’

‘Don’t what?’

‘Remind me of how perfect this is. In a month it will be like a distant dream and everything will go back to rush and stress. I don’t want to think about how perfect this is – I just want to empty my mind and live it.’

‘You know you could come whenever Maurice and I visit.’

Ashley turned to her. ‘You know I can’t.’

‘Well, the offer’s always there…’

Sue took a sip of her wine and looked back towards the house. From within Ashley could hear the faint hum of lively conversation and laughter. Family reunions were in full swing involving relatives from all over France and one or two from further afield – like Maurice who had moved to England to be with Sue after meeting and falling in love with her at an art exhibition he’d organised.

Ashley had always loved her father most, of course, as all daughters are duty-bound to do, but she could understand why her mother had fallen so hard for Maurice that she’d left her husband for him. They had so much more in common – their love of art, theatre and good food, an almost telepathic understanding of each other, a harmony that was rarely matched in other relationships. He’d encouraged and nurtured Sue’s creativity, whereas Ashley’s dad had always treated it with a measure of suspicion. Maurice had encouraged her to start the pottery business that had raised her from housewife to entrepreneur and given her life the meaning she’d always craved. Molly adored him too because he showed real interest in her music, not the cursory and uninformed lip service her biological grandfather gave it whenever she visited. Maurice wasn’t Ashley’s father, and he could never be that, but he was a bloody good second.

As it sometimes did whenever the issue of family was raised, Ashley’s thoughts went back to Molly’s dad. These days she struggled even to recall his face, and yet he featured in her thoughts often – perhaps more than ever as she watched his daughter turn into a young woman. Would he be proud if he could see her now? Would he care? What was Molly missing out on by not knowing any of her paternal relatives? Was Ashley doing the right thing not seeking him out now? Even in sixteen years the world had changed, and it was easier to find someone than ever before. She’d questioned whether she ought to many times but every time had decided no. And Molly herself had stopped asking long ago, seemingly content that she had a mother and no father and that was just fine. But was it? Did Molly tussle with the question of his whereabouts at night, as Ashley did? Would it make Molly’s life richer to know him, or would it simply complicate things?

‘Ah… you are hiding!’

Both Ashley and Sue spun round to see Maurice’s sister, Nanette, at the door to the house. She was smiling broadly.

‘We are too noisy for you?’ she added.

‘Oh, of course not!’ Sue laughed. ‘We were just admiring the view and making the most of the sunshine. We’ve had precious little of that in England this summer so it’s a novelty.’

‘It is a beautiful place. I miss living here.’

‘But Lille is beautiful?’ Ashley put in. ‘You do live in Lille, right?’

‘You remember well,’ Nanette said. ‘Lille is wonderful but whenever I come back, Saint-Raphaël feels like home. You understand?’

‘I do,’ Ashley said with a smile.

‘Maurice tells me York is beautiful. One day I must come to visit.’

‘It’s lovely,’ Sue said. ‘A lot greyer than this most days but we like it. As you say, it’s home so that makes it feel special to us.’

‘I understand,’ Nanette said. ‘We are about to eat – would you like to come in and join us?’

‘Again!’ Ashley squeaked. ‘It feels like five minutes since we had dinner!’

Nanette laughed. ‘And now we are having supper. It is only a few little treats. It’s not every week your aunt becomes one hundred.’

‘That’s true, but if the feasting has started already I don’t know how we can top this on the actual day – it’ll be like watching a Henry the Eighth banquet.’

‘Goodness!’ Sue laughed. ‘Even Violette isn’t old enough to go back that far!’

‘No,’ Nanette agreed. ‘You will join us?’

‘Maybe we’ll wait until Maurice is back with Molly and Bastien.’ Sue glanced at Ashley who nodded agreement.

‘Where have they gone?’

‘To the harbour. I think Molly was itching to explore and Bastien… well… let’s just say I think he’d rather like to be where Molly is.’

‘I think the feeling is mutual,’ Ashley said. ‘We were just saying that we might have to keep an eye on them.’

‘She is very pretty. I’m sure she must have so much attention from the boys in England,’ Nanette said. ‘Her papa must be looking all of the time—’

Nanette stopped, and colour flooded her face as she clapped a hand over her mouth. ‘I am so sorry, I didn’t remember…’

Ashley shook her head. ‘Please… I’m used to it by now.’

‘But I have caused offence?’ Nanette asked, looking as if she might cry with the mortification of her mistake.

‘Of course not.’ Ashley smiled. ‘It’s old news now and I hardly even think of it.’

Nanette was silent for a moment, looking from Ashley to Sue.

‘No, I don’t know where he is, and no, I don’t really want to know,’ Ashley said, guessing at the questions that swirled around Nanette’s head. ‘No, I don’t miss him, and no, I don’t regret having Molly alone, not for one single day. Yes, I could use an extra income and pair of hands from time to time, and yes, sometimes I feel a little lonely in a romantic sense, but other than that I have my wonderful mum and your fantastic brother and Molly – why on earth would I need anything else?’

‘You speak with wisdom,’ Nanette said.

‘I’m speaking with realistic expectations,’ Ashley replied. ‘I’ve managed for all these years, and if he walked into this garden right now I wouldn’t give him the time of day. I certainly wouldn’t extend an invitation for him to step back into my life. I’m happy as I am.’

Sue reached for Ashley’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze, tears misting her eyes. ‘I don’t say it, but I’m proud of you. I’m proud of the way you rolled your sleeves up and got on with things and never complained or used your situation as an excuse to behave like an idiot and take things you hadn’t earned. And Molly is a credit to you.’

She turned to Nanette. ‘You know one day she’s going to be a world-class violinist? Wants to play for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and she’ll do it too. She’s determined and steadfast, just like her mother.’

‘Oh, stop it.’ Ashley gave a self-conscious little laugh and wiped away a tear of her own that seemed to have come from nowhere. ‘Molly’s got talent and determination, but I guess that’s one thing she must get from her dad, because she certainly doesn’t get it from me.’

‘Don’t talk like that,’ Sue said. ‘Give yourself some credit for raising her to be a fantastic young woman.’

‘Absolutely,’ Nanette said. ‘For one so young to have such grand ambitions she must be a remarkable young woman. And you have been a good role model – no?’

Ashley shrugged. ‘I try.’

‘And you have done it all alone. That is commendable,’ Nanette added.

‘Yes,’ Ashley said. ‘I suppose it must be. But as I didn’t have any choice in the matter it doesn’t seem any great shakes to me that I did it alone. Alone was pretty much all I had.’ She glanced at her mum. ‘Not that you didn’t offer plenty of support, I just mean…’

Sue smiled. ‘I know what you mean.’

Nanette nodded. ‘We will keep some food for you.’

Ashley watched as she went back inside. ‘I love her already. She’s so much like Maurice it’s scary.’

‘Absolutely two peas in a pod.’

‘I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have brothers or sisters.’

‘I’m sorry you didn’t,’ Sue replied. ‘It wasn’t for lack of trying, but it just didn’t happen. I often felt guilty about it.’

‘Don’t,’ Ashley said. ‘It wasn’t your fault and it’s not like I had a terrible childhood or anything. I just wonder sometimes, you know.’ She paused. ‘Do you think Molly has missed out not having a sibling?’

‘I doubt it. But at least it’s not too late for you to remedy that.’

‘If I ever meet the right fella… you know what my track record is like. Not content with making one mistake with Molly’s dad, the next bloke I gave space to ended up being a two-timing shit.’

‘You’ve had an unfortunate sampling, but I’m sure Mr Right is out there. Not all men are the same.’

‘If Mr Right is out there he’s not making himself known to me.’

‘You wouldn’t give him a chance even if he did.’

‘I would!’ Ashley gave an indignant squeak, and Sue chuckled.

‘I can count on one finger the number of successful dates you’ve been on since Ethan.’

‘So that’s one then?’ Ashley said, unable to hold back a grin. ‘Am I really that bad?’

‘Picky.’

‘Can you blame me? Getting in with an arse is one thing, but if I did that and he got introduced into Molly’s life… well, that just wasn’t going to happen. I had one lucky escape as it was – if I hadn’t found out Ethan was also shagging the barmaid at his pub, the girl on the checkout at the corner shop, the one who worked in the betting shop… Best to keep men out of the equation.’

Sue raised her eyebrows. ‘Do you think you might see your way to giving someone a chance now? That relationship was six years ago after all.’

‘Does it matter?’

‘I’d like to see you happy and settled, you know that.’

‘I know.’ Ashley turned her gaze to a pair of swallows chasing each other across the sky. ‘If the right fella comes along, who knows? But it’s not going to happen any time soon so what’s the point of worrying about it?’

‘Dad…’

Haydon wafted a wasp away from the plate of crusty bread and soft cheese he’d just settled on the patio with. At the sound of Ella’s voice he turned with a dopey smile. Since they’d arrived at Bryn’s holiday home – La Bastide de la Mer – earlier that day he’d worn the same smile for just about everything that greeted him: the sight of the pristine white house with its cerise flowers frothing down the walls in fragrant swathes; the glittering blue swimming pool with its supply of fluffy fresh towels all ready and waiting for him and Ella; the emerald lawns edged with olive and almond trees; the welcome basket of fresh local goods that Bryn had ordered specially for Haydon and Ella’s arrival and from which he was now indulging.

‘What’s up, snotface?’

Ella rested her hands on her hips and scowled.

‘You look just like your mum when you do that,’ Haydon remarked vaguely. Even memories of Janine couldn’t ruin his current mood. What he’d seen of Saint-Raphaël so far had been heavenly, and he was now sitting in the evening sun where the light bronzed everything, shimmering on the horizon as it began its journey below it, perfumes of the night-time flowers starting to fill the air and swallows racing in circles (or were they bats? Too fast to tell but he liked to see them flit around anyway). It filled him with a greater sense of peace than he’d experienced for a long time. Perhaps the half carafe of local wine had done a little to help too, he mused dryly.

‘Dad, there is a lizard in my room. An actual lizard!’

‘That’s cool.’

‘It’s not!’ Ella squeaked.

‘It won’t stay for long. Want me to come and give it the death stare? I can make people feel very uncomfortable with my death stare, and they usually want to leave after a couple of minutes. Might work on lizards too – you never know.’

‘Maybe you could just come and pick it up and carry it out?’

‘They probably wander in all the time; I doubt it’s the last one you’ll see.’

‘Not if I keep my windows closed the whole time we’re here.’

Haydon pushed himself out of his rattan chair with a grin. ‘Alright then, I’ll come and sort it. As for keeping your windows closed, you might find it gets very hot in your room.’

‘As long as I don’t have any more lizards or bugs then I don’t care about that.’

‘Well, I expect the bugs can find other ways of getting in. Were you like this when you went to Mexico with your mum and Kevin? They have far more impressive bugs there, I would imagine.’

‘Yes,’ Ella said. ‘Kevin checked round every night and made sure nothing got in.’

‘I’ll bet he did,’ Haydon muttered as he followed her inside.

The lizard that had troubled Ella so much was barely a streak of green on the ceiling. If anything, it was rather cute, and Haydon was almost sorry to get rid of it.

After a minute of chasing it up and down the walls it was finally cradled in his hands, its little head poking out and regarding them dolefully with black eyes.

‘Don’t you want a good look at it before I put it out?’ he asked. ‘He won’t hurt you.’

‘How do you know?’

Haydon shrugged. ‘I think if it was going to hurt either of us it would have done it by now. I’ve just lumbered around the room after it with my big sweaty hands and that would be enough to make most nasty creatures bite.’

‘I suppose so,’ Ella said doubtfully as she eyed it. She moved a millimetre closer but no more, peering at it. ‘I suppose it’s sort of cute. As long as it doesn’t hurt me.’

‘I expect there will be plenty more of these fellas in the grounds,’ Haydon said. ‘You might want to avoid the long grass for a start if you don’t want to bump into anything like that.’

‘I wasn’t going to go poking in there!’ Ella said, aghast. She glanced at the lizard again. ‘Can you take it out now?’

‘Are you sure? I was thinking it might be nice to keep him. Our holiday pet. Frank the lizard.’

‘Have you been drinking wine?’ Ella said, her hands going to her hips again, and this time Haydon couldn’t help throwing his head back and laughing.

‘As a matter of fact I might have had a glass or two. You were busy on your phone catching up with the world and his brother, so what else was I going to do?’

‘I was just telling my friends about the house,’ she replied, a defensive tone creeping into her voice.

‘And what were you telling them?’

‘That it’s awesome. I told them about the pool, and the beach is nearby and a harbour too and that we’re going to see it all tomorrow.’

Haydon smiled. ‘I’m glad you were telling them good stuff.’

‘Yah, of course! What did you think?’

‘I don’t know. It’s hard to keep up with the cool-o-meter these days so I don’t know what’s considered awesome and what isn’t.’

‘This holiday will always definitely be awesome, no matter what,’ Ella said.

‘Well then, that’s… awesome.’

Ella rolled her eyes theatrically. ‘OK, so now can you put the lizard out please?’

‘You hear that, Frank?’ Haydon said, pushing his face close to the lizard’s and putting on a silly voice. ‘She wants you out. No way to treat our holiday pet, is it?’

‘Dad!’

‘OK.’ Haydon laughed. ‘I’m doing it now.’

Ella followed him as he went out onto the patio again.

‘You’re venturing into the sunlight?’ he asked. ‘Won’t that turn you into dust or something?’

‘Funny.’

‘I thought so.’

‘Where are you putting that?’

‘I was going to set it free in the garden.’

‘Can you put it outside the garden please?’

‘We don’t have a force field around the property, you know. I think it might be able to get back in if it wants to.’

‘Yeah, but it might decide it’s so far it’s not worth the bother and go to…’ She pointed to a salmon-pink villa across a field of wild-looking grassland. ‘Why don’t you take it over the other side of the field and it might go to that other house?’

‘That’s right, palm Frank off on another unsuspecting household.’

‘Dad, stop it with the Frank jokes!’

‘OK…’ Haydon was laughing, even if Ella was trying very hard not to. ‘I’ll take him to the field, and then he’s got free will to go where he wants. But if he comes back to our house we’re keeping him.’

‘You’re impossible.’

‘I know. And you sound just like your mother again.’ Haydon made his way down the gravelled driveway of their villa and out through scrolled iron gates, before setting the little creature gently down in the long grass of the field. Ella watched from the relative safety of the villa garden.

‘I wonder who lives in that house?’ she asked, shielding her eyes from the sun and gazing out over the fields at the neighbouring property she’d just tried to banish Frank to.

‘Someone very French, I expect,’ Haydon said, making his way back.

‘How can you tell? It might be someone else on holiday. They might have kids like me.’

‘Oh, first night here and already you’re making plans to ditch me for more interesting people.’

‘No, of course not,’ Ella said. Her gaze went to the ground as she scuffed her foot against the gatepost. ‘I just meant it might be nice to meet them.’

‘It might be nice to have someone your own age around, you mean? Well, I can hardly blame you for that, I suppose.’ Haydon forced a smile. He didn’t want to admit it, but was he feeling jealous and resentful towards a non-existent teenager who might or might not take Ella from him for the rest of the week? This trip was supposed to be about them spending quality time together, and he had no intention of anyone muscling in on it.

He pushed the notion to one side and made his smile bigger. It was ridiculous, and wasn’t the most important thing for Ella to have a good time? If he could send her home with wonderful memories of this holiday then surely it was worth sacrificing a little of their together time to whatever new friendships she might make. And it was only natural that she’d seek out the company of her own age group.

‘Maybe we’ll go on a reconnaissance mission tomorrow,’ he said, looping an arm around her and guiding her back to the house.

‘A what?’

‘We’ll go and check the house out, but we won’t make it too obvious. Looking at it, I reckon it’s going to be a little old French couple – it’s very rustic and not all gleaming and touristy like ours is.’

‘I suppose,’ Ella said, throwing a glance over her shoulder to look at the distant villa again.

‘Maybe there’ll be a hot French boy for you to ogle.’

Ella giggled. ‘Maybe.’

‘As long as ogling is all that happens,’ Haydon added. ‘If French boys are anything like English boys I’d better keep a close eye on you.’

‘They wouldn’t fancy me.’

‘Of course they would – you’re beautiful!’

‘No I’m not.’

‘Well, I think so, and I’m obviously right because I’m your dad, and dads know all.’