Free Biarritz Passion: A French Summer Novel by Laurette Long Page B

card accompanying it Annabel had written:
    ‘To Aunt Margaret with dearest love Annabel and Julian.’
    ‘It’s wonderful,’ breathed Margaret holding the figure reverently. ‘Meissen. It will go beautifully with the others.’
    Aunt Margaret was a collector of porcelain. But in recent years, with antiques programmes on television every day, and everyone trying to find a hidden bargain, she had been unable to keep up with the prices. Caroline hazarded a shocked guess at what the figure must have cost. She too watched the antiques programmes. Julian’s face wore a look of beaming satisfaction. Well, if that wasn’t a proof of love... There was no way Annabel could have afforded to buy such a piece. In any case she spent nearly everything she earned on her wardrobe.
    ‘Do you really like it?’ Annabel purred with satisfaction. ‘I spotted it the other week in Sampson’s. I knew I had to have it, but he already had a buyer. But we got it in the end darling didn’t we?’ She cast a look of triumph at Julian and squeezed his arm.
    Margaret showed them her other gifts, which were dutifully admired, and the conversation turned to the programme for the weekend. The village of Ravensfield had a little organic market on Saturday mornings. Annabel said she’d like to buy some local cheese to take back to London.
    ‘I hope you don’t mind Auntie Mags,’ she added, ‘but I’ve invited a friend for tea tomorrow.’
    ‘Of course not my dear.’ Margaret sounded slightly surprised. ‘A friend from London you mean?’
    ‘Well yes and no. He’s a friend of Julian’s actually . Edward Rayburn. But his parents live right next door, at The Limes, maybe you’ve met?’
    Caroline came to attention. Edward Rayburn? Wasn’t that the person Annabel had mentioned on the phone, the one whose family owned the villa in France? For the first time since she’d arrived the ramifications of Wednesday’s conversation hit her full force. She had more or less given her word to Annabel that she would join in with her ridiculous scheme. Of course her sister had fought dirty to get what she wanted. What had she said exactly? Two weeks? Two weeks cooped in a villa with her darling sister and a bunch of people she’d never met? Annabel’s London friends were all young and trendy, terribly self-assured and knowing, twittering non-stop like a flock of starlings about the latest must-have handbag and who was cheating on who and did you know so-and-so had had Botox injections, yes really! She could hardly stand one evening with them, let alone two weeks. A nightmare. She’d be like a fish out of water. And why had her sister been so insistent on her presence? Something was going on. She would have to find a way to get out of it before it was too late. She suddenly realised what her aunt was saying.
    ‘…as I said we know the younger son very well, he’s often with his parents at the village shows, but we’ve never met Edward.’
    ‘He was at Cambridge with Julian,’ said Annabel.
    Julian nodded.
    ‘Different subjects, but we rowed in the same team.’
    ‘ Rowed?’ asked Birdie.
    ‘They were both selected to row against Oxford in the Boat Race.’
    Annabel had a smug little smile on her face.
    ‘Good heavens! How exciting!’
    Julian laughed.
    ‘It would have been more exciting if we’d won , Miss Bird. Afraid Oxford beat us, as usual.’
    ‘Well I think it’s simply marvellous, even if you did come second,’ said Birdie. ‘Just think, Margaret, we probably saw it on television.’
    ‘And do you still row, Julian?’ asked Margaret.
    ‘I’m afraid not. Never seem to get the time these days.’
    ‘Well of course you have such a responsible position. What about your friend Edward? Does he work in the City too?’
    ‘Oh no,’ said Annabel. ‘He works in France, doesn’t he darling? He builds aeroplanes. In Toulon.’
    ‘Toulouse darling,’ said Julian. ‘He works for Airbus Industry,’ he explained to Birdie and