The French Retreat (Falling for France Book 1) Read Free Page A

now.’
    Ben proceeded to split the wood into smaller and smaller pieces. Marcie guessed that the conversation about Will was over.
     
    It was a nice relaxed lunch with the Graingers, they were all obviously very close. It made Will think of his own family. The total opposite. Disjointed.
    They got on all right, but they never chose to spend much time in each other’s company, especially since his parents divorced three years ago. As for his brother, well, living half way round the world in Australia wasn’t conducive to a big bromance.
    Will pushed down the small feeling of isolation that fought its way to the surface. His counsellor had told him to replace bad thoughts with good thoughts. Not having anyone to help him when he needed it most – bad thought. Having a bolt hole to run to in France, albeit it a few years later than when he really needed it, this was the replacement good thought. He was in a good place now, not just geographically but mentally too. The past – bad thought. The present – good thought.
    Will bade his goodnights after tea and left the family in the living room. His own bedroom was on the first floor overlooking the back garden and the various outbuildings scattered beyond. Ben had earmarked them for renovation in the next five years, once he had the main part of the house bringing in enough revenue.
    Will lay on his bed, fully clothed. It was pointless settling down just yet. Sleep was elusive. It was at night his mind wandered most and often took him back to Afghanistan; a place he didn’t want to visit in any shape or form.
    In an effort to replace the bad thought, he recounted the day’s events. Mostly spent in the car and a lot of the time in Marcie’s company. Now, what had brought her to tears when she arrived earlier? Will was sure it wasn’t just the pleasure of seeing Ben and Lisa. No, they weren’t tears of joy, they were tears of relief. He’d seen enough of them, even experienced them once or twice, to recognise those kind of tears when he saw them. Ben and Lisa seemed to be aware of what had set Marcie off. Maybe she’d split up with a boyfriend or something like that.
    Will let his mind drift through the possibilities for a while. Whatever it was, it had to be serious. Ben hadn’t been expecting her, it had been a last minute arrangement and the timescale of her stay was very vague. Ben had said something like a few weeks. Oh, well, it wasn’t Will’s business but it had succeeded in keeping his mind occupied for a while.
    The night was closing in fast now and being out in the countryside there was little light pollution.  He liked it that way. There was no need to close any curtains here, the only light that came in was that of the moon. On clear nights he liked to look at the stars and identify constellations. It was a new hobby, another tactic to keep his mind from wandering into dangerous territory. Tonight, although the rain had stopped, low cloud cover remained so star gazing wasn’t an option.
    Will got up from his bed and pulled out the black case from underneath. Opening it, he carefully took out his camera and attached the long lens. He fiddled around with the settings for a time before placing it in his rucksack.
    He could hear the sounds of the Graingers coming up to bed. Ben and Lisa slept at the front of the house and, as he listened, he heard Marcie take the guest room next to his.
    After Will was sure everyone was safely in their beds, he picked up his rucksack and carrying his boots to avoid clomping on the wooden floorboards, he slowly lifted the latch on his bedroom door and stepped out onto the landing. He closed the door gently behind him. As he reached the top of the stairs, the bedroom door next to his opened and out came Marcie.
    She gave a jump but managed to stifle a yelp of surprise. ‘Oh, God, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be out here.’ She looked him up and down, her eyes coming to rest on the pair of boots in his hand.
    ‘Didn’t