The Seafront Tea Rooms Read Free Page A

been keen on English culture,’ Patrick said to Anna and her husband. ‘And of course she’s the linguist in the family. My English, well, as you can hear, it’s terrible. Luckily, it comes naturally to her.’
    Séraphine felt a flush creep on to her cheeks. ‘Dad, shhh,’ she said, laughing. She looked at Ravi and Anna and rolled her eyes playfully in her father’s direction. ‘I’m pretty rusty. I’ve finished my teacher training course, but want to improve my English before I start looking for a job.’
    ‘That’s good. Such an exciting time in life – preparing to fly the nest,’ Anna said.
    Séraphine’s confusion must have shown.
    ‘Sorry – flying the nest, leaving home,’ Anna explained.
    ‘Oh,’ Séraphine laughed. ‘That’s a nice phrase. Yes, I suppose so. Though I won’t be going too far – I’ll be looking for work in Bordeaux, private classes to start off with, then a permanent job next autumn.’
    ‘And before that – wouldn’t you like to go to England?’ Ravi chipped in. ‘Now’s the time in life for big adventures. How old are you now?’
    ‘Twenty-three,’ she said.
    Age didn’t mean much, Séraphine thought. What mattered was how you felt inside. She remembered the sensation of grass beneath her bare feet, by the river the day before. Laughing. Feeling free. The butterfly touch of a kiss on her neck. She felt complete in a way she never had before.
    ‘That’s the way to perfect a language, too,’ Ravi continued. ‘Total immersion.’
    ‘Hang on, Ravi.’ Anna nudged her husband. ‘That’s what we said about coming here, isn’t it? And look – we’re still so incompetent we’ve got these lovely people talking to us in English.’ She laughed. ‘But you’d be more disciplined about it, Séraphine, I’m sure. And you’re already quite fluent.’
    ‘I wish we could invite you to be our guest,’ Ravi said. ‘But now we’ve sold up and there’s definitely no going back.’
    ‘You prefer it here?’ Séraphine asked. She was more comfortable talking about them than herself.
    ‘We adore it,’ Anna said. ‘Who wouldn’t? Good food, wine, company… We were ready for a change after the kids left home.’
    Instinctively, Séraphine glanced at her parents. A look passed between them. Her brother Guillaume had left home the year before, in difficult circumstances, and they hadn’t been at all ready for the change.
    ‘… But England’s a wonderful place for a young person, you’d enjoy it.’
    ‘You thought about living there, didn’t you, sweetheart?’ Patrick prompted his daughter, gently. ‘Earlier this year you were saying…’
    Séraphine tensed. ‘It’s very expensive though, isn’t it? A friend of mine went to London and —’
    Anna laughed and wrinkled her nose. ‘There’s more to England than London, you know.’
    ‘She’s right, Yorkshire’s the place to visit,’ Ravi said. ‘Would you consider going up north?’
    ‘Maybe,’ Séraphine said. ‘I don’t know. Where were the two of you living?’
    ‘In Scarborough. It’s a lovely town. You’re right by the sea, and while – granted – we can’t guarantee the glamour, or the weather, of Antibes or Nice, it’s fun in the summer. The people are friendly, and it’s affordable.’
    Séraphine sensed that the others were waiting for her to respond. ‘It sounds nice. I don’t expect there’d be many jobs, though. Summer’s nearly over.’
    ‘Bet you’ll find some au pair work going,’ Anna said confidently. ‘Hang on, what about Adam, Ravi? Is he still looking for someone?’
    Ravi nodded. ‘I think he is, actually.’ He turned to Séraphine. ‘Lovely guy. He was our neighbour for years – has a ten-year-old daughter’
    ‘His wife was from here,’ Anna said. ‘They married very young, and lived in France until she passed away in an accident four or five years ago. I don’t know what happened, but it must have been terrible for them. I remember him saying he’s