A French Pirouette by Jennifer Bohnet Page A

estate car. A drive in the vintage Delage would have been nice.
    A pungent smell assaulted her nose as she opened the car door—a mixture of disinfectant and antiseptic.
    Lucas smiled as he registered her involuntary gasp.
    “Smells like a hospital in here,” she said.
    “
Desolé
. It comes with the job. Some people have been known to refuse lifts because of it,” Lucas said. “You can open a window if you like.”
    “No, it’s fine. I’ll get used to it.” And Libby pulled her seat belt around her. The smell wasn’t that bad after the initial shock. Sort of cleansing somehow.
    “So where are we off to?”
    “The other side of Pontivy,” Lucas said.
    “Nice town,” Libby said, remembering a couple of occasions she and Dan had visited. “Love the river there.”
    “It is where I had my first job when I finish
vétérinaire
school,” Lucas said. “I enjoy my time there.”
    Fields full of brilliant yellow rapeseed and pale blue flaxseed plants began to flash by as Lucas took the
route nationale
across country. Libby’s favourite flower, the poppy, was waving around in the breeze too, adding its colour to the roadside hedges and verges.
    “Thank you for taking the time and trouble to help me,” Libby said. “I do appreciate it.”
    Lucas shrugged. “It’s never a waste of time to help a friend. Beside, I like you and am happy to spend time with you.”
    “Lucas, only a Frenchman would say that!”
    Lucas looked puzzled. “I am French!”
    Libby laughed. “Very!”
    They were on the outskirts of Pontivy before Libby realised Lucas hadn’t told her how much the car was—or even what make it was. She should have asked him before of course.
    “This car—what make is it? And how much is it? How did you hear about it?”
    Lucas answered the last question first. “It belongs to the wife of a friend. She is having a baby and needs a bigger car.”
    “What sort is it?
    “Italian.”
    “A Fiat?”
    “
Non
. An Alfa Romeo Spider.”
    “What? Oh Lucas, I should have said I don’t have that much money to spend on a car. An Alfa is sure to be too expensive and I’ll have wasted your time.” Libby sank back down into her seat, frantically trying to remember what the few Alfa Romeos she’d ever seen had been like but couldn’t. All she could remember about them was Dan once saying they were superbly engineered.
    “The car is not new and my friend she not ask a lot of money. I think you will like the car. I see you driving it,” Lucas said. “It is the kind of car you should have.”
    A minute later and Lucas turned down a lane and pulled to a stop outside a cottage with a garden full of roses and lots of colourful pots and hanging baskets everywhere.
    “What a lovely cottage,” Libby said, watching as a pregnant woman opened the front door and made her way over to them.
    “Lucas darling. This is Libby? Welcome. I am Natalie. Come, I show you the car.” And she led the way round the side of the cottage towards an outbuilding.
    Parked in front of the building were three cars. A large four-by-four, an immaculate silver estate and a scarlet two-seater sports car.
    “This is Bella,” Natalie said opening the sports-car door and handing Libby the keys. “Take her for a drive. I’d come with you but I can’t actually get in her any more.”
    Libby knew she was a lost cause the moment she sat in the driver’s seat and turned the ignition on. She glanced across at Lucas as he slid into the passenger seat.
    “I need a sensible grown-up car.”
    “Why?”
    “Why? Because, because…” Libby’s voice trailed away. “Because I’m a grown-up.”
    “Not the correct answer.” Lucas laughed. “Come on, drive.”
    Driving around the lanes surrounding Natalie’s house, Libby tried to rationalise her thoughts. This Spider was only a two-seater—did that matter now she was on her own? Was she being silly even considering buying a sports car?
    It was a lovely car to drive. She’d always wanted a