A French Pirouette by Jennifer Bohnet Page B

sports car—particularly a red one—but there had never been a time in her life when it would have been practical to buy one. Besides it had always been Dan who’d chosen their cars and he’d gone for the sensible option every time.
    “Sitting on the left and changing gear with my right hand is going to take some getting used to,” she said, stopping at a junction.
    “Has to be easier than driving a right-hand car on the right though,” Lucas said. “You’ll soon get used to it. You can at least see properly for overtaking—and reversing!”
    “It is a dream to drive,” Libby said, deciding to ignore the comment about her reversing. “I can just imagine driving with the roof down in summer too.”
    Parking the car back at Natalie’s Libby sighed as she turned off the ignition. What to do? The car was beautiful. But was it the right car for her to buy?
    “What did you mean earlier saying it was the kind of car I should drive?” she asked, suddenly remembering Lucas’s words.
    “It’s a very feminine car—like you.” Lucas said quietly.
    “Oh!” Not the reply she’d been expecting. “But is it a sensible car for me to have?”
    Lucas shrugged. “Why do you have to have a sensible car? Is it not better to have one you like and enjoy driving?”
    “I do like it a lot,” Libby said stroking the steering wheel. “OK next question—how much is it?” After all that would be the deciding factor. When Lucas told her the price she smiled at him in delight.
    “Are you sure? That’s under my budget! I can actually afford this car.”
    “Re-registration will be a couple of hundred euros don’t forget,” Lucas said. “But the tyres are good; the control technique is new. I think it is a good buy.”
    “Let’s go find Natalie and tell her Bella has found herself a new owner,” Libby said, giving the steering wheel one last loving stroke and making her mind up. Who’d have thought she’d ever own a car called Bella?

Chapter Nine
    Libby
    “I’ve put you upstairs in the apartment with me,” Libby told Helen. “Technically it’s Chloe’s room but she’s not here, so…” Libby shrugged as she looked at her sister-in-law. “Thought you’d prefer to be up with me rather than downstairs in a guest room or over in the gîte.”
    “Definitely,” Helen said following Libby up the stairs. “I’ll just dump my stuff and then you can give me the guided tour.”
    “The Bichets are in a couple of the rooms and Evie is in another, so I can’t show you those but the rest of the auberge is open for your inspection,” Libby said.
    “I’m not sure I could take complete strangers into my home,” Helen said. “Don’t you think it’s a bit of a risk?”
    Libby laughed. “Never thought about it. It’s what auberges and B & Bs do. Besides the Bichets have been coming here for years. Brigitte speaks very highly of them.”
    “But this Evie. What do you know about her?”
    “She’s a guest—what do I need to know about her?” Libby glanced at Helen, puzzled. Evie was fast becoming more of a friend rather than just a guest now and no way would she hear a word against her—especially from someone who had yet to meet her.
    “Isn’t it a bit, well, chancy, letting complete strangers into your home?” Helen said now. “Foreign strangers. You never know what they might do. Murder you in your own bed and run off with the silver!”
    Libby looked at her sister-in-law in astonishment. She hadn’t been here five minutes and already she was questioning Libby’s judgement.
    “Might do? Murder me? Oh Helen, I think you’ve been watching too many repeats of
Midsomer Murders
.” Libby laughed. “Come on let’s do the guided tour bit and then we can go back down and have a cuppa. You’ll meet everyone later and you’ll see then how nice and ordinary everyone is. Not a closet killer amongst them.” It was going to be a long visit if Helen continued to be so suspicious of everything and