A French Affair Read Online Free PDF

to do this, then I owe it to her to carry out her wishes. She was very wise.’
    It was a long speech for someone who didn’t seem in the habit of making long speeches. The room was very still. A log shifted in the grate and Oscar groaned in his sleep.
    ‘Then let’s drink to our new partnership,’ said Gina, raising her glass.
    ‘Yes. Here’s to us,’ said Sally.
    ‘To us,’ said Matthew more quietly. He was obviously still getting used to the notion.
    They all clinked and then Sally said, ‘We’re like the Three Musketeers!’
    ‘Are we?’ said Matthew, looking puzzled.
    ‘Well, not really—’ began Gina.
    ‘Oh, OK, we’re not going to have sword fights or anything but there are three of us,’ said Sally. ‘And Oscar can be D’Artagnan. He was a dog.’
    Gina was used to her sister coming across as slightly dotty and stole a glance at Matthew. He might pull out of the arrangement or condemn Sally as a complete idiot.
    ‘Oh, I remember. Dogtanian.’ he said. ‘On children’s telly?’
    ‘That’s it,’ said Sally. ‘I knew dogs had something to do with it.
The Muskahounds
.’
    ‘Right,’ said Gina, getting up and adding another log to the fire, patting Oscar at the same time. ‘Now, what’s the first step in our new adventure?’
    ‘You’ll need to come over to the centre and we’ll see what stock Rainey left. I’ll find you some space and we’ll see how you get on,’ said Matthew. Whilst not sounding exactly enthusiastic he did seem serious about helping them. ‘What usually happens is that the dealers rent space – an area or a cabinet, depending on what they deal in – and then serve in the centre to pay rent. If you’re really good at selling’ – he directed this at Sally – ‘you could do more hours.’
    ‘I am really good at selling,’ she said bluntly, ‘but I’m terribly short of time, what with the twins and all that. I’ll do what I can though. I’d enjoy it,’ she added a little wistfully.
    Gina was aware that her sister, who loved being a mother, sometimes felt the lack of another life. ‘I’ll help out whenever I can,’ she said, glancing at Sally and then Matthew. ‘I’m used to doing pitches so I expect I can sell too. But what worries me is I’ll have absolutely no idea what I’m selling.’
    ‘I’ll have to give you a crash course – both of you,’ said Matthew.
    ‘What’s the best way to learn?’ asked Gina, who liked to do things properly.
    ‘By doing it,’ said Matthew. ‘There isn’t a correspondence course – well, there probably is – but if you’re going to deal and not just collect, you have to learn by doing.’
    Sally got up. ‘More wine? Or should I make some tea?’
    ‘No thank you, nothing more for me,’ said Matthew. ‘I’ve got an antiques fair to go to very early tomorrow morning.’ As he got to his feet, so did Oscar, causing Sally to step back a bit but not actually jump on to her chair.
    ‘I should go too,’ she said. ‘My girls wake horribly early.’
    Gina smiled. ‘It seems I’m the only one not getting up at dawn.’ She stretched a little. ‘I’m going to feel very smug tomorrow.’
    Matthew raised his eyebrows. ‘I think you should come with me to the fair. I’ll pick you up at six thirty. We need to be there by seven.’
    This was like a verbal bucket of cold water. Gina opened her mouth to give him all the reasons why this was a totally unreasonable suggestion but there were so many, she didn’t know where to start and so she shut it again.
    ‘Absolutely,’ said Sally excitedly. ‘We should make a start on this straightaway.’
    ‘But we haven’t seen what Rainey has already,’ Gina pointed out, having at last thought of a sensible objection.
    ‘She had very eclectic tastes,’ said Matthew. ‘I’ll steer you away from anything too radical. And bring cash if you can, or we can stop at a cashpoint on the way. You don’t have to buy anything; it would just help you get your eye in.