The Perfect Place by Amanda Cassidy

Author:Amanda Cassidy [Cassidy, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

August/Août

36

Elle

Leonard is even sicker.

At this rate, the old man might not even make it to the wedding.

Slowly, as we renovate, the chateau begins not only to heal, but to come into its own.

But as it thrives, Leonard’s health dramatically declines.

‘Have you seen the latest comments rolling in, Elle?’ Sue says over breakfast. It’s just a few weeks before the wedding. It’s the last day the crew are filming. The press release has finally gone out about the TV series which will air just after our September wedding, and the buzz is huge.

‘We’ve gained another four hundred thousand followers,’ she announces proudly. ‘And I’m not joking when I say that brands are lining up to work with you. They are literally begging us to feature their products on the show. People are dying to know exactly where the house is, by the way. They are asking if you’ll be renting out the house for guests or even hosting other weddings like they do on Escape to the Chateau. They want to find it and gawk at it in real life, like a bloody tourist attraction.’

I shiver at the thought.

The chateau looks amazing. Of course, budget-wise we couldn’t do much more than surface-level changes. It’s been repainted, with new flooring and furniture. The Fortuna kitchen pulls it all together and the landscaping company have outdone themselves with the covered terrace, and granite patios and pergolas dotted throughout the grounds.

Yes, the single-pane windows still rattle and the damp from the basement continues to cause problems. The temperamental roof is also a concern, but there’ll be time for all of that once it is ours alone.

When I last saw Leonard, his skin was paper-thin, his lips pale and bloodless. Pierre explained to me that the antibiotics probably look longer to work because of Leonard’s allergy to penicillin.

‘Leonard’s still not doing great,’ I say, balancing my smoothie on my lap. ‘Julia suggested we get the doctor back again. But we should probably move him back into his own bedroom.’

Leonard is still in the smaller bedroom at the back where it’s quieter, so he’ll be more comfortable, but I’m afraid how it might look to anyone else.

‘It’s pretty convenient, isn’t it?’ Sue says, a strange inflection to her voice. I glance at her sharply.

‘Sue, he has pneumonia. It’s not uncommon at his age.’ I drain the smoothie she’s brought me, the taste chalky against my teeth.

‘I know. But isn’t this what you wanted?’

‘And you,’ I say quietly. I know from hearing snippets of conversations that Larry is putting pressure on Sue to buy him out of their house or they’ll have to sell. Sue needs the money from the Dream Homes wedding special. She needs me to marry Will to get her pay cheque. This suits her agenda too.

With Leonard confined to bed, it’s much easier for everyone to get the work done and the show filmed without his incessant interference.

‘I’ll take him his breakfast.’ I drop my coffee cup into the sink and feel Sue’s eyes on me as I prepare Leonard’s smoothie.

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