On The Cover On A Sunday Morning By Jo Thomas
Cerys hoped that the market would be the answer to her staying in France
Despite the hot, mid-morning sun hitting the wide, plane tree-lined pavements, the air full of the smell of hot coffee, rotisserie-cooked chickens and the sound of joyful sellers relishing a good morning’s work, Cerys was a bag of jangled nerves and in a hurry. The brocante market was in full swing.
All around her couples were walking arm in arm, or calling to each other, pointing to their finds. There was bartering between sellers and buyers for reams of vintage starched fabric, silver cutlery and chairs to be upholstered.
“Non Madame, pas possible!” a seller shook her head as another woman bartered for a pile of linen, before they both agreed a price, nodded, smiled and exchanged euros for goods.
The town square was full of stalls selling all sorts of second-hand goods. In the car park were bigger items; dark wardrobes and ornate bedframes laid out on the ground under the boughs of the plane trees. The brocante market happened once a month Cerys had discovered. Thank goodness it was here, today, just when she needed it.
No one here was in a hurry. Everyone was slowly browsing, picking up items, replacing them, considering them and strolling as if life had just taken it’s hand off the tiller for a while and was letting everyone drift on calm waters.
“Excusez moi,” said Cerys, quickly scanning the stalls purposefully as she edged her way through the slow moving Sunday morning shoppers. She would love to have stopped for coffee, like others were doing. But she didn’t have time. She really had to try and find what she was looking for.
Cerys couldn’t believe her luck when she’d got the job at the château. Daily life at the call centre had started to take its toll. Sitting day in, day out at the same booth with her headset on, looking at her screen saver of a lavender field in the bright, glorious sunshine. A scene much like today really. She’d walked from the château past the lavender fields, breathing in their scent, and more than anything she didn’t want to leave, and she didn’t want her mistake to be found out.
Cerys had applied for the job after her best friend at the call centre left suddenly, a family bereavement making her realise life was too short not to do the things you wanted to do. She was going to do her bucket list. Cerys didn’t have a bucket list. All Cerys had was her screen saver. So, when she read an online advert that a château in Provence was looking for waitresses for their wedding season, what did she have to lose?
Actually, despite passing the Skype interview, Cerys discovered she wasn’t that good at waitressing. Yesterday had proved it. Much as she loved the weddings, the actual waitressing part hadn’t come that naturally. Helping organise them, talking with the brides and helping make it happen, she loved. On the actual day, her track record was fairly disastrous. The time she dropped a knife into the groom’s pocket and tried to retrieve it without him noticing… he did! The stacked coffee cups that toppled over into the bridesmaid’s lap. And she really couldn’t get to grips with that swing door into the kitchen without it always smacking her on the backside!
Now she was at the end of her trial period and tomorrow had her meeting with the château owner, Juliet. She had to put her most recent mistake right if she was in with a chance of staying on.
She’d been counting out the vintage tea set for afternoon tea for a bridal party arriving on Wednesday. She’d been so careful with them, but then Sebastián, the groundsman, had appeared at the open French doors, making her jump and she dropped the cup and saucer! Now the set was one cup and saucer down and she had to try and find a replacement before Juliet had a chance to notice.
She kept moving past the stalls of fabric, tablecloths, copper pans, kettles and lightshades until finally, she came to what she was looking for. She let out a sigh of relief.
The stall holder, under the shade of the awning, smiled as plates, full dinner services and big patterned serving dishes exchanged hands for euros.
Cerys edged in closer to the big boxes of cups and saucers and peered in. All single and looking for a new home. All of them waiting to finally fit in.
She moved around the stall, scouring the second-hand crockery. She saw one cup a little like the one she needed and pulled out the photo on her phone. But it wasn’t the same.
Her spirits started to sag. What on earth was she going to do if she couldn’t find a replacement? How was she going to tell Juliet she’d broken something yet again? She’d never keep her on past the trial period!
Suddenly, her heart skipped. She spotted a cup out of the corner of her eye, catching the sunlight. Cerys pulled out her phone looking between the two. It was the cup, thank goodness – and with a saucer! She pushed her phone back into her bag, turned back to the box and reached in, finally letting the sun fill her soul with the warmth of the day. But as she pulled out the saucer with one hand, and the cup with the other, it slipped from her fingers. She gasped. She couldn’t have dropped another one, could she?
But there was no smashing sound. She looked into the box to see another hand on the cup. She glanced up and to her surprise, not only was someone else holding the cup she’d been trying to buy, but it was Sebastian, the groundsman. “Bonjour,” he smiled politely. “Bonjour,” she said, her mouth dry.
What on earth was she going to do if she couldn’t find a replacement for the cup and saucer she had broken?
“We seem to have similar taste,” he said.
“Um yes…” Cerys replied. He smiled at her, a very disarming smile that she couldn’t help but return.
“I… I was hoping to buy the set,” Cerys said calmly.
“Ah, me too,” he said tilting his head to one side.
“I really need them to complete a set,” Cerys said more urgently.
“Me too,” he said, still smiling, but a little more shyly this time. “Actually, I wanted them as a gift to someone.”
She wondered briefly, who he’d be giving them to. But right now, she really needed them.
“I… need them to replace a cup and saucer I broke,” she said quickly.
“I wanted to give them as a gift to someone who broke a set. It happened when I shocked them by coming into the château through the French doors.”
Suddenly, Cerys realised what he was saying and began to blush.
“I wanted to apologise and make up for causing her to jump and drop the cup and saucer.”
“Ah,’”Cerys said, “But I need them right away so that my boss doesn’t end my trial period tomorrow and I’ll have to go home.”
“Hmmm. So, we have a problem,” said Sebastian, making Cerys smile even more. “I tell you what, how about you buy the saucer, and I will buy the cup and then we will be joint owners of a cup and saucer and we can visit them together, in their set?”
Cerys laughed. “That sounds like an excellent plan, thank you!” she said.
Each of them paid for the saucer and cup separately, much to the stall owner’s amusement.
“Now,” said Sebastian, “Perhaps, as joint owners, we should go out to lunch so we can get acquainted and reunite our cup with its saucer?’ he asked, pointing towards a small bistro down a side street, with an awning over a few red and white covered tables. “Henri’s bistro does a very good lunch menu,” he nodded.
Cerys hesitated. She should get straight back before Juliet realised the cup and saucer were missing.
“It is lunchtime,” said Sebastian, as the church bells rang out for midday. “Everyone in France stops for lunch,” he reminded her.
Then with the sun on her face and the smell of herbs and red wine cooking rising
After a lunch of soft terrine with tart cornichons and a basket of baguette, rich boeuf bourguignonne in red wine and fragrant herbes de provence, a carafe of chilled, rose wine from the vines in the area, and ice cream for dessert, they finished with small strong coffees.
Cerys put the cup and saucer in her bag and Sebastian drove them back, in the château’s 2CV, with the roof open, through the lavender fields, in the hot summer sunshine.
Cerys finally found herself relaxing and really enjoying herself. So the last thing she wanted to do right now was to leave France.
Back at the château, Juliet was waiting for her.
“Cerys, there you are. I wondered if we could have our little chat now, instead of tomorrow?”
“Oh, um… yes,” said Cerys, suddenly worried she’d taken a two-hour lunchbreak and that the cup and saucer were still not back with the others.
Cerys followed Juliet into the cool dining room.
Sebastian smiled at her as she went. She wished she could smile back. She loved being joint owner of a cup and saucer with him.
Juliet stopped and stood in front of the large dresser where the teacups and saucers were lined up.
“I can explain,” Cerys said. “I dropped one yesterday, and I know I seem to do that quite a bit, but look…” Cerys reached into her bag and pulled out the cup and then the saucer. “They’re the exact match because I took a photograph. I found them in the market,” she said. “I’m sorry I broke them, but these are replacements.”
Juliet looked down at the cup and saucer in surprise.
“Well, that’s brilliant,” she said. “But actually Cerys, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Despite the heat outside in the July sunshine, Cerys felt herself go cold. Was this it? Was she about to get sent home?
“Like you say, your waitressing skills aren’t the best,” said Juliet.
“No,” said Cerys dropping her head. “But your hard work and organisation skills, your attention to detail and the way you get on with the clients is really very impressive.”
“Thank you,” she said, astounded. “I heard this morning that Rosie, the wedding planner, is planning to leave us, and…” she smiled, “Well, I wondered if perhaps you’d like to replace he… to organise the events. It might be safer than having you on waitressing duties!’ she laughed.
“Really?” Cerys looked up to check she wasn’t joking.
“Absolutely. Who else would get up on their morning off and go and find a replacement cup and saucer? And it’s wonderful to finally see you settling into French life and taking some time to relax and enjoy it!” she said with a smile.
“Oh yes! I’d love that!” beamed Cerys. She looked at the cup and saucer.
Perhaps it was time she shared visiting rights with the other owner again, this time with a glass of wine looking over the lavender fields at sunset, to celebrate her new job, a new beginning and feeling part of a set where she belonged.