The next day was hot with no wind. The sun beat down even at 9am and they all knew it would stay like this all day. They had some fruit for breakfast and then their Aunt insisted that they all help to prepare lunch. The twins put a helping of pâté on seven plates and cut up lots of bread. Jennifer had to peel potatoes for a homemade potato salad with onions and walnuts and Aunty Izzy cooked two large farm chickens which they would have cold with salad. The pudding was to be a fresh fruit salad. “Not too difficult and not too heavy for a hot day,” said Aunty Izzy. “Now to make the lemonade,” she said gathering up a dozen lemons to squeeze.
By lunchtime the thermometer that hung in the garden under the parasol pine was reading 33 degrees. This was the hottest day since the children had arrived and they all began to wish they could be down by the sea rather than entertaining guests for lunch. All the food had been put in the fridge to keep it fresh and they decided they should eat under the shade of the huge umbrella pine and accordingly set an old wooden table under the tree.
At 12.30 exactly Uncle Bernard, Thierry and Aliénor arrived with Blanca whose tongue hung out so far that she looked as if she would lick the grass in the garden. Aunty Izzy rushed inside before she was even introduced to Uncle Bernard and Aliénor and came back with an enormous bowl of water which Blanca immediately began lapping without any care for the slurping noises she was making. They all laughed at the dog’s antics and, after Jennifer formally introduced her aunt to Bernard and Aliénor, they all took their seats at the table. Jennifer sat between Thierry and Aliénor opposite Uncle Bernard, Aunty Izzy and the twins. Blanca wanted to sit between Jack and Claire but wasn’t allowed to sit at the table so she sat under Jack’s chair and promptly fell asleep.
Aunty Izzy poured lemonade for all the children, including Thierry, and asked Uncle Bernard if he would like an aperitif. When he said yes she went inside to open a bottle of white wine and pouring a little cassis into his glass and her own, returned with the kir that was so loved in France. The two adults struck up a conversation and Jennifer was surprised that her Aunt spoke quite a lot of French. When she struggled to find a word Uncle Bernard managed to help her out in English which he spoke well enough. The twins brought out the pâté and the bread and everyone tucked in. Jennifer wanted to tell Aliénor and Thierry about the key but decided to wait until after lunch in case anyone else heard her. The lunch lasted for ages as Aunty Izzy kept forgetting to bring out the next course because she was chatting so much to Uncle Bernard. She had learnt all about his policing duties and his love of the sea and lighthouses in particular, even the fact that he was divorced. They even managed to tell each other jokes in French and English. Jenny decided to go and get the chicken and salad herself and Aliénor went into the house with her. She was just about to tell her French friend about the key when the twins rushed in to help so she didn’t get the chance.
After the main course and the desert Aunty Izzy asked if anyone wanted cheese. There was great surprise from the French people when they learnt that the English have the sweet course before the cheese, because they did it the other way around. Nobody could eat another thing so Isabelle suggested that the children could leave the table if they wanted to, while she and Uncle Bernard had coffee.
Jennifer thought that she, Thierry and Aliénor would have the twins tagging along with them for the rest of the day if she didn’t come up with a suitable plan that the adults would like. Then she had a brainwave and said to Uncle Bernard, “Blanca loves the beach doesn’t she?”
“Oh yes,” he answered, “and she is a very good little girl. She will only stay at the edge of the waves and not go in too far like some dogs.”
“Perhaps the twins could take her down to the beach. It isn’t far and they would all be quite safe.” Jennifer held her breath. The twins thought this was a great idea and longed to have Blanca all to themselves and to play around near the lighthouse.
They skipped around shouting, “Oh please let us Aunty Izzy, please! We’ll stay near the edge and won’t go in past our knees, please, pleeeeze.”
“Well I guess it will be alright,” said Aunty Izzy, and the twins leapt about in delight at being allowed to do something on their own. “Go and get your swimming things then, and the suncream.it is very hot today and we don’t want any sunburn.”
“Will Blanca get sun burnt?” asked the twins?
“Uncle Bernard said it might be a good idea to put sun-block on her ears because they are white and she may get burnt there. So the twins ran off to get changed and to put sun-cream on Blanca’s ears, which they thought was a good idea but they also thought she would hate it and try to lick it off!
“What will you three musketeers do this afternoon?” asked Aunty Izzy. The three looked at each other and Thierry answered as casually as he could.
“I think we might look for the moulin.” Both Aliénor and Jennifer pricked up their ears and waited for the adults to come up with some reason why they shouldn’t search for the windmill but all Uncle Bernard said was,
“Ok, but Thierry you are the oldest so please make sure you don’t do anything dangerous. No climbing in old buildings, especially old windmills. You know these ancient French buildings are often unsafe if they have been left unoccupied for many years and there may be snakes basking on the warm stones!”
“Pas de problem,” answered Thierry. “We will be very careful.”
“You had better take some cold drinks and perhaps some fruit in case the moulin is further away than you think. I know it looked close from the top of the lighthouse but it will probably be a couple of kilometres at least and you also have to walk back again,” said Aunty Izzy.
The older children passed the twins on the staircase. “Bye bye, “ said the twins and Blanca barked, “Woof, woof.”
“She’s saying bye-bye,” laughed Claire.
“No she isn’t,” said Jack, “she’s saying au revoir!” The twins giggled the same giggle and skipped off with Blanca jumping around their feet. They were delighted to be doing something all by themselves. It seemed like a real adventure to them both and they had forgotten all about Islington and going back to school in two weeks time!
Thierry and Aliénor followed Jennifer up to her room. They were both surprised at how different her room looked to the rest of the house. “It looks like a sweet little Château bedroom,” said Aliénor. “I wish mine was like this.” Jennifer showed them the view from her window and told them that at night she could see the light from their lighthouse going round and round. They stood out on her little Romeo and Juliet balcony and looked towards the sea.
“I hope the twins will be alright, “said Jenny.
“Of course they will,” answered Thierry, “What could go wrong? Uncle Bernard will be going back to the lighthouse soon and he will keep an eye on them.” Jenny remembered the key to the moulin and the map and poem. She explained to Thierry and Aliénor how they had found the map tucked into an old book and placed in the pocket of an ancient looking greatcoat along with the key in another pocket. She took out the key and said she felt sure it was a key to the moulin. Thierry and Aliénor looked very interested. The old key was certainly big and looked to them as if it could be from a very old building. Thierry stared at it and then said, “It could be moulin… or mousquetaire, or moustique or moutard or mouton or even moustache! They all laughed at this last possibility and a key for a mosquito or for mustard seemed impossible. But they kept an open mind about musketeer.
“Wasn’t it odd that Aunty Izzy had called us the three musketeers,” exclaimed Jenny. Perhaps that is the key!” she joked, “But I still think the moulin is where the key belongs. So let’s get going! ” she said as she put the key in her pocket.