While they waited for things beyond their control such as passports and driving licenses to be processed, Michel and Delphine worked together on the Smallholding and the new house.

Despite Delphine's protestations, she eventually gave in and started wearing a pair of dungarees and work boots. She refused point-blank to stop wearing stockings even though on some days, a pair of leggings were worn between them and the dungarees.

The work well and truly bonded them as a team. Michel introduced her to the delights of potting on herbs on a scale that she had never dreamed about. For once, she thanked whoever it was who had made her decide not to get her nails done for that advice. Her hands despite wearing gloves were usually ingrained with dirt by the end of the day. Ample supplies of hand cream helped repair the damage.

The physical activity they were doing naturally made her hungry. Whilst, her appetite was huge but could only take food in small amounts so she ended up snacking a lot. This amused Michel considerably.

Nevertheless, the day arrived when they had their new driving licenses and passports in their possession.

“We can plan the trip to Paris now,” suggested Michel.

Delphine shook her head.

“I think we should try to get married first and then use the trip as our honeymoon. What do you think?”

“That seems a good idea. It would be nice to get it done within a couple of weeks as it is Gabrielle’s Birthday. We have not celebrated it together for about five years.”

“That seems like we have a plan,” said Delphine.
“We can take my car,” she suggested.

“Are you sure that you can charge it in France?”

“I don’t know. I’ll need to investigate that. I remember seeing a Renault Zoe charging near Gabrielle’s apartment so the answer is probably yes but I’ll need to find out.”

“Where will we sail from?”

"Portsmouth to Le Havre or Caen. Those are closer to Paris than Roscoff or Saint-Malo."

“We should start getting things arranged. I think we can leave things for a few days. The recent fine weather has not only allowed us to catch up but we are ahead of planting and potting on of herbs for sale.”

Then Michel said,
“It might be good to give Gabrielle a call. She could visit their Monsieur Henri to see if he closes after Bastille Day. A lot of shops and businesses in Paris close up or offer reduced services until the beginning of September.”

Delphine kissed her lover.
“I like it when you make decisions.”

---

The temporary halt on work allowed Delphine to not only stop wearing the overalls but to try to get the skin on her hands back to something less like sandpaper. Their lovemaking also returned to something approaching normality.

Delphine was just not used to manual work and despite offers from Michel, she refused to remove her corset.

“I’ve started down this process and I’m as sure as hell going to complete it!”

Michel was also thinking about when they could move up to the new house. One of the first jobs that Michel had completed in the building was installing a shower right next to the rear entrance. There was a utility/boot room with a toilet and a walk-in shower attached. It was the only place where they could take a shower so they were forever going backwards and forwards to use the facility. Both of them didn’t want to be having to do that come the winter.

All the time they are down in Devon, the Private Investigator that Verity had hired on their behalf was working away. He was gathering quite a pile of useful information. After ten actual days of work, he turned his report into the associates of Verity who, in turn, passed it onto Delphine.

Verity had to read it from end to end twice before she totally understood just how deep in the financial mire Suzanne and Janice were.

After making two copies of the report she was preparing to send one to Delphine but decided that she needed to deliver it herself. She texted her client.

“Have the present you wanted. Am coming down by 09:30 from Paddington tomorrow. Ok?”

As soon as she read the text, Delphine knew that what Verity had to show her was pure dynamite. Getting Verity to travel outside of London on her own was usually next to impossible. That told her an awful lot about the situation. She responded.

“Great. See you soon. Lots to talk about.”

Michel was in the woods somewhere making something. She knew that it was his little world. A place where he could be on his own for a few hours. Delphine did not mind this one little bit. As they were living and working together, a few hours apart was good for them so, she resisted going in search of her lover. There was nothing to be done until the next day anyway.

A while later, the Mail Van came up the track. Delphine went out to meet it.

“Hello Delphine,” said the ‘Postie’, Charlie Sands. He lived in the next valley to them so was one of their neighbours.

“What have you got for me today then Charlie?”

“Three letters. One looks rather official. Is has been redirected?"

"Thanks, Charlie. Jacques is away in the woods somewhere."

The locals knew Michel as Jacques and they’d agreed not to go out of their way to correct them.

“I know. I saw the smoke from one of his charcoal kilns. Tell him that I said hello.”

“I will Charlie. Thanks.”

Delphine watched Charlie disappear down the track to continue with his deliveries.

She took one look at the letter that had been re-directed by the Post Office. It was for her, or rather the ‘old’ her. It was addressed to Vivienne Carter.

When she opened it, she knew immediately that it was bad news.

The words ‘Mental Health Competency Examination’ leapt off the page at her. Her dear darling daughters had really gone too far this time. It was just as well that Verity was coming down the next day.

After a period of contemplation, she sent a text to Verity.

“Daughters officially think I’m out of my mind and want me examined. Delphine.”

Verity replied a few minutes later.
“What I was expecting. Didn’t think that they’d move so quickly. Got it in hand. Speak Tomorrow.”

Her reply comforted Delphine a little bit but suddenly her whole future was looking rather bleak.

---

Delphine was sitting in the kitchen holding the letter when Michel returned at the end of the working day.

One look at her told him that something was wrong, very wrong. The sheet of paper in her hand was the clue.

He gently eased it out of her hand and read it.

As he did so, his heart sank. It was clear that her daughters were going for the jugular. They wanted Vivienne to attend a formal examination to assess her mental capacity. It was obvious that they wanted her to be declared unable to make decisions on her own behalf.

The thing was that the woman sitting opposite him had made probably made more decisions since she’d turned sixty than in the previous five or ten years combined. Most of them had been entirely sensible. Those that were not entirely sensible, were very much what she’d promised to do in her diaries. He could not see how… The decisions of the medical and legal professions were as much a mystery to him as to most of the population.

The only bright point was that the letter was addressed to Vivienne Carter. As Vivienne Carter no longer existed there would be a time delay while the other side realised that Delphine was Vivienne.

Michel sat down next to Delphine.
“Don’t worry my darling. Didn’t we sort of expect this?”

“But it is so soon. They must have been planning this from long before my birthday.”

“I agree and for that, they can never be forgiven. They have betrayed you. You didn’t bring them up to be like this.”

Delphine knew that he was right but she didn’t want to go there so she changed the subject.
“Verity is coming down tomorrow. She has the PI’s report.”

“Then my dear, there is nothing to be done until she is here.”

Delphine tried to smile but didn’t get very far.
“What were you doing today? Charlie the Postie said that you were down near the Charcoal Kilns but you don’t smell like it?”

“I was there making something from a nice bit of Ash. I got the fire going to make some tea.”

This time, Delphine did manage a smile.

“No Coffee then?”

“No, my darling, tea. Not everyone from 'La Belle France' drinks coffee all the time. Besides, I've been here almost as long as I lived in France."

Delphine managed to give Michel a brief kiss.

“That’s more like the woman I have come to know and love.”

Deep down inside, he knew that the woman in front of him was putting on an act of normality.

---

Delphine was still very subdued when Michel drove her car into Totnes to meet the train from London the next lunchtime.

“I’m so glad you came down. She’s a bit fragile I’m afraid.”

“I understand. I have some good news which may help cheer her up.”

“Here’s the car,” said Michel with a bit of pride in his voice.

Verity looked at it and smiled.
“So, this is her new toy then?”

“She’s called her ‘Vixen’.”

“Stands to reason. She was friends with a pretty tame Vixen when we were at school. She fed it scraps from her meals.”

“Ah, that makes sense now.”

They didn’t say much more until they reached the smallholding. Delphine wasn’t visible.

“She’s probably in the kitchen. She has hardly moved since the letter came yesterday.”

“I’d be worried if I’d received one like that but I have some good news.”
“Be better if I tell you both together.”

Michel was about to say ‘sounds rather ominous’ but held off.

---

"Thanks for coming down here today Verity," said Delphine.

“I needed to go through the report with you. It has a bearing on the other letter you received and then on how we respond.”

“But!” said Michel,
"I think Verity needs a little tour of the estate. Darling, why don't you show her around. Don't forget the new place. I'll get lunch ready. I know that it is a little late but it will help us all to relax a bit don't you think?"

“Come on Delphine. I’m eager to see your new home. From what I’ve seen so far, it is delightful.”

It was a slightly weary Delphine who got up from the table and led their guest outside.

Michel sank into a chair. The day was going to be hard going. He hoped that Verity’s presence would help lighten Delphine’s mood.

With the two women out of the way, Michel began to prepare some Lunch. They were having a 'Salad Nicoise'. The only things not produced at the smallholding was the rapeseed oil [1] and the smoked Mackerel which came from Cornwall, that replaced the normal Anchovies and Tuna. It was one of Delphine’s favourite meals especially with the inclusion of Duck Eggs instead of Hen’s Eggs.

When it was ready to serve, Michel went outside and sat in the sun. There was no sign of the women which was good. A few minutes later he heard the sound of voices then they appeared on the other side of the small valley.

Delphine waved at him. Michel waved back. His hopes for a successful outcome for the day had risen quite a bit.

Over Lunch, Verity outlined the report that the P.I. had produced. The financial figures were quite startling.

“Janice has over £30,000 worth of Credit Card debt. Mark has not even tried to reign in her shopping. He’s been having an affair with one of his colleagues from work but, he has even bigger problems of his own in that he is about to lose his job. As you know, he works for a Mobile Phone Company. They are rapidly offshoring every job they can. The pair are up shit creek and facing Bankruptcy. That also means that Janice will lose her job because her firm has a rule about not employing people who are Bankrupt of are in a family with an undischarged Bankrupt."

“They were warned,” said Delphine wearily.
“I told her time and time again that they were living way beyond their means. It is all in my Diaries.”

“Speaking of them, you didn’t bring them with you the last time you were up in London.”

“Sorry for that,” said Michel.
“We left here pretty early and left them sitting on the table. Can you take them with you?”

“Yes. If what Delphine has said, there is a clear pattern of behaviour in what Suzanne and Janice have been doing and that it leads to what they are doing now.”

“Don’t forget that instruction of mine from 2009,” said Delphine.

Michel looked blank.

“Suzanne wanted to start a business. In 2008/2009 we were in the middle of the banking crisis. It was next to impossible to find a financial institution that was lending money to anyone for anything. She came to me and wanted me to invest in her project. I told her right there and then, No. Then she went through what my income was and what she estimated my outgoings were. How she got all the facts I don’t know. Perhaps she went through my files but it scared me. I went to the solicitor who had drawn up my will and together we drew up an instruction. It was signed and witnessed and also duly notarized."

Verity took over.
“That instruction tells me as I’m now the named executor of her will and also have her power of attorney, to liquidate all of Vivienne’s, current Delphine’s financial holdings and donate it all to charity.”

Michel was stunned by this revelation.

"I was clearly as mad as a hatter even then?"

“No, you aren’t and that is why their move makes no sense until you understand why they want to get their hands on your assets.”

“What about Suzanne?” asked Michel.

“The report is very clear on that. Her café is teetering on the edge. She hasn't taken a salary for six months. Some suppliers are demanding cash on delivery. Both of your daughters are in a clear state of the financial meltdown."

“What about James, Suzanne’s husband?” asked Michel.

“Ah yes. He’s got a mistress. The PI said that he’s smitten by her and may very well leave Suzanne. As you know, his family are loaded and by all accounts not very impressed by the new lady in their son’s life.”

“They love Suzanne because she has provided the family with a male heir. They’ll stick by her if the marriage breaks down,” said Delphine.
“Her father in law more or less told me that at the Christening.”

“Even with all her brood?” asked Verity.

“Yes. Hubby is one of seven. Six sisters and him.”

“But her business is in the pits?” asked Delphine.

“It is. Someone is putting in just enough money to keep the wolves from the door but only just,” said Verity.
“My PI has tried to find the source of those funds but so far he’s drawn a blank.”

There was silence in the kitchen. Michel looked at Delphine. Some colour had returned to her cheeks.

“What do we do next?” asked Michel as he took Delphine’s hand in his.

“I take these diaries back to London and read them. I’ll make copies of the relevant bits that record the behaviour of Delphine’s daughters. I’ll take them and your instruction to me and put it to your daughters and their legal representatives. They won't have a leg to stand on when it comes to proceeding with any mental examination of you my dear Vivienne. Yes, Vivienne. To me, you have always been my friend right from the days of being quarantined together with Measles."

Delphine surprised Michel by giving Verity a huge hug. Tears were streaming down her face. All the stress of the previous 36 hours seemed to evaporate in just a few moments.

“We aren’t out of the woods yet but I’m sure that one section of the Mental Assessment Review process will stop them in their tracks,” said Verity.

“I don’t know it. What does it say?” asked Michel.

“It goes something like, ‘A person cannot be deemed to lack capacity solely because they make an 'unwise' decision.'. They seem to be assuming that your refusal to give them close on a million quid is your unwise decision. In over 35 years as a lawyer, I've yet to meet a Judge who would agree with them. I have your power of attorney. That will back up my case should it go any further which if you ask me, is a waste of time. I have a counter writ ready to go claiming your costs, as in my expenses in this matter. That will be the last thing that they'll want to see.”

“You are fighting fire with fire?” asked Michel.

“That is the only way to stop them. I bounced this off my partners and they agree with that assessment. So far, they have made all the running.”

Verity took hold of both their hands.

“The two of you have something very special going on here. Delphine, you have escaped London and found a wonderful man. When you get tired of him, then let me know. I know my hubby is a good man but as fucking boring as hell.”

Everyone laughed.

“There is one more thing,” said Verity.
“The not so little matter of the loans that you made to your daughters so that they could buy their first homes.”

“I thought that they were a gift?” asked Michel.

“Then if I had popped my clogs within the first seven years, they’d be liable to Income Tax on the whole lot,” said Delphine.
"I structured the money as a loan with seven years interest-free and then interest at Base Rate plus half a percent. That way it could not be construed as a gift by the people I worked for."

“I see,” said Michel.
“Am I right in assuming that they have not paid a penny back since?”

“That is correct.”

Verity had been searching through her papers. She found what she was looking for.

“Here you are. They now owe Delphine here over forty-four thousand pounds.”

“I don’t care about getting the money back. Can you put a lien on their property for that amount? I’ll sign the proceeds over to charity right here and now.”

Verity nodded her head.
“I think that this should be a weapon that we keep in reserve. They know that you have not forgotten about it but all those zero’s associated with the sale of your former home may well have made them go for broke so to speak?”

Delphine thought for several seconds before replying.
“Please go ahead and draw up the papers. You have my power of Attorney so you don’t need my signature to do it. I do like the idea of keeping them in reserve. If they definitely want me declared incompetent that badly then they’ll get a rude shock when they find that there is no money or at least not the amounts of money they were imagining and then they’ll find that they can’t sell their homes without paying my estate a load more money.”

"Thanks, Delphine. I'll start on them tomorrow."

"And my charitable donations?"

“All ready to go. I just need your signature and Michel can witness it.”

With all the signatures in place, Verity’s business in Devon was done.

“I have to say that this is just about the place to get out of London for. It is so quiet.”

“It took me almost a week to get used to the real sound of silence at night. I’m sure that there is a house with your name on it not far away?”

Verity laughed.

“I’m pretty much a city girl at heart and that’s where I’m staying for a while longer yet.”

“Don’t be a stranger here,” said Michel.
“You are always welcome. Now, can I interest you in some fresh herbs to take with you?”

Verity smiled.
“I’ll have some of that Basil that we had in the salad if I may. It is a lot more peppery than what you normally get in the shops.”

“My pleasure. I'll give you an established plant rather than leaves," said Michel.
Then he stood up and left the kitchen to find a suitable plant for Verity.

---

Delphine took Verity to the station a little later.

“How do you like my new car then?”

Verity grinned.
"You have really regressed back to being a teenager at times, haven’t you?”

Delphine smiled.
"In some way, I think I have. I'm enjoying my life for possibly the first time since my daughters were toddlers. Please don’t let them take this away.”

“I’m going to do my best.”

“That’s all I can ask.”

The two of them hugged each other in a way that only people who are lifelong friends can do.

Delphine watched Verity’s train disappear towards Exeter and London with a bit of a heavy heart. Her future was still up in the balance. She’d known what she wanted to do with her life ever since she’d met Jacques but her daughters clearly had different ideas. The next meeting with her daughters would not be pretty but it had to be done if only to allow her new life to flourish as she’d dreamed ever since that first meeting with Jacques.

[to be continued]
[1] I'm told that this is called 'canola oil' in the USA.