Chapter 8
One side of François’s family was French, the other English, and he was a boon to both cultures. Professionally and financially successful, handsome, charming, and without pretence. His wit extended to self-deprecation, and the supposed universal dislike of the French, which half an hour in this man’s company did the utmost to dispel. He possessed the wicked, almost-evil humour the English adored.
Jay laughed at his jokes without pretence. He also giggled every time he caught a glimpse of Dean’s face. If Dean believed he hid well, he made a mammoth mistake. Attention split between François’s humorous anecdotes, and the hysterical image of Dean peering round curtains, and ducking out of sight to pop up again as a jack-in-the-box, made for hysteria.
Wrong of Jay, really. Dean ha
