Monsieur Pamplemousse Takes the Cure (19 page)

There was a click and she was gone. The P.T.T. didn’t even leave time for an
au
revoir.

He arrived back at the table at the same time as the tureen of
cotriade.
Alongside it was a bowl of the traditional heart-shaped
croûtes.
He wondered if he could distract Chambard’s attention long enough to filch one. It would be a reminder of his times with Mrs. Cosgrove.

He glanced out of the window. ‘It looks as if we may have snow.’ It was true. There was a bitterly cold wind blowing from the north. People were hurrying by with their coat collars turned up.

He quickly transferred one of the
croûtes
onto his chair seat, holding it in place with his leg.

But his satisfaction was short-lived. As Inspector Chambard turned back he felt something push against him. Almost immediately there was a loud crunching noise from underneath the table.

Pommes Frites looked up at him gratefully. It was good to be back and to have such a thoughtful master, ever sensitive to his needs. The bowl of
navarin
d’agneau
the chef had given him had been nice, but it tasted even better when it was followed by a piece of fried bread which had been well rubbed with garlic.

Life, in Pommes Frites’ humble opinion, had few better things to offer. And even though he could see that for some reason best known to himself, Monsieur Pamplemousse didn’t entirely share his view, instinct told him that it was only a matter of time before he would.

M
ICHAEL
B
OND
was born in Newbury, Berkshire in 1926 and started writing whilst serving in the army during the Second World War. In 1958 the first book featuring his most famous creation, Paddington Bear, was published and many stories of his adventures followed. In 1983 he turned his hand to adult fiction and the detective cum gastronome par excellence Monsieur Pamplemousse was born.

Michael Bond was awarded the OBE in 1997 and in 2007 was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Reading University. He is married, with two grown-up children, and lives in London.

Monsieur Pamplemousse

Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Secret Mission

Monsieur Pamplemousse on the Spot

Monsieur Pamplemousse Takes the Cure

Monsieur Pamplemousse Aloft

Monsieur Pamplemousse Investigates

Monsieur Pamplemousse Rests His Case

Monsieur Pamplemousse Stands Firm

Monsieur Pamplemousse on Location

Monsieur Pamplemousse Takes the Train

Monsieur Pamplemousse Afloat

Monsieur Pamplemousse on Probation

Monsieur Pamplemousse on Vacation

Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits the Headlines

Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Militant Midwives

Monsieur Pamplemousse and the French Solution

Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Carbon Footprint

Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Tangled Web