later, he was back with her bags. “The master suite, madame?” he asked, holding two of her bags, with his long stringy hair, and his overalls and ridiculous patent leather shoes. She wanted to laugh just looking at him, the whole situation was absurd.
“Yes, that will do.” They could always give the room to the Morrisons later, but for right now, she thought she might as well. He brought her bags up to the master bedroom for her, and with a look of despair, she sat down in the only chair. And as she did, the springs gave way, and she sagged nearly to the floor.
They left her after a few minutes, and she just sat there, staring out the window. The view was so perfect, and the house was a nightmare. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. She thought for a minute about calling Diana, but what could she tell her? She hated to disappoint her and Eric, and Robert, and she didn't even dare think of what John would say. She just prayed he wouldn't call, because she knew he would hear it in her voice. But mercifully, she knew how busy he was before going away. All she could do now was try to make it up to them, and get the place in shape. It would take a miracle to get it done in two days. And as the sun set over the water, she leaned her head back in the ancient chair. She was utterly exhausted, and she had a splitting headache, and for the next two days, she knew she would have to make magic. It was a hell of a beginning to their month in St Tropez, but Pascale refused to be defeated. No matter what, she was going to make it work.
6
Pascale set her alarm for five-thirty, and when she got up, she put on jeans and a T-shirt, and went down to the kitchen, to see if she could find some coffee. She found just enough to make herself a café filtre, and with a look of very Gallic despair, she sat on an ancient kitchen chair, and lit a cigarette. She was sitting there smoking, wondering if she'd have to wake them, when one of the dogs ran into the kitchen and barked at her. And two seconds later, Agathe appeared, wearing an apron over a red bikini, from which her round ball of a body seemed to ooze.
“You wear that to work in?” Pascale asked with a look of astonished dismay. But nothing surprised her anymore. If anything, her vast bleached blond Afro seemed larger than the day before. She had even put on lipstick to match her bikini, and the heels she wore today were higher, as her three poodles clustered around her feet like so many furry little white balls. And of course, they started barking the instant they saw Pascale.
“Do you suppose we could put them somewhere while we"re working?” Pascale asked Agathe, as she poured herself a second cup of coffee, and realized she hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. She would have given her right arm for a croissant from her mother's kitchen, but in this one, she had discovered, the cupboards were bare. And she had no time to go to the store. She wanted to get Agathe and Marius started. At least Agathe appeared at the hour she'd requested, that was something. And Marius came along five minutes later. He said he had found the lawn mower, although it was pretty old.
But at least when Pascale saw it, she was relieved to see it had a motor, and she told him to start it and keep mowing, until he had cleared everything in sight.
“Everything?” He looked astonished when she nodded, and she figured it would keep him busy for hours. It was not a prospect he enjoyed. Agathe had gone to put the dogs in their bedroom behind the kitchen, and she had come back with rags and soaps and a feather duster, and she began waving it like a wand somewhere in midair, until Pascale took it from her and handed her the rag and some cleaning products, and suggested she get to work in the kitchen.
Pascale was going to do the living room herself.
First she rolled the rugs up and put them in a closet. The floors were better looking than the threadbare rugs. And then she beat the cushions of
“Yes, that will do.” They could always give the room to the Morrisons later, but for right now, she thought she might as well. He brought her bags up to the master bedroom for her, and with a look of despair, she sat down in the only chair. And as she did, the springs gave way, and she sagged nearly to the floor.
They left her after a few minutes, and she just sat there, staring out the window. The view was so perfect, and the house was a nightmare. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. She thought for a minute about calling Diana, but what could she tell her? She hated to disappoint her and Eric, and Robert, and she didn't even dare think of what John would say. She just prayed he wouldn't call, because she knew he would hear it in her voice. But mercifully, she knew how busy he was before going away. All she could do now was try to make it up to them, and get the place in shape. It would take a miracle to get it done in two days. And as the sun set over the water, she leaned her head back in the ancient chair. She was utterly exhausted, and she had a splitting headache, and for the next two days, she knew she would have to make magic. It was a hell of a beginning to their month in St Tropez, but Pascale refused to be defeated. No matter what, she was going to make it work.
6
Pascale set her alarm for five-thirty, and when she got up, she put on jeans and a T-shirt, and went down to the kitchen, to see if she could find some coffee. She found just enough to make herself a café filtre, and with a look of very Gallic despair, she sat on an ancient kitchen chair, and lit a cigarette. She was sitting there smoking, wondering if she'd have to wake them, when one of the dogs ran into the kitchen and barked at her. And two seconds later, Agathe appeared, wearing an apron over a red bikini, from which her round ball of a body seemed to ooze.
“You wear that to work in?” Pascale asked with a look of astonished dismay. But nothing surprised her anymore. If anything, her vast bleached blond Afro seemed larger than the day before. She had even put on lipstick to match her bikini, and the heels she wore today were higher, as her three poodles clustered around her feet like so many furry little white balls. And of course, they started barking the instant they saw Pascale.
“Do you suppose we could put them somewhere while we"re working?” Pascale asked Agathe, as she poured herself a second cup of coffee, and realized she hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. She would have given her right arm for a croissant from her mother's kitchen, but in this one, she had discovered, the cupboards were bare. And she had no time to go to the store. She wanted to get Agathe and Marius started. At least Agathe appeared at the hour she'd requested, that was something. And Marius came along five minutes later. He said he had found the lawn mower, although it was pretty old.
But at least when Pascale saw it, she was relieved to see it had a motor, and she told him to start it and keep mowing, until he had cleared everything in sight.
“Everything?” He looked astonished when she nodded, and she figured it would keep him busy for hours. It was not a prospect he enjoyed. Agathe had gone to put the dogs in their bedroom behind the kitchen, and she had come back with rags and soaps and a feather duster, and she began waving it like a wand somewhere in midair, until Pascale took it from her and handed her the rag and some cleaning products, and suggested she get to work in the kitchen.
Pascale was going to do the living room herself.
First she rolled the rugs up and put them in a closet. The floors were better looking than the threadbare rugs. And then she beat the cushions of
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