Perfume Of Provence

“The warmth feels wonderful on my skin but I mustn’t burn. I’m so pale and I swam and lazed a while on the beach yesterday so that’s my quota for a while.”

“That was before your life went haywire — before you met me — when you actually had a life of your own.”

He smiled but looked at her anxiously.

“I hope you don’t mind spending a day up here?”

“Mind! How could I possibly mind? It’s like being invited to lunch in heaven — just look out there!”

They walked to the edge of the terrace and surveyed the wide panorama spread in front of them. Field after field of lavender stretched away to a horizon of hazy blue hills. The sun burnt down on the shimmering mauve flowers and silver green leaves. She breathed the scented air deeply and stood very still for a moment, holding Jean-Michel’s hand lightly in her own. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, as though to share the moment, and then they turned together and walked the length of the stone-flagged terrace to where Grandmère sat, cool and elegant, under the shade of a fig tree. Beside her was a small wrought-iron table laid with a cream lace cloth, a dish of shiny olives, three crystal glasses and an ice bucket with a tall bottle of wine.

“Sit down, both of you, where I can see you. I must say you look very well together. Rosie, you look absolutely wonderful. Quite a metamorphosis from the waif in leathers! Jean-Michel has told me all about you — or rather all that he feels for you, as surely he can know very little about you in such a short time.”

“You must think we’re very impetuous,” said Rosie cautiously.

“Yes, I think that is what I like best about the story. Just because I am ancient you mustn’t assume that I am a prude. I find that the older one gets, the more shock-proof one becomes. I don’t think I have ever told Jean-Michel that I married his grandpère just three weeks after we met. Un vrai coup de foudre! Indeed…we eloped! Our parents would never have given consent. It was quite the Romeo and Juliet affair of the time — with a happier ending, I’m pleased to say. We were perfectly devoted to each other. Sadly he died ten years ago and I have to live on without him. But why some marriages work and some don’t is a complete mystery to me.”

“I’m afraid my own parents divorced when I was thirteen so I don’t have a family with a good track record.”

Rosie looked out across the fields as though she could find the answer to why her parents’ love had not endured in the pattern of the landscape. How could she ever understand why her father had walked away from her and her mother? But the quiet voice of Grandmère interrupted her sad reverie.

“Then you mustn’t dwell on it. There is nothing to say that we have to be like our parents — successful or otherwise. I am a great believer in being responsible for one’s own actions.”

Rosie looked at Madame de Fleurenne with gratitude and a certain amount of surprise. Before she had time to think of how to reply Madame de Fleurenne continued.

“And talking of being a great believer — do you have any religious beliefs?”

Rosie drew in her breath sharply. Jean-Michel’s grandmother was a skilful interviewer. Rosie had handled plenty of tough presentations in the course of her work and she realised she was now facing a subtle and clever woman. Well, she thought quickly, better cut to the chase and attack the Catholic versus non-Catholic issue straight away.

“None at all.” She looked Madame de Fleurenne straight in the eye. “But I have strong moral beliefs that I rigorously uphold.”

Madame de Fleurenne clapped her hands and threw her head back in laughter.

“Brava, bravissima! You are truly a girl after my own heart. Except that you have found out whilst you are very young what it took me most of my life to come to terms with. As you can imagine, I was born into the Catholic faith but I just couldn’t accept the doctrines that I was educated, or indeed indoctrinated, to believe. Only last year, when my only son and daughter-in-law were tragically killed, I thought about becoming a Buddhist. Yes, I went all the way to India and stayed three months in a remote village. Can you believe it? What a silly old woman I was. I’m sure the peace and meditation helped me, but one day I suddenly thought that I really didn’t understand what on earth it was all about. Anyway, I had drunk quite enough yak milk to last me several lifetimes, so I flew home — first class! I haven’t been anywhere since and I don’t think I will… Well, I hope not to anyway.”

Her lively face clouded over briefly but she continued.

“You are right, my dear, strong ethics are enough for people like you and me. Jean-Michel, you are very, very fortunate to have found this remarkable girl. No wonder you proposed to her immediately! Now, all this philosophic discourse has made me extremely thirsty.”

Jean-Michel looked at both women in delight and amazement. Then, filling the glasses with pale rosé wine, he stood, outlined against the backdrop of the flower fields, and raised his glass.

“To the two most beautiful and remarkable women in this wonderful world. A votre santé!”

The conversation over lunch was light-hearted. Grandmère amused them both with stories of her wild youth on the Côte d’Azur. Rosie described something of her public relations work in the crazy fashion scene of London. Jean-Michel talked of his childhood in Eze and, eventually, as coffee was served, he brought the conversation round to business.

“I’m sorry to discuss business whilst we are still at the lunch table, Grandmère, but it won’t take long.”

Rosie stood up quickly.

“Please, I know this is private. I’m very happy to go for a walk around the estate.” She waited hesitantly.

Madame de Fleurenne reached out and laid a cool, dry hand on Rosie’s arm. “Please stay, my dear. Jean-Michel has the most atrocious table manners. He knows I detest talking business at meal times but I am sure he is anxious to get you back on that wicked black bike and to his ridiculous old loft in Nice. Why don’t we take coffee out onto the terrace? You are very welcome to listen to anything he has to say. You are to be one of the family and you should know how impoverished we are. Unless it is too boring — running out of money is certainly very tedious indeed. I should quite understand if you would prefer to take in some good clean air.”

“Not at all!” Rosie answered hastily. “If you’re sure I’m not intruding on your privacy?”

“On the contrary, maybe you can help me persuade Jean-Michel that there must be some way we can hang onto all this beautiful decadence!”

She waved her graceful hand around her head and smiled wistfully.

Rosie sat silent whilst Jean-Michel gave a full account of his meeting with the Beauroma executives in Eze. When he finally said that he had once again turned down the generous takeover offer, Madame de Fleurenne sat back in her chair with a smile of satisfaction.