I Promise You This (Love in Provence Book 3) (27 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

As soon as the market closed the following Saturday, Philippe loaded the car while Katherine and Molly walked the pups. They were all on their way to visit Joy and the rest of the family in Sainte-Mathilde for two days.

Katherine made arrangements with André so he did not need her at the exhibit, which still had another week to run. Philippe was taking Sunday off. Molly was beside herself with anticipation. The pups were bouncing with eagerness to do everything.

Philippe gave Molly a running commentary as they drove along the route that was now so familiar to Katherine. Molly admired the beauty of the red hills of the
massif de l’Esterel
.

She became thoroughly animated as the car turned up into the countryside through vineyards, orchards, and farm fields still sleepily beginning to emerge from their hibernation.

The vineyards still wore their winter look, with no leaves evident so far.

“Our last few weeks have been rather cool. I think bud break will commence soon, though, and the vines will begin to show signs of green growth,” Philippe predicted.

In contrast, the creamy drifts of the early-blooming almond trees made up for the lack of color in the fields, and pink-tinged cherry blossoms were beginning to open. Combined with the gray-green mounds of lavender plants, there was a sense of spring in the air.

Every perched village elicited moans of delight from Molly, and she made Katherine promise they would visit a few. After studying a Luberon guidebook Katherine handed her, Molly chose Roussillon and Gordes since they were not far from Joy’s.

Joy had called to forewarn them that temperatures dropped significantly in the evenings, so they should bring some warm clothes. She also said the winds had died down and the rain had stopped. She felt they would have two lovely days and suggested they plan to take the dogs on some good walks.

As they pulled into the driveway of Joy’s
manoir
, Molly gasped again. “I’m living the dream!”

Katherine chuckled and said, “Now you know how I felt when I arrived for my exchange! I was in that dream too.”

The front door opened before they could get out of the car. Once again, Henri was the first to reach them. “Henri, you are becoming the official greeter!” Katherine said as they exchanged
bises
.

He greeted Molly warmly, having met her at André’s exhibit. “
Bienvenue!
We have heard so much about you and are so happy to see you again. What better place to recuperate than with Katherine and Philippe?”

Sylvie followed closely behind Henri and, after welcoming everyone, she peered through the window into the backseat. The pups were standing in their travel crates, tails wagging as they eagerly pawed to join the welcome.

“
Quels beaux chiots!
The pups look so sweet! Should we let Picasso out? Maman is holding him in the great hall until we let her know what to do.”

“Oui,”
Philippe agreed as he unloaded the overnight bags. “Let our boy Pico out to greet us first and then we will introduce Rocco and Coco to him.”

Henri whistled loudly, and Picasso burst out of the house. As always, he danced eagerly between Philippe and Katherine, happy to see them, and at the same time made Molly feel very welcome too.

Katherine got on her knees to give him a hug and receive his standard sloppy kiss.

Joy followed the dog out of the house and greeted everyone with delight. “
Bienvenue chez nous
, Molly. I know you’re like a sister to Katherine, and we’ve all been worried about you. How nice to see you are doing well. We hope you’ll feel at home here.”

By this time, the pups were excitedly barking and Picasso was bouncing up and down, trying to see where the noise was coming from.

Antoine, who ran the household along with his wife, Hélène, came out to take the bags from Philippe, which freed him to release the pups. Chaos reigned for several minutes as they raced in between Picasso’s legs and back and forth to their owners. Picasso took charge and ran in circles, with the pups in fierce pursuit. Every once in a while he would stop and chase them, which caused everyone to laugh uproariously.

After a few minutes, Philippe and Henri led the dogs around to the back terrace while the others went into the house.

“I’m sure you may be a bit hungry after your, drive so there’s some crostini and champagne waiting in the salon. Why don’t you get settled in your rooms and then we can relax together,” Joy said. “Antoine has taken your bags straight up, and Katherine, you know where to take Molly.”

Katherine and Joy hugged gently, as they always did, thanks to Joy’s British background. “I am so thrilled to see you. It feels like forever since we were all together for Noël.”

“And I you,
ma chère
. It’s been too long! But I know it couldn’t be helped. You must bring us up to date on everything when you come back downstairs . . . oh, but first let me see your beautiful ring.”

She took Katherine’s hand and examined the ring carefully, her eyes shining brightly. “
C’est magnifique!
I’m so happy for you both, and I felt so honored to play a little part in this by introducing Philippe to the jeweler. That made this old woman very thrilled to be in on the secret.”

Katherine nodded. “It was only fitting that you should be involved, Joy. I was thrilled too when Philippe told me about that.”

Wide-eyed, Molly followed Katherine up the grand marble staircase. She took in the portraits on the walls, commenting how they blended with the historic grandeur surrounding her. “Katski, this is even more beautiful than I imagined.”

“It’s truly magnificent, and the family even more so. You’re going to be enchanted and love it here, as I do.”

Molly came to Kat’s door after she had freshened up. “
Mon
frickin’
Dieu!
Not only do I have a fireplace in my room, I have the most splendid four-poster too! It’s like
Downton Abbey
with a French twist!”

They giggled together as they went back downstairs where everyone was waiting.

As they settled into the comfortable furniture in the salon, champagne was poured and toasts followed. Molly was introduced to Christian and Marie, who had stopped to pick up Oncle François on their way. Molly beamed and blushed as the patriarch kissed her hand. The mood was jovial and celebratory with so much good news to share.

Picasso was lying in his bed in the corner of the room, with two exhausted chocolate bumps snuggled beside him.

Before dinner, Molly was given a complete tour of the
manoir
. She couldn’t stop asking questions. She was fascinated with the family history and the graceful particulars of the architecture. Everything—the high ceilings, wood beams, cavernous fireplace, and decorative plaster around windows and doors—elicited expressions of awe at the craftsmanship and attention to detail paid by the ancient builders.

Katherine and Oncle François slipped off to a favorite quiet corner to have one of their intimate conversations. He held Katherine’s hand lightly in his and spoke of his immense happiness at how events were unfolding between her and Philippe.

From behind the sofa, Kat retrieved a sizable paper-covered gift. The kindly uncle’s eyes lit with surprise and delight as he unwrapped an enlarged framed photo, which captured him sitting quietly on a rock, watching over his beloved goats in the early morning light.

Kat explained, “This was last June when I first arrived at the farmhouse, before we even knew each other. I was so taken with the peace I felt, seeing you in that soft lighting. Now I know those were some of the happiest times for you, and I hope this brings you joy.”

His beaming face mirrored his emotions.

Philippe joined them after a while, and they recounted to François their conversations with Simone. François’s eyes glistened as memories flooded back to him of youthful days on the Cap property.

“Of course I remember Simone, and of course I knew of her love affair with my father. However, we did not speak of those things in those days. She was always a lady, and we treated her as such on the rare occasions that we actually were in her company.”

His stories ranged from the dire conditions during the Occupation, when food rationing kept them all hungry, to the gala postwar parties that were held in the gardens of the Cap property. Simone often attended those parties. “Of course, those are memories of a child, so take some of them with a grain of salt.”

Much to Katherine and Molly’s surprise, dinner was served outside on the terrace with the propane heaters keeping everything cozy. Hélène had prepared her prized
coq au vin
recipe, which garnered great compliments from all the diners.

As Molly exclaimed it was the best
coq au vin
she had ever tasted, Henri coyly teased her that it was probably because she’d never eaten the dish with real
coq
. Molly looked a little flustered, and he quickly apologized and explained that Hélène still insisted on using the original recipe passed along through many generations of her family—and that meant cooking rooster, not chicken.

Joy took over the details. “It’s traditionally made by slowly cooking a rooster in red Burgundy wine with mushrooms,
lardons
, and pearl onions . . .”

“Un plus delicieux braise!”
Oncle François interrupted with a dreamy expression.

There were murmurs of accord around the table, as Joy continued, “The rooster is marinated all day and then is slow-cooked overnight in our wood-fired bread oven. It’s a dish we love in every season, as it’s both nourishing and deeply comforting—definitely a family favorite, but mainly thanks to Hélène’s magic touch.”

Everyone nodded in enthusiastic agreement.

“And somehow,” Philippe added, winking at Christian and Marie, who oversaw the family’s vineyard and stocked their vast cave, “the kitchen in this house always manages to have the best source for excellent wines.”

The evening passed quickly, filled with conversation as pleasing as the meal.

As Kat nestled drowsily in Philippe’s arms in bed that night, she murmured, “
Le plaisir et la séduction
—the first time I understood the importance of those words in explaining the life, the people, the culture of France, was from Joy and her family . . . then you made that come alive for me.”

“Hmmm, perhaps we should review what we know about
plaisir et séduction
, right here, right now . . .” Philippe murmured back, his voice low and husky, as his arms gently tightened around her. Kat turned her lips to meet his.

Sylvie decided to join Molly and Katherine the next day on their excursion to Roussillon and Gordes. Since she and Henri lived in Roussillon, the women would meet her there.

As they approached through the surrounding farmland and forests, Molly commented on the dramatic color changes in the soil and rocks. Ocher ridges popped out from the landscape, providing new scenery.

Katherine had pointed out the endless rows of mounds in the lavender fields on the way. “You have to come back to see them in June. This will be my first year experiencing the full whammy of lavender season, and I can hardly wait. Even André says it’s truly something to which no photo can do justice. Add that to your list of reasons to return,
ma chère amie
!”

“As if I needed any more!” Molly replied.

The reds, browns, oranges, and yellow shades of ocher in the painted houses of this colorful village soon appeared on the hilltop. It was time for Molly to gasp once again. “It’s simply stunning, there’s no other word for it . . . the contrast of the colors with the greens beginning to show in the landscape and the blue of the sky. No wonder artists and painters found inspiration in Roussillon! Who wouldn’t want to live here?

“I know! I know!” Kat agreed. “I don’t have to explain why I’m in love with all of these villages and areas.”

They parked on the edge of town and walked to Henri and Sylvie’s house. Sylvie took them on a tour of the most beautiful nooks and crannies of Roussillon, sharing history and secret stories. She made certain they didn’t miss a single captivating aspect of the village. Passing a local artist’s studio, Molly couldn’t resist purchasing two posters. “These are going to be framed and have a place of honor in my living room,” she declared.