Summer in France || 𝖩𝖤𝖭𝖫𝖨𝖲𝖠 ✔︎

two

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Jennie said as she walked into the kitchen with a towel wrapped around her wet hair.

“Don’t apologize, there’s no need to rush.” Lisa smiled. “That’s what you’re here for, right? You said you wanted to take it easy for a while?” She gestured towards the garden. “Well, you’ve got it.”

She got up from her chair and beckoned Jennie to follow her back into the hallway. “Come on, let’s do a quick tour of the house first.”

They entered the living area that was situated on the back side of the house.
“There is a front door,” Lisa said, “but you’ll see that you won’t use it very much. In France, especially around here, we like to use the kitchen door. The gate and the kitchen door both open with a code, so you won’t really be needing keys either. I live in the annex in the garden, and I’m usually here at night. There is an alarm system, if that makes you feel safer, although I’ve never used it myself.” She pointed at the mosaic-tiled fireplace. “The fireplace works fine, and there’s wood underneath the coffee table. Just give me a shout if you want it on, I’ll show you how to light it. It will be too warm this week, but occasionally, it gets chilly at night.”

“Thanks.” Jennie looked around the room. It was cozy, almost farm-like. The two deep dark leather couches were placed in front of the fireplace with a rustic wooden coffee table in front of them. There were cowhide rugs throughout the room, and plants. Lots of plants, in pots, or hanging down from the ceiling in crochet baskets. It looked like one of those houses in interior magazines, Jennie thought. The modern, abstract paintings in neutral colors complemented the rustic décor. They were the only reminder that she hadn’t traveled back in time. There was no TV, and no music system. Jennie imagined herself reading here at night, with the candles lit, and a good glass of French wine. “Show me no more, I’m happy as it is,” she said.

Lisa laughed. “We’re not done yet. There are two more bedrooms downstairs, besides yours. You’re in the biggest en suite. I call it the yellow room. The blue room is next to it, and the pink room opposite. She pointed towards the end of the hallway as they walked back. The wet room is over there, with all the facilities you’ll need to do your laundry. You’ll find the towels in there too. If you want, I can arrange for one of the local cleaners to do your laundry for you.”

“No need,” Jennie' said. “I’ll be fine.”

Lisa smiled. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.” She pointed to the door next to the laundry room. There’s a pantry over there, but you might not need it since the kitchen has a lot of storage space. Upstairs are four more bedrooms, also marked by color, but you’ll see that when you have a look around. Two of them have a small balcony overlooking the garden. Please feel free to switch rooms if you prefer one of those.” She shrugged. “It’s all yours for the coming months, so do whatever you like.”

Jennie followed her back through the kitchen and out onto the terrace, where the roses were in full bloom. Trees provided shade throughout the neatly kept garden and the use of white linen, covering the seating area, gave it a bohemian feel.

“I assume there’s a gardener here?” She asked. “It must be a lot of work to maintain a place like this.”

Lisa held up a hand and chuckled. “That would be me.” She gestured towards the neatly trimmed lawn. “I love yard work, so it’s not a chore. I spend about an hour out there each day, usually in the early morning. It relaxes me. We’ve got a great irrigation system in place, so I don’t need to water the plants. That saves me a lot of time.”

“Wow. People must be lining up to hire you.” Jennie regarded Lisa, who smiled proudly. She had a beautiful smile, and each time she did so, her dimples made Jennie smile too. They crossed the lawn and walked over to the pool, which was the only paved area surrounding the estate, apart from the terrace and the narrow path towards it. There were wooden sun loungers with thick, white foam covers and matching coffee tables. The navy tiles that lined the pool made it look deep and cool.