The Promise of Provence (Love in Provence Book 1)

by Patricia Sands

  Pausing briefly as her words sunk in with everyone, Katherine turned the subject back to home exchange.

  “Putting Andrea’s chronic optimism aside—seriously, Terrence, how do you feel about these exchanges? Any problems ever?”

  “Nope,” he answered without hesitation. “Each one has been great, although there’s no question you have to be flexible.”

  “Meaning?”

  “For example, our first exchange was to Portugal—a holiday house in the Algarve, with a pool—we always look for a property with a pool. The exchange family went to the condo we have at Blue Mountain. They wanted to go in the summer to see that part of Canada after they visited relatives in Toronto.”

  Andrea added, “But remember, this was in 2000, and they didn’t have all the listings on the Internet yet, so we just saw photos in the catalogue. Most communication then was by fax or phone! Seems kind of archaic now, doesn’t it?”

  “Right,” Terrence continued, “it’s so much better and easier today since you can see exactly what you are getting.”

  “So what was the problem?” Katherine asked.

  “Well, it turned out there wasn’t a comfortable chair to sit in anywhere! It was all wicker with thin cushions! Looked nice, but felt terrible!”

  “And the bed in the master bedroom had a sag in the middle so enormous we would immediately roll into it.”

  Terrence and Andrea both laughed at the memory.

  “So we went to the nearest local housewares store and bought a couple of fat cushions! Besides, the weather was so fantastic we were out by the pool or at the beach most of the time anyway.”

  “Not a big deal,” Andrea said, “and we fixed the problem with the bed easily by stuffing our empty suitcases under the sag.

  “Anyhow, today when you go online you’ll read other people’s experiences. You can check with others who have exchanged at the property you are considering for a referral too.”

  “I was skeptical when Andrea first suggested we do it.” Terrence said. “The reality is we have remained in touch with every single family or couple we exchanged with—seven so far. Maybe just an e-mail or Christmas card, but the connection remains. It’s a nice feeling.”

  Andrea beamed now. “The best thing about house exchange to me is that this reaffirms my belief that most people are good, kind, and honest all over the world. You rarely hear of a problem!”

  Katherine and Terrence smiled at each other and nodded. That was Andrea all right!

  “Molly is right,” Katherine said to both of them, “when she calls Andrea the Goddess of Serendipity.”

  Terrence put his arms around his wife, giving her an encompassing bear hug, and said, “Just one of the many reasons I love her.”

  James always said too much hugging just makes it meaningless, Kat was reminded, looking on with envy before she banished the thought.

  “Okay,” said Terrence, “if the home exchange promotion is over for the moment, let’s have lunch and get out to the sugar bush to empty the sap buckets.”

  The afternoon was spent emptying the sap into the large cans on the back of the tractor that Terrence then transferred to the boiling vats in the sugar shack. Once that task was completed, they spent several hours raking the dead grasses and clearing dried remnants from the raised-bed gardens.

  As the sun was sitting lower in the sky, Terrence suggested they go into St. Jacobs for dinner at one of their favorite spots. “Let’s just see which place is the least busy and pop in. It’s a little early for tourist season, and since we don’t have any kids at home this weekend, the bill will even be manageable!”

  “Great idea,” said Katherine. “My meal preparation hasn’t been stellar this past month. I could go for some of that delicious Mennonite cooking.”

  More home exchange stories were the focus of conversation during dinner. Katherine had thought about it for a good part of the afternoon.

  Terrence insisted it was time to take a break and make their dessert choice.

  “Shoofly pie for me,” Katherine requested, “with just a dab of vanilla ice cream, please.”

  “Make that two,” said Terrence. “I only have it when you’re here, you know, Kat. You’re a bad influence when it comes to sweet stuff.”

  Katherine nodded in agreement, happy to own up to that charge.

  “Okay, I’m becoming warily convinced about exchanges and feeling just a tad excited about the possibilities with this,” Katherine admitted.

  9

  Since Andrea had signed Katherine up on the home exchange website, she had been receiving a couple of inquiries each week. Many of them would not work for her, time-wise, or were in locations other than France, and she had decided she was going to focus on making that French dream come true.

  Andrea had also recommended that Kat include her listing in the “short notice” category.

  “Most people begin to organize their holiday many months before. You want to catch the last-minute planners too,” she had explained.

  Sure enough, Katherine quickly received an inquiry marked “Urgent” from a couple in Chicago who wanted to make a spur-of-the-moment trip to Toronto for Easter weekend. They offered a modern two-bedroom apartment in a downtown high-rise overlooking Lake Michigan.

  Molly had taken to dropping in on Katherine every week or so if she saw lights on in the house, calling her cell first.

  They also managed to plan dinner at least once a month now.

  Katherine poured them each a glass of pinot grigio and put some cheese and olives on the coffee table as they sat in the living room.

  “You know, I really like it when you pop in like this.”

  “Me too,” Molly agreed. “I’m sorry your marriage fell apart, but it’s been great to spend more time with you.” She picked up her wine and reached over toward Katherine.

  As they clinked their glasses, Molly toasted, “Here’s to our friendship. I really appreciate it.”

  “Ditto.”

  “Almost fifty years of you listening to me complain!” Molly said, “Hard to believe!”

  Katherine laughed. “French immersion kindergarten with Madame LaChapelle. That’s where it all began. She was so nice.”

  Molly snorted, “I’ll never know why my mother signed me up for that. At least you hung in right through high school and didn’t drop out like I did.”

  “You stayed through grade eight. That was pretty good. Lots of kids dropped out of French then.”

  “I didn’t have the interest in it, and the performing arts academy was a temptation that went straight to my heart.”

  “I can remember how excited we all were when you got accepted into the music program! What a day that was!”

  They toasted again to that memory and continued reminiscing.

  The music program had given Molly a sense that she had a place in the world. Her parents had divorced when she was six, and Molly and her younger brother had never been well treated. Their father in particular had been verbally abusive and swore constantly.

  Both parents badmouthed each other to the two kids, leaving them confused and fragile.

  “You know, Kat, I often think how odd it is that I chose to put myself in front of an audience when I suffer from such insecurities. Curious, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe that’s how you get the love you felt was missing.”

  They mulled that over for a while. “At least I managed to keep a grip on reality, unlike Shawn.”

  Molly’s heartache was palpable when she brought up this subject. Her brother, three years younger, had battled drug addiction most of his life and hadn’t been heard from in two years despite Molly’s best efforts to track him down. The coup de grâce for them had occurred when Molly was a year away from graduating university and her brother was in first year. Their parents had driven together to the funeral of a mutual friend on a day when the weather was very stormy. Forensics tests had indicated her father was well over the alcohol limit when he caused the accident that
claimed his life and left their mother in a coma for several years.

  Abandoning her hopes for a music career, Molly had acquired her real estate license so she could maintain a flexible schedule to help with the care of her mother in the seriously understaffed nursing home. She learned some important lessons during those years about the need for an elderly patient to have someone advocating for them. Every minute of her spare time was spent making certain her mother was kept clean, well nourished, and hydrated. This was not a given without daily vigilance. The reality of the nursing home had been shocking, and she learned to keep an eye on other patients nearby who had no one to help.

  Molly and Shawn had struggled for years to pay bills and keep their lives moving forward. When their mother passed away, they inherited a small insurance fund. Molly went back to university to complete an education degree and became a music teacher at a venerable Catholic private school. She buried herself in her work. Weekend nights she had been the featured singer at the Blue Note for the last ten years.

  Sadly, Shawn chose hard drugs, bouncing in and out of rehab.

  Katherine’s heart went out to Molly all over again as they worked their way through her history. “Molly, you should feel proud of every effort you made to meet the challenges through the years. It hasn’t been easy.”

  “You are so fuckin’ right about that, my friend.”

  Katherine always wondered if Molly’s bad language was somehow her way of dealing with her frustrations. She had never been a smoker or a drinker, so maybe swearing was her outlet. Oddly, it never bothered Katherine. She just accepted it as Molly’s bad habit, like chewing fingernails, and she realized Molly only swore around certain people, never strangers or at work.

  As she refilled their glasses, Katherine rolled her eyes when Molly declared their evening was turning into a bit of a pity party.

  “Sometimes life is just plain exhausting,” said Katherine. “That’s never been more evident to me than in the last six months. My energy level has tanked. My doctor says I don’t have depression, but I’m definitely ‘down’ and need to ramp up the vitamin D.”

  Molly nodded. “I’ve noticed you haven’t been brimming with your usual positive attitude, but it will take time, Kat. Trust me on that.” Snorting, she added, “I’ve never been positive, so I don’t have to worry about getting that back!”

  “So what did you think of the e-mail I sent you this morning?” Katherine asked, happy to change the subject. “You didn’t respond.”

  “That’s why I dropped in tonight. I’ve been thinking about it all day,” Molly replied, her voice dropping a notch. “It’s a great idea, but I have a problem.” Putting her glass down, she took a deep breath and looked down at her lap. “I can go if we drive, but I can’t afford to fly.”

  Katherine was surprised with Molly’s obvious embarrassment. “Gosh, there’s not really time to drive, Molly. That would take up two days of the trip.”

  “Yeah, I realize that . . . just thought I would run it by you. I can’t afford the airfare. I’m humiliated to admit it, actually.”

  “Molly, what’s happened? I mean, I know you’ve had a tight budget paying off Shawn’s bills, but I thought it was manageable. I’m so sorry. Did you tell me before and I forgot?”

  “No,” Molly said softly, dropping her eyes as her face reddened. “I didn’t want to say anything with all you’ve been going through, but I’ve had a financial disaster.”

  “Oh no! Tell me what—”

  Molly interrupted as she stood and began pacing, “You know how the fucking stock market has been all over the place? Well, I just happened to have the bulk of my investments in a stock that bit the dust. It’s been solid for years, paying a good dividend. It’s not really anyone’s fault. The money manager I used was doing a good job and just didn’t see this coming.”

  “Oh, Molly, that’s awful! Will you be able to manage?”

  “It’s been two years since Shawn checked himself out of rehab and disappeared and the bills just keep rolling in,” Molly sighed. “I’m feeling the pinch and have to keep myself on a strict budget.”

  Katherine reached over. “Listen, I checked Porter Airlines today and they have great rates to Chicago. Let me pay. Please! You’ve been such a big help to me these last few months. Let this be my treat.”

  Molly’s face flushed with embarrassment, but before she could object, Katherine pleaded once more. “Trust me, Molly. I really want you to come with me. Please say you will.”

  “I just don’t feel right about it.”

  “Let me put it this way. This is the first thing I’ve felt something like excited about since ‘la Katastrophe,’ as you call it. I won’t go by myself and I don’t want to ask anyone else. How’s that?”

  Closing her eyes, Molly let the words sink in.

  “Okay, I’m in, thanks! Let’s go! I’ll treat us to dinner Saturday night, although it might just be pizza.”

  Katherine grinned and they high-fived. “Fantastic! Now I have to get back to the woman who sent the inquiry and confirm it. I told them I was interested and would let them know by tomorrow.”

  “The question is, can you put up with me twenty-four-seven?” Molly said.

  “It’s only a four-day exchange, so I think I can handle it,” Katherine chuckled.

  “Kat, seriously, you know I’m not always the best company. I’m moody, anal, unpredictable . . .”

  Interrupting her with a shush, Katherine looked intently at her friend. “Do you think I don’t know that after all these years?”

  “If you’re willing to take a chance, so am I. And over Easter weekend too! How convenient is that?”

  “Exactly! We don’t even need to take time off work.”

  Now that Molly was keen to go with her, Katherine finalized the arrangements and got busy making a booklet about her own house with guidance from Andrea. As well as instructions on how to operate the various appliances, she included public transit information, doctor, dentist, hospital details, her neighbor’s phone number, and the location of various shops and also downloaded a map of the area.

  She popped into her local bookstore and picked up two books about Toronto and the surrounding area. At the travel agent’s down the street, she collected brochures about sightseeing.

  Placing all the information in a wicker basket on the dining room table, she added a bottle of wine and a note saying there were special cheeses in the fridge.

  Katherine was ready for her first exchange.

  Molly had been right in her prediction. She wasn’t the best company.

  The weekend had started off well. The flight early Friday morning was quick and efficient and before noon they were settled into the condo. The concierge was aware of their pending arrival and had the keys ready for them.

  The apartment was immaculate. A bottle of wine and an information book were sitting on the coffee table, along with a box of chocolates from a local chocolatier, with a note addressed to Katherine.

  “Nice touch,” Molly commented as Katherine opened the box. “Here’s to your first exchange, Katski.”

  The condo was a short walk from Chicago’s renowned shopping area, the Magnificent Mile, and they decided to hit that first for lunch and some browsing. With Molly’s budget issues, they had agreed they were not shopping but had just as much fun checking out the area after all they had read about it.

  “I’m in such a funk about my finances. The very idea of shopping turns me off,” Molly confessed.

  “Well, I don’t feel I need any new clothes because nothing new is happening in my life. So there you go—retail therapy is not working for us at the moment.”

  Seeing such famous structures as the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, and the Old Chicago Water Tower District was a thrill. The Mag Mile did live up to its reputation.

  Twice during the afternoon Molly’s cell phone had rung, with the other party hanging up after a brief period of silence. Or so she said. She looked troubled but brushed it off
.

  By the time they got back to the condo, Molly was complaining that her feet hurt and she felt a headache coming on, and went to lie down.

  “Do you want me to wake you up for dinner?” Katherine asked.

  Molly muttered she would be up in time without a problem.

  She wasn’t.

  Tiptoeing into the darkened room a half hour before their reservation time, Kat whispered Molly’s name. Molly rolled over and groaned her apology. Disappointed but sympathetic, Katherine canceled their reservation and walked down the street to a nearby deli for a couple of takeout corned beef sandwiches.

  She watched television for an hour or so while she ate alone and put Molly’s sandwich in the fridge.

  The view across the vast city sparkled and twinkled as far as she could see from their twenty-second-floor perch. Looking around at the ultramodern decor and furnishings, she considered how different the choices were from the ones that she made for her home. There were moments it seemed rather odd knowing she was in another person’s home.

  As she climbed into bed with her book, she hoped Molly would feel better in the morning. It wasn’t exactly the way they had planned to spend the evening.

  Saturday morning they had eleven o’clock tickets for the architectural tour by boat that had been highly recommended by Dr. Henderson. The tour itself was interesting and educational, but the blustery weather made the ride turbulent. Molly was turning green, and just before they docked she dashed to the ladies’ room.

  “Oh God, Kat,” Molly sputtered when she finally emerged, “I am so seasick. I don’t think I can walk.”

  Leaning on Katherine, Molly hobbled down the gangplank and they hailed a cab.

  Molly went back to bed and Katherine walked down to the Art Institute on her own.

  Katherine was impressed with the building and its vast collection. Lingering where she chose, she couldn’t help being reminded how she once would have moved about galleries as James had wished.