Page 19 of A Mother’s Love
Halley saw the guardian watching her as they drove in. He was standing in his open door staring at her before she could ring the bell. She walked over to him and introduced herself, and he looked as though he wanted to snarl at her, but didn’t. She knew his name was Henri Laurent.
“I’m very pleased to be here and meet you,” she said, as he continued to gaze at her suspiciously.
“The realtor told me that you would give me the keys,” she said in French.
She spoke it adequately after studying it in private school before her father died and again in college.
She still remembered a little from her mother, but had forgotten most of it since she was so young then.
She continued to be pleasant to the guardian despite his unfriendly welcome.
“I don’t know why they rented the place,” he growled at her.
He had a five-day beard stubble, and he didn’t look clean to her.
His hands were dirty, and the wool shirt he wore under a battered down jacket made him look even more unkempt.
She stood there, waiting for the keys, and he reluctantly went inside to get them.
She realized that he had a dog, and heard it more than saw it, but she hoped it was a good dog and would protect them.
The dog came out a minute later, and Halley saw that it was a pit bull.
She could never understand people who owned them.
What was the point of having a dog who would terrify the residents of the house as well as strangers?
It seemed to reflect his own attitude, unnecessarily aggressive.
“Is the alarm on?” she asked him over her shoulder after he handed her the keys, and he laughed.
“You don’t need an alarm, and no, it’s not.
Medor here will keep you safe. You have no enemies in Paris.
Why do you need an alarm?” She didn’t answer.
He stood in the doorway watching her again, as she went to the main door of the house and unlocked it with the keys.
She groped for the lights in the front hall, located them and turned them on, and found herself in the elegant front hall of a small but exquisite classically decorated house.
There was a black-and-white marble floor in the entrance hall, an antique Japanese screen, and handsome black lacquer chairs.
She turned on the lights to explore the main floor.
There were two sitting rooms which adjoined each other, and a wood-paneled library with a fireplace.
Each room had one with an antique marble mantel.
There was a graceful staircase which led to the upper floors.
The dining room and kitchen were on the floor above, there was an elevator she didn’t take, and the master suite was on the floor above that, with a large bedroom, sitting room, and dressing rooms, and two big marble bathrooms. On the top floor were four bedrooms she didn’t need and wouldn’t use.
It would have been perfect if the twins were coming.
The rooms were well proportioned with beautiful windows and curtains.
It was a small house but perfectly laid out and beautifully done.
She realized then that she needed the alarm code from Henri so she could use it.
She knew from the realtor’s information that there was a laundry room in the basement with three rooms for the help, and storage, and there was a large well-stocked wine cellar.
It was a lovely house in excellent condition, and she could see easily from the furniture and art that the owners had great taste.
They were at their home in Morocco for three months.
She would have loved to entertain there if she knew anyone in Paris, but she didn’t.
She thought instantly how much Robert would have loved it, even more than the Ritz.
Despite its elegance, the house had a warm inviting feeling.
She came back down the stairs to the main floor, after she checked out all three upper floors, and found Henri Laurent standing in the formal living room with the dog, which made Halley uneasy.
Henri grudgingly helped her driver get her bags upstairs in the elevator.
He said something under his breath she didn’t understand and then left with the dog, and the driver left a few minutes later, after giving her his card so she could request a car whenever she wanted one.
She had them on an on-call basis. She looked around nervously after they all left.
The house was beautifully furnished, and so tastefully done.
It was more space than she needed, but she smiled as she looked around her home for the next two weeks.
Her Paris adventure had begun. Other than the creepy-looking, somewhat surly guardian, the house was perfect for her.
It was even prettier than the photographs, and it was in a very desirable neighborhood, with antique shops and art galleries all around.
She needed groceries, but other than that, she had everything she needed.
The housekeeper had left her enough for breakfast. It was exactly what she’d wanted, and hoped for, and more.
A little shiver of anticipation ran up her spine.
She had actually done it. She had come to Paris.
She felt very brave, and very lucky with the house.
She couldn’t ask for more. Her Paris adventure was off to a perfect start, except for an unpleasant guardian.
But who cared about him? Halley didn’t. She was thrilled to be in Paris and couldn’t wait to go out and look around.