Page 24 of Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure

“Well, that was an adventure.” Dora paused, still catching her breath. “We did say we wanted adventures, didn’t we? At least it won’t be boring or humdrum.”

Yvette took Ellie’s arm. “What about me, madame? Do I understand that you plan to stay in this place? You want to rent this villa?”

“That’s right,” Ellie said.

“Where am I to go? What am I to do?”

Ellie had almost forgotten about Yvette. She always made herself so inconspicuous, hanging back in the shadows. She had not even come into the villa to look at it, Ellie realized. She had been so captivated with her own excitement that she hadn’t realized its implications.

“Oh Yvette,” she said. “Yes, of course. Of course we’ll have to make arrangements for you.

What would you want to do? When my motor car is mended, I can take you back to Marseille and maybe you could find a job there, or maybe I could drive you to one of the Riviera resorts.

” She saw the panic in Yvette’s eyes. “Or ...” She paused, glancing at Dora and Mavis before she went on.

“You could stay here with us until the baby comes. Help us fix up the villa and make it beautiful again?” She stopped, hesitated, realizing that she hadn’t consulted the other two about this.

“If the other ladies are in agreement, of course?” she added.

She repeated what had been said in English for Mavis.

“Where else would the girl go at this stage?” Dora said. “And a pair of strong arms might be helpful, although in her condition she shouldn’t do too much. But she can help with the garden and the kitchen. We can train her to be a maid so that she has job prospects for after the child is born.”

“Right.” Ellie beamed, glad that Dora was willing to consider this. “And what about you, Mavis? What do you feel about all this?”

“I suppose the poor girl’s got to go somewhere,” Mavis said. “It probably ain’t her fault that she’s in the family way. I can show her how to do housework properly and maybe even teach her some cooking.”

“Wonderful. So it’s all settled.” She turned back to Yvette, who had been standing, her eyes moving from one speaker to the next, not understanding a word.

“Yvette,” she said. “If you wish, you may stay here with us. We will provide for you. Your food and a place to live. You will help us as much as you are able until the baby comes. What do you think of this idea?”

She saw relief on the girl’s face. “I am happy to hear this,” she said. “I was worried about where I could find a job until the baby comes. So I thank you. I am most grateful to you. You have been my angel, madame.”

“That’s good,” Ellie said. “And we will help you, too. We will try and contact the army to learn where your sweetheart is posted, and we can write to him for you. Maybe he’ll be happy to learn he is to be a father, and all will be well for you.”

Yvette did not look as relieved as Ellie thought she should. “Maybe,” she said. “But I can try to get in touch with him myself, madame.”

“You said you couldn’t read and write,” Dora said, frowning.

“Enough to compose a simple letter, madame. We all had to learn that much,” Yvette said. “And I’d even like to learn English if you ladies will help me.”

“Splendid,” Ellie said. “We will have English classes, and you will help Mavis learn French. It will be a time of growing and learning for all of us.”

They passed the rest of the day going for a walk around the cliffs, spending more time on the little beach, although Dora exclaimed to her regret that the last storm had made the temperature of the sea a little too cold, even for her.

“It may warm up again, if we get sunny days,” she said, “although in October I doubt it.” She stood at the water’s edge.

“I must acquire some new clothing, suitable for our lifestyle here. Sensible trousers and cotton skirts, I think. When the motor car is mended, I suggest we take a trip into Marseille.”

“We are assuming the owners will agree to this crazy scheme,” Ellie said. “If not, I don’t think we’d want to spend the winter in the pension.”

“That’s true,” Dora agreed. “Not exactly the most warm and welcoming of places.”

“I wonder how long it will take to make the villa liveable again?” Ellie said.

“I suppose it depends how many willing hands we can enlist,” Dora said, “And how much structural damage there is.”

“Oh dear, I don’t want to get my hopes up too much,” Ellie said, “but after this it will feel a letdown to rent an ordinary little house or flat in another seaside town. At least this gives me a sense of purpose ... the sort of challenge I haven’t had since I furnished our first house when we married.

” She smiled at the memory. “Lionel had come from a humble background and had lived in furnished rooms. He didn’t have much idea about good furniture and how to decorate.

So I did it all. I went to second-hand furniture shops and local auctions and found some nice pieces.

I chose wallpaper. My parents gave us things they no longer wanted, and when they died I inherited good antiques from them.

I loved the look of my sitting room ... ”

She broke off, staring out at the waves breaking on the shore. An image of that serene room with its bowls of flowers and grand piano swam into her head.

“And that fool didn’t appreciate what you’d done for him,” Dora said. “Raised him to the middle class, that’s what you did. Taught him how to act with our sort of people, I expect.”

“Oh, he’d learned a thing or two at his accountancy training and the bank when I met him,” Ellie said.

“But just not the niceties of social life.” She gave a little sigh.

“I hope Michelle knows how to give dinner parties, not only how to cook and keep everything hot to be served at the right moment but how to be the gracious hostess at the same time, making it look effortless.”

“I expect they’ll hire a cook,” Dora said. “She’ll get through his money quite quickly.”

“I expect she will.” Ellie had to laugh. “I should feel sorry for him, but I don’t.”

“Of course not,” Mavis said. “He was the one what let you down. He treated you badly. And you’re getting the last laugh on him. Look at you—happy as a sandboy.”

Ellie looked down at her bare feet, now covered in sand. “That’s an apt image, Mavis. Yes, I am truly happy at the moment.”

They repeated the order of the previous day. When they returned, sun-kissed and sandy from the beach, they were met with a disapproving glare from Mrs Adams.

“I don’t want sand brought into my house,” she said.

“Of course not,” Dora said. “Where would you like us to rinse off our legs, then?”

“I’ll bring a bucket outside for you,” Mrs Adams said.

“I’m surprised you don’t have a tap,” Dora said. “After all, I expect most of your guests go to the beach from time to time, especially if they have children.”

Mrs Adams didn’t reply to this, and Ellie got the feeling that she was just looking for a way to be critical.

“So how long do you think you’ll be staying, then?” she asked. “When is the motor car supposed to be ready?”

“When Louis has time to finish it,” Ellie said, “but we may be staying on longer.”

She watched the woman’s face change, her brain quickly working that she might have guests for the off-season.

“Well, in that case,” she said, “we can probably find you better rooms. More comfortable. With heating.”

“And why weren’t we offered those before?” Dora asked.

“They are reserved for our long-term guests,” Mrs Adams said smoothly.

“And they weren’t made up. We keep a few rooms ready just in case, but they are simple to take care of for us.

But now you might be staying on, I’d be happy to show you .

.. They are in the annex at the back. Nice and private.

There’s even a little parlour between two of the rooms.”

“We might be needing them,” Ellie said. “We are waiting for news.” She didn’t say any more, leaving Mrs Adams curious but not about to pry.

They enjoyed an afternoon rest, tea in the conservatory and dinner chez Henri—this time a rabbit casserole.

Ellie found it hard to sleep, her emotions stretched as tight as violin strings.

She wanted the villa so much. She truly believed that it was a sign from above, or maybe from the opera singer, that she should live there and make it beautiful again.

She lay looking up at the ceiling and wondered if it would be acceptable to pray about such a thing.

She had gone to church every Sunday, had been a devoted member of the churchwomen’s guild in charge of flowers and the annual fete.

She had said the prayers and sung the hymns, but she wondered now how much she believed.

There had been her father, the vicar, who loved to preach about the wages of sin being death, not about a God who loved everybody and wanted them to be happy. Ellie wanted to believe this herself.

“If you’re up there and actually can hear us,” she said into the darkness, “I really would like the chance to live in that villa. Can you make it happen? I’ve been good all my life, I think.

I’ve never tried to hurt anybody, and I’ve done my duty, so if you could work just this one little miracle, I’d be most grateful. ”

Then a sudden thought came to her: Does one have to pray in French when in France? This made her laugh, and the tension was broken. Whatever was going to happen, it was good.

Ellie didn’t know how long it would take to get a response from the new owners of the villa.

She couldn’t understand why anyone would not want it restored, or why they had not wanted to live in it themselves.

Maybe they lived in another country, they had moved to America or somewhere halfway around the world, in which case it would take weeks to get a reply.

But shortly after breakfast, Monsieur Danton arrived.

“There’s the notaire come to see you,” Mrs Adams announced. She lingered, hoping to hear what the notaire might want with a group of Englishwomen.

“Thank you, Mrs Adams,” Ellie said. “Please show him in here.”

Monsieur Danton entered. Ellie couldn’t read from his face whether it was good news or bad.

“I presented your offer to the guardian of the estate,” he said, speaking so slowly and formally that Ellie wanted to shake him.

“He was intrigued. I would have expected him to say no, knowing his feelings about the villa, but to my surprise he seemed quite amused that you would take this on. He says you have three months in which you pay no rent, but after that you agree to rent it for one year at a price to be decided based on the current value of the house.”

He saw Ellie about to object to this but went on, “He did state that the rent should be a reasonable one and not what one would expect in Antibes or Saint-Tropez. He understands that you are widows, alone without the protection of a man. He was, if I may say so, remarkably reasonable considering my former dealings with him.”

“So when can we start?”

“I have brought the keys with me,” he said. “And the owner wishes you bonne chance. And I believe he actually laughed.”

“I see. He expects us to fail,” Ellie said. “We’ll get it to a certain level but won’t be able to complete the project, and then he’ll get a house he can finish by paying his workmen.”

“I can assure you he has shown no interest in finishing the villa until now,” Monsieur Danton said. “I just believe the prospect amuses him. Perhaps he is bored, and he needs something to pique his interest.”

He reached into his briefcase and brought out the bunch of keys, which he solemnly handed over to Ellie. “I also wish you bonne chance, madame,” he said. “I think you will need it.”