I Promise You This (Love in Provence Book 3) (12 page)

She knew where her heart was, and she would try her best to follow wherever it led. “I can do this. I can do this.”

There was something else on her mind as they listened to music. She had to take the chance.

In among her parents’ albums were a few that had belonged to her. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Gordon Lightfoot, Carole King, James Taylor—even some Bob Dylan, which she was going to take to Simone.

There was one album in particular she had rediscovered this week. It was an LP titled
Avalon Sunset
from 1989. On it there was one song that had perhaps signaled a warning about James, which she had ignored. He’d always hated it and said it was the sappiest song he had ever heard. She’d never told him how she felt about it.

Now she put the album on the turntable and placed the needle to that song. “Tell me what you think of this,” she said as Van Morrison began singing “Have I Told You Lately.”

She turned up the music and took Philippe into her arms. They danced the slowest dance, melting into each other as the words of the love song filled the room. Nothing was said, but their bodies spoke with passion as they became ever more intimately entwined.

From time to time they kissed, but mostly they let the words and the music wrap around them.

“I’ve never heard that song,” Philippe said. “It’s beautiful. The words were written for us.”

Katherine buried her face in his shoulder and held him tightly. “I always hoped someday that song would have meaning for me, because until this moment it never did. Even though I desperately wanted it to.”

They played it again and again.

“I could never listen to it before without feeling sad,” Kat told him. “Now it means the world to me.”

Kat wondered if somehow the love her parents had shared as they danced to these songs was with them as she and Philippe began this new chapter.

“To think we might have missed all this,” he whispered.

“What if I had never come to France on those exchanges? What would have happened to us?”

“Let’s not even think about that.”

They stayed on the sofa a while longer, listening to music and talking about how the next few months might unfold.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Katherine wakened slowly. A smile played on her lips before her eyes opened. Pure bliss was the only feeling she could identify. She slipped her hand from under the covers and held it in front of her as she admired the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. She rubbed the band between her fingers and moved the ring up and down, examining it from every angle.

She wasn’t sure what to call it.
Does an engagement ring confirm you are getting married? Is it a promise ring?
She didn’t know and she didn’t care. Philippe said they would be together forever. She had agreed. Nothing else mattered.

She felt more serene at this moment than any time she could remember. Her smile spread.

Murmurings of Philippe’s voice filtered up the stairs. He’d kissed Kat’s forehead lightly when he’d gotten up at 5:00 a.m. “Good old jet lag . . .” Kat muttered before she rolled over and fell back asleep.

Now she got up, wrapped her cozy robe around her, and slipped her feet into her fleece-lined slippers—her papoochkis. She chuckled.

“Good morning, Minou,
mon amour
, the woman I will love for the rest of my life.”

“
Bonjour, mon
Chou,
mon amour
, the man I will love for the rest of my life.”

Kat kissed him on each cheek and then twirled around, waving her hand to show off the ring. He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

“Is everything fine at the market with Gilles?”

“Yes, we had everything well organized when I left. I just spoke with him.
Pas de problème
.”

“Let’s call Adorée and tell her our news!”

Philippe broke into a wide grin.
“D’accord!”

Their conversation with Philippe’s daughter was exuberant. “We’re going to be a family!” Adorée cried with delight. “I’ll come home for a weekend in February! Will you be back then, Kat?”

Philippe answered before Kat could speak. “We don’t know, so don’t plan anything yet. Kat has a lot to take care of here. Just be happy for us now and we will let you know what is going to happen.”

“Whenever! I’m so thrilled for you both!
Félicitations, Papa!
Congratulations, Kat!”

After they hung up, Kat thanked Philippe for smoothing over what might have been an awkward moment.

“
Pas de tout!
There is no need to rush anything.”

While Katherine prepared their favorite, poached eggs, Philippe went upstairs and returned with a file folder. “But then, speaking of rushing, I went online last week and found all the paperwork we must complete for you to live in France. Now I’m worried you will feel I’m pushing you.”

Kat looked apologetic. “I’m sorry I put you on the defensive with all my earlier angst. Really, it was very thoughtful of you to do this.”

“I’ve written the letter I need to give them at the French consulate here, and this is a list of what is required from you.”

They looked over the list while they ate and made plans to visit the consulate in Toronto the next day. Katherine needed to photocopy a few documents, but otherwise the process looked quite simple.

“Ha! Knowing French bureaucracy,” Philippe muttered, “we may have some surprises. We will hope for the best.”

After a leisurely breakfast, Philippe got behind the wheel of Kat’s car, and they began the hour or so drive to Andrea’s farm.

The sky, gray and heavy with clouds, did nothing to dampen their high spirits. Katherine kept waving her hand around, admiring her ring from every angle and making Philippe laugh at her obvious pleasure.

“You make me feel like a young man again,” he told her.

Speeding along on Highway 401, they became engrossed in their plans for the Cap d’Antibes property. Philippe gamely asked Kat to walk through every room of the villa in her imagination and describe her vision. Then he would incorporate his.

“How and when are we ever going to get it done with all these ideas?” Katherine asked, laughing at some of the more outrageous fantasies they were spinning. “Let’s go back to our original idea of keeping it simple.”

They had always envisioned a simple French-country look and agreed that had not changed. “You mean no crystal chandeliers, Persian carpets, and double-size Jacuzzi bathtubs with gold faucets?” Philippe said, attempting to keep a straight face.

Katherine snorted. “I guess we did get carried away just now. That is so not us!”

“We can have some weekend excursions to the antique markets in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. We’ll find some unique pieces there. You’ll love it!” he told her.

Eventually there would be six guest rooms, but they would begin with two in the original part of the villa, along with public areas for serving breakfast and relaxing, plus their own private rooms. The remaining four guest rooms would be in the attached structure that had once been the barn. Philippe reassured Kat, “Didier says that part of the job will take another year, but it will not interfere with our use of the rest of the space.”

Katherine’s heart quickened at the thought of beginning this new adventure. Philippe’s support and calm approach to her conflict about “home” were already helping her feel better about how things might work out. Lots of couples carried on long-distance relationships, so maybe that’s what they would do for part of the year.

They spoke about financing and other realities that had only been touched upon in their short time together. Philippe had always told her he had everything under control and Kat had felt awkward about getting involved in the details when they were simply living together.

Now that they’d made this commitment to each other, she wanted that to change.

“I want to be included in every aspect of our life together, and that includes our financial situation. We are full partners now, and I want to contribute.
D’accord?
”

Philippe smiled in agreement. “Let’s have a business meeting tomorrow night when we are back at the house.”

In no time, they reached the turnoff to St. Jacobs.

“Agriculture is alive and well here, from small organic gardens to much larger farms,” Katherine explained. “It reminds me a bit of some parts of Provence.”

Record snowfalls and frigid temperatures kept the winter palette pristine in the countryside around St. Jacobs. No melting thaws had tarnished the whiteness of everything, cloaking the entire landscape in quiet and snow. There was a sense of stillness and tranquility across the broad expanse of farmland. Red barns and deep-green forests provided contrast in otherwise perfectly composed black-and-white images.

Philippe pulled the car over to the shoulder of the narrow road as best he could, given the snowbanks, whenever Kat spotted a scene she wanted to capture. “They are fields of inspiration today . . .” she murmured, looking through her lens.

He loved to watch her work with her camera, as he often told her. “I’m eager to get our website up and running to showcase your photos! Gilles and I began making a list of some cheese-making farms for us to visit too.”

Kat laughed. “FromageGraphie! I’ve been thinking about it also. Especially during quiet times at the hospital. I can’t wait to hear what you have come up with.”

They were distracted just then by the sight of a horse-drawn buggy turning onto the road a little ahead of them. A black wooden cab protected the occupants.

Driving slowly over the snowy roads, Philippe was intrigued as Kat explained local Mennonite history. “Look at the wheels of the buggy,” she told him. “See how they’re steel? That indicates this family follows the religion to the letter.”

Philippe shot her a quizzical look.

Kat continued. “The issue of metal or rubber tires is one that seriously divided the community. I’ll get Terrence to better explain. They have good friends who are Mennonite, and I’ve been fascinated through the years learning about their culture.”

“They live simply, do they not? We have Amish in the Alsace region.”

“Exactly,” Kat replied. “Terrence and Andrea’s friend, Samuel, once explained that their religion was not relegated simply to written creed and church ideology. He said it was a sacred canopy that stretches over daily life. Isn’t that a beautiful way to describe it? Even for a nonbeliever.”

“Religion. It’s hard to say what’s best; it kind of speaks two languages. We have a similar situation in France. Only much more political. Adhering to cultural traditions speaks of community and identity—solidarity. On the other hand, it draws boundaries between the faith and the larger society.”

Their conversation was interrupted by their arrival at their first stop. The St. Jacobs farmers’ market was humming with activity, and finding a parking spot was a challenge. Kat described how shocking it was when the original extensive wooden structure had burned to the ground a year earlier.

The market had been a landmark for a century and a half. Now it was functioning under a massive tent until a new market was built.

“We won’t have time to explore it all, but let’s go check out some of the cheese vendors.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Just before noon, they turned onto the long driveway leading to Andrea and Terrence’s farmhouse. The snowbanks lining the drive were so high that the normally protruding grasses and willow bushes were nowhere to be seen.

Katherine grinned as she pointed at the crowded activity around the bird feeders near the porch. Black-capped chickadees fluttered about, upside-down nuthatches waited their turns, and ground-feeding slate-colored juncos taunted the squirrels waiting to muscle their way through.

As they got out of the car, Kat pointed out tracks in the snow to Philippe. “Andrea and Terrence must have been out snowshoeing this morning. I tried that once and was a total flop at it. I literally spent as much time lying in the snow as I did walking on it. Give me skis anytime.”

Philippe laughed. “All this snow is making me think we should plan a ski trip next year. I promised to take you to the Haute-Savoie for
tartiflette
.”

“Oh, let’s do that! Denise and Armand can join us—without any stress this time!”

“
Bonne idée!
We will make it happen.”

The side door opened, and two border collies roared across the porch and down the stairs to wildly circle the visitors. Terrence stepped outside and blew a whistle. The black-and-white blurs dropped to the ground and didn’t move. Then he blew another command and the dogs hustled into the house.

Katherine and Philippe laughed as Terrence said, “You just met Frick and Frack. They have an endless abundance of typical border-collie energy. Fortunately they are great about responding to whistle commands.”

“Cool! Those are the rescue dogs I met on Skype, right? They were much quieter for the camera.”

Philippe was busy giving the dogs a good rub as Andrea said, “They’re very good in the house. But as soon as they go out the door, they go crazy and think they need to herd everything and everyone.”

The topic of excitement switched immediately from dogs to diamonds when Katherine—shy but joyful—presented her hand to Andrea. Lunch was a celebratory affair as they toasted the surprise of Kat’s stunning ring and talked about the future.

“We’re so happy for both of you,” Andrea and Terrence told them. “The story of how you came into each other’s lives is like something out of a romance novel. You’ve renewed our faith in life offering wonderful opportunities no matter what age we are. We can’t wait to see what happens next.”

“As soon as Molly is stable and we know what the rehab plan is for her, Kat promises she will come back to France,” Philippe told them. “I have to return next week, but I haven’t booked my flight yet. I want to make certain everything is fine here first.”

Katherine looked pensive. “Dr. Primeau told me that Monday will be a critical day for Molly after all the test results are in. They can’t figure out why her speech is so affected. He told me she will have to be in a wheelchair for a while. Her shoulder injury won’t allow her to use crutches.”

Much of lunchtime was consumed by talk about Molly’s injuries and how they might have an impact on her future.

“I’ve never been more aware than right now of how alone Molly is,” Katherine admitted. “She has no family. I’m the only person she is close to—except, I guess, Father DeCarlo, and then you guys.”

“Terrence and I have talked about it,” Andrea said, “and we will do whatever we can to help her. We can even bring her here once she’s discharged.”

They all nodded thoughtfully, and Terrence smiled. “Well, let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

Kat and Philippe went on to describe their plans for the villa. “We know the restoration work will happen in stages and that it won’t be finished for a year or two. But we hope we might be able to open with two guest rooms in the autumn.”

Philippe explained that there was no question they would have their own small organic garden. “Practically everyone in France, even with just a little patch of property, has a
potager
. We’re only going to serve breakfast at our inn, so we want herbs and a few vegetables. We’ll keep it simple.”

“I’ve learned that the French have always been masters of the kitchen garden,” Katherine said.

Philippe added, “They’ve intermingled veggies, herbs, fruit, and flowers since medieval times, kind of like an English country garden, except the focus is on veggies rather than flowers. The
potager
is more about a complicity with nature rather than a need for order.”

“And chickens! There will be chickens for our fresh eggs!” Kat’s eyes lit up, and her voice crackled with enthusiasm. “I don’t know why I’m so excited about that, but I am! You know I’ve always loved your chickens.”

Philippe laughed as he enjoyed Kat’s elation. “She’s turning a project that could easily be filled with frustration into an exciting adventure. She’s making me feel like a kid again!”

“So you’ll have to bring your gardening expertise with you and help us get started. Promise you will!” Kat and Andrea locked pinkie fingers to seal the promise. Philippe gave them a quizzical look, and they explained their childhood tradition of sealing a promise.

After lunch, the men went on a tour of the barns and greenhouses. The minute they were out the door, Andrea turned to Kat. “What a surprise your ring is! How’re you really feeling about it? Did you confess to Philippe how you were worried about moving to France for good? I hope you got those feelings out of your system!”

Katherine gave her the short version of their talks. She explained how Philippe had been understanding and supportive. “And then, in that sultry, sexy French-accented English of his, he told me he understood. He really tried to soothe my fears. Honestly, I’ve come out the other side of my angst feeling stronger than ever.”

“But you haven’t talked about marriage? Isn’t this an engagement ring? What about a wedding? I guess I’m still too old-fashioned, but . . .”

“Marriage isn’t as big a deal in France as it is here. To be honest, we haven’t even talked about it. What we do talk about is the depth of our love for each and our commitment to staying together forever—and he did bring all the documentation we need for me to live in France.”

Her cousin nodded thoughtfully and shrugged. “That sounds like commitment to me. You’re right. The bottom line is what is important to both of you.”

“I remember a conversation I had with Molly when I was first falling in love with Philippe. He hadn’t said he loved me, and I was all hung up on that. Molly made a valid point about what she called the ‘L word.’ I’ve never forgotten her reminding me that people often tell someone they love them while they are screwing around with someone else. She said it’s not the words but the actions that count. Another lesson learned the hard way. She was right.”

“Yes, she is,” Andrea agreed.

The remainder of the day was spent relaxing by a roaring fire in the massive fieldstone fireplace in the family room. Katherine insisted Andrea pull out old photo albums and family videos going back to their childhoods so that Philippe could be fully indoctrinated into their family history.

Before dusk fell, they drove Philippe around the area, pointing out landmarks of the Mennonite community, including the quaint covered bridge of West Montrose. “This is about the best we can do with ancient history around here,” they explained with a chuckle.

They stopped at a local inn on the main street of St. Jacobs for dinner. Philippe was introduced to some traditional dinner selections that involved a lot of melt-in-your-mouth pork dishes and sauerkraut, accompanied by crispy-crusted warm bread. To top off the meal, they ordered one slice of sweet and gooey shoofly pie, with four forks, for dessert.

Sunday morning Philippe was treated to a full farmer’s breakfast, with fresh eggs, homemade sausage, and smoked bacon, accompanied by home fries cooked in duck fat. “The secret to the best-tasting potatoes,” Terrence said, adding, “I believe your countrymen introduced that to Canada, Philippe.
Merci beaucoup
for that.”

Philippe agreed that this was no secret in France.

Kat and Andrea shooed the men out of the house again. Terrence was taking Philippe to visit the goat cheese farm up the road.

The women settled into the cushions of a window seat in the kitchen, steaming mugs of tea in hand. “Honestly, Andie, this situation with Molly’s accident has made me so aware of how we need to make certain we have people in our life who truly care about us. It’s reinforced the need to establish meaningful relationships throughout our life, inside and outside our families, because families can change as time goes by.”

“Yup! We should always have someone who can advocate for us and vice versa. No question,” Andrea agreed.

“It’s also caused me to be vividly aware of how quickly the years are flying by. I’ve been feeling like a real boomer through all this. I’m so glad Philippe is here; age becomes meaningless with him.”

Andrea smiled. “Age is just a number. Especially when we’re blessed with the healthy genes we appear to have. Don’t ever forget that, and don’t worry about Molly. Thanks to her friendship with you, we’ll always be here for her. I had never thought about how alone she was before.”

Katherine hugged her. “That makes me feel better.”

Taking her cousin’s hand in hers, Andrea asked, “I’m sorry to be a pest about this. You said this morning that you were feeling less anxious about moving away for good. I just want to be reassured.”

Katherine patted her hand. “Don’t worry. I know I still have some work to do. Philippe gets how difficult it is for me to make this break and is completely supportive. What I feel now is a clearer understanding that rather than leaving things behind, I’ll be taking them with me. They will always be part of me.”

Andrea’s eyes glistened. “Exactly, my sweet Katherine. Home is where you want it to be. What you want from the past will stay with you, and you’ll build on that. We’ll miss you terribly, but as we know, time passes quickly. And we’ll visit each other every year. Promise?”

“Promise! And I’m not leaving any time soon, so don’t make this sound like good-bye!”

Andrea laughed. “I didn’t mean to do that. Honestly, I’m excited for you. I hope you don’t take too long to make up your mind!”

Kat left her mother’s letter with Andrea, who assured her that Andrew would treasure it. Kat had already spoken with him on the phone about it and was pleased with her decision. Elisabeth and Jozsef’s story would live on.

On the drive back into the city, Katherine asked, “Is there anything specific you’d like to see in Toronto? Anything special you want to do?”

He listened thoughtfully and then replied, “Even though we’re building a life together in France, Toronto is always going to be part of your past and your future. We’ll come back every year, if you like.”

“There you go being thoughtful again—and next time we’ll come in warmer weather!”

“Here’s what I suggest. Let’s not worry about touring now. We can save that for our next visit. Going out into the countryside, as we just did, was great! Plus, I’m getting a decent look at the city as we go back and forth to the hospital.”

With an impish grin, Kat added, “And besides, you would rather not have subarctic conditions.
N’est-ce pas?
”

Philippe mimicked intense shivering, and Katherine laughed in agreement.

“
Honnêtement
, visiting St. Jacobs was very special. It was an interesting contrast to the busy streets of Toronto. I could feel the organic connection between community and land, even under all that snow, and I liked it very much.
Tu as raison
, there’s a feeling of Provence there.”

Kat was reminded how different Philippe’s approach to travel was in contrast to Nick’s. Nick knew all the facts and historical details. Philippe knew a lot about that too, but focused more on the philosophical and organic connection of the French to their culture, the land, and virtually every aspect of life: their
art de vivre
. The
terroir
. It was about the loving care that goes into the
pâtisseries
, the wine, the markets, high fashion, and of course cheese, as she learned so well from Philippe.