Page 47 of Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure
“Like Sleeping Beauty?” he asked. “A magic enchantment?”
“That was exactly what I felt. I somehow knew I was supposed to wake it up again. I’m sure that sounds silly and sentimental.”
“Not at all,” he said. “I’m a great believer in intuition. Maybe you were destined to come to this place—your car breaking down at the right moment, and then the villa.” He clapped his hands with joy, like a small child. “How utterly exciting. You must let us help you. You couldn’t find anyone who knows more about painting than Clive. He can help you choose colours. Shall you be getting new furniture? Is the villa empty?”
“No. That’s the strange thing. All the furniture is in place. Under dustsheets. Some of it has damage from mice or moths or something, and of course we didn’t look at it all, but I think most of it can be resurrected.”
“Then I’m your man for that,” he said. “I’ve upholstered many a chair in my life. And made cushions. We have a sewing machine you’re welcome to use.”
“How splendid,” Dora said, joining in the conversation. “I’m no good at sewing myself, except for mending things, but I expect that Mrs Endicott is.”
“And me,” Mavis said. “I’ve done a good bit of sewing in my life, ain’t I, Mrs E.?”
“You have, Mavis. You made my last lot of curtains.”
“Then we’ll go on a lovely shopping spree into Marseille or Toulon and buy lots of delicious fabrics,” Mr Tommy said. “I can hardly wait.”
“First I’m afraid it’s a lot of hard work cleaning and stripping old wallpaper and patching leaks,” Ellie said. “We’re on our way to see Louis to find out what he could help us with and who else might be useful. I was told there is a so-called simple boy whom we could employ.”
“Bruno? Oh, he’d love to help you. Not exactly a boy any more. Maybe late twenties, but still with a child’s mind and a sweet nature, too. And strong. Perfect for you.”
He insisted on accompanying them to Louis’s workshop. The man looked up as they came in.
“Ah, the ladies, ever impatient for their motor car. It will be ready any moment, madame, I promise you.”
“We came about something different,” Ellie said. “We have decided to rent the Villa Gloriosa.”
Louis frowned. “The old villa? The ruin?”
Ellie nodded. “It’s not a ruin. It just needs fixing up. We wondered if you might be the man to help us. The roof needs repairing. The windows need resealing. Lots of repainting to be done, and goodness knows whether the stove and the water heating still work. Would you have time to do any of those?”
Louis was staring at her as if he was summing her up. “You are sure about this? It is not a foolish dream that can never be accomplished? You will perhaps walk away when you find it is too much?”
“I don’t think so,” Ellie said. “If we found that the roof was about to collapse or that there were termites in all the wood, then perhaps we would have to agree that it was too much for us. But at first glance it seems sound enough, only in need of care.”
He was nodding as she spoke. “I could take a look, I suppose,” he said. “See what parts of it I could help with. But you’d have to understand if there is an emergency in the village, if a tractor suddenly breaks down or a water pipe bursts, then I would have to attend to that.”
“I quite understand.” Ellie also nodded now. “But you’ll come and take a look?”
“When would this be?”
“We have the keys. I thought we’d go up there tomorrow morning.”
“Then I’ll have time to finish this radiator first,” Louis said. “Although now it is not so urgent, since you will not be going away.”
The next morning Louis, Mr Tommy and Clive accompanied them up to the villa.
“I don’t see myself going up and down these steps every day,” Louis said. “I’m not as young as I used to be. And I certainly weigh a lot more. But since my house is just outside the village, I can come up the driveway on my motorbike and that way bring my tools with me.”
Ellie stood outside the tall metal gate and put the key in the lock. It turned. The gate swung open, and she gave a little gasp as she stepped inside.My new home.The words rang in her head.
“Oh my,” Tommy said again. “Look at that, Clive. You should paint it now before anything is done to it.”
Clive smiled. “It is charming. I had no idea. Quite charming. I’ll bring my paints up tomorrow.”
“I hope you’re going to have time to help with the sort of painting we need,” Dora said. “Walls and furniture.”
“I don’t actually see myself as a labourer,” Clive said, “but I will advise you on colours.”
