natural curiosity won out.
“Jack…”
“All right, all right. Remember the perfume lab at the factory? You have an appointment with the ‘nose,’ the master perfumer, to make your own signature fragrance.”
“Really?” She flung her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “I read about that online but didn’t think I’d have the chance to do that. It doesn’t cost too much, does it?”
He hugged her back. “Not at all. It is a popular tourist outing and no trouble to arrange. We have time for coffee but not anything else,” he said regretfully.
She handed him the thermos. “Drink up. I’ll model my new perfume for you later.”
“Your perfume and nothing else.”
She giggled and soon they were in the little white car heading toward the village.
Jack parked near the perfume factory and they quickly found the perfume master, an elegant woman in her fifties with a gray-streaked blond bob and skin that would have looked great on a woman half her age. Probably kept out of the sun and had an inside track on wonderful botanical products.
Jack introduced them. “Simone Laurent is the best nose in the business. The House of Laurent is built on her skill.”
“I’m so excited,” Lily told her. “The world of perfume is fascinating, especially when you grow so many of your own ingredients right here in Provence.”
Simone smiled. “We are indeed fortunate to have such a perfect climate for the flowers and plants—our own corner of paradise.”
“I love it here.” Lily squeezed Jack’s hand. “The sun, the blue skies and hot, dry air. I’m from Philadelphia, and it’s very humid there. Much of the city was built on a swamp. They even had the largest yellow-fever outbreak in American history.”
Jack smiled. “Fortunately I’ve had my shots for that, so I will be safe.”
Did that mean that he was coming to visit her there? Her heart gave a funny thump, and she smiled up at him. “The Liberty Bell is always a fun sight.”
Simone was already leading them down the hall. “Come, come, we have work to do.” She ushered them into a laboratory-type space with a large white desk and several dark brown glass bottles on shelves lining the walls. “This is the perfume laboratory. Nothing but the highest quality oils and essences for the House of Laurent.” Simone pulled out a clipboard and paper. “We will write down your final choice and keep it on file. Whenever you need a new bottle, you can call us and we will mix it to order. Now tell me which fragrances you like and which you dislike.”
Lily thought for a second. “Not roses.” Mrs. Wyndham loved fresh roses in the house and she always associated that scent with her.
“Good.” Simone made a note. “What else?”
“I like vanilla.” The elderly pastry chef who’d preceded Stan had always made sugar cookies for Lily.
“A good, warm base.”
“And in honor of my trip to Provence, I thought I could have some lavender in the blend.”
“Lavender?” Simone smiled. “Excellent. We have the best lavender oil in the world here in Provence. And the best of the best comes from the de Brissard estate.”
“Really?” She turned to Jack in excitement. “You’re helping harvest the best lavender in the world. Doesn’t that make you proud?”
“Hot and sweaty more than anything,” he quipped. “But yes, we are undeniably proud of that lavender.”
Simone grinned widely. “Family-owned since 1323. Isn’t that correct, Jacques?”
Lily gasped in amazement. “That long. What a sense of history. Jack, maybe I should do a blog post on the de Brissard family.”
He shifted from foot to foot. “I wouldn’t bother. They have always been an extremely boring lot. But a blog post about Simone and the factory would be very interesting.”
Simone smiled. “We are always looking for good publicity, especially to introduce our name and creations to North American buyers.”
“I’m writing for Fashionista Magazine.” It still sent a thrill through her to say that.
“Congratulations. My daughter enjoys that magazine. Me, I cannot read fashion magazines because of all the perfume samples mixing together. Overwhelming for a woman like me.” She laughed and reached for a plain brown bottle. “But here we have the de Brissard lavender.” She uncapped the bottle and dropped a couple drops of the oil on a paper strip about six inches long. She let it dry for a few seconds and handed it to Lily.
Lily took a cautious sniff and her head almost spun from the concentrated essence. She was immediately thrown back in time to their afternoon in the lavender