Read Online Paris Summer by April Lynn Kihlstrom - Free Book Online

yourself in Paris?”
Jacques asked. “Or perhaps you are not staying long?”
    Jeanne broke in, “No, Jacques, Janine has been
telling us how much she loves Paris. I don’t think she
will mind seeing it without her sister!”
    Again the mysterious reference to Rena, the
puzzling hostile undercurrent. Janine hesitated, then
said, “In principle, I am here to visit most of Europe in
the next few months. But frankly I am in no hurry to
leave Paris.”
    “Why did you not go with your sister to Switzerland?” Jacques asked. “Then you would not have to
travel there alone later.”
    Janine laughed. “Never! Rena and I can never agree
on hotels or restaurants or places to visit. I prefer small,
inexpensive hotels, but Rena likes to be very comfortable. And she likes very expensive restaurants. Since
she is on an expense account, she can afford such
luxury while I cannot. I would enjoy visiting small
towns in the country, but she prefers the large cities. I
would want to take a boat ride, and Rena gets seasick
on calm lakes. We could never travel together! Besides,
I have just arrived in Paris. I don’t want to leave yet.”

    “Don’t you listen?” Helene scolded her brother.
Then she smiled. “Even in the United States Rena and
Janine could not even agree how to spend an evening
together. I do not understand how two sisters can be so
different. But of course you are like your father and
Rena is like your mother.” A thought occurred to
Helene. “Jacques, Janine is also interested in gardening.
    “Yes?” he asked her.
    “Yes,” Janine confirmed. “I prefer home-grown
vegetables. And I like flowers, but they are expensive to
buy in the United States. This past year, unfortunately,
I was living in an apartment and I could not have a
garden.”
    “Would you like to see ours?” Jacques asked eagerly.
    “Certainly.”
    “I warn you,” Jeanne said, “he is a fanatic about his
gardens.”
    “Don’t worry,” Helene told her sister, “I will go with
them and prevent Jacques from talking too much. We
must be careful,” she told Janine solemnly, “or you will
not want to visit us again.”
    Jacques spoke impatiently, “Don’t listen to them! If
you are bored you can tell me and I will talk of other
things. Come.”
    He led Janine and his sister out of the parlor and
down the hall to the kitchen. Jacques opened the
kitchen door and held it for Janine and Helene. As in
the front of the house, a tall hedge surrounded the
backyard, which was quite large. The garden was
separated into six rectangular plots with a stone path
around each. Jacques moved from plant to plant
naming each for Janine. Occasionally Helene was able
to supply the English name for a plant, but usually Janine had to guess. Two of the rectangular plots
looked bare but Jacques explained that he had just
planted seeds there the day before.

    It was clear that Jacques was, as Jeanne had said, a
fanatic about gardening. Although she guessed his age
at twenty-six, she noted that he looked positively
boyish as he talked eagerly about his plants. Finally,
feeling somewhat guilty, Janine gave up trying to
follow his rapid French. Most of the terms he used
Janine had never heard before. Noting her friend’s
expression, Helene tapped Jacques on the shoulder.
“Oui?” he broke off irritably.
    Helene was amused. “You are losing Janine, my
brother. She does not know French that well.”
    Jacques flushed. “My apologies,” he said to Janine.
“I get too excited about my garden. It makes me forget
who I am with.”
    She was also amused. “It’s all right. I am like that
when I talk about camping.”
    “Let’s go back inside and sit down,” Helene said
firmly.
    Once more Jacques led the way. Jeanne and Mme. Durand were still seated in the parlor when the three
walked in. “Janine,” Jeanne said, “Helene forgot to tell
us what your field is.”
    “I teach math at a small college near New