Adrienne led Jean-Marc into the salon, there was a huge marble table and frescos covering the walls. The French windows looked out onto the swimming pool surrounded by ornate columns and similar frescoes painted in tones of orange, blue and red. There was the most beautiful view over the bay of Menton in the autumn afternoon sunlight.

“I used to be an aviator, did you know that?” queried Adrienne as Jean-Marc gazed at some photos on the wall. There was a very young Adrienne standing by an old aeroplane and another with a young man, very elegantly dressed, it must have been in the 1920’s, behind them you could make out some snow-capped mountain peaks.

At that moment Jean-Marc turned to see a girl enter the room carrying a tray with a teapot and some cups. “This is Lucie my grand-daughter” said Adrienne. The girl placed the tray on the table and came over to Jean-Marc, she kissed him three times on the cheek, “bienvenu dans notre domaine...”. This was certainly a very brutal “welcome” to a new “domain” for Jean-Marc, because Lucie was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, he was weak at the knees, he felt humble and ecstatic at the same time, he wanted to cry and laugh. He had heard about love at first sight but this was something greater still, he wanted her for sure, but more, he knew her somehow, her every gesture, her eyes, her soul.....

Adrienne laughed, “you two knew each other in a previous life, don’t be surprised, that is why you are here Jean-Marc, we have to set things straight”

Lucie smiled and the words from one of the songs with Martin came flooding back to Jean-Marc:

At the time he had always wondered where the lyrics came from, now, at least for that song, he knew.

He needed to sit down.

The doors from the pool opened suddenly, “Sorry I’m late, hello Jean-Marc, don’t you remember me? I’m your godfather and distant cousin Denis....”