PART THREE

As it was, Madame Collette gave them the recipe. It was not the simple one for Buche de Noel, but a more complicated one. Madame Collette always out did herself. She was a flowery lady.

But when Jarod saw how simple it was, he remarked, "We have the ingredients at Blue Cove."

"But cheri, not ze best," said Madame Collette, "the best chocolat, the best flour, the best flavours."

Miss Parker just smiled and then whispered to Jarod. "Pay her and wait for me in the car. I've got somewhere else to go"

She left a rather surprised Jarod with the children who by now were scrambling from the back seat to the front and taking turns pressing the horn.

"Jeremiah put that back in the glove compartment!"

"Yes father."

"And the rest of you sit quietly right now!"

"Dadda mad," said Olivia, her face was beginning to pucker up.

"Yes I am." He refastened their seat belts, hoping that perhaps he should have welded them in.

He spent an hour waiting for Miss Parker, talking to Madame Collette who spoke in French about her life in Normandy and their apple orchard. He figured that she'd get to the whole history starting with Charlemagne if given a chance. Madame Collette was quite a speaker, too much of a speaker.

Madame Collette had an Advent calendar and all the doors were open up until today. She also had a list of what preparations needed and it appeared as if Jarod's estimation that they should have started last June was correct. How could anyone get all those things in December?

He had some of those petit fours and a sample of a log type cake. Since he had a very sweet tooth, he wanted bigger slices, but Madame Collette wouldn't give in.
"Special for the Noel," she said. "Oh you like Christmas?"

"I never celebrated for myself, with others, yes."

"Christmas carols."

"My son, Antonio, my oldest says he'll be over or we'll be at his house."

"Excellent."

He heard the car trunk open and Miss Parker put something in it. She entered the store, took two of the packages, and when they were in, slipped something into Jarod's pocket, but he was too busy until he checked to see he had a couple of extra hundred dollar bills.

They had driven half way up the street, when Jarod turned towards Maceys. Well it was so in keeping with that movie of that little girl.

Now how was he to not let them suspect? And what could he get them?