“My goodness,” said Pam, looking over his shoulder. “It’s like an entire grocery store. There’s coffee and tea.”

“And caviar,” said Sue, examining a tiny can.

“There’s a case of red wine, too,” said Ted, who had found it stored in a utility closet containing controls for the electricity, heat, and hot water.

“Is this all for us?” asked Rachel.

“I think Norah must have arranged it,” Sue said, speculating. “We’re going to be living high on the hog, but we can’t live on champagne and caviar alone. We’ll need to shop for meat and vegetables and bread.”

“There’s supposed to be a Monoprix grocery store on the rue Saint-Antoine,” said Lucy, who was still studying the notebook.

“I can’t wait. I’m starving,” complained Pam.

“The café on the corner?” suggested Lucy. “It says here it’s the closest restaurant.”

“The driver recommended it,” said Sid.

“D’accord,” said Sue. “Allons-y!”

“Whatever,” grumbled Bill, hauling himself off the sofa.

The café, Chez Loulou, was hopping when they opened the door and stepped into a crowded bar. “Huit pour le déjeuner?” inquired a tall black man, speaking over the heads of the people standing at the bar.

Lucy glanced around at the crowded room, doubtful they could be accommodated.

“Is there a table?” asked Sue, also doubtful.

“No problem,” he replied, snapping his fingers. In minutes a couple of young waiters dressed in black had appeared and rearranged the tables, lining several together for the group.

“Wow. That was fast,” said Pam, slipping into a bentwood chair.

“I am Loulou,” said the host, distributing menus. “I am afraid today we are out of wine,” he said with a shrug.

“No wine?” wailed Sue. “How is that possible?”

“It is not possible. It is just a joke,” Loulou said and laughed as a waiter arrived with a couple of carafes of house red. “Today the special is bœuf bourguignon, Provençal-style.”

“Sounds terrific,” said Pam, and they all nodded their heads in agreement. All, that is, except Sue.

“I’ll have salad,” she announced.

After lunch the members of the group went their separate ways. Sue wanted to go straight to BHV, and Sid agreed somewhat halfheartedly to accompany her. “It’s a hardware store,” she told him. “Really. French hardware. You’ll love it. And it’s not far. We can walk, stretch our legs after the flight. We can also look for that Monoprix grocery store.”

Rachel and Bob wanted to visit the Mémorial de la Shoah, commemorating the French Jews killed in the Holocaust, but couldn’t interest the others.

“Pam and I have a college buddy here in Paris,” said Ted. “Richard Mason. He’s at the International New York Times. He told us to call him first thing, as soon as we got here.”

“And I want to see Elizabeth,” said Lucy. “She got the afternoon off to spend time with us.”