“I’m sure these women would all say that they didn’t do anything extraordinary,” said Norah. “But the truth is that just by being good neighbors, by helping others in their town, they have made a real difference. They have made Tinker’s Cove a better place for children and families and . . .” Here she paused dramatically, appealing to the audience. “Don’t you think they deserve a reward?”

From the roar of approval that followed, it seemed that the audience did think they deserved a reward. What would it be?

“An all-expense-paid trip to Paris!” announced Norah as the lilting notes of “La Vie en Rose” began to play and the screen began showing footage of the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and tourist boats on the Seine.

“Imagine! April in Paris! All four ladies, and their husbands, will be going to Paris for two weeks, where they will stay in a luxury apartment in the very trendy Marais district, and . . . there’s more!”

The pictures on the screen changed, and it now showed a professional-style kitchen and a chef wearing a tall white toque. “While enjoying all the attractions of the world’s most beautiful city, they will also get a week’s worth of lessons at Le Cooking School from renowned pastry chef Larry Bruneau!”

Lucy glanced at Sue, thinking that her friend looked as if she’d died and gone to heaven. “I can’t believe it,” mouthed Sue, nudging the others.

Sidra must have been behind this, thought Lucy. Only Sidra would have known how much Sue, a gourmet cook, would enjoy lessons from a genuine chef. And Paris, that was another of Sue’s enthusiasms. Sidra had come up with the idea for her mother, and the rest of them were tagalongs. But that was okay with her. She didn’t care about cooking classes; she was more interested in gardens and museums. But she was finally going to get her dream of seeing Paris, and more importantly, she’d be able to spend time with her unhappy daughter. She was smiling, she realized, and she couldn’t seem to stop. Now she was actually jumping up and down, right along with her three friends. They were all holding hands and jumping up and down like sorority sisters who all had dates for Spring Fling. They were going to Paris!

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

It was the light. There was something special about the light in Paris, thought Lucy as the minivan rocketed along the Seine River. Maybe it was the time of year, April, or maybe all the gray buildings and the stone embankments that bounded the Seine, but the sunlight wasn’t at all like the hearty, dazzling blast you got in Maine. It was thinner somehow, gentler and more liquid, as if it were coming through a filter.

“That’s Notre-Dame,” said Sue, poking her in the ribs and pointing out the window.