Lise came closer and looked at his legs, which were covered in scratches.

‘We should think about buying some surgical spirit and dressings, just in case.’

‘We’re not in the darkest depths of the jungle.’

‘But, look, after an hour you’re already covered in blood!’

Lise led him to the tap. She could feel that he was hot and seeing the grazes on his legs reminded her of what she had read in the paper about the dangers of ticks and Lyme disease, but she kept quiet for fear that he would panic, city dweller that he was.

‘Lise, you don’t seem to realise, this is serious.’

‘But you can still do lots of things with your phone: take photos, check the time, and you can use it as a torch.’

‘Listen to me, Lise. I will not spend three weeks in this godforsaken place; I really can’t afford to, I can’t!’

Lise burst into hysterical laughter at that.

‘It’s not funny, for God’s sake! It’s not funny. I need my phone … Believe me, I cannot have a single day without being contactable.’

‘Even on holiday?’

‘Especially on holiday … You obviously don’t understand what I’m going through.’

‘Did you get the easel out of the car?’

‘You’re really going to start painting now?’

‘No, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there. A bit like you with your phone.’

‘The difference is that my phone is for work.’

Lise let him have the pleasure of this little dig. She left him to calm down, assuring him that he would be bound to find a signal by going towards the cliff, or the other way, towards the west. It crossed her mind to tell him to climb the enormous oak tree that stood a few metres from the house. She kept this to herself, but it put a smile on her face that he could not understand.

For now, the most important thing was that they settle in and take their time to unpack their bags. Once again, Franck noticed his wife’s composure; her natural way of doing things slowly, never letting things get to her. For as long as they had been together, she had always reassured him. In a long-term relationship, there are many opportunities to discover the other person’s true colours, to challenge them or draw inspiration from them. Franck deeply admired his wife, not least because she always kept her cool and never gave in to panic. And even though she had gone through lots of struggles and disappointments, in his eyes she was still the calmest and most serene person in the universe.