Foreign Connections

"Hello?"

"We have a connect call coming directly from Champs Le Sims, would you like to accept it Mademoiselle?"

"Uh, okay, yeah."



Virginia was torn between excitement and trepidation as she waited for the call to be connected. Who'd have thought they'd made quite an impression whilst on their honeymoon? There was a slight delay before the call finally connected.

"Allo? Is this.... um... Vir-gin-ee-ah?"

"It is."

The French accent was unmistakeable.

"Ah! Bon!! C'est moi, Jolene Montaque."

"Oh yes, the horrid woman from the Nectary."




"Ah, yes, about that, I am really sorry. I hope your 'usband he is okay, yes?"

"Uh yes, no thanks to you."

"I am so sorry. I be'aved in a bad way? It was really bad of me yes?"

"Uh, yes, yes it was."

"I would like to apologize, I was ... not a good person that day. I was still angry at somebody else I'd met a little earlier. She was a foreigner like you and same colour hair. She was ... making eyes at my Gustave and I told her to keep her eyes to herself, greedy woman. We go back a long long way, Gustave Delven and myself and he is a good person but not good with falling in love. Yes? But I want to put that back behind us ... yes?"

Ginny wasn't sure, but, being the really nice friendly person she was, she couldn't possibly say no.

"O-kay."

"Ah bon!! Perhaps you would like to help me?"

"It, depends. It's nothing bad is it?"

"Oh non mademoiselle, it's just that......"

There was a little bit of a pause, and Ginny thought first of all that the connection had been disconnected.

"I have a friend who wants to travel, and she asked me to join her. I wondered if you would not mind showing us some of your countries' landmarks/sights? Oui? Perhaps we could have un tasse du cafe togezzer?"

Ginny had to laugh.



"I doubt it'd be a patch on your coffee," she chuckled, "but I'd be glad to meet up with you. Just let me know when you're coming across and I'll be there."

"Ah, merci, merci beaucoup, c'est tres bon! Thank you!"

Ginny hung up with a strange smile on her face. Funny how things work out isn't it?

Memories of Champs Le Sims

Ambrose fought his corner, and in doing so, not only did he win his home back, he managed to negotiate a really cool deal. A nice little nest egg that would definitely help the two of them in the future. They took some of it and converted the spare room into a bedroom/study, purchasing the cheapest items they could get their hands on.




They still had a couple of days left before returning to work, so they decided to use them well.

Whilst Ginny was outside planting some seeds -



- unfortunately the grape seeds they'd harvested from the Nectary, perished during the return home and no matter how she searched the internet and the newspapers, she could NOT find any for sale.





Which was a shame really, she was looking forward to growing them. The only thing she could do, was to return to Champs Le Sims. Go back to the Nectary, something they couldn't do, not even with this little nest egg of theirs. They intended to invest it wisely for their future.

Ambrose got online to solve an unsolveable puzzle.




He pondered and grumbled over it for hours until he finally had to admit defeat. Which was a major blow to his intellect. Annoyed, he blamed the stress of the bailiffs 'stealing' their home. He couldn't concentrate on the puzzle properly because he was still thinking about their faux pas and it's consequences.

Ginny felt sorry for Ambrose and decided to crack open a bottle of nectar that they'd been saving for a special occasion.



"It's just a small reminder of our honeymoon in Champs Le Sims," she said wistfully, "I was hoping to save it, but I think we should drink it now."




They sat in relative peace, sipping at this wonderful vintage nectar and reminiscing about their adventures and all the people they'd met. When suddenly, out of the blue, Ginny got a phone call.

"Excuse me," she said frowning, "I'd better take this."

Ambrose nodded and yawned. It had been a long day and he was utterly exhausted.

"I'll see you in bed," he said yawning again.

"Okay," she replied, blowing him a kiss, "hello?"




"'Allo?"

Hounded By The Paparazzi

Statement from Virginia Graystone: Re: Hunter Cottoneye's latest blog entry
I really must send this apology on behalf of Ambrose and myself, concerning the last update. That Hunter Cottoneye is a loon, I swear. We were warned about him, I told Ambrose to be careful. But would he listen? No. He insisted on trying to be on friendly terms. And now, this creepy guy is watching our every move. Conspiracy theory my ass. The only thing we have to worry about are the paparazzi. They're hounding us everywhere. I'll be so glad when we get home. The last couple of days have been a nightmare.
Virginia Graystone

Yep, this is so true. They couldn't go anywhere without the paps being on their trail. It all began halfway through their honeymoon. They decided to return to the Nectary, where they tried their hand at making nectar from the grapes they'd picked. It seemed a shame to see them go to waste.

So, between them, they managed to set up one of the nectar machines. Ginny filled the barrel with all the grapes, whilst Ambrose stripped down to his swimming trunks and started to squelch away.



After a few slips and slides, and a very uncomely tumble, Brosie managed to get the hang of grape pressing and was squishing his way through all the grapes!!! He then had the process of setting up the vat and compression chamber. That was the longest part.




When he was done, there was enough to make a couple of bottles of 'not bad' nectar. By now, it was mid afternoon and they both decided to pay a visit to the local cafe to try out the 'local fayre'.



Ambrose got along famously with one charming woman, who didn't hesitate to teach him one of their traditional songs. Which he managed with enthusiasm and a lot of gusto. She even complimented him on his amazing baritone voice.



Ginny, however, was having a little more difficulty in grasping the language as she struggled to order off the menu.



As she stumbled over the phrases and dialect, the patisserie - Andre Lefebvre stood looking puzzled and a little bemused.




In the end, she simply pointed to each dish and he smiled, nodding knowingly, whilst packaging each dish she'd selected.



By now, Ambrose was a little tired from the grape pressing, so he went back to Base Camp first to take a nap. Ginny followed a little while afterwards with a couple of 'special' dishes she'd purchased. She wasn't sure which one Ambrose would like, so she chose the seafood platter for herself and left the olive platter for him.



Brosie hadn't had the chance to get some sleep but he'd already changed into his PJ's when he heard Ginny returning from the cafe. Feeling a bit peckish, he ambled down the stairs to get his meal.




Big mistake.

No sooner had he sat down, when .... not one but TWO paparazzi descended upon the two of them.



From then on, they were relentless, vying each other to grab snaps and take notes.



Ambrose regarded them with utter disdain as he helped Ginny to clear the dirty dishes.




"Just ignore them," she whispered, "they'll go away."

"I can't believe it's come to this," he muttered as he walked past them, "haven't you got anything better to do than to follow us?"




"Ah," came the reply, "but you are big news here in this sleepy little town. You being here is the boost that this place needs."

"I'll see you upstairs sweetie," he said to Ginny, who was STILL determined to ignore them, no matter what.



As soon as he vanished, then they descended upon poor Ginny.



Bombarding her with questions galore. She simply rolled her eyes and walked past them all, sighing and shaking her head.



It didn't end there either. Because of the last time the paparazzi had infiltrated their bedroom suite, they decided to change rooms to throw them off the scent.

Didn't help.

Plus, there was a poor starstruck explorer so overexcited about the findings of an ancient park bench, trying his hardest to get the attention of one of the paparazzi. He'd been following her all over, trying to impress her.



She completely ignored him, concentrating on taking more pics and making notes so she could get back to her computer and start blogging about the 'adventures of Ambrose in Champs Le Sims'.




She was so determined to get as much information as she could, that she even parked her butt in one of the chairs and started reading a book. For the moment they would wake up.



Her philosophy? Catch em unawares!!!

Even when Ambrose was making an important phone call to one of his friends ... bragging about the Nectary .. whilst standing in the bathroom....



.... they were there!!!

I'll bet I know what those two will be doing when they get home.
Installing security gates to keep out those pesky paparazzi!!!!

The Ramblings of an Insane Man

This is an excerpt from the Journal of Hunter Cottoneye


I KNOW I'm not insane, even though folks around me think otherwise. I like to be prepared for the unknown. That's why I'm safely entrenched underground, armed with my rifle and plenty of supplies to keep me going until Domesday.

I KNOW there's something fishy going on around here. And here's the god-darned evidence too.

I keep a log on the folks around here, you know, check on their whereabouts, what they're doing where they're going. How many carrier bags of shopping they bring home, who is having an affair with whom. It's what keeps me going through those long hours alone. Not that I'm complaining ya know. I like my own company. I just like to watch people too.

It's then that I noticed a shift in the pattern of Riverview life.

In the shape of a young couple. A rather attractive blonde female and a striking, nerdy guy. They moved into the house across from the Brokes. Bad lot that family is ..... breed like rabbits and are no good layabouts, the lot of them.

Anyways, I was observing this young couple closely, when the guy .... Ambrose ... stupid name really, his mother must have REALLY loved him, invited me indoors.

Well, you know how uncomfortable I am around folks, I was surprised how 'at ease' I felt around these two. Yeah, you could see the sappy romance between them. The idealistic shine they still had. Yeah, that'll tarnish soon enough once they've spent enough time with one another.

They told me they had plans to get married, get jobs etc. So, with great reluctance, I found myself having long conversations over the phone with them. Having, well, I wouldn't say 'lovely' meals - she can't cook to save her life - some palatable and not so palatable dinners with them. The guy even invited me to his bachelor party.

So, we come to my proof that something's amiss.

They went on their honeymoon in Champs Le Sims. Sent postcards, called home daily. Announced that they were coming home the next day.

Then....

... nothing.

It's as if they've vanished without a trace!!! I called the hotel they were staying at, only to be told that they DID sign out and they DID get into the airport minibus. At the airport, when I called, they couldn't trace them at all. In fact, the staff there irritated the spit out of me, when they started giving me the runaround.

I'm not stupid. These kids went on honeymoon. They then vanished without a trace.

I'm telling you, there's something fishy going on.

And I'm going to get to the bottom of this, even if it kills me.

Signing out

Hunter Cottoneye

Honeymoon at Champs Le Sims - Part Five, Paparazzi, They Get Everywhere

It was dusk by the time Ambrose and Ginny arrived back at Base Camp. They were both feeling hungry and Ambrose needed to grab a quick shower.

Due to Ambrose inviting a minor celebrity to his bachelor party, somehow, along the way, he'd gained a little notoriety and fame .. and one celebrity star point. Which meant that he was a prime target for the paparazzi. Even more so now, whilst he and Ginny were on vacation. They were camped out at Base Camp when the newlyweds arrived back from the Nectary.

One, a young woman by the name of Zoe Lefevre, was lurking around the enclosed garden at the rear.



The other one, namely a Florence Desrosiers, was pretending to play chess, just waiting for Ambrose and Ginny to arrive back.




Ignoring them, Ginny headed straight for the communal kitchen to start dinner. The fridge was sparsely stocked, due to the fact that most guests ate out whilst they holidayed at Champs Le Sims. But she managed to rustle up a few veggies and stuff to make an Autumn Salad.




She thought she'd play it safe and go for something that wouldn't burn the kitchen down. but all the time she was cooking, she had the sudden cravings for Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. If only there'd been some cheese, then maybe she could have made some for herself????




After Ambrose's shower, he got a call from one of his bachelor party buddies, asking him how he was enjoying his honeymoon.




"Bloody brilliant," Brosie enthused, "Champs Le Sims is everything I'd dreamed of. The locals are friendly, and we've already visited the Nectary today."




He failed to mention the fact that he'd taken ill there, as that was none of anybody's business, except for those folks who'd actually been there.

"Dinner's ready!" Ginny shouted from the kitchen.

"Be right there honey! Gotta go, catch up with you soon."

Too hungry to wait, Ginny had already made a start on her meal and was clearing away her plate when Brosie sat down to have his.





"When you're ready," she said, wiping her hands on the tea towel, "fancy a game of chess with me?"

"You don't have to ask me twice," came the reply.

So, they sat down together, pondering over the pieces on the board, trying to figure out what move to make next.




They found themselves getting really tired at about 9:30pm, which was quite early for these two. But, because of the activities and the long haul flight getting there, exhaustion had finally caught up with them.






They made their way to bed, too tired to get up to any mischief and promptly fell into a deep sleep. Whilst they dreamed of building blocks and planting some seeds.....




........ they didn't hear the soft creak of their room door opening, nor the gentle padding of sneakers across the floor.




They were to exhausted to notice a long shadow cast across the bed as a member of the paparazzi stood there, Zoe no less, her camera in hand, taking pictures of the slumbering couple.





Neither were they aware that the same Zoe, determined to grab the latest scoop on this 'celebrity couple', was taking down notes on her clipboard,




before silently vanishing out into the night.......