Directly across from our terrace is a pleasant , quite large village house with green shutters.
The strange thing about this house is that I have never, except for one brief glimpse, seen any of the occupants.
When we stayed here first , about four or so years ago, and had friends to stay we tended to rather follow the Irish habit , once there was drink taken , of singing a couple of bars.
During one of these nights the pale green shutters were quite vehemently closed.

The point was made , we now have house rules about singing after hours but for the occupants of the house with the green shutters all of our new resolutions have been in vain.
Never, except on one brief occasion , have those shutters been opened wide since then.

Now to have your shutters closed at all times is not that unusual in France.
The French have long taken the view that the outside atmosphere brings with it cold in winter and heat in summer and so they will never open their shutters (which after all act as a very effective form of double glazing) more than a few inches for ventilation- as also do the occupants of the house in question-proving that they haven’t all departed this life or passed on to a better world since our arrival.

I did tell you that there was one occasion when I was allowed a brief peek at an occupant.
This was while the Kiwi was with us.
New the Kiwi is a tall, long haired and extremely personable young man from– you guessed it- New Zealand.
He was sitting on the railings of the terrace one morning eating his breakfast when I suddenly saw him smile and wave in the direction of the mystery house.
Glancing around quickly I was just in time to spot a smiling pretty dark haired girl duck behind the shutters and close them after her.
I accosted the Kiwi for trying to seduce the young ladies of the town but he explained simply that she had waved first and he was just replying.

So does she live there in seclusion waiting for a passing knight to sweep her off her feet or is it just a particular set she has against the Irish- or was she just visiting the Miss Havisham who lives there in the dark ?
Intriguing isn’t it ?