The woman who ran it looked like a plump, friendly grandmother, or a schoolteacher. He filled out an application and handed it to her, and she frowned as she read it.
“Oh dear…” she said under her breath and glanced up at him. “You are very qualified, aren’t you? I see you’ve never worked in France, only in England.” But his French was perfect, and he had listed English, French, Spanish, and German for languages he was fluent in. His documents would allow him to work legally anywhere in Europe. “I’m not surprised you haven’t worked here,” she said kindly. “Unfortunately, there are no great homes here anymore. Most of the chateaux have been closed for years, or sold, most often to people from the Middle East, who bring staff from their own countries. Some are Americans, but they usually don’t have a lot of help. And the French who still own their families’ chateaux don’t have the money to hire anyone and have ancient family retainers who are quietly letting the chateaux fall apart around them. There are no great homes left here as there are in England, or very, very few.”
“I’d be quite satisfied working in a normal-sized house or an apartment,” Joachim said, and the woman nodded thoughtfully, glancing at a list of her current requests, none of which really matched his qualifications, or even came close.
“I don’t suppose you’d want just a driver’s job. We have several of those.”
“That doesn’t really use the full range of my skills,” he said, and she nodded again. It was true. There were so many things on the list of what had been his normal duties. He was an expert, highly trained, experienced butler, and knew how to do things that her clients hadn’t requested in many, many years. And she had the best listings in Paris, for some very important families, and people with noble titles. But what he wanted and was qualified for was an extinct breed in Paris, a dinosaur that had disappeared.
“I’d actually prefer a temporary position here,” he reminded the agent. “I probably will go back to England if the right job turns up there. But in the meantime, I’d like to have something to do, and I can be more flexible than I would be for a long-term job. Although I have to admit that just being a chauffeur doesn’t sound too interesting.”
“You’re probably right. And all the chauffeuring jobs we have on the books right now are for very old people, and they don’t go out much. Although it seems like you were used to that in your last job. Most younger people don’t use chauffeurs anymore. Is there any particular reason why you want a temporary job here?” She wondered if he had a romance going and wanted to be in Paris for that reason. He was a very handsome, distinguished-looking man, and had worn a well-cut dark gray suit to come to see her, with a white shirt and dark navy tie. He looked better dressed and more respectable than most of her clients, but she didn’t comment on it.
“I have an elderly mother here,” he said, and then smiled guiltily, and she noticed that he had a cleft chin when he did. He was almost irresistible, he was so good-looking. He looked more like an actor or a banker than a butler. “She would kill me for calling her that, and she’s very active. But I’ve spent so little time with her, living and working in England. Now that I have a break, I’d like to take advantage of it, and spend some time here, if I don’t drive her crazy staying with her.” The woman smiled. “I only want a live-out position here.” In England, he would have to be live-in to run a house and staff properly, and particularly in the country. Head butler positions were always live-in, even today.
She asked him a few more questions, based on his application, and then stood up. “To be honest, I don’t know if we’ll find anything for you, but I’ll certainly try. Any employer will be lucky to have you, even for a short time. I just don’t know if I have the right prospective employer. You’ll be overqualified for any job, but it’s a question of making the right marriage between your skills and their needs. You never know, something unusual might turn up. One of our Middle Eastern clients might want to hire someone local, but then they’d probably want you long-term. I don’t suppose you want to stay here permanently?” she inquired. He looked hesitant and shook his head.