‘And that’s it? It’s all done?’ she asked, incredulous. It certainly seemed more straightforward than when they’d bought the house back home.
‘Well, for now,’ he said. ‘Then there’s the reports and the waiting, and you’ll get another call in about two or three months for the completion. Less if you’re lucky.’
She felt her heart somersault. ‘The completion? So this is…?’
‘This is the compromis. You’re promising to buy. It’s legally binding, subject to any clauses we insert. You’ll pay the deposit, which, if you back out, will be lost I’m afraid.’
‘But the house won’t be mine?’ she said, feeling goose bumps sprinkle her skin.
‘No.’ He looked at her with a mixture of confusion and amusement. ‘Has nobody explained the process to you?’
‘Well, it’s all a bit… sudden, really,’ she said. ‘I just…’ She couldn’t for some reason tell this man that she’d bid on the house by mistake on eBay. ‘I suppose it was a bit of an impulse purchase,’ she finished weakly.
‘It’s—’ But before he finished his sentence a door opened and a small man with dark hair and a well-groomed beard appeared in front of them.
He greeted Frédérique like an old friend and then turned to look at Lily. ‘Madame Butterworth?’ he said, his brown eyes crinkling as he smiled.
‘Yes,’ she said, offering her hand for a shake. ‘Nice to meet you.’
He looked at her hand for a moment as if confused then shook it briefly. ‘Et Monsieur Chrees!’ he said, his face breaking into a wide smile as he looked at the translator. ‘We meet again!’
Chris stood up and awkwardly exchanged air kisses with the notaire followed by a brief handshake with Frédérique.
Lily wondered at the need for a translator when everyone seemed to speak such good English, but didn’t say anything. Surely it was better this way than trying to work out legalese in a foreign tongue, even if it was costing her €250.
Moments later, she was sitting in a chair in front of Jean-Jacques, half nodding off and half drowning in a sea of terminology, as Chris quietly translated by her side. Rights of way and boundaries and the location of the septic tank and the sheer amount of clauses made her head spin. According to one document, the house was rated ‘D’ on a scale of A to E for its environmental credentials. ‘Is it not double-glazed?’ she asked Chris, who was in the middle of telling her what modifications she might need to make.
‘Well, no. Surely you noticed when you viewed?’ he said, confused.
‘I haven’t actually… I mean, I’ve seen the outside, but…’
Chris looked genuinely surprised. ‘You’re signing for a property and haven’t yet seen the inside?’ he asked, concerned.
‘Well, I’ve seen pictures… so…’
‘Did the agent not…?’
‘I’m not actually using an agent… it was… advertised online.’ The ridiculousness of her situation made her blush again. What exactly was she doing?
Chris held up a single finger towards Jean-Jacques who obediently fell silent. ‘Je suis désolé,’ he said to the notaire. ‘Un petit moment, s’il vous pla?t.’ Then to Lily. ‘Do you really want to sign the compromis without a proper viewing,’ he said. ‘It’s legally binding, you know. And you have every right… We can view today and come back tomorrow. I’d really advise…’
Lily felt the eyes of the room on her. ‘It’s fine,’ she said, feeling embarrassed. ‘I’ve seen… I mean, I know it needs work…’ She trailed off.
‘If you’re sure?’ Chris asked. doubtfully.
‘I am,’ she said, feeling uncomfortable and slightly doubtful herself. Was she sure? Her stomach dipped slightly as she considered the risk she was taking. The property was cheap, but it was still a lot of money to spend on something sight unseen. In normal times she’d probably have stopped, taken a viewing, made sure.
It was just, she’d already left her husband – at least for now – crossed the Channel, committed in every way to a life in France. Signing a compromis seemed almost insignificant when she’d made a promise to herself that she’d see this through.
Eventually she was released back into the sunshine, her hand aching from initialling each page in a series of documents that she didn’t completely understand, despite Chris’s efforts. She wondered if this was how they kept the property market moving in France. Just literally kept talking to you about clauses until you’d sign anything just to escape?