“No. As soon as the renovations to the house are completed, then they’re going to convert the guesthouse closest to the inn into the café. The architect’s plans include constructing a glass-enclosed, climate-controlled walkway connecting it to the inn. That way the guests won’t have to go outside to reach the café.”
“When Hannah first told me she was thinking of turning the DuPont House from a personal residence to a business, I thought she had gone and lost her mind,” Paige said, “because I knew it would not be an easy undertaking. Thankfully, the house is structurally sound, or it would take more than a year to do everything she wants to do.”
“I do like the idea of her putting in an elevator,” LeAnn added. “That will make it easier for guests to get to the second floor.”
“Are you going to become involved in running the inn?” Tonya asked the sisters.
Paige met her sister’s eyes. “We initially told Hannah we wanted no part of running the inn, but if she needs our assistance with something, of course we’ll step up.”
“That’s when we’re not traveling,” LeAnn reminded Paige.
Tonya sat, listening to the two women talk about the places they’d visited since retiring and felt a bit nostalgic when she recalled how much she’d enjoyed going to a new country and immersing herself in the culture and cuisine. When they asked if she had traveled abroad, Tonya regaled them with tales of how difficult it had been for her to grasp some of the languages until she began cooking. It was as if food didn’t need any translation because it was an international language for bringing people together. It was close to nine when LeAnn and Paige left to begin packing for their move from the Garden District to Marigny.
She decided not to put up several loads of wash until the next day. After all, Chez Toussaints was closed because of the holiday, and she had all day to do laundry, clean, iron, and unpack the remaining boxes in the other bedroom.
