I HEARD THE CLACK of the gate latch and went out to the courtyard to meet the carpeting expert.

“Super VUE!” squealed a young woman in tight jeans and a gauzy blouse. She dropped her sample books and clapped her cheeks. “Votre petite maison est très, très belle!” She teetered across the pebbled surface in impossibly high heels.

I suddenly forgot what little French I knew. I was expecting a slightly older, slightly more male carpeting expert, someone who would grunt and scowl and probably work...