What is being French all about? Being deceptively casual. Not quite nonchalant. Leather that rises up beneath the rose. A sparkle in the eye. Style, even offhand. Having a table of choice in a favourite café. The smell of suede inside a handbag. A certain idea of style. Talent.Just one cigarette. Lime. Faith in one’s destiny. Taking trivial things seriously. Knowing how to combine opposites. Knowing the name of each bridge in Paris. Cedar. Learning to hide one’s thorns. The glimpse of a shoulder. Charm. Never being totally lost. Inventing ancestors. Well-placed beauty spots. Pink pepper. Improvising. Being right. Knowing the right moment to undress. Musk. Kissing.