Let Them Have Cake (18 page)

             
Her friends around the table smiled and told her that they understood. They all relaxed in their chairs and refilled their wine glasses.

             
Pierre
entered carrying a beautiful cake on a tray. “I’ve brought dessert. It is a sample of the wedding cake we will be serving Saturday. It is filled with custard. Let me know how you like it.”

             
Anna accepted a piece and turned to find Geoffroi smiling at her.

             
“Soon we will be man and wife. How I’ve longed for this day to arrive and it is almost upon us,” Geoffroi said as he took Anna’s hand and pressed it to his lips.

             
Anna paused before saying, “Yes, Saturday we will be bound for all eternity.”

Chapter 16

             
Anna strolled along the pathway that wound through the hamlet. Tomorrow was to be her wedding day. All of the preparations were in place and there was nothing left to do but wait. Wait and wonder. Time was definitely running out and she was no closer to getting back to the 21st century than she was when she’d first arrived here.

             
Springtime was in the air. The early flowers were blooming and daily showers were lighter and much warmer. Love was in the air. The waterfowl were chasing one another around the lake. Anna laughed at the male ducks and geese as they flapped their wings and tried in every way they could to attract the females. She thought about how unfair it was that in the animal kingdom the females were relegated to being plainer and less attractive than the males. She watched as two ducks mated on the bank and decided that appearance didn’t matter to them at all.

             
The kitchen gardens were planted and fresh sprouts of green were pushing through the soft earth. Anna understood why Marie
Antoinette loved it here so much. The hamlet allowed the Queen to be anything she wanted to be. She could pretend to be a milkmaid, or an actress, or anything else she set her mind to. The rules of court life didn’t apply here, and the pastoral setting allowed all of the inhabitants to relax and enjoy themselves.

She arrived at the barn and decided she needed to go have a talk with Bessie-Daisy. The barn door had been left open and Anna could see the cow standing in her stall and chewing her cud.

             
“Hi girl. How are you on this lovely spring day?”

             
The cow gazed at her with her enormous, patient brown eyes, and continued chewing.

             
“Tomorrow’s the big day. All of the plans are in place. We’re getting married by a priest, so that means the knot is tied really tight. We’ll be married for all time.”

             
Bessie sneezed a giant sneeze and shook her head.

             
“Wow. Hay fever? Get it? Hay fever.”

             
The cow just stared.

             
“I guess you don’t find that funny. It’s certainly in better taste than the story I told you about my Aunt’s cow, don’t you think?”

             
Bessie-Daisy bobbed her head up and down in answer.

             
“I’ve got another big problem. I can’t seem to figure out
how I got here, so I can’t think of a way to get back where I belong. I love Geoffroi, but I know I’m not supposed to be here. It would alter my personal history and my family as well. And, there’s the additional problem of the coming revolution. I don’t want to end up with my head being paraded through the streets of
Paris
.”

             
Anna stroked the cow’s neck and inhaled her warm animal scent. The barn smelled sweetly of new hay and all the animal stalls had been recently cleaned. Anna looked around and noticed the horses had been let out into a paddock next to the barn. They were prancing around and kicking up their heels. Spring was truly in the air.

             
“I hate beating a dead horse. Sorry, another faux pas. Anyway, I walked out of the hotel, through the fog, and found myself here. No time machines, no magic wands, just fog. Too bad there isn’t any fog in April. It’s a big problem, isn’t it?”
             
The cow mooed softly and stomped her foot.

             
“I better go back to the cottage. Geoffroi will be back soon from hunting. Bye, Bessie-Daisy. See you later. I feel better just being able to talk. Thanks.”

***

             
Anna headed towards the cottage that would soon be her home, but noticed a number of people were gathered near the main house. Worried that something may have happened; she changed
direction and picked up her pace a bit. Geoffroi was standing in the midst of the group and she could see an expression of concern on his face.

             
“Is something wrong?” Anna placed a hand on Geoffroi’s arm in order to get his attention.

             
“We’ve gotten word that the peasants are becoming more active in their protesting. It’s rumored that they are organizing a march on
Versailles
.”

             
“What does that mean?”

             
“We don’t know. The peasants are so angry about their lack of food and the high cost of bread that they might do anything. They could riot.”

             
Jacques joined the conversation between Anna and Geoffroi. “We have sent men into the countryside to see what more they can find out. The Queen is at the palace where she will be safer.”

             
“What about tomorrow? Shall we postpone the wedding?” Anna asked hopefully.

             
“No. Every arrangement is in place. Even if the peasants did start for
Versailles
, they couldn’t possibly reach here for several days. There is plenty of time,” Jacques replied.

             
Anna responded with a soft, “Oh. That’s good.”

             
“Come. Let’s go to the cottage. I need to bathe and change my clothing. My hunt was successful today and I returned with a large buck. I’m afraid I now smell more like that buck than like
a man.”

***

             
Anna poured more hot water from the pot she’d boiled it in into the tub they’d placed in the warm kitchen. Geoffroi was lathering soap into his hair.

             
“Anne-Marie. Please fill a bucket with warm water to rinse my hair. The scent of this soap is delightful. Where did you get it?”

             
“Genevieve gave it to me as an engagement gift. It is wonderful, isn’t it?”

             
Geoffroi scooted forward in the small tub and hung his legs over the edge so he could tilt his head back to be rinsed. Anna poured the warm water through and tested his hair for soap residue.

             
“One more rinse. I wish I had some Paul Mitchell rinse. Your hair has gotten so long the tangles are hard to get out.”

             
“Who is this Paul Mitchell? The name doesn’t sound French.”

             
Anna realized she’d made another inadvertent reference to the 21st century. One of these times she wasn’t going to be able to explain her way out of it. She replied, “It’s something new that Genevieve was telling me about. Paul Mitchell makes hair products.”

             
She changed the subject by massaging his back gently with soap.

             
“Would you like to get in with me?” Geoffroi asked.

             
“I don’t think so. Look at the water. You certainly did need a bath.”

             
“We could empty it and start over,” Geoffroi offered.

             
“It’s too much work and it’s too cold. Get out and I’ll dry you off. We can go in by the fire where it’s warmer.”

             
Geoffroi obediently stood up. She dried his back for him and he turned to face her.

             
“I can see that you have more on your mind than getting your hair brushed,” Anna offered.

             
“Yes, I do. Let’s take some quilts from the bed to lie on, and draw the curtains. I don’t want any visitors for a few hours.”

             
“A few hours?” Anna questioned. “Shouldn’t we save ourselves for our wedding night?”

             
“Anne-Marie. As far as I’m concerned, we are already married and tomorrow is just a formality. I’ve pledged my love for you and my loyalty for all of eternity.”

             
“And I, to you, Geoffroi. For eternity. Wherever our lives take us, I will always love you.”

             
They embraced each other tightly, as if this would be their final embrace. They made love fiercely, their bodies warmed by the firelight. Spent, they snuggled together under the layers of quilts, each lost in their own thoughts of their pending

wedding.

***

             
Shouts and someone pounding on the door of the cottage woke the sleeping couple. They sat up and looked around in confusion. The fire had died down in the fireplace and was now just glowing embers. It had grown dark since they had fallen asleep in front of the fire.

             
“Go get dressed, Anne-Marie. Something has happened,” Geoffroi said. He stood and wrapped one of the quilts around him.

             
Anna wrapped herself in another quilt and started for the bedroom. Geoffroi went to answer the door.

             
“Vally. What is it? What is happening?”

             
“The peasants are almost upon us. They are coming to the hamlet. They know the Queen spends much time here. We all must leave as soon as possible. I’m going to alert the others.”

             
“But I thought they were days away? How did this happen?”

             
“We don’t know. One of the riders that went out into the countryside just rode back in with the news. I must go.”

             
Geoffroi watched the little man scurry off and went to join Anna in the bedroom.

             
“We must leave the hamlet. Gather some of your belongings into a bag. We must hurry.” He began dressing in his now familiar attire and threw a few items into a leather bag.

             
“Where will we go? Will we be in danger?”

             
“We will be in danger if we stay here and the peasants find out that we are friends of the court. We will go to the countryside; to my family. We will be safe there.”

             
Anna dressed in layers and put a few items into another leather bag. Among those items included her silk gown and robe and the white handkerchief the Queen had given her. They hurried down the path that led to the entrance to the hamlet.

             
Fog was swirling around and grew denser the closer they got to the entrance. It had an eerie quality and the air seemed to be thicker as they walked. Annie felt a chill go through her body and was having difficulty catching her breath. The fog seemed surreal, much like the fog she’d encountered on her arrival at the hamlet.

             
“It’s foggy. That seems odd, doesn’t it, Geoffroi?”

             
“No. It still gets foggy in the spring. Just not so often.”

             
Anna turned towards the sound of voices behind them. “Geoffroi, I hear someone calling you. I think it is
Pierre
.”

             
“I hear him, too. I’ll go back and see what he wants. You continue on the path and wait for me by the entrance gate. I’ll be there soon. I’m going to get the horses, too.”

             
“Please hurry, Geoffroi. I’m afraid.”

             
He took her in his arms and kissed her. He reluctantly released her and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll take care of you.
For all eternity, remember? Now go.”

             
She clung to him tightly, until he gently pushed her away and towards the gate that led out of the hamlet. She reluctantly obeyed and resumed walking down the path. The fog thickened as she stepped along. She couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her, but knew she was on the right path so continued walking. She arrived at the gate and turned back to look down the path she’d just taken. She couldn’t see anything behind her and nothing before her. She listened carefully but could no longer hear the voices of the others. She waited as long as she dared, then pushed the gate open and left the hamlet. The Franchet farm was down the road ahead, but in the 21
st
century it was the hotel that was down this road. Trusting Geoffroi completely, she placed one foot in front of the other and began walking.