Let Them Have Cake (28 page)

             
“Be careful. You don’t want to scatter them all around if the bag disintegrated.”

             
He put the letter opener aside and used his hand to sift through the dirt. Grasping an object he pulled it out. Opening his hand slowly, the two of them stared at it in disbelief.

             
“This is the proof I was looking for, Jeff. This couldn’t be a coincidence.”

             
“A gold coin. It has to be one of the ones we buried. The others should be there, too. The leather bag may have fallen apart by now but the coins should all be in the same vicinity.”

             
Anna wasn’t so sure. “Maybe, but what if the roots of the old tree pushed the coins aside as the tree grew?”

             
“Good point. I’ll keep looking.”

             
He dug more widely and produced several more coins before finding the mostly intact leather bag he’d buried. He opened it and looked for the objects he’d put there without Anna knowing. He held them out for her to see.

             
“What are those? They look like gold wedding rings.” Anna looked puzzled.

             
“Yes, that’s what they are. Geffroi buried them along with
the coins to keep them safe. He, or I guess I was going to dig them up when we were to be married.”

             
“And that day never came.” Anna looked sad.

             
Jeff took her in his arms. “It didn’t then, but it will in this century. I promise you.”

             
“I love you so much, Jeff.”

             
“And I love you, Anna. For all time.”

***

             
A crackling fire warmed them as the sipped their favorite champagne. They watched the bubbles rise in the glasses of
Veuve Cliquot Rose Brut.
Lost in their own thoughts of the events that had brought them together, they sat in companionable silence. The hotel lounge was empty of other guests and the bartender washed glasses and put away liquor bottles as he waited for them to leave.

             
Finally, Jeff spoke. “What’s next? We fly home in two days.”

             
“Yes, we fly home and back to our real lives.” Anna looked pensive. “
Long Beach
,
California
is going to feel a lot different than it did when I left it just a few weeks ago.”

             
“In what way?” Jeff asked.

             
“For starters, I’m going home much older than when I left
California
.”

             
“Yes. A whole three weeks older.” Jeff chuckled.

             
“I’m serious. The experience I had as Anne-Marie taught me a lot. I realize how difficult and dangerous life was for our ancestors, and how easy life in
California
is.”

             
“You are so beautiful in the firelight.” Jeff smiled at her. “I’m going back changed as well.”

             
“Really? How are you changed?”

             
“When I left, I was an eligible bachelor and now I’m an old married man.”

             
Anna looked at the gold band on the ring finger of her left hand and then at the matching one on Jeff’s. “We’re not really married, you know.”

             
“Just a minor technicality that we can get ironed out once we’re home. We were supposed to have been married centuries ago, so I believe that’s why we’ve been brought together now.”

             
Anna sat back in her chair, a look of contentment on her face. “Intuition tells me you’re right.”

             
“Back to my original question. What now? We have one day left here. Do we go back to
Paris
or spend it here in
Versailles
?”

             
“There’s one more thing I’d like to do before leaving.”

             
Jeff asked, “What would that be?”

             
“There’s a cemetery in the countryside I need to visit.”

             
“How do you know about a country cemetery?” Jeff looked puzzled.

             
“When I visited the Franchet farm I noticed a family plot close by. I want to go look at the graves and the names on the headstones.”

             
“Do you think there will still be markers on graves that old?” Jeff looked skeptical.

             
“Why wouldn’t there be? There are old burial sites all over the world with monuments that you can still read.”

             
“I know, but those are usually in larger cemeteries that are maintained. I’m not sure about the old family plots.”

             
Disappointment was evident in her voice as she said, “There probably isn’t anything there for me to see, but I’d still like to look.”

             
Jeff reached across and touched her cheek. “Of course we can go. If it’s important to you, we’ll do it.”

             
“You are the most wonderful man in the world.” Anna took his hand and kissed the palm. “It is very important to me that we go. I need to find out for sure that Anne-Marie died in 1788 or 1789 and that she’s buried there.”

             
Jeff stood and helped her to her feet. “Let’s go see if the concierge is still working. We’ll order a car and driver to take us tomorrow.”

             
“I hope he can figure out where it is based on my directions. I looked in the phone book and there are still Franchets in the area.”

             
“Let’s go find out.”
             

Chapter 26

             
“The countryside is so beautiful. It must be spectacular later in spring when flowers are blooming.” Anna turned and smiled at Jeff.

             
Jeff grinned back. “I imagine it is. Too bad we’ll be home in
California
by then.”

             
“Not really. I love
California
. I’m getting a little homesick, so I’m ready to go. As soon as we do this last thing, that is.”

             
“I’m amazed the concierge knew where the old Franchet farm and cemetery were.” Jeff gestured towards the driver. “He knows, too. That surprises me.”

             
“The Franchet family lived in this area for many years. When I did my genealogy search, I traced my family back to them but wasn’t able to find Anne-Marie’s family.” Anna paused for a bit and looked out the window. “Now I know her name. Toussaint. Anne-Marie Toussaint.”

             
Jeff gently touched her cheek and turned her face to him.

“What is it you’re looking for? Why is this so important to you?”

             
“Maybe I’m looking for a happy ending for Anne-Marie.” Anna offered. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

             
“Try, please. I really want to know what is driving you.”

             
Anna frowned. “Okay, but if I confuse you, please stop me.”

             
Jeff nodded his agreement.

             
“As far back as I can remember I’ve wanted to know about my ancestors and where I came from. I’ve had this strange feeling that they live on inside me and that I carry their experiences and memories within me.”

             
“Go on,” Jeff offered.

             
“I did a little research on genetic cell memory and discovered that I’m not the first person to believe this.”

             
“Does cell memory mean that you’re the same person as your ancestor?” Jeff asked.

             
“No. It means the memories of life experiences are passed from generation to generation in our cells.”

             
Jeff reflected on this before saying, “If it’s in the cells, and our DNA is passed on in reproduction, isn’t it possible that we are more than just connected to our ancestors...perhaps we’re a continuation of them and aren’t really separate beings at all?”

             
“I don’t know, Jeff. That’s too deep for me. All I know is
that at different times in my life I’ve felt that I’m someone other than me. I want to know that Anne-Marie really did die. I want to see a grave. I want reassurance that I’m not her, that I’m a separate person.”

             
“Where does the happy ending part come in?”

             
Anna frowned. “Gosh, I’m not sure. I’ve learned that she died and her children were raised by other people.” She paused. “She and Geoffroi didn’t marry. It’s all very sad.”

             
“Monsieur, Madame.” The driver had stopped the car in front of a lane leading to a farmhouse. “I must go inside and ask permission from the owners before we can go on to the cemetery.”

             
Jeff leaned towards the man. “Shall we wait in the car?”

             
“Yes, that will be best.”

             
They watched him walk down the lane towards the house.

             
“I wonder why he didn’t drive in?” Anna questioned.

             
“The road is dirt and gravel.” Jeff pointed to the lane. “Maybe he was afraid he’d get his car dirty or pinged with rocks.”

             
“This feels familiar to me. When I was in the hamlet and came to the farm, there were big trees along the lane.” Anna had a faraway look in her eyes. “I hid in the trees as I walked to the house so that I wouldn’t be discovered by someone.”

             
“Why was that?” Jeff looked puzzled.

             
“I thought Anne-Marie was still alive and staying at the
farm. If I’d have appeared, it would have caused big problems. As it turned out, she was dead and if I’d appeared it would have caused even bigger problems.”

             
Jeff turned to see a person moving towards them. “Here comes the driver.”

             
Anna moved to the edge of her seat and anxiously looked out the window in the direction Jeff was gazing in. “Oh, I hope they told him it would be okay.”

             
The driver opened the door and got back in the car.

             
“They have granted us permission to enter their property and go to the graves.” He looked over his shoulder at them. “We drive further down the main road and turn onto a side road. It becomes too rough to drive on at a point and then you must walk the rest of the way.”

             
Anna remained sitting on the edge of her seat. Her stomach was in knots and her heart was beating so fast it felt as if it would burst out of her chest.

             
“I wonder how much further it is.”

             
Jeff put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her back to lean against him. “The road is getting worse so we should be close. Relax, Anna. We’re almost there.”

             
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Anna, they arrived at the spot in the road where they couldn’t drive any further. The driver carefully turned the car around so that it
was facing in the direction they’d just come from, and turned off the motor. He got out and opened the door for Jeff and Anna.

             
“Walk down the footpath towards those trees. The cemetery is there. It is fenced to keep the sheep out but the gate isn’t locked. I’ll wait here for you. There’s no hurry.”

             
Jeff thanked him, took Anna’s hand, and they started down the little used path.

             
“It doesn’t look like any of those trees blew down during the storm.” Anna gestured with her free hand. “It’s really overgrown.”