Let Them Have Cake (20 page)

Jeff helped her climb out of the bath and wrapped her in a warm terry towel. He patted her dry and pulled a freshly laundered nightgown over her head.

“Tiffany and Michelle changed your sheets while you were bathing.”

“That was nice of them. Where are they?”

“They left with Mark. They’re going back out touring. You must be ready to go back to sleep.”

“I am. That really relaxed me. I can’t believe I’m so tired.”

Jeff assisted her back into the bed and tucked the covers in around her.

“Thanks. I’ll be fine. You can leave me.”

“Okay, but only long enough to go down and get something to
eat and then go take a shower. Promise you’ll stay in bed.”

“I promise.”

Jeff bent and kissed her forehead. “Sleep well, sweetheart.”

“I will.”

Anna watched him leave the room and close the door behind him. He’d tucked her in just like Geoffroi had in the hamlet. How could this still be January? She’d been in the hamlet for three months. How could she have been there three months, and yet only a few days had gone by here? One thing for certain, it hadn’t been a dream. She’d been in the hamlet, and she’d fallen in love with Geoffroi. Where were her friends now? Did they know she was gone? Were they missing her? Most importantly, was Geoffroi missing her?

Chapter 18

“Are you ready for your first outing in a week?” Jeff opened the drapes in Anna’s room. “Look outside. It’s a beautiful winter day. The sun is shining and the snow has melted off the sidewalks.”

“I guess. I feel awfully weak, but I managed to get myself dressed and my hair combed.” Anna checked her reflection in the mirror. “Yuck, I look like death warmed over.”

“You look wonderful. We aren’t going far. Just around the corner to a little restaurant I found. It’s only steps from the hotel.”

Jeff helped her on with her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck. He handed her a black fur muff for her hands.

“What’s this?” Anna was looking at the muff as if she didn’t know what to do with it.

“That was Tiffany’s impulse buy. I guess she got a deal because she bought one for you, too. Put your hands in it. It’s supposed to keep them warmer than gloves.”

“Gosh, that was sweet of her.”

“The girls were very worried about you while you were sick. They would go on the tours, but would come back frequently to check on you. They took turns sitting with you so I could go shower or get a bite to eat.”

Anna couldn’t believe the twins had cared enough about her to spend part of their time in
Paris
playing nursemaid. They seemed too immature and spoiled to worry about others. Perhaps she had misjudged them.

“Let’s go, Anna. You can’t stay up too long.”

Jeff took her arm gently and led her out the door. The elevator was waiting and they took it down to the first floor.

“Where did the Christmas tree go?” Anna asked upon entering the lobby.

“They finally took it down. It was dry as could be and all of the needles had fallen off. It was just a stick with ornaments on it.”

They stepped outside into the sunlight. Anna stopped and took a deep breath. The air was crisp and fresh, and was scented faintly with exhaust from the diesel bus stopped at the corner. She couldn’t help but wonder why it was still winter when it was already April in the hamlet. How could that be?

The restaurant was just around the corner and a few doors down from the hotel, but Anna was short of breath and exhausted
when they got there.

“Wow. I am really out of shape. Was I in bed the whole week?” Anna asked.

“You were except to get up to go to the bathroom, but that was all.”

“I don’t remember any of it.”

The maitre d’ seated them at a small round table in a secluded corner of the restaurant. The tables were covered with red checked cloth, and the scent of tomatoes and garlic filled the air. The menus they were given listed many Italian dishes along with French.

“This was a good choice. I feel like eating something tomatoes. When I was little, my mom always gave us tomato soup when we were sick.”

“Really? Not chicken soup?” Jeff asked.

“Nope. Tomato soup and saltine crackers. I think I’ll get spaghetti with marinara sauce, and some meatballs. I’m starving.”

“That’s great. That shows you really are on the road to recovery.”

Jeff gave their order to the waiter, then took Anna’s hands in his.

“I was so terribly worried about you. I’m a doctor and I knew intellectually that you weren’t in any real danger and it
just had to run its course, but that didn’t help emotionally. You were so restless and confused.”

“What do you mean, confused?”

“You kept acting like you were seeing people that weren’t there. I think you were hallucinating,” Jeff replied.

“Like who? Who did I see?”

“Marie Antoinette for one. And Monique, Genevieve, Jacques,
Pierre
, and someone named Bessie-Daisy.”

Anna sat in silence. She couldn’t have been hallucinating. It had all been too real. She’d been there, in the hamlet, she just knew it. She’d met Geoffroi and fallen in love. Or had she? Of course she had. They had made love. Many times and in many places. That had been very real. Too real to have been a dream.

“What about Geoffroi? Did I talk to Geoffroi?”

“Of course, but it made sense that you would be talking to Jeffrey, since I was in and out of your room the whole time.”

Their meal was served and Anna devoured it ravenously. She ate every slice of bread, and looked around for more. Finding none, she asked, “Can we get dessert?”

“Sure, though I don’t know where you’re going to put it.”

“I’ll find room. How about some wine?”

Jeff frowned. “No wine. You need to be fully recuperated first.”

“I’ve changed my mind. I’m feeling full. I’d rather have a
cup of tea than dessert.”

“Whatever you want. We can get dessert to go if you like.”

“That sounds good. Then I can have it later.”

Jeff ordered hot tea for both of them and an apple pastry with cream cheese for Anna to take back to the room.

Anna looked troubled.

“Is something bothering you, Anna?” Jeff asked.

“Well, yes, but I’m not sure I want to tell you.”

“After what we’ve been through the past week, you can tell me anything.”

Anna thought about this for a bit, then decided it was worth a try.

“Jeff. I really was in the hamlet at
Versailles
. I don’t know how to explain it to you, but I was there. I was there for three months and was about to get married when all of a sudden I was back here. I made lots of friends there, including Marie Antoinette.”

Jeff took her hands again and listened sympathetically. “I understand, Anna. You were having very vivid hallucinations.”

Anna jerked her hands away. “They were not hallucinations. I was there. I know I was there. I will prove it to you somehow.”

She looked around anxiously. How would she prove it? There must be a way. She stood up abruptly to leave, got a little
dizzy and lost her balance. Jeff jumped up in time to prevent her from falling over the table.

“Waiter. The check, please. My friend isn’t feeling well and I need to get her back to the hotel.”

The waiter brought the check and Jeff quickly paid it. He put his arm around Anna’s waist and guided her back to the hotel and to her room. He helped her sit in a chair and removed her shoes.

She began to cry.

“You’re tired, sweetheart. It will get easier. You’ll get stronger each day and will feel like yourself in no time.’

Anna wiped her eyes with the white handkerchief Jeff handed her. “You don’t understand. I’m not crying because I don’t feel well. I’m crying because you don’t believe me.”

“I’m so sorry, Anna. I’ve been here the whole week and you’ve been here the entire time. It’s still January. It isn’t possible that you were gone somewhere for three months.”

She wiped her eyes again, then noticed the handkerchief Jeff had given her. She spread the tear stained cloth out on her lap. It was made of the finest of linen and was hand embroidered with tiny white flowers and birds. Handmade lace edged it.

Realizing that the handkerchief was the one that Marie Antoinette had given her, she said, “Here. Look at this. Here’s proof. Queen Marie Antoinette gave me this handkerchief when I
was there. I was crying then, too, and she gave it to me to dry my eyes with. She let me keep it. Where did you get it?”

“It was in the pocket of your blue silk dressing gown. The one you wore the night we stayed at the hotel by
Versailles
. That was the night you were first sick and you walked out of the hotel.”

Anna could hardly contain her excitement. “See? That’s proof. I walked out of the hotel that night and walked to the hamlet in that nightgown and dressing gown.”

“Yes, I know. You were soaking wet when I found you.”

“No. You didn’t find me. I got to the hamlet and found an empty cottage. I went inside and there was a dry dress on the wall, so I put it on and it fit perfectly. I stuffed the wet stuff in a basket in the cottage.”

“Anna, I brought you back to the hotel and helped you dress in a dry flannel nightgown one of the hotel maids loaned me. She said it had been left hanging in one of the rooms by a prior guest. I thought it would keep you warmer. You were wearing the same gown you’d worn to bed that night.”

“But, the handkerchief?”

“I don’t know where that came from, Anna. You had it in your pocket, that’s all I know.”

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“Honey, I think you overdid it today. Maybe we should have
just gone out for a little walk. Why don’t you lie down for awhile?”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me. No one will. I was there. I was really there.”

Anna got into bed and turned to face the wall. She didn’t want to look at anyone right now. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she dabbed at them with the handkerchief Marie Antoinette had given her. She heard a knock at the door and heard Jeff let someone in.

“How did she do?” Mark asked.

“Not too well. I think she got overly tired. She’s hallucinating again.”

             
“What are you going to do?” Mark questioned. “The tour ends tomorrow and we’re all going home.”

             
“I’ve already called the hospital and made arrangements to extend my vacation.”

             
“There wasn’t a problem?” Mark asked.

             
“No. A new group of residents just started, so staffing is pretty well covered. The hospital was also concerned about Anna getting sick on this trip since they sponsored it. They’ve given her an indefinite amount of time off.”

             
“That doesn’t really answer my question. What are you going to do?”

             
“I’m going to stay here, of course. I’ll make sure that she
has recovered sufficiently, and then we will fly back to
California
together,” Jeff answered.

             
“Man, have you fallen hard.” Mark shook his head from side to side as he commented primarily to himself.

             
“Yes I have. My life has been permanently changed by this vacation.”

             
Mark looked at his watch. “I better go downstairs. We have a group meeting in a few minutes so Lurline can give us instructions on how and when we’re going to the airport tomorrow.”

             
“Is there going to be a last dinner together tonight?” Jeff asked.

             
“Yes, the group will all be together. Do you think Anna will be able to go? It’s here in the hotel.”

             
“I’ll make sure she rests the remainder of the day, and I’m sure she’ll feel like it.”

             
Jeff closed the door behind Mark and sat down to read. Unable to concentrate, he put the book down and watched Anna as she slept. Her blonde hair was fanned out over the pillow and her eyelids fluttered as if she were dreaming. Jeff thought about the opportunity that this vacation had provided him. They would start over as soon as she was completely well.