Let Them Have Cake (29 page)

             
“It looks kind of dark and sinister.” Jeff grinned at her. “Are you sure you want to go in there?”

             
“Of course I’m sure. Come on. You’re walking too slowly.”

             
Anna picked up the pace and they reached the fence in minutes.

             
“Where’s the gate?” she asked. “There’s too much barbed wire on this fence to climb over.”

             
“We’ll find it. The path goes around to the left. The gate is probably over there.”

             
Jeff was correct and they were soon inside the cemetery.

             
Anna brushed the hair back from her face and looked around.

“This is in bad shape. Most of the headstones have fallen down. How are we going to see the names?”

             
“We’ll look at them one at a time. It doesn’t look like
there are many people buried here. The family probably stopped using it long ago.”

             
Jeff moved towards the first line of headstones. He began carefully picking up the ones that had fallen onto the side with engraved writing and after reading, placed them back into the same position as he’d found them.

             
“Anything yet?” Anna asked.

             
“No. I think this is the younger part of the cemetery. The dates are in the late 1800’s.”

             
“Maybe that’s when the last people were buried. Shall we start in the back?”

             
Jeff stood up and massaged his back. He moved to the next stone and read it. “Let’s move methodically along each row. That way we won’t miss anything.”

             
They worked quietly side by side for an hour. Anna checked the smaller stones, the ones that hadn’t fallen, and the ones that had fallen with the writing facing up.

             
She stood and pushed her hair back again, this time securing it in an elastic band she’d pulled from her pocket.

“Aren’t you glad the stones are all small?”

             
Jeff paused to catch his breath. “Yes, I am. These are heavy as it is. We’re almost finished though.”

             
Anna looked crestfallen. “We haven’t found anything yet.”

             
“I know, honey. I didn’t think we would.” He looked as
disappointed as Anna. “I’m so sorry.”

             
“Thank you, Jeff. Let’s not give up yet, though. There’s one more row.”

             
The last few headstones were standing but were covered with dead vines that had grown over them. They tore at the vegetation with their hands until they began to get tiny cuts in them.

             
Anna pulled her letter opener out of her backpack purse and slashed at the vines on the stone she was working on. The first few letters of a name began to appear.

             
“Jeff. I think I’ve found something.”

             
He walked over to look at the engraved writing. “It looks like ANN. Pull the rest off.”

             
Anna’s heart was pounding as she ripped at the remaining vines. Jeff tore at them with his bare hands, ignoring the pain from the cuts on his palms. Silence descended on them as they stood, wrapped in each others arms. Tears streamed down Anna’s face as they gazed on engraved name. ANNE-MARIE TOUSSAINT ANDRIEUX 1769-1814.

             
“Wait a minute. Something’s wrong.” Anna pushed away from Jeff. “How can her name be Andrieux? They didn’t get married? And she died in 1788 when she was 28. This Anne-Marie was 45 when she died.”

             
Jeff scratched his head in confusion. “You’re sure she died?”

             
“I heard the Franchet family talking to Anne-Marie’s children. They wouldn’t tell children their mother was dead if it wasn’t true, would they?”

             
“I don’t know. Let’s uncover this last grave. Maybe something there will help us.”

             
They returned to work, removing plants from the stone. Anna gasped when the name was revealed. GEOFFROI ANDRIEUX 1755-1813.

             
Anna was pale and looked faint. “I don’t understand. How could this be? Geoffroi died before Anne-Marie? And...they were married?”

             
Dazed, she sat down on a tree stump and looked to Jeff for an explanation.

             
Seeing that he was expected to help her figure this out he said, “Maybe it was too dangerous at the time for the children to know that their mother was alive. Perhaps the Franchets told the lie to protect the children and Anne-Marie. You remember that anyone closely associated with the royal family was in danger, don’t you?”

             
Anna nodded in agreement.

             
Jeff continued, “From what you told me of the conversation you heard, it was important that the children be known as Franchet children.”

             
“But what about Geoffroi? He didn’t know where Anne-Marie had gone?”

             
“He must have found her, Anna. Just like I’ve now found you.”

             
Peace began to settle over her in calm, soothing waves as she realized that Jeff’s explanation was plausible.

             
“You have to be right. Geoffroi must have left the hamlet when I disappeared that day and fled to the countryside. He found her, somehow. That’s the important part.”

             
Anna stood up and reached for her backpack.

             
“Shall we go now?” Jeff asked. “You’ve found what you needed to find.”

             
“Just a few minutes more and I’ll be ready.” She pulled paper and a charcoal pencil from her pack.

             
Jeff patiently waited until she’d completed her grave rubbings of the names and dates, and when she was finished they walked towards the gate.

             
Anna stopped suddenly and turned around.

             
“What is it? Did you forget something?” Jeff asked.

             
“No. I heard a noise. I think I see someone.”

             
Jeff’s eyes scanned the cemetery. “Where?”

             
Anna pointed back to the grave markers belonging to Anne-Marie and Geoffroi. “There they are. Right by the stones.”

             
Geoffroi stood, looking exactly as she’d remembered him. He wore his puffy sleeved shirt and he had a full beard. His eyes twinkled and she could tell he was smiling. At his side stood
Anne-Marie. She had her arm wrapped around his waist and was dressed in the green dress Marie Antoinette had given her and she’d worn in her engagement portrait.

             
“Well I’ll be...I see them now, Anna. I see them. You’ve given me all the proof I need.”

             
Geoffroi tipped his hat and Anne-Marie gave a slight wave. They turned and walked away, fading into the background as they did so.

             
Jeff took Anna in his arms and held her as she sobbed.

“Are those tears of sorrow or of happiness?” He tipped her chin so that he could see her face.

             
“These are tears of pure joy, my love. Tears of pure joy....” 

THE END