Chapter 25

Alsace-Lorraine

The convent of Ste. Genevieve was nestled in a quiet valley among some vineyards. Eleanor smiled. It had been decades since she had been here... but this was another of those places that never seemed to change... no matter how long it had been.

She entered through the gate to the main courtyard and nodded at one of the sisters. She explained whom she was here to see if possible... that she was a cousin... that she had family news... the sister smiled knowingly and went to get Mother Marie-France.

Eleanor wandered about the courtyard, noting the small school that had let out for the afternoon. Already she could sense the children. She smiled and walked back toward the convent house. She wasn't here to see the children... not this time.

Marie-France greeted her warmly from the stairs and came forward with a hug. "Eleanor... ma cher! Bonjour! What a delightful surprise! What brings you to see me?"

"Ahh... ma cher... business... only business."

"Not fair... you should come for a retreat... we could practice our moves and you could tell me tales."

"But I do not tell them well..." Eleanor pouted. "Everyone says so." She laughed then at the ease with which she and Marie-France fell into old patterns of speech and conversation. The nun had left the outer world centuries ago... she was as firmly ensconced in this place as Darius had been in Paris... but for other reasons.

Eleanor and Darius had never fully been able to dissuade the young woman that her miraculous recovery after falling from the heights of Notre Dame in 1232, while it was still under construction, was other than a miracle sent by God! Marie-France was a product of her time... her faith knew no bounds. Thus... they had helped her find a place to live in safety... at least as much safety as was possible. She was still artistic... among her sketches were many of various immortals she had met over the centuries. Like Eleanor... she had little real interest in the game.

"If someone comes for me... so be it..." she had often shrugged, "I have already had more time than most because of God's gracious mercy!"

The nun waved at the children. "Here comes Valeraine!" She winked at Eleanor and chuckled.

The little girl trotted over and placed her hands on her hips and stamped one foot impatiently. "Marie-Charles... have you seen Sir Edmund? Why does he not come? He promised! Tell him I am still waiting!"

Eleanor threw up her hands in mock denial and shrugged as if she could do nothing.

Valeraine tossed her blonde braids and stomped off.

Marie-France leaned in closely to her friend and whispered in amusement, "Nothing like an eight hundred-year-old eight year old!"

"Does she give you any problems."

"Occasionally she reminds me she is somewhat older than I am and that it is only because I died as an adult that she is not in charge! And she still thinks Edmund will come for her."

"He was a fool to tell her that... but I suppose it was all he could think of at the time to get her to remain here."

The two women linked arms and Marie-France led her friend into the small flower and herb garden that was the nun's personal pride and pleasure... "So just why are you here?"

"Did Darius send you anything for me before he died?" Eleanor knew no other way to get to this. She needed to know and if the research wasn't here... she needed to search elsewhere and in a hurry.

Marie-France shook her head. "We wrote, of course, I still have some letters... I could get them... they contained nothing of interest to you."

"If you don't mind... there might be something there."

Marie-France nodded and led Eleanor into her office. She withdrew a small key and unlocked a box. Then she handed Eleanor a packet of letters. "I know I should have burned them... but after he died... I wanted to keep them... just so I could pretend I was getting a new letter occasionally."

Eleanor nodded. She had already burned the ones she'd had. But she had committed them all to memory. Carefully she opened the letters and settled in to read. Soon she had to agree. Marie-France was right... there was nothing of importance there. Then in the last one she read a postscript "Matthias has been to see me... he says he may stop by soon to see you as well."

"Did Matthias come?"

"Yes..." Marie-France shook her head sadly. "It was he who told me of our old friend's death. He was greatly saddened. Kept going on and on about some task Darius had given him. Of course three years later I heard that he, too, was dead."

Eleanor narrowed her eyes, "He didn't happen to say what it was?"

"No... just that it would turn our world upside down!"

There was a knock at the door. Both immortals looked up at the immortal presence asking admission.

The door opened slowly and a blonde immortal child who looked to be approximately ten years old stood with his hand on the door. "Just checking on your visitor..." His eyes traveled over Eleanor suspiciously as if trying to recall her from somewhere.

Neither woman spoke. The boy glared at them both and then nodded and closed the door. They both let out a deep breath.

"What made you take that one in... he's dangerous!" Eleanor said to her friend.

"You know this is a safe haven for all the lambs. I keep an eye on him. Kenny likes to hide out here occasionally... and he knows... that if he wants to come back... he'd better behave. I'll not have him hunting children if they wander off the grounds. All the lambs have been warned about him though. Trust Valeraine to take care of that. And I, of course, have my own defenses." She smiled and arched her eyebrows knowingly.

Eleanor laughed. Then thought once more about the dead Matthias. Not only was he dead... but so was the one who had killed him... and the one who had killed his killer... and that led her back once more to Duncan MacLeod. If Matthias had known anything... it was likely long lost! She shook her head... Dead-end! Damn!

"I need to go now..." she smiled tiredly at Marie-France. "Be careful ma cher... there are so few of us left anymore."

Marie-France returned the smile. "I am always careful... but my fate is in God's hands! My life is His!"

***

Eleanor took the channel ferry back to England the next day. There did not seem to be much sense in pursuing this any further. And she had to get what she did have to Methos and to safety.