Free Love Beyond Time by Flora Speer

something
there will stir my memory.”
    “Alone?” Savarec considered this proposal.
“For appearance’s sake I should go with you. Or Sister
Gertrude.”
    “Neither of you was present when Danise found
me,” Michel said. “I would like to repeat exactly what happened
when I was first discovered.”
    “Then you should have Clothilde with you,”
said Savarec.
    “It is my understanding that Danise sent
Clothilde away at once, to find you,” Michel replied. “I don’t
think it will take long, Savarec. If I am to remember anything, I
believe it will happen at once. This request is vitally important
to me, so I ask your indulgence. I promise to return Danise to you
unharmed.”
    “My daughter is precious to me,” Savarec
began.
    “I know it,” Michel told him. “I honor Danise
as my rescuer. You have my solemn word, I will not harm her.”
    “Well,” Savarec wavered.
    “Will no one ask my opinion?” Danise looked
from her father to Michel. “I will help you. I know how much it
will mean to you to have your memories back again.” She did not add
what she was thinking, that it was just as important to her to know
who he really was, to know if he was married or if he had
children.
    “Very well, then,” Savarec said. “Do what you
can for him, Danise. However, you must not stay in the forest too
long. You and I may know that Michel is an honorable man who will
keep his word, but if Clodion realizes you are gone and becomes
annoyed, he may impugn your virtue, and some folk here at Duren
will listen to him. Not to mention what Sister Gertrude will say to
me if she hears of this project.”
    “Thank you, Father.” Danise looked at Michel.
“Let us go at once, so we can return before we are missed.”
    “Lead the way and I will follow,” he
responded.
    Danise did not hesitate. She walked first to
Savarec’s tents and then began to retrace the path she had taken
into the forest on the day when she had found Michel. It was not
long before they were enclosed by trees and underbrush, sheltered
by the canopy of newly unfurled leaves. The sound of voices from
the camp was but a distant murmur muffled by the foliage. Nearer
were the pleasant sounds of occasional bird calls and of water
trickling along over stones and exposed tree roots.
    “This way,” Danise said. “Clothilde and I
followed this little stream.”
    “Wait a moment, please.”
    “Michel, are you in pain again?” Seeing him
with both hands at his head, Danise stopped walking. “Perhaps you
should rest. We can do this another day.”
    “We’ll do it now. I can’t rest until I know
who I am.” He took his hands from his forehead to look at her,
weariness etched on his face. “The bright sunshine and the
reflections from the river hurt my eyes. The noise made by so many
people talking all at once, the smells of the food, the strangeness
of it all – sometimes it’s overwhelming.”
    “You are not completely well yet.”
    “If I am not well, why did you desert me?” he
burst out. “Why do you refuse to talk to me?”
    “I am talking to you now. I am trying to help
you.”
    “I know. I do know.” He gripped her
shoulders, hurting her. “I have been experiencing moments when I
remember – something . Unfortunately, those moments never
last long enough for me to make any sense of them. It’s
unsettling.”
    “I am sure it is. Come now, the spot you want
to see is only a short distance away.” Her heart pounding, her own
thoughts awhirl, Danise moved out of his restraining hands to lead
the way along the path taken by the stream until they reached a
clearing.
    “Is this it?” Michel looked around as if he
could not believe he had ever been in that place before.
    “You were lying there when I found you.”
Danise pointed to a rock half buried in dry leaves. “We decided you
must have hit your head on that stone. We thought you were in the
tree just above before you fell.”
    He looked up into the green height of the
tree in