Baudet accepted he was destined to do God’s work, and this realisation had struck him swiftly and unexpectedly. It now fell to him to put his house in order. He would end his relationship with Aldessa, short-lived as it was, upon her return from Montpellier. So much he had decided. He adored her, that would never change and perhaps, he contemplated, in another time and place it could have been different. But, it was not in his stars – the Lord of Creation foresaw an altogether more spiritual future for him. However, before he could entertain any commitment to the Benedictine brothers, his history must be revisited: his former home and family beckoned from afar – one last farewell to Vordan, the writing was on the wall, a slate to be celebrated, then wiped clean.
“And so, you see, Madame D
