The night in Bordeaux was thick as ink, yet the dining hall of the Valois Manor was ablaze with light.

Massive crystal chandeliers cast a soft halo, illuminating the brocade tablecloth and the gleaming silver cutlery on the long table. The air was filled with the rich aroma of beef bourguignon, mingling with the aged bouquet of a freshly decanted 1982 Lafite.

Eleanor—formerly Nora—sat upri