Now that they were in Henford, Mac needed to figure out where to search next. They could feel the trail going cold for the first time, unsure of where Margot and Alexandre had come from before their marriages - but they had noted Margot's maiden name, 'Brown'.
Perusing the war memorial situated in the center of town felt like the first clue. They couldn't find anyone by the surname of Dreyfus - but for Brown, there were a few: Bernard, Cecil and Douglas.
Burying themselves in miliary records online, Mac came across the service records for each of the young men listed on the statue. Bernard and Brown - both killed in battle in 1942. Could either of them have been Margot's father, killed when she was young, leaving her a fatherless child?
Then there was Douglas Brown - respected military officer, with marriage records to Joan Eastman. Could this have been Margot's father? Mac felt like they could never know which of the three brothers it was. It was frustrating to have come this far.
The best they could find, however, was a listed address for the deceased boys Bernard and Cecil. A farm, situated in the township of Henford. Mac decided to pursue the address. It was the only clue they had. Maybe they could find out more about where these young men came from.
Mac walked up the long driveway to the beautiful old farmhouse sitting atop the hill. It had clearly been lovingly taken care of for many years by someone. They knocked on the door nervously, hoping that the owner would be amicable.
The man who opened the door was an elderly but friendly farmer, who invited Mac inside almost immediately when they told him of their quest to discover their family history. The inside of the farmhouse was tastefully curated and had been clearly well-preserved.
'This is my kid,' said the farmer, as they walked into the house. Mac was greeted by a person of similar age to them. 'They're home for the holidays to help their old man.'
'Hi, I'm Hugo,' they smiled. Mac smiled back. 'So, are you both part of the Brown family?' they asked.
'Oh no...' said Hugo. 'Our family name is Stratford. I don't actually think we know anyone by Brown at all.'
'Actually...' interjected Hugo's father. 'Perhaps there could be some history worth considering.' He went to a drawer and pulled out a pile of old papers. 'This farm has been in my family for many generations now. But the last time it was sold was in 1946. Maybe these deeds for sale will have what you're finding?'
Mac looked at the dusty yellow papers, reading through the fine handwriting, and gleaned some hope for what they were looking for. There, in the transaction sale for the land, was the name of the previous owner: Theodore Brown.
It was something. A name to go on for next - this Theodore Brown, owner of the farm, father of three sons, only one of whom survived. Their next clue!
