Grant blinked looking up from the note he held clutched in his
hand. Looking at his elder sister he frowned slightly.
"It might be
dangerous, Christine," he said slowly.
"I want to go," she said firmly.
"You are showing me thisÖin the hopes I will join you?" Grant asked
halfway dreading her answer.
Christine smiled at her brother.
"It is hare-brained! We have no experience in this sort of thing! What
if something should happen to you? I would never forgive myself," Grant
pleaded.
"We would be leading two small children to England. Their parents have
already been taken care of. But, if you are afraidÖ" Christine said
shrugging.
In all truth it was she who was terrified, but she was hoping
she could egg on her brother into joining her. Her efforts were not
futile.
Grant pulled himself to his full height. "Afraid! I am not afraid! I'm
especially not afraid of France," he added.
"Of course not, dear," she said patting her younger sibling on the
shoulder. "But you do understand that, as a daughter of Austria, I feel
obligated to help in anyway I can. Surely you understand, don't you
Grant?"
Grant hung his head. After their parents died it was he who decided that
England would be the best place for them both. He wanted to keep his
sister safe in England. Maybe find her a husband with a titleÖhe didn't
want her running off to France on some scheme that could kill them
both!
Finally he sighed and said, "All right, all right. We'll go."
Christine laughed and hugged her brother.
"I knew you'd come."
"I'm an idiot," he muttered. "I shouldn't let you do thisÖFather would
have killed me."
"Ja, Father would not have been happy. But think of it. It will be
exciting Grant! Think of how the other members of the Guild will adore
you. Most especially the female membersÖ" she entreated.
Grant's eyes lit up. "You think they will?"
"Oh I know it!" Christine said smiling.
Grant's mouth twitched into a grin. "Well then!" he said brightly. "We
go to Calais!"
____________________________________
Christine walked lightly next to her brother along the French coast. It
was cool and the night wind whipped her hair around crazily. She tried
in vain to calm it by putting a hand to her head, but only succeeded in
making her hair go in her brother's face.
Grant sputtered as a few strands of her hair got in his mouth.
"Ugh,
Christine, can't you do something about that?"
" What would you have me do?" she asked, somewhat vexed.
Grant shrugged. "Cut it?" he suggested innocently.
Christine puckered her face and swatted him on the arm, while he
sniggered. Looking around she mused out loud.
"I wonder now, where these
people who we are to meet are at?" she asked in his native tongue.
"I don't know. But Christine," he added, "try to speak in French,
dear. We'll attract less attention that way."
"Ja, or should I say Oui? You are right, but my French is very
poor," Christine said softly.
"It is all right," Grant said smiling affectionately at his sister. She
smiled back at him and for a moment wondered how on earth she could ever
survive without him. Their roles were, in her mind, reversed. She really
should have been the strong one being the older of the two, but she
could never muster up enough strength. Grant; thank the Lord, never
needed to lean on anyone. If anything he needed to be leant on.
"Mademoiselle Schwartz?" a voice called breaking into Christine's stream
of thoughts.
Grant stepped forward and in front of Christine, and she timidly called
out over his shoulder, "Guten Tag!"
The voice sighed satisfied. "Good, it is you! Who is it you have brought
along with you?"
"My brother, Grant." Christine frowned. Something was not right here.
"Ah, very good. I don't suppose either of you know who I am?"
Christine paled and ducked back behind Grant with a little moan. She had
a pretty good idea of who it was...
- Return to the main Archives page
-
- Mail the author!
-