...... You are needed in Calais. Come promptly. And bring your wife’s friend
Lady Shaddows. ....
“Oh dear, this is puzzling,” Lady Robin responded dismayed. I had
no clue he even knew of my existence. I assure you I do not know what is
going on.”
“Be on your guard, and follow my husband’s lead. Do not forget that
the Pimpernel mustn’t learn of the existence of the Guild,” Lady Hastings
cautioned.
Robin excused herself from Lady Hastings’ guests and returned to
Lady Emily’s house to prepare for the journey. Robin came upon Lady Emily,
“I am sorry to abandon you like this but I must leave for Dover to attend
business matters.”
“Aren’t you concerned about your reputation if someone discovers you
still dabble in trade?”
“Don’t worry, I am always careful about guarding my secrets; however,
should the worst happen and I am discovered, I would not suffer too greatly
should I lose the town’s approval.”
After hugging Lady Emily, Robin returns to the Hastings residence.
While there she dons her boys clothing and meets Lord Hastings in the stable..
After the long ride on horseback to Dover, Lord Hastings and Lady Robin leave
their horses at a local pub, and board the Day Dream. After a not nearly
long enough voyage/ nap, they arrive in Calais to meet the Scarlet Pimpernel
(sigh). Early dawn they no
sooner dock and the Pimpernel promptly came aboard (in disguise, of course).
“Thank you for coming so quickly, for I fear this matter has become
quite urgent.”
He then turned to Lady Robin.
“My dear, this might be quite a shock for you, but alas, I haven’t
the time to do this gently. You apparently have a cousin who has been living
in France. She had been living with her grandparents up until their
respective deaths, and has since been making a living on the boards. She is
being watched by the Republicans and she refuses to leave. It is my hope
that upon meeting you and realizing that she has some family she could turn
to, she wouldn’t be as reluctant to leave
France.”
Lady Robin, who was struck speechless for once in her life, finally
found her tongue and said, “Gadzooks, that was quite a leveler, Sir. Does
this cousin posess a name?”
“Alas! The Lady has some spirit. That is fortunate because we won’t
have time for missish vapors. Your cousin, Lady Katherine Shaddows, is going
by the alias of Vivian LeChat at a Parisian theatre.”
Turning to address Lord Hastings, the Scarlet Pimpernel stated, “I
shall leave you with a list of instructions, but I need to attend to others
in need. If you need to contact me before the appointed time, use your usual
channels. Godspeed, my friends and I hopefully shall meet up with you soon.”
Lord Hastings and Lady Robin bid him adieu and prepare their plans.
After breakfast, they depart by carriage to Paris. Lord Hastings
acquires tickets for the play where they were informed they could find Vivian
LeChat. Lady Robin ascertained a way into the theatre and went in search of
Vivian. She overheard a discussion between Vivian and another actress and
waited for Vivian to be alone before addressing her. Robin was thinking to
herself that the girl certainly sounds like a Shaddows with THAT willful
attitude. She then decided to get a glimpse of this long lost (unknown of)
relation. The girl was young, probably very close to her own age and had a
lot of the Shaddows features. Katherine had dark brown hair and maybe the
same grey eyes. She was a little taller than Robin and sounded just as
stubborn as Robin knew she could be. Yes, this was definitely someone she
could well and truly believe to be a relative. Soon enough, the other
actress is called away and Lady Robin approached Vivian.
“Vivian LeChat?” Lady Robin smiled.
“Oui, who are you?”
“Well, I fear this might take a while. Could we perhaps continue this
conversation somewhere private?”
After a brief pause, Vivian agreed. She led the way to an empty
room, and closed the door behind Robin.
“Now, Mademoiselle, what is your business?”
“Actually, I was hoping you could be of assistance to me. My name is
Lady Robin Shaddows. You see, I recently learned that you are my cousin. My
parents died when I was a small child, and I had come to believe I had no
close relations left.”
“So what assistance do you need?” Vivian answered cautiously.
“Well, as I said we are cousins...but I am in the dark as to how we
are related?”
"Why come here now? Things are unstable here and no one in your
family has shown any interest in mine up to now. Why are you here?"
"Katherine, I honestly didn't even know of your existence until
recently, but I have found out and I am completely thrilled to have someone
close in this world. I have also recently learned of the danger you're in
and the threat that hovers over you. I want you to return with me to England
and we can make a home for ourselves there. I know you don't have much
reason to trust me but I really do care and now that I know that you exist, I
will not be able to rest easy unless I know that you are safe!"
"SAFE?? SAFE?? No Shaddows has shown any concern about my safety or
that of my parents! I have been thrown out of one family and twice lost those
close to me. NOW I am treading the boards to make a living and hiding from
those who would kill me for who I am. You just come waltzing in here
informing me that I'm in danger and should leave all that is now familiar to
me and go to a country that isn't even my homeland?! I haven't had any help
from your family and I certainly don't need it now!"
"I know I can't fully understand your pain, though I have lost my own
parents as well and was brought up in England by my mother's family. I can't
say don't worry about the past and about the suffering you've endured. All I
can say is that I wasn't them and would never turn my back on my family or
someone I loved because of something that I didn't agree with. I need you to
return with me not just for your own safety but also for ME. I haven't known
what it was like to have someone close to that I could confide in. Someone
that's my own flesh and blood. I wish you would at least give the matter a
lot of thought and unbiased consideration before you throw me out of your
life."
"I do believe that YOU believe what you say , but I don't think you
grasp all that is involved here. First off, we are strangers. We could very
well end up hating each other. We know nothing about each other...."
"Which is why you should come with me. We could get to know each
other better."
"But this is my home, and I need to help my friends. You have no
idea what it is like here."
"What I do know is that you are in imminent danger and that you would
be of no use to your friends if you were to be killed. As it is, you are
being watched and it will be highly difficult for us all to get out of France
alive. If we leave tonight, there will be a boat waiting and we could get
out safely. If we wait any longer it will be more difficult. Please use the
intelligence that you obviously possess and come with me tonight, for I can't
leave without you and I'd prefer not to have to carry your unconscious body
all the way back to the dock!" Robin finishes with a grin.
Kathrine, after giving a considering look, relents. "Well, since you
put it in that very sincere and kind way, I have no recourse but to accept.
I will have to pack and I'll tell someone that I'm feeling ill. Where should
I meet you?"
Robin writes directions quickly down on a piece of paper and hands it
to Katherine. She then retraces her steps and returns to the carriage. Lord
Hastings, who is on the verge of losing all patience, promptly closes the
carriage door and gives the command to drive on.
"What in the blazes were you doing for so long? I was about to go
after you."
"I found Katherine. It took a while to persuade her, but in the end
I was able to convince her to leave with us tonight. She will be meeting
with us in an hour."
"Excellent. Let's grab a few provisions for our return journey.
This way all will be in order when Katherine arrives and then we could depart
immediately."
*************************
Katherine, dressed as a boy, arrives at the meeting place with a
large bag thrown over her shoulder. She gives a half-hearted smile and
suggests for them to be on their way before she changes her mind. The three
take off down alleyways and through the crowds, hoping to lose any potential
followers. Once on the outskirt of town, they get off the main road and walk
parallel to it through the woods. After hours of walking they happen upon a
small inn and decide it would be safe enough to hire a coach. Darkness
quickly falls and in a couple of hours they reach Calais. Lord Hastings
dismisses the coachman and the three set forth to the docks. They uncover
one of the hidden rowboats and row to the Day Dream.
After boarding, Lord Hastings discovers a note left by the
Pimpernel for him to meet in his chambers. Meanwhile, Robin takes Katherine
to their quarters and the two promptly collapse in their beds.
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