...... 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.

Return to the main Archives page
Mail the author!