an Ally spy to the Germans three days past.”
Ian gasped. Monsieur Lafitte had shown them all considerable kindness a year before, and his daughter, Océanne, was someone Ian had great affection for.
“What do you think’s happened to him?” Carl asked, clearly shaken by the news.
Theo began to cry in earnest, and Argos got up to go sit next to her and hold her hand. Ian gave the soldier a grateful smile and turned his attention back to the earl, whose distress was etched into every line on his distraught face. “I’m afraid I have no way of knowing,” the earl said somberly. “But the Germans are not known for their leniency or mercy when it comes to suspected spies.”
“But Monsieur Lafitte will surely talk his way out of it,” Carl insisted.
The earl got up and moved to look out the window. “Itis a very bad sign that Leo has not been heard from in several days,” he said. “Antoine believes my dear friend is already dead.”
Ian couldn’t process that. Monsieur Lafitte had been a jolly, affable fellow. How could he be gone?
“And if it is the case that it is too late to save my friend,” the earl added, his voice hoarse with emotion, “then Madame Lafitte and Océanne are in very grave danger indeed.”
“Were they with Monsieur in Belgium?” Ian asked, his heart pounding with renewed fear.
The earl turned from the window and looked again to the telegram. “No,” he said, and Ian felt a flicker of relief. “Leo had moved them to a secret location in Paris. He told me that he would send word to me of their location should he suspect he might be discovered by the Germans and the worst happen, but that telegram has not arrived. I know that Leo would have sent it if he could, and I can only imagine that if he did send word of their location it was intercepted by the Germans and they may very well know exactly where to find Madame and Océanne.”
“But France is still holding the line!” Carl exclaimed, his own emotions getting the best of him. “They’ll be safe in Paris as long as the Allies keep the Germans at the Belgium border.”
The earl turned back to the window, which had a beautiful view of the sea. It was growing dark outside, but Ian thought the earl might still be able to see the ships coming one by one into the port.
“The Allies are pulling out of France,” the earl said. There’d been no formal announcement yet, but the massive gathering of their troops on Dover’s shores told them of the certainty that Churchill had ordered them to return to England. “It’s only a matter of time before all of France falls.”
Carl was on his feet now, pacing back and forth in near panic. “We’ve got to find them!” he said. “My lord, we’ve got to get to Paris and rescue Madame and Océanne!”
The earl turned back to look at Carl and there was such sadness in his eyes that Ian had to look away. “It’s impossible, Carl,” the earl said. “We’ve no way of locating Madame Lafitte and her daughter, and France is far too dangerous a place for us to linger while we look.”
All of a sudden Theo lifted her tearstained face to meet Ian’s eyes. He knew immediately that she was thinking the same thing he was. “The prophecy,” she mouthed.
Ian fished it out of his pocket and hurried over to the earl. “My lord,” he said in a rush. “I believe we
must
go in search of Madame and Océanne! And I believe that Argos’s appearance signifies that very thing!”
Ian pointed to the second set of verses within the prophecy, even reciting them aloud to prove his point.
“ ‘With his coming, time is near; travel soon to save your dear. One with name of open water, perfect tribute to her father. He will join another realm, as duty calls you to the helm. Cross the water, save two souls, learn from me within these scrolls.’ ”
“Ian’s right,” Theo said. “My lord, we
must
go in search of Océanne and Madame Lafitte!”
Before answering, the earl lifted the paper
Ian gasped. Monsieur Lafitte had shown them all considerable kindness a year before, and his daughter, Océanne, was someone Ian had great affection for.
“What do you think’s happened to him?” Carl asked, clearly shaken by the news.
Theo began to cry in earnest, and Argos got up to go sit next to her and hold her hand. Ian gave the soldier a grateful smile and turned his attention back to the earl, whose distress was etched into every line on his distraught face. “I’m afraid I have no way of knowing,” the earl said somberly. “But the Germans are not known for their leniency or mercy when it comes to suspected spies.”
“But Monsieur Lafitte will surely talk his way out of it,” Carl insisted.
The earl got up and moved to look out the window. “Itis a very bad sign that Leo has not been heard from in several days,” he said. “Antoine believes my dear friend is already dead.”
Ian couldn’t process that. Monsieur Lafitte had been a jolly, affable fellow. How could he be gone?
“And if it is the case that it is too late to save my friend,” the earl added, his voice hoarse with emotion, “then Madame Lafitte and Océanne are in very grave danger indeed.”
“Were they with Monsieur in Belgium?” Ian asked, his heart pounding with renewed fear.
The earl turned from the window and looked again to the telegram. “No,” he said, and Ian felt a flicker of relief. “Leo had moved them to a secret location in Paris. He told me that he would send word to me of their location should he suspect he might be discovered by the Germans and the worst happen, but that telegram has not arrived. I know that Leo would have sent it if he could, and I can only imagine that if he did send word of their location it was intercepted by the Germans and they may very well know exactly where to find Madame and Océanne.”
“But France is still holding the line!” Carl exclaimed, his own emotions getting the best of him. “They’ll be safe in Paris as long as the Allies keep the Germans at the Belgium border.”
The earl turned back to the window, which had a beautiful view of the sea. It was growing dark outside, but Ian thought the earl might still be able to see the ships coming one by one into the port.
“The Allies are pulling out of France,” the earl said. There’d been no formal announcement yet, but the massive gathering of their troops on Dover’s shores told them of the certainty that Churchill had ordered them to return to England. “It’s only a matter of time before all of France falls.”
Carl was on his feet now, pacing back and forth in near panic. “We’ve got to find them!” he said. “My lord, we’ve got to get to Paris and rescue Madame and Océanne!”
The earl turned back to look at Carl and there was such sadness in his eyes that Ian had to look away. “It’s impossible, Carl,” the earl said. “We’ve no way of locating Madame Lafitte and her daughter, and France is far too dangerous a place for us to linger while we look.”
All of a sudden Theo lifted her tearstained face to meet Ian’s eyes. He knew immediately that she was thinking the same thing he was. “The prophecy,” she mouthed.
Ian fished it out of his pocket and hurried over to the earl. “My lord,” he said in a rush. “I believe we
must
go in search of Madame and Océanne! And I believe that Argos’s appearance signifies that very thing!”
Ian pointed to the second set of verses within the prophecy, even reciting them aloud to prove his point.
“ ‘With his coming, time is near; travel soon to save your dear. One with name of open water, perfect tribute to her father. He will join another realm, as duty calls you to the helm. Cross the water, save two souls, learn from me within these scrolls.’ ”
“Ian’s right,” Theo said. “My lord, we
must
go in search of Océanne and Madame Lafitte!”
Before answering, the earl lifted the paper
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