convince his parents that Matthias was not what he appeared to be. “ Henrik ’ s mom can ’ t marry this guy. He ’ s —”
“ Mrs. Melchior can do whatever she likes, ” interrupted Mrs. Andersen. “ You haven ’ t actually told us anything we don ’ t already know. He ’ s a shipping agent, after all. Talking to captains about cargoes and such is what he does for a living. ”
“ I know that, Mom, but what about the gun? ” Peter wasn ’ t going to give up so easily.
“ Matthias is a fine man, ” Mr. Andersen insisted. “ In spite of what two boy detectives think. You don ’ t know everything about him. I ’ m not happy about you sneaking around. And you ’ re going to apologize to him for spying. ”
“ I told Ruth we would be there in half an hour, ” their mother added. “ That was ten minutes ago. I think it would mean a lot to her, the way she ’ s feeling, if someone else were there with her when he leaves. ”
“ Does that mean us, too? ” asked Elise.
Their parents looked at each other briefly, and Mr. Andersen nodded.
“ You ’ ll have a chance to apologize to Matthias before he leaves. ” Peter ’ s father made the pronouncement as if he were passing a law. Peter turned back to his room to get dressed.
Outside it was a bright, gentle morning, with the early mist burning off quickly. It would be the kind of day that made June part of summer. Peter and Elise walked quietly behind their parents to the harbor.
Down by the red airplane, Matthias was busy checking his engine. Mrs. Melchior stood nervously on the dock, her arms crossed. Next to her, Henrik didn ’ t look much happier.
“ Hey there, you two, ” said Peter ’ s father as soon as they were close enough. “ Is this the going - away party? ”
Mrs. Melchior flashed them a small smile when they joined her, while Matthias carefully closed the accordion - like cover to the airplane ’ s engine.
“ Say, I didn ’ t know everyone was coming to see me off. ” He wiped his hands on an oily rag and tossed it under the seat through the open door of his airplane. “ I ’ m honored. ”
“ Well, we just wanted to see you before you left for ...” Mr. Andersen paused. “ Wherever it is you ’ re going. ”
Matthias gave Henrik ’ s mother a hopeful look, as if waiting for her to say something. She lowered her eyes and shifted from one foot to the other.
“ Matthias, ” she began, “ you know that the Andersens have asked me to join them in a few weeks. ”
“ At the sheep ranch, yes, ” he replied. “ That sounds like a lot of fun. I am sorry I cannot make it. But you are going? ”
She nodded. “ Henrik really wants to, before we ...” Her voice trailed off, and Matthias didn ’ t take his eyes off her.
“ Is this a yes to my earlier proposal? ”
Mrs. Melchior shook her head no and managed a gentle smile. “ You have to give me a little more time, ” she answered. “ This is a big decision. ”
“ Of course it is, ” agreed Matthias, taking her hand. He kissed it gently before turning back to his plane. While she turned pink, he climbed inside and straightened out a couple of maps. “ So here ’ s what we ’ ll do. The ship is coming back from Germany and sailing south along the coast. I can have it stop long enough to pick up you and Henrik. Arne has given me directions. Captain Papanikolas can marry us — that is, like a justice of the peace —
“ Mrs. Melchior can do whatever she likes, ” interrupted Mrs. Andersen. “ You haven ’ t actually told us anything we don ’ t already know. He ’ s a shipping agent, after all. Talking to captains about cargoes and such is what he does for a living. ”
“ I know that, Mom, but what about the gun? ” Peter wasn ’ t going to give up so easily.
“ Matthias is a fine man, ” Mr. Andersen insisted. “ In spite of what two boy detectives think. You don ’ t know everything about him. I ’ m not happy about you sneaking around. And you ’ re going to apologize to him for spying. ”
“ I told Ruth we would be there in half an hour, ” their mother added. “ That was ten minutes ago. I think it would mean a lot to her, the way she ’ s feeling, if someone else were there with her when he leaves. ”
“ Does that mean us, too? ” asked Elise.
Their parents looked at each other briefly, and Mr. Andersen nodded.
“ You ’ ll have a chance to apologize to Matthias before he leaves. ” Peter ’ s father made the pronouncement as if he were passing a law. Peter turned back to his room to get dressed.
Outside it was a bright, gentle morning, with the early mist burning off quickly. It would be the kind of day that made June part of summer. Peter and Elise walked quietly behind their parents to the harbor.
Down by the red airplane, Matthias was busy checking his engine. Mrs. Melchior stood nervously on the dock, her arms crossed. Next to her, Henrik didn ’ t look much happier.
“ Hey there, you two, ” said Peter ’ s father as soon as they were close enough. “ Is this the going - away party? ”
Mrs. Melchior flashed them a small smile when they joined her, while Matthias carefully closed the accordion - like cover to the airplane ’ s engine.
“ Say, I didn ’ t know everyone was coming to see me off. ” He wiped his hands on an oily rag and tossed it under the seat through the open door of his airplane. “ I ’ m honored. ”
“ Well, we just wanted to see you before you left for ...” Mr. Andersen paused. “ Wherever it is you ’ re going. ”
Matthias gave Henrik ’ s mother a hopeful look, as if waiting for her to say something. She lowered her eyes and shifted from one foot to the other.
“ Matthias, ” she began, “ you know that the Andersens have asked me to join them in a few weeks. ”
“ At the sheep ranch, yes, ” he replied. “ That sounds like a lot of fun. I am sorry I cannot make it. But you are going? ”
She nodded. “ Henrik really wants to, before we ...” Her voice trailed off, and Matthias didn ’ t take his eyes off her.
“ Is this a yes to my earlier proposal? ”
Mrs. Melchior shook her head no and managed a gentle smile. “ You have to give me a little more time, ” she answered. “ This is a big decision. ”
“ Of course it is, ” agreed Matthias, taking her hand. He kissed it gently before turning back to his plane. While she turned pink, he climbed inside and straightened out a couple of maps. “ So here ’ s what we ’ ll do. The ship is coming back from Germany and sailing south along the coast. I can have it stop long enough to pick up you and Henrik. Arne has given me directions. Captain Papanikolas can marry us — that is, like a justice of the peace —
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