The Mandie Collection (81 page)

Mandie thought for a minute. “I wonder if they really sent a message to your father, Jonathan,” she asked. “Do you think they did?”

“I have no idea,” Jonathan replied. “I'll send my father a message, myself, when we get back to the city.”

“Uncle Ned, will you be staying at the hotel with us?” Mandie asked. “Does my grandmother know you are in France?”

“No, Papoose, grandmother not know.” Uncle Ned smiled. “Not know yet if stay in Paris.”

“Grandmother!” Mandie shrieked. “Celia! My grandmother! She doesn't even know where we are. Oh, she is going to be angry with us this time!”

“But, Mandie, your grandmother went off with the senator for the day. They may not even be back yet,” Celia reminded her.

“But her friend, Mrs. Lafayette, was supposed to pick us up at the hotel, remember? We were supposed to spend the day with her and her daughters. I wonder what happened when she came after us and we weren't there!” Mandie moaned.

“We may be packing to go home when your grandmother finds out what we've done today,” Celia said gloomily.

“I sure hope not,” Mandie replied.

CHAPTER TWELVE

FINAL RESOLUTION

When Mandie and Celia arrived at their hotel, they learned that Mrs. Taft had not yet returned. This only delayed their confrontation. Mandie wished it were all over. Her grandmother was going to be awfully angry with her and Celia.

Uncle Ned waited in the lobby while the young people went to their various rooms to bathe and change clothes. After they had joined him in the dining room and begun their meal, the police arrived to question the girls. Mandie had brought Snowball with her in order to feed him, and she tied his leash to the table leg.

Mandie was glad it was Monsieur La Motte who came.

The French policeman put the young people at ease at once. “The palace guards told us the basic details, but please tell me everything you can remember,” Monsieur La Motte said kindly. “You first please.” He indicated Jonathan.

Jonathan could only repeat what he had told Mandie and Celia. And after those two related their adventures, the Covington girls gave the policemen all the information they could think of concerning the people who had adopted them.

By that time another policeman joined them, informing Monsieur La Motte that the man and woman had been captured and the officers were still looking for the other man.

“For your own safety we must ask you young ladies to stay here in the hotel until we have found him,” Monsieur La Motte told the Covington girls. “We will assign an officer to guard you. Do you understand? You are not to go anywhere outside the hotel.”

“Oui
, monsieur,” Mary replied. “But we must let our great-uncle know. He will welcome us into his house, we are certain.”

“The address please? We will notify him,” Monsieur La Motte assured them.

Mary gave him the address.

Maude stifled a yawn. “May we go to our suite now, Monsieur La Motte?” she asked. “We are so tired.”

“Oui
, mademoiselle,” Monsieur La Motte agreed. “Monsieur Dubois here will station himself outside your door and see that no one disturbs you. But please remember that you are not to leave the hotel until further notice.”

“Oui
, Monsieur La Motte,” Maude agreed. She and her sisters nodded as they rose to leave the table.

Mandie had come to like the girls after all. Her heart ached for them as she thought about the way their adoptive parents had treated them. Maybe their great-uncle would make a good home for them.

“We'll probably see y'all before we go our different ways,” Mandie told the girls. “I'm not sure what my grandmother will decide to do when she comes back and hears our story . . . but . . . anyway, I hope that y'all will be happy with your great-uncle.”

“Thanks,” the three girls replied together.

“And I add my good wishes to that,” Celia told them.

“And mine,” Jonathan added. “At first I was really angry for all the trouble you caused me. But I can forgive you now. You didn't really know what was going on. And I thank you all for helping to rescue me. You were very brave.”

The girls smiled and Martha blushed as they left the table. Monsieur Dubois escorted them out of the dining room.

Uncle Ned had sat silently listening to all the details the young people related concerning the spies. Now he spoke to Mandie. “I leave soon—when grandmother come back,” he said. “Papoose not need me. Law man take care of Papoose.”

“Oh, Uncle Ned, can't you stay with us for the rest of our visit here in Europe? Please,” Mandie pleaded.

The old Indian shook his head. “Business. Must take care of business,” he said. “May see Papoose after that.”

Monsieur La Motte finished writing his notes and rose. “I must go now,” he said, bidding everyone goodbye. “I will be in touch with your grandmother,” he told Mandie, “and with the Honorable Senator Morton.”

“Thank you, Monsieur La Motte,” Mandie replied, smiling. Then she ventured to pronounce another French word,
“Merci
.”

“Ah, mademoiselle is learning.
Merci
,” he said and left the room.

Jonathan grinned. “That's great, Mandie. You've learned how to say thank you in French.”

“I really am going to learn French as soon as I go back to school in September,” Mandie said. “I love these people and this country, and I want to be able to talk to them.”

“Me, too,” Celia added. “But it's going to be awfully hard to learn to speak French—the way they nasalize their words.”

Mandie looked at Uncle Ned, then back at Celia and Jonathan. “Y'all ought to learn to speak Cherokee,” she said. “Now
that's
some complicated language.”

Uncle Ned winked at her.
“Oui
, mademoiselle,” he said.

Everyone stared at him in surprise.

“Uncle Ned! Do you speak French?” Mandie asked excitedly.

“No, Papoose,” he replied. “Just listen. Copy.”

Jonathan laughed. “That's the easiest way to learn a language,” he told them.

“My grandmother speaks French, Uncle Ned,” Mandie told him. “And speaking of my grandmother, here she comes with Senator Morton,” she whispered quickly to the others at the table.

Mrs. Taft and the senator appeared in the dining room doorway, and Uncle Ned quickly stood up.

Mrs. Taft's eyes widened in disbelief. She hurried to the table and sat down. “Uncle Ned! What are you doing here? I mean, I'm surprised to see you—all the way across the ocean like this,” she said in astonishment.

The senator took the chair next to Mrs. Taft's and nodded to the old Indian, whom he had met in Washington, D.C.

Uncle Ned smiled. “Papoose need me,” he said. “I go now.” Turning to Mandie, he added, “See Papoose soon.” He patted her blonde head.

“You don't have to leave because we came in,” Mrs. Taft assured him.

“Business to do,” the old Indian told her. “Soon.” He waved back at Mandie as he left the dining room.

“And what are you girls doing back so early?” Mrs. Taft asked. “And, Jonathan! Where on earth have you been? We have been so worried.” She looked flustered, apparently trying to understand how so many changes had occurred since she had left that morning.

“Grandmother,” Mandie began nervously. “Uncle Ned helped us rescue Jonathan. Celia and I have talked it over, and we are ready to accept any punishment you may have in mind, but we did finally find Jonathan and rescue him. You see, he was kidnapped.”

“What?” Mrs. Taft stared at her in shock.

“You don't say,” the senator said with concern.

Mandie, Celia, and Jonathan related their adventures, and Mrs. Taft and the senator sat speechless as they heard what had transpired while they were away visiting their friends.

Mrs. Taft's face showed a mixture of emotions. “Amanda! I will truly be glad when you grow up,” she said in frustration. “I suppose I'm just unable to handle one as young as you. This makes me feel awfully old.”

Mandie reached for her grandmother's hand. “Grandmother, please don't say that. You're not old. My goodness, you act younger than my mother does and she's your daughter. I'm sorry if I've made you feel bad. Please forgive me.”

“It's such a complicated situation that I really and truly don't know what to say or do about it, Amanda,” Mrs. Taft admitted. “You and Celia were supposed to wait for Mrs. Lafayette and her daughters to pick y'all up, and then y'all go running off on a dangerous lark in a strange country. Goodness knows what could have happened!” Then she muttered to herself, “I can't imagine why Mrs. Lafayette didn't call me when she didn't find you here.”

Mandie bit her lower lip and dropped her gaze. She really felt badly about causing her grandmother trouble.

The waiter brought a pot of fresh coffee to the table and poured some for Mrs. Taft and the senator. Then he left.

Senator Morton leaned forward in his chair and spoke to Mrs. Taft. “I know this doesn't concern me directly,” he admitted, “but may I say something?” When she nodded, he continued. “I think that, although there could have been dangerous repercussions, Mandie and Celia have done a brave and worthwhile thing, foiling those spies like that. Why, a war could have broken out somewhere because of what those people were planning.”

“I realize that, Senator,” Mrs. Taft agreed. “It's just that I'm so upset about what
could
have happened to the girls.”

“And there is still one man who has not been caught, Senator Morton,” Jonathan reminded him.

“That's right,” the senator replied. “But I expect the French police will apprehend him soon. They have an excellent police force who work closely with their national security agents. I'm sure they have brought them in on this matter.”

“Oh, what shall I do?” Mrs. Taft muttered to herself.

Just then a nicely dressed man entered the dining room with the waiter, who pointed to their table and left.

The stranger walked straight over to the girls. “Excuse me, mademoiselle,” he said to Mandie. “Are you Mademoiselle Amanda Shaw?”

Mandie looked up in astonishment. “Yes, I am,” she said. “Why?”

The man offered her a sealed envelope and said, “May I await your decision?”

Mandie took the envelope and turned it over with a sigh. “Another mysterious message probably,” she said. “I thought we were through with all that.” She hastily ripped open the envelope and pulled out a handwritten note.

She read aloud, “Mademoiselle Amanda Shaw, May I have the honor of your presence at tea this afternoon at four o'clock? Please bring all your friends, including the Cherokee Indian. Signed, Émile Loubet, President of France, the Elysée Palace.” Mandie's heart pounded with excitement. She quickly looked at her grandmother.

Mrs. Taft spoke calmly, “You must answer that we will all be honored to be the President's guests, Amanda.”

Mandie looked back up at the man who stood waiting. “Please tell the President that we will all be there. We feel honored. Thank you,” she said.

The man smiled and said,
“Merci
.” Then he left the room.

“Evidently the President has heard of what happened today,” Senator Morton said. “I knew this spy business would draw national attention.”

Mandie was excited about the invitation, but at the same time she was concerned. She knew her grandmother would forget about the whole incident of the day because of the President's attention. Mrs. Taft loved social opportunities. But Mandie wished they would have worked things out between themselves.

Suddenly she thought of something. “The President invited Uncle Ned, too,” she said, “and he's gone. I don't know when I'll see him again.”

“He said he would come back, dear,” Mrs. Taft reminded her.

With everything reasonably settled, Mrs. Taft insisted that everyone get some rest before departing that afternoon for the President's Palace.

Mandie and Celia went to their room and laid down on their beds for a few minutes, but they were too excited to rest. They looked through all their beautiful new clothes and finally decided that Mandie would wear her blue silk and Celia her green one. They were completely dressed long before time to depart.

“You know, Celia, I'm going to have to take Snowball. I'm afraid to leave him alone here,” Mandie told her friend as they paraded before the mirrors in their bedroom.

Celia flipped up the lacy ruffle around the neckline of her dress. “The President probably won't mind . . . if you explain why you brought him and how special Snowball is,” she replied.

Mandie laughed suddenly. “I'm doing pretty well, getting to meet two presidents in one year. I wonder if President Loubet will be as nice as President McKinley is.” She shook out a fold in her skirt.

“Of course we're both partial to President McKinley, since he is our very own president. But the French men are all so polite,” Celia replied.

Snowball sat in the middle of the big bed, washing his white fur and pausing to look at his mistress now and then.

Mandie leaned over and patted his head. “That's right, Snowball. You'd better wash yourself real well because you're going with us to see the President of France.”

The kitten meowed loudly and went back to washing himself. Then he followed the girls into the parlor.

“You know, I'm anxious to go on to Italy,” Mandie told her friend. “I understand they have something there called the catacombs, which is an underground burial place.”

“I know,” Celia replied. “And they're real old.”

“I'd like to go under the ground and see what they look like,” Mandie said.

“But not by ourselves,” Celia objected.

“Of course not,” Mandie assured her. “Grandmother and the senator will be with us, and maybe Jonathan, unless his aunt and uncle get back to Paris before we leave.”