First Scenario:
Madame Suzanne Ffoulkes' Story

Leaping up and turning, I was confronted by a long blade gleaming in the moonlight.  To my advantage, I have always been fast, so I was able to dodge the next slice of the sword that was aiming directly for me.

Grabbing the child, I went running towards the other side of the alley as fast as I could.  The strange person with the sword was still directly behind me.  I slipped down a small street that was compeltely covered in shadow at this late hour.  When I was sure that my pursuer had given up, I headed towards the Place de la Greve where I was supposed to meet Lady Hastings with the small child's tiny hand still enclosed in my own.

When I finally got there, I arrived a few minutes late to find a worried Eliza.  I just kinda gave her a small "Sorry".  Then I went on to tell her about my attacker and the child.  In the better lighting of the square, I could tell that it was a young girl.  She couldn't have been more than eight or nine years of age.  She was also very expensively dressed despite the large cloak that she wore.  After talking to her, I found out that her name was Charlotte and that she was the daughter of the Count de Pirendoit who was just executed that day.  Her mother had obviously died years before, but the child was so upset by the days events that I thought it best not to bring up the subject.

"Well," Eliza replied.  "This certainly changes our plans for tonight.  We were originally going to see what we could find out at the prison, but we can't go there with the young daughter of a recently murdered aristocrat.  My husband Timothy is still at the chateau that the League owns.  We will bring the child there."

"Once we get back to England," I said, "The child can stay at my house for a while.  I'm sure Andrew wouldn't mind and she has nowhere else to go."

"Very well then. I have been meaning to show you the way to the chateau anyway," Eliza added.

*    *    *    *
e-mail the author

Archives    ~    First Scenario and Response List