Transition Plan Chapter 60: In His Majesty's Service Part 9
Three Hours Before and Five miles further South toward the coast in Nigeria
Colonel Jacot, Josephine, and his solders continued to hack their way through the jungle toward the Nigerian Council of Chiefs village. Along the trail, Josephine kept searching for something and became increasing distressed to the point of being frantic. She struggled her way from the back of the line of soldiers to the front of the procession to see her husband and asked with a shaky voice, "A-armand, is Jeanne with y-you?"
Armand startled, "No, dear. I thought she was back there with you."
The Colonel yelled behind him to the soldiers' chief chef, "Cookie, is Jeanne resting in your supply pull cart?"
"No sirree. Not once today. But yesterday she helped me do the weekly 'grease scrape' of all the cooking pans."
Armand's stomach turned just a little knowing that, but he didn't have time to even think about it because of Josephine's reaction.
"Sacre bleu!" Josephine shrieked in realization, "Our baby's alone in the jungle! Armand, we have to go back right now."
Armand made swift decisions, "Of course, Josephine. Men, wait here. We're going back to the last rest stop. You three, come with me."
"Yes sir," they said in unhappy chorus, realizing how far back that was.
Admiral D'Arnot volunteered, "If it's all right Colonel, I think I should come too. I've spent some time here in this part of the jungle with Count Clayton. I could help. This is sort of familiar to me."
"As you wish Admiral. Thank you."
But as the foursome was backtracking their original path for nearly an hour, Josephine peered ahead of them and saw Jeanne's form above the trail swinging toward them in the vines, held in the arms of an unknown male companion. They could see her beaming smile from far away and saw her point to them from the man who was carrying her.
The soldiers immediately raised their firearms toward the swinging pair. Armand put his hand up and ordered, "Desist, men! Put down your arms. Someone has rescued Jeanne."
Philippe was about to correct the Colonel on who it was that actually was carrying Jeanne, but knew he needed to remain silent and stay out of this family reunion unless asked, as they needed to learn firsthand about how special the Clayton family was. It appeared to the old sailor that young Jeanne had already found out a lot, judging from the smile on her face and her gaze fixed on young Jack. The three generations of Clayton men he had known personally seemed to have that effect on women – old or young, he quietly mused.
With great relief, Josephine strained to recognize the swinging pair, and guessed, "Is that Philippe's friend the Count bringing her to us? I hear he can swing in the vines."
Armand peered at the approaching figures and turned to the Admiral for guidance, "He's too small for the Count. Is this the young man, Philippe, that you told us about?"
Philippe noted with a bit of a grin, "It is indeed Jack, the Count's first born. He's Jeanne's age."
Josephine noticed his scant loincloth and worried, "Oh dear Armand, the boy is practically naked. And he's carrying her against his bare chest. This is too much for Jeanne to see. Admiral. This is unseemly. Is this how the Count and his family live here?"
Philippe remained silent as Armand tried to explain, "Sorry Josephine, but it is said that they and the entire village live very primitively. We will have more explanations for our daughter."
Feeling the weight of all this press on her, Josephine lamented, "I wish we were back in France."
Armand tried to calm her, "But we are not, and we have to learn to deal with these new cultures."
Josephine bridled a bit, "Easy for you do say, Armand. I'm her mother, and you are not an impressionable young girl. Let's not forget what happened at the Louvre."
There was no time to argue. Jack and Jeanne alighted from their long vine journey right in front of Josephine and Armand. Jack landed gently before her parents, let Jeanne out of his arms, and she rushed for and clutched her mother and father in relief.
"Mama! Papa! I am so glad to find you again! This boy, Jack Clayton, the Count's son, saved my life!"
She turned and beamed back at Jack. He nodded acknowledgement and smiled.
Jeanne looked at her parents and whimpered, "I fell asleep. You all left me. I was all alone and frightened, but Jack rescued me."
She gave him a knowing glance. Jack bit his lip in amusement that she left the juicy parts of the story out. Only friends shared special secrets. 'Friends'. He liked the sound of that.
Josephine comforted her daughter and was crying in relief, "I'm so sorry, honey. We were all exhausted. It was a huge mistake. But everything's all right now. You're back with us. We were coming back for you as soon as we realized we stranded you. Please forgive us."
She hugged her mother extra hard, "It's all right Mama. Everything is all right now. Thanks to Jack."
They turned to the boy, realizing they'd pretty much ignored him the past few minutes, but Jack never skipped a beat. He bowed and said in perfect French, "Bonjour, Colonel and Madame Jacot. Your daughter is safe. It was lucky I was in the area looking to welcome you and escort you back, but found her alone."
So it was a little fib omitting the stalking part of his encounter. Jeanne grinned just a little and gave him a look. They were covering for each other. This was a fun game.
Jack continued, "I bring my father's greetings to you all. Your journey is soon to be at an end. He is in the village waiting for your arrival with the others. We are only a few miles away."
There was collective relief from the entire entourage knowing they were only an hour or two away from the village.
Jeanne was nearly giddy. She curtsied and blushed at the Count's son to make a point to her parents so they'd let them be friends, "Merci beaucoup, Jack, for saving me."
"Mon plaisir, Jeanne," he acknowledged and winked at her. She smiled back. He knew the game she was playing now.
Jeanne's ploy worked. Josephine's initial misgivings about Jack's primal appearance subsided as she saw the happiness in her daughter's face being around the Count's son, and saw that their polite interactions were charming. The Count's son, she reminded herself.
Josephine whispered to her husband, "Armand, they like each other."
Armand rolled his eyes and whispered back, using his wife's pet name, "Mon Dieu Jo, she's only eight. He is too. Children can't 'like' each other."
With a demure smile Josephine noted, "I started 'liking' you at nine, Armand."
He flashed quickly back to that snowy winter in his home town's park having an intense snowball fight with his buddies. He remembered an errant slush ball to innocent passerby Josephine's face, a profuse apology, a cute smile between the tears, a snowman built together, the forgotten snowball fight with his friends despite the ribbing from the other boys, a boy and girl snow angel side by side, and the last time either ever looked at anyone but each other in adoration. But Armand came back to reality in a hurry.
The Colonel got very red and flustered thinking about those early days of being childhood sweethearts, and his protective father instincts kicked in, so he kept his voice low, "It doesn't matter. Times are different now, Jo. I will ask the Count to end his son's flirtation with Jeanne immediately. You must talk to our daughter. Have one of those 'womanly' talks with her or something..."
Josephine smiled, "Let them be friends, dear. He's the Count's heir you know. Would that be so bad? They are a powerful and influential family. And very affluent. "
Indignantly Armand stated under his breath, "I don't care how much wealth this boy has. This Jungle Ape Family stuff they do isn't for our daughter."
Josephine observed the tender smile and looks her daughter had for this boy and she seemed completely changed from the frightened, withdrawn girl she had been since they escaped Casablanca. For one boy to have that much impact on her daughter in just a few hours was very encouraging, "We shall see, Armand, we shall see."
The Colonel harrumphed, but approached Jack and saluted him for what he did for Jeanne, "Thank you, Viscount Clayton. We are indebted to you for finding and saving our daughter from danger. It is obvious that you know the trail. May I ask you to guide us the rest of the way?"
"I would be pleased if I could be of service to you, sir," Jack bowed.
Before Armand could respond, Jeanne interrupted her father and gushed at Jack, "Yes, Jack, please do show us."
Her father sighed. He knew she was smitten with the boy, and hoped it would pass.
Politely Jack answered them both with a short bow, "It would be honored to escort the Jacot's and the French Army to the village."
Philippe could not be more pleased with how Jack handled himself with this meeting and his rescue of the Colonel's daughter. He vowed to make special mention of it to Tarzan. Jack was his father's son.
Armand had to admit that this boy was quite poised and confident, and very mature. So he ordered the soldiers to gather their gear, and they started out with Jack leading the way. Jack showed them as they went how to move and dodge and weave through the jungle with little disturbance or destruction to the plants. They actually were making better time than hacking their way through, and were nearly silent. Though these soldiers were jungle-trained to French Army standards, they knew they were getting a glimpse of this boy's father's talents they needed so desperately for the upcoming mission.
Jeanne was walking with her parents, but left them and trotted up right behind Jack gleefully and walked with him step by step in their stealthy march through the jungle.
Armand was not happy, right behind the children with his wife, helping her along, and whispered, "Josephine. Call her back with you. Right now."
Josephine smiled and grasped her husband's arm, "Armand, dear. Let them walk together. She's happy because he saved her. Happy and not afraid for the first time since Morocco."
"All right. I guess so," he grumbled.
Armand still didn't like the fact that 'Daddy's little girl' was growing up and wanted to be friends with boys. Even if the boy was a truly unique and very handsome nobleman's son.
Guiding the procession of adults and escorting a beautiful girl walking right next to him, Jack felt so proud of himself that he could not suppress his smile. He was quite satisfied that he had turned a real social disaster into one of the happiest moments of his life.
"Imagine me bringing the Frenchmen into the village," he thought, not even thinking that his parents would be most upset that he left the village without asking.
Jeanne glanced over and noticed his pleasure, and she was very happy to quietly enjoy the moment with him. She let her hand briefly brush against his in a moment that they were hidden from her parents' view by the rain forest flora, and exchanged pleased glances.
Jack felt an elation he'd never experienced before and felt he could fly through the jungle without a vine just on his feeling for this little girl beside him.
That little girl had her own thoughts.
"Thank you dear Lord, that Jack saved me and has shared his world with me," she prayed silently in thanks and added, "And for making him so cute!"
She wondered if the last part of her prayer was a sin, but she didn't really care.
...
Author's Note: Ever wonder what Disney's "Atlantis" grizzled old warhorse Cookie character did after their adventure beneath the earth? He saved all his share of the gold from the Atlanteans, but in a patriotic move for our allies, volunteered to help the French government to be a chef for their troops. So he makes a cameo appearance here doing what he did best! :) And to doglover500 and pachysam: thanks so much for your continuing kind comments. And your plot ideas...? we'll see what happens... ;)