87. Not With My Daughter . . .

Chapter 4

After breakfast, the scowl returned to Garrison's face. The Lieutenant, his three men, and Terry went into his office. Terry's mouth pinched together before she turned to the men.

"Okay, out. All of you. This is a family conference," she said, flicking her hand at them.

There were looks of confusion and concern from the men and they didn't move.

"Out!" ordered the woman. "And shut the door behind you."

Slowly the men headed for the open door.

"And no listening through the keyhole," added Terry.

Casino shook his head. "We get it, Sister. Maybe."

Terry waited until the door was closed before turning to her brother. Garrison was standing by his desk, arms crossed in front of him.

Terry almost took up his stance but kept her arms down. "Before I call Major Richards, what is it you want me to do?" She cocked her head. "I assume you want me to refuse to press charges?"

Garrison's face was stoic. "I don't seem to have much of a say in the matter. Do I?"

Terry's eyes narrowed. "I'm giving you a say in it."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you taking it out on the guys," she answered. "You never were easy to work with, but lately you go along fine for a while and then you lose your temper with them and me. I am used to it. I can just up and disappear until you get over it. They can't."

Garrison's features took on the bulldog countenance everyone was familiar with. "Do not tell me how to handle my men," he ordered.

"Somebody has to," countered Terry. "The Brass can't because they don't see it." She pointed toward the closed door. "You know by now those men are loyal to you. They will risk their lives and freedom for you."

Garrison took a little umbrage with that. "And you think I won't do the same for them?"

Terry looked him in the eyes. "Yes, I think you will. But more and more it looks to them like you won't. It makes it hard to work as a team."

"Oh, and you know about working as a team?" he shot back at her.

"Yes, I do," she shot back. "I learned from them and from you."

They glared at each other. After a few seconds, some of the tension left Garrison's shoulders and he ran his fingers back through his short brownish blond hair. Terry recognized the gesture and walked around him to sit in his desk chair.

"So, what do you want me to do, Brother?" she asked again calmly.

Craig walked over to the chair facing his desk and sat. "Find out what Major Richards has in mind and follow his orders. We both take orders from him. Yours is just for a different group."

The left side of Terry's mouth turned up in a small smile. "I take orders from him for both groups when you are incapacitated. We just pretend Actor's in charge. Well, actually Actor is in charge."

Craig shook his head and tried to hide a smile. "You want to allow them back in?" he asked tilting his head toward the door.

"Probably better that way," said Terry. "They can hear at least one side of it. And bring Meg and Goniff in too."

Garrison got up and opened the door. "You can come back in now," he said. Looking at Chief he added, "Get Goniff and Meg."

The scout went to get the two in the kitchen and the other two entered the office. Actor gave a brief glance at Terry before sitting and saw her tiny left shoulder hitch in response before he sat in his usually chair. Casino flipped his chair around and slouched in it, facing the desk. A minute later, Chief returned with Meg and Goniff. Actor rose and pulled Terry's usual chair out for the curly-haired girl. Garrison resumed his seat facing the desk. Goniff took his usual seat, but wished Meg was next to him.

After a steadying breath, Terry picked up the telephone and dialed Major Richards' office.

There was silence in the room as everyone watched Terry's face.

"This is Terry Garrison," said the woman. "Could I speak with Major Richards, please." She frowned. "Do you know when he will be back?" Her frown continued. "Okay. Do you know who he's with?" The answer allowed her features to relax a little. She continued to listen. "Not to?" she verified. "Oh, I'm not going anywhere." There was another pause. "She's here." The frown returned. "We plan on keeping her here until Major Richards decides on a plan." She sucked in a cheek. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

Goniff watched her hang up the phone and look at her brother.

"You're not pressing charges?" asked Garrison.

"Not yet," said Terry. "He's at Allied Command with Col. Hammond. He'll call here when they have decided what to do."

"Wot about Meg?" asked Goniff quickly.

Terry smiled at him. "We keep her here with us until that's decided too."

They waited and waited and waited some more. Finally the guys went back to the common room; some to play cards, one to sit in the window and clean his blade and one to read his current book. Meg went back into the kitchen to finish putting the dishes away. Eventually she wandered back into the common room.

Actor looked up as she came closer. There was a rather lost look on her face. Smiling, he said, "There is a wonderful library here, if you like to read."

She looked dubiously at the title of the military strategy book he was reading. "I'm really not into that." She gestured with her finger at the book in his hand.

Now he chuckled. "There is a variety of reading material. Most likely there is something that will appeal to you."

Actor put his bookmark in the book, closed it, and set it on the table beside him before standing up to motion her to come with him. She followed, still dubious of what appealing reading material there was. The con man watched the girl's eyebrows shoot up as she gazed around at the floor to ceiling shelves on two walls, the fireplace, and the comfortable upholstered chairs separated by a small table with a lamp.

"Take your time," said Actor. "You can sit in here to read if you like or come back out to the common room with the rest of us."

Meg smiled up at him. "Thank you, Actor. It would take years to read all of these books."

"Yes," said the con man drolly. "And at the rate this war is going, I will probably get a chance to read all of them too."

"I think that is better than the alternative considering the type of work you do," Meg said softly.

"Yes, there is that," admitted Actor. He smiled. "I will leave you to browse the shelves."

The Italian went back to the common room and took his seat.

"Is she okay?" asked Goniff worriedly.

Actor picked up his pipe and began poking the tobacco with a dart he had 'borrowed' from the Doves as it worked well. "I would say she is doing better than expected. I believe as long as she keeps her mind occupied, she will handle things fairly well."

"Wot do you think Major Richards will do with her?" Goniff's game of solitaire was forgotten.

"I have no idea," replied Actor. "He is going to have to straighten out the problem with Major Schaeffer first."

Actor lit his pipe, took a couple puffs to get it started, and clamped it between his teeth. He picked up his book.

"You think he'll let her stay here wid us?" persisted the Englishman.

Casino stared at him. "And where are you plannin' on putting her?" He held up his first finger. "Chris is in and outta here." The second finger went up. "Julie's in and outta here. You plannin' on throwin' Terry out on her can?"

Actor laid his open book against his chest and looked steadily at the safecracker. "You have such a delightful way with words, Casino," he said sarcastically. "Why don't we just drop the subject until we find out what Major Richards has decided before we decide to throw anyone out on their 'can'?"

Surprisingly, it was Chief who kept the bantering going. "I don't know, Actor. I'd kinda like tuh see Casino try an' toss Terry out on her can."

"Not me, Babe," objected the cracksman. "That woman's had me on the floor more than once already."

A voice yelled loudly from Garrison's office. "Knock it off, Casino, or I'll do it again."

This brought laughs from Actor, Goniff and Chief.

"An' she will too," grinned the Cockney.

"Yeah, she probably would," admitted Casino.

Inside the office, Craig looked at his sister, who was playing with a rubber band around her fingers. "What about putting Meg in the spare room in your flat?"

"Sure," said Terry. "That'll work out fine. I can put her and Julie together in my bed and I'll sleep with Actor."

The amused look on the woman's face stopped Garrison from blowing up at her. "What about Kit?"

Terry stared at him. "Not with Kit. You want to put that nice, quiet girl with Gallagher?"

Craig thought briefly about that. "Probably not."

His sister got up from the desk and went over to the conference table, taking a seat with her back to the desk. "Seeing as 'Beautiful' has his nose in a book, give me Italy."

Garrison nodded. "I'll take Germany. Might as well get more of this out of the way. If we have to go to London, we can take it with us."

The Lieutenant got up and unlocked his lower desk drawer, taking out yellow envelopes with the intelligence in them. He took Italy, a stack of plain paper and a pen to his sister. Taking his seat at his desk, he pulled out Germany and put France back. The siblings opened their envelopes and began the task of reading and taking notes on the intel.

They worked for an hour before the telephone rang. Garrison answered.

Major Richards sounded tired. "Allow me to speak with your sister. Col. Hammond and I are going to try to keep you out of this mess as much as possible. Not that we think that is possible."

"Yes, Sir," replied Craig. He set the receiver down on the desk. "Terry, Major Richards want you."

Terry nodded and stuffed her papers together into the envelope before trading places with her brother.

Out in the common room, Chief had heard the name of the Major over the slap of cards on the table. "Richards," he said, getting down from the window sill.

Goniff jumped up and trotted to the library to get Meg. The others went into the office without asking if they could. A few seconds later, the Cockney and the girl entered. Goniff guided her around the far end of the table and gave her his usual seat. He pulled Garrison's chair out and sat next to her, seeing as the Lieutenant was sitting in the chair facing his desk.

"Hello, Major Richards," said Terry. She listened and frowned. "You want me to go to Brandonshire and press charges so you two can drop them? I don't understand." She listened for a minute. "Okay, now I understand. Do you need us to go to London?" She listened again. "Okay. I'm sorry. Say again?" Her face took on a quizzical expression, before turning into an only slightly wicked grin. "yes, she's here. I'll ask her." She pulled the receiver away from her ear and turned to the girl beside Goniff. "Hey, Meg? Can you work with Major Cornwall?"

Meg showed surprise on her face. "I suppose. He's a nice officer, but he has a secretary."

"Apparently his secretary found herself in the family way, and the Wrens don't allow that," said Terry.

"But Terry, I'm not a Wren. Do I need to become a Wren?"

Terry turned back to the phone. Major Richards had heard that statement and explained more of the plan to the Garrison woman.

She turned back to Meg. "You don't have to become a Wren unless you want to. You can work as an independent contractor, like me. You're already vetted."

The curly head bobbed quickly.

"She's fine with it," said Terry into the phone. "What next?" She listened. "I already typed it up, just in case. I can be there in twenty minutes if the farm traffic isn't too bad." There was another pause. "Yes, Sir. Thank you both."

Terry hung up and pulled the top drawer open, retrieving a stuffed, sealed white envelope. She began talking to the others.

"I need to run to the stockade in Brandonshire," she said. "I'm to give the charges I am filing to the front desk. When I am gone from there, they will take the charges and Major Schaeffer to London to meet with Major Richards, General Hammond and a British General Andrews. They aren't going to break his rank, but they are going to limit what he is involved with. That includes having no contact with you guys, me, the Fox, and restricted visitation with Meg."

Meg's eyes widened and she gripped Goniff's hand. "I can stay in Brandonshire?" she asked.

"Looks that way," smiled Terry.

Garrison crossed his arms and looked drolly at his sister. "And where is she going to stay?"

"That depends on where Major Schaeffer will be." Terry grinned widely. "And I have a couple ideas up my sleeve I have to check out."

She took the envelope, trotted out of the office, grabbed her purse and bounded out the door. In a minute, they heard the roar of the MG's engine clear in the office.

GGG

Terry drove to the stockade and dropped the papers at the front desk. She left quickly to avoid any possibility of seeing Major Schaeffer. Her next stop was to park in the alley behind the Blue Fox. She let herself in the back door and moved quietly down the steps into the basement. Madge looked up at her in surprise.

"I thought you were staying at the Mansion?" questioned the operator.

"I am, but I need to talk with you?" replied Terry, taking the seat beside the woman.

"Wot do you need?" asked Madge.

Terry's mouth pursed together. "I know I own half of this place, but for some reason, I've never been upstairs. I know you and Malinda live up there, but I don't know anything about that floor."

"Well," began Madge. "There are six rooms up there. I think it was used as a place people could rent out."

"Or a brothel?" said Terry in amusement.

"Or that," agreed the woman. "Malinda and I took the three rooms facin' the front and turned them into a flat of sorts. We each have a bedroom and living space in between with a table, chairs, small icebox and a hot plate. Why?"

"What's on the other side?" asked Terry a plan coming to mind.

"The storage room is at the top of the stairs and there are two rooms we aren't usin' yet?"

Terry smiled, "Would you like a temporary roommate up there if it comes to that?"

Madge grinned. "Needin' a place for Meg to stay?"

"Possibly," said Terry. "Until we see how things are going to work out and find her something permanent."

"Major comin' back?" asked the operator.

"Not for a while, I don't think." Terry cocked her head. "You two all right with that?"

"Oh I think we can manage. But can she? There's only one bathroom and it's in the hall. Nothin' private. There's that an' the noise. We're used to it." Madge shrugged.

Terry cocked her head. "Like I said, it's temporary if we have to." The woman grinned. "At least she wouldn't have to drive to work."

Madge laughed. "Another advantage of being so close to G-2." Realization hit her. "This mean we won't lose her as our contact?"

"I think you're right," agreed Terry. "We hope."

Terry left and returned at top speed to the Mansion, watching the whole way for a military vehicle. She had no desire to be anywhere near the undoubtedly irate major. Luckily, they didn't cross paths.

Goniff looked up from his solitaire game at the woman's entrance. "Did you find sumfin for Meg?"

Terry nodded, seeing the other three looking on in interest. "It depends on what they do with Schaeffer. I have a couple possibilities for where she can live." She looked around. "Where is Meg?"

Casino gave a snort. "Beautiful showed her the library. Now she's stayin' in there. She's just as bad as him with her nose in a book."

Actor did not look up from his book. "At least she does not need a book with cartoons and dialog in boxes."

Casino jumped up, "I'm gonna get you for that one!"

"Casino, sit down and knock it off!" blasted Garrison from his office. "Actor, that's enough out of you!"

"Of course, Lieutenant," replied the con man amicably.

Terry turned her back to Casino and gave the Italian an exasperated look. He smiled back with satisfaction. Shaking her head, the woman headed for the library.

8