87. Not With My Daughter . . .
Chapter 5
Terry came out of the library a half hour later. She went past the guys and disappeared into the kitchen. Goniff had watched her walk past and got up, trying to act nonchalant, and walked slowly down the hall to the library. Meg looked up at his entrance and gave him a warm smile. The slight blond man quickly glanced out in the hall and moved over to exchange a quick kiss with Meg.
"Wotcha readin', Love?" he asked.
Meg smiled. "I found a lovely book on the country houses in Britain."
Goniff gave a humph. "Ask Actor for Great Jewels Collections of the World Volume 2. He found that fascinating."
Meg laughed. "He also finds military strategy fascinating."
Goniff's face turned to a frown. "Meggie, are you sure you're all right wif what's going on? Your Dad probably hasn't reached London yet. If you want to put a stop to this, you could probably call Major Richards and get him to put everythin' back to the way it was." He watched her closely for her reaction.
She closed the book and lay it on her lap. "Rodney, I am perfectly fine with this. I don't want to go back to the way things were. I don't want to go back living and working with him. I want to be able to see you without the problems we have had. If the Lieutenant will allow it."
Goniff tried not to smile, but a little upturn of the corners of his mouth could not be stifled. "I don't think the Warden will object too much."
Meg smiled up at him. "Let's just wait to see what London is going to do, shall we?"
Goniff nodded. He didn't want to wait, but they really didn't have a choice.
"Hey, Limey! You plannin' on stayin' in there all day?"
"Bloody 'ell," grumbled Goniff. "I've only been in 'ere a couple o' minutes."
Meg was laughing quietly. "Is Casino always like this?"
Goniff shook his head. "No, sometimes he's worse." The slight man stepped into the hall. "Wot?" he asked grumpily.
"I'm tired of solitaire," said Casino. "Let me wipe you out at poker."
Goniff looked back at Meg. The young woman was chuckling quietly. She motioned him to go on. With a shrug, he walked back to the common room. Taking a seat across the table from the safecracker, he couldn't help but grumble, "Sometimes yer a ruddy pain in the arse, Casino."
The cracksman leaned across the table and spoke quietly. "You keep hanging around her and the Warden isn't gonna take too kindly to it."
"How charitable of you, Casino," said Actor quietly, not looking up from his book.
"Stuff it, Actor," replied the safecracker, sitting down and dealing the cards.
Supper came and went with no call from Major Richards. Garrison went back to working on intel. Actor and Chief stayed in the common room outside his office. Casino and Goniff went upstairs to that common room and, Garrison figured, the safecracker's bottle of whiskey. The officer had refused their requested trip to the Doves. He knew Chief would let him know if they went out the window.
The phone finally rang. Garrison answered it and listened to Major Richards voice asking for Terry.
"Just a minute, Sir," said Garrison. He went to the door and called out for his sister.
"Heard the back door, Warden," said Chief. "I think she went outside."
"Well, get her," ordered Garrison.
Meg had come to the bottom of the stairs from the kitchen where she had been washing up the dishes. "I'll get her."
The young woman hurried to the back door and looked out into the dim light of sunset. Terry was walking slowly down a row of vegetables with her watering can.
"Terry!" called Meg. "Telephone."
The woman put her watering can down by the row and ran toward the house.
The Lieutenant went back to the telephone. "She's outside, Major. They're getting her."
Major Richards' voice sounded tired. "Okay, Lieutenant. Major Schaeffer is being relocated to London. He will be under the watchful eye of General Andrews. He has been told he is to have no contact with you, your men or Terry. He may have limited contact with his daughter at her discretion. Major Schaeffer is being returned to Brandonshire as we speak so he may pack his belongings. He is to return to London tomorrow afternoon. We should have quarters for him by then. Major Cornwall will be moving into Major Schaeffer's office. That should make it easier on Miss Schaeffer. If you can find temporary quarters for her we can help get her settled into new quarters if she needs it."
"I'd like to keep her here tonight, until the Major has gone back to London," said Craig. "Unless we have a mission."
"No mission," reassured the Commando major. "I have no problem with that."
"Thank you, Sir," said Garrison.
Terry ran into the room and stopped.
"Terry's here," Garrison said. "Would you like to speak to her?"
"No, Lieutenant. I want to go have a nice quiet meal and go home." said Richards. "You may tell her."
"Yes, Sir," said the younger officer.
"That's all, Garrison. Good night."
The call disconnected in Craig's ear, and he hung up. Terry was frowning. Chief and Actor were at the doorway, watching.
"Chief, would you get Meg and the other two," he asked, not looking for verification, knowing his scout would do what he asked.
"What happened?" asked Terry.
"Take a seat," said Garrison, running his hand back through his short hair. "I'll explain when all of you are here."
Chief didn't have to get Meg. She was already by the stairs. He bounded up the steps as the girl came up to Actor.
Actor escorted her into the office. Her eyes went from Garrison and Terry to the telephone the phone receiver that was in its cradle. Meg automatically went to the back of the table and sat in Goniff's chair.
The three cons entered the office, looked around and took their seats. Goniff didn't bother to get another chair. Instead he stood behind Meg, hands on her shoulders. Her right hand came up to hang onto his hand.
"All right, so what happened?" asked Casino with his usual impatience.
The Lieutenant repeated what Major Richards had told him. He saw Meg's shoulders relax. Now he turned to his sister.
"You said you had a couple ideas about where Meg can stay," he prompted.
Terry nodded. "It's not great, but temporarily, she can stay in a room upstairs of the Fox where Madge and Malinda live. No private bathroom."
Goniff squeezed Meg's shoulder. "That flat we got your things from, does your Dad own it or rent it?"
Meg immediately knew where his mind was going with that. Her expression brightened. "The Major isn't coming back, other than tonight?"
"No," answered Craig. "He's being quartered in London."
Casino had caught on too. It wasn't a bad flat. "Can you handle the rent?" he asked.
Meg nodded. "I think so. Dad was charging me room and board. A little more would cover the rent."
"You had to pay to live there?" asked Terry in surprise.
Meg nodded.
"What about furniture?" asked Garrison.
"It's a furnished apartment."
Craig grinned. "You can use my phone to call your landlord."
"Landlady," grinned Meg. "Her husband is off fighting the war somewhere."
The Lieutenant gestured her to come take a seat at his desk. She rose and walked around the table. Garrison looked at the others. "Okay, out. Give her some privacy."
They got up and headed for the door. Goniff paused and looked back at Meg. She smiled and nodded for him to go out. She picked up the telephone and dialed as Garrison was the last to leave and closed the door.
The conversation with the landlady took twenty minutes. After hanging up, Meg went to the door and opened it, looking around the common room. She had the attention of all of them.
"It's done," said Meg. "When the Major is gone, I can move back in. I think I can handle the rent fine if my wages aren't cut too much."
"You might find you are making more money now," said Craig.
Meg bit her lower lip and looked up at the officer. "Thank you, Lieutenant," she said. "I don't know if I could have managed without you." She looked around the room at the smiling faces. "All of you."
"Perhaps your life will be a little brighter now," said Actor.
"You deserve it, Love," added Goniff.
"Yeah, she does," agreed Terry. She grinned. "Hey, Meg, if you have trouble with the rent, you could always pick up a night or two at the Fox tending bar. Cut me some slack."
Meg laughed. "The only drink I know how to make is the Major's scotch on the rocks."
"Terry'll teach you," said Chief from the window.
It was dark enough now to close the blackout drapes. He closed the ones at his window seat. Terry made the rounds and closed the others downstairs and upstairs. Meg went back to the kitchen.
Terry and Craig went back in the office and picked up where they had left off with the intel. Actor was enjoying his pipe and still reading the same book. Chief was playing a one-sided game of chess at the little table. The two inevitable card games were being played on the round table.
Meg came out from the kitchen and stopped behind Goniff's left shoulder, watching him move the cards around.
"Could you teach me that?" she asked.
Casino's head shot up. "You don't know how to play solitaire?"
"No," replied the girl simply.
"Well come over here and I'll show you how it's done," invited the safecracker with a grin. "Limey's no good at it."
"'Ere now!" objected the 'Limey.'
"I wouldn't if I were you, Meg," said Actor, not looking up for his book. "Casino is not able to play any card game without cheating."
"I can play it straight," denied the cracksman in annoyance.
"Thank you, Casino," said Meg with a smile, "but I would rather learn from Rodney."
The pickpocket beamed as he got up and pulled a chair around, gesturing for the girl to take his seat.
In the office, the two Garrisons had heard the exchange.
"They're going to ruin her," predicted Craig.
"Oh, I don't know," said Terry with a smile. "Maybe 'ruining' her is what she needs after what she must have experienced all her life with Major Schaeffer."
Goniff talked Meg through the steps of Klondike Patience, ignoring Casino in the process. He was ruddy proud the girl picked it up quickly. She seemed to enjoy the game as much as he did. Of course he was enjoying being in close proximity with the sweet girl without getting into trouble. Or not too much trouble. They had been playing for three quarters of an hour, when Chief's head snapped up sharply.
"Warden," the scout called out. "Car comin'."
Everybody looked at their watches. It was just coming up on nine-thirty. Too late for Major Richards.
"Meg, get upstairs," called out Garrison. "Better to be on the safe side."
The girl hurried upstairs. Goniff took her seat after moving his back in place. The Garrisons quickly gathered their papers and stuffed them into Craig's desk drawer. Casino jumped up and locked the front door to slow whoever down. He had just returned to his chair when there came a pounding on the door.
Nobody moved. The pounded resumed, harder. Garrison went to the doorway from his office, putting on his Ike jacket.
Terry got up and walked unhurriedly to the front door.
"Let me," said Garrison.
"No," she said back. "Everybody is used to me answering the door."
She opened it slightly and had to jump back when it slammed in at her. The angry-faced British major shoved past her.
Casino had risen partway from his chair to defend her, but her hand by her hip came up with fingers spread and palm aimed at him. Terry watched Schaeffer's back as he strode up to the Lieutenant.
"Garrison, I want my daughter. Now!" blasted the Major.
"Craig was his calm self. "I don't believe she wants to see you."
"I don't care, what she wants. You get her now!" Schaeffer blustered. "That's an order!"
"You are aware, Sir, you are violating a restraining order?" asked the Lieutenant.
"I don't care what kind of order you think you have," glared the shorter, older man. "I want my daughter!"
Terry casually wandered to the small table by the stairs and lifter the receiver of the phone. She dialed a number without looking it up and surreptitiously pressed down on the cradle to cut off the call.
"Yes, Lieutenant, this is Terry Garrison. I need the MPs out at our base. Major Schaeffer is here, violating that restraining order and being very unpleasant about it." Schaeffer whirled around to take a step toward the woman.
"I wouldn't do that, Major," said Casino with an evil grin. "If she don't get you, we will."
"That's enough, Casino," cautioned Garrison. "Sit down."
"Twenty minutes?" asked the woman questioningly. She seemed to be listening. "Yes, I'm pressing charges again, and this time I'll see they stick. Thank you, Lieutenant."
Terry hung up the phone.
"Fine," said Schaeffer, changing his tune. "I will have you arrested, Garrison, for disobeying the order of a superior officer. And I'll see your men are incarcerated with you." He glanced around at the me in disgust. "I will not have my daughter associating with this scum. Especially, that one," he jabbed a forefinger in Goniff's direction. "He's nothing but a common thief. He will never be anything but a common thief."
"'Ere now!" Goniff jumped to his feet, almost knocking his chair over backward, and stormed toward the officer. "Let me tell you sumphin', Major. If I live through this war, I intend to go straight. Get me a real job. And if she'll have me, I'll marry Meg and have a family wid her!"
There was a second of dead silence as everyone stared at the pickpocket.
"Not with my daughter, you're not!" roared the Major.
"Sir," intervened Garrison. "Your daughter is of age. She can do what she wants, with whoever she wants."
"Garrison, don't talk back to me!"
"Excuse me, Major," said Actor, rising to his full six feet four inches in height from his chair. He glanced at Terry. "Teresa, did you not just say the MPs will be here in twenty minutes?"
"A little less now that he's been fussing," agreed Terry. She turned to the blustering officer. "Major, do you really want to end up back in the stockade, and lose the rank your superior officers kindly let you keep? You'll lose your new job, your living quarters in London, and end up working the rest of your life in a factory. You see, I will press charges again, and this time I will take it to General Fremont. He dislikes this group, but I think you will find he dislikes you even more." The woman smiled insincerely.
Schaeffer's head swiveled around. Everyone in the room was standing. Garrison's men were creating a circle that was closing in on the way to the front door. They watched him straighten his spine even more and stride outside, slamming the door behind him.
Six pairs of eyes stared at the door. Chief backed up and listened to the car engine start, reverse and take off down the driveway.
"Is it safe?" asked a quiet voice from the top of the stairs.
"Probably," said the Lieutenant. He leaned against the door jamb, arms crossed in front of him and watched Meg walked down the stairs.
Her eyes were on Goniff as she came to stand in front of him. "I heard what you said," she spoke softly. "Did you mean it?"
Goniff kind of shrugged. "Yes."
The girl's face broke into a huge smile. "Oh, Rodney!" She took a step forward and stopped, head turning so look at the officer. "May I have permission to kiss him."
"Maybe just this once," said Craig with a twinkle in his eyes.
Meg launched herself into Goniff's arms and they exchanged a hard kiss.
"There's just one thing," said Garrison. The two broke apart and looked questioningly at him. "You have to wait until the end of the war." His eyes swept over his men. "There's a clause in your contracts. No marrying until after the duration and six months."
"Aw, Warden," moaned Goniff.
9