Chapter Ten

RAEB: I got it! We can put Ratigan in jail and keep him there, and then Meg and Basil can be together!

Sarah: That's too easy. We would have to probably make Ratigan lose his memory or something.

JWJ: Nah. Then he might forget about politics.

Everyone: GREAT!

JWJ: You're all ignorant morons! Learn what runs this country.

Lizz: It isn't politics. It's people.

JWJ: People behind the politics.

Meg: And politics after the story, because I really don't feel like another political debate. Last chapter!

Isabelle paced the hallway in front of Meg's room. It was almost eleven o'clock, and the silly dolt was still asleep! Basil had been outside since half past nine. Isabelle had invited him inside, but he had declined. Now that loony detective was standing outside in the freezing cold rain! If Meg did not come out of there soon, Isabelle was going to personally drag her out of bed.

Strange dream. Isabelle was marrying Mr. Lawrence, and Dawson was the best man. As the wedding party got into the carriage, which included Rahle, Olivia, Li Yan, and Rafael, Dawson leaned out one of the windows, calling, "Meg! Meg! Wake up! Meg!"

"Meg! Meg!" I was shaken violently awake, so violently that I tumbled out of the bed.

"Ouch! What? What happened?"

I looked up from the tangle of bedclothes. Isabelle stood over me, her arms folded and a frown on her face.

"What was that for?" I exclaimed.

She shrugged. "You overslept."

"I had trouble falling asleep last night."

"I have a question. It just occurred to me that there might be a reason why you've been avoiding Basil like the plague."

My eyes grew wide. "I am not avoiding him like the plague!"

"Just hear me out."

I disentangled myself from the sheets and sat on the edge of the bed. "All right. I want to hear this brilliant theory of yours."

"You have to promise me to tell me if it is true or not."

I paused, deliberating whether to tell her if she happened to be accurate.

"All right, if you make an accurate assumption, and I tell you that it is true, you will promise not to tell anyone?"

"Certainly."

"On pain of death?"

"Wow, I haven't heard that one since I was twelve. Fine, on pain of death."

I sighed. "I am dead serious."

"And so am I!"

"All right. Give me your theory."

Isabelle pulled a chair over and sat down so that we were facing each other. "Ratigan has contacted you and threatened Basil's life if you ever admit to being in love with him. Am I right?"

My face showed no emotion, but my heart was beating wildly. I gave a half-hearted laugh. "What an absurd idea!"

"Is it true?"

"No!"

Isabelle shook her head. "You're such a liar!"

"How would you know?"

She pointed to the maroon diary on my bedstead. It suddenly occurred to me that the diary should have been in one of the pillowcases. "You've read my diary! How... how could..." A wave of emotions overwhelmed me. I started to cry. "It's true! It's true!"

"That's all?" Isabelle asked, sounding irritated.

"What?"

"I can't believe you! You let yourself be frightened by a little letter from a man who is set on making your life miserable? Meg, you know better than that!" she exclaimed.

Anger and embarrassment grew within me. "If Dawson's life was being threatened, wouldn't you do all you could within your power to protect him?"

"Yes, I would. And I don't blame you for trying to protect Basil, except that this is Ratigan we are talking about! Ratigan has been threatening to kill Basil ever since they were first pitted against each other. Basil has accepted that fact by continuing to pursue that villain. Ratigan is going to try to kill Basil whether you stay away from that man or not."

"I can't be sure of that," I began.

"Stop it!" she exclaimed. "Stop acting like Meg Havers, and start acting like Meg Sarentis!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Isabelle took a deep breath. "I did not know you before you became Meg Havers, but from what I hear, you were a wild and carefree young woman. Now all I see is a ghost of that girl. Why? Because of Ratigan? Then you're letting him defeat you. He's getting to you, up there," she tapped my head, "because you are letting him. The only person who is really defeating you is yourself. And you are accepting defeat by not accepting Basil. You... do love Basil, right?"

I nodded. "I was unaware of it for the longest time, that it was love. And it feels so much deeper than it had been with Josh."

"Then give the poor man a chance for goodness sakes!"

"Oh, what a complete idiot I have been! He is never going to forgive me!" I hid my face in a pillow and moaned.

"Come here." Isabelle took my hand and led me to a window. I looked out into the dreary morning. A man was standing under an umbrella by the front gate.

"Basil?"

"Yes."

I hurriedly backed away from the curtain. 'What is he doing here?"

"He hoped he might be able to speak with you before he went back to London."

"How long has he been there?"

"Since half past nine."

"What time is it?"

"Half past eleven."

"What! Why didn't he come inside?"

"I asked him to, but he wouldn't. You must see him right away! He's leaving for London by the twelve o'clock train."

"No!" I ran to the door.

"Wait! Meg, you're not even dressed!"

I flew to the dresser and pulled out a dress. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"You usually don't sleep in that late!"

"I was..." I said as I tried to put my leg through a shirt sleeve, "...so miserable. And he won't stay in Exeter?"

"He wanted to spend Christmas with Mrs. Judson."

"She has no family. I forgot." I managed to get the dress on and fumbled with the buttons. "How selfish I have been! I forgot all about her in my own selfishness."

Isabelle tied my boots for me. "Maybe it will be too late to say anything."

"This train is the last one to London before the holiday?"

"Yes."

"I must personally speak with him and explain why I have been avoiding him, or else I may never get the nerve to do so."

I was fully dressed. My hair was wild and uncombed, but I knew there was no time for that. I ran to the window. "No! Isabelle, he's gone!"

She was at my side. "I suppose he thought that you would never come."

I felt like something within me was dying. How could I last until the next train to London?

I flew down the stairs and grabbed my cloak and my hat.

"Meg?" Isabelle called out from the top of the stairs.

"I am going to find him!"

I ran out the door and looked down the street. No sign of him. I ran in the direction of the station. The rain poured as I dodged around last-minute Christmas shoppers, making my way through the mud to the train station.

The platforms were swarming with mice and humans. I stood on the tips of my toes, searching for the deerstalker hat, the Inverness cape.

"Basil! Basil! Basil of Baker Street!" I called out. Seeing no reaction from the throng of people, I pushed my way through the crowd, towards the London train. A few people snapped at me as I bumped into them and shoved them away. My focus was not on their words, but on the countless faces that came my way as I searched for the detective. "Basil!" No one responded. I choked back a sob. My heart would melt if I could not rectify my wrongs before he left.

The conductor hollered for passengers of the London train to begin boarding. I pushed on my way up to the train, searching the various entrances for the great mouse detective.

Then I caught sight of the brown Inverness and deerstalker on a mouse about to board the train a few paces away. "BASIL!"

He turned around and scanned the crowd, his sharp eyes jumping from face to face. "BASIL!" I cried again.

His green eyes fell upon me as I waved my hand over my head. "Meg!" He jumped off the steps and began to push his way through the crowd towards me.

Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks as I made my way towards him. I ran to him and threw my arms around him.

"Basil! Basil, I am so sorry. Ratigan threatened to kill you unless I told you that I didn't love you. But I do! I do love you! Please forgive me!"

He held onto me. "That fiend! How could he do that to you?"

"I am sorry!"

"Don't apologize. That is not important. What is important is you've told me the truth and have stopped running away. I only want to help you."

I smiled and kissed him on the lips. His mouth was agape and he appeared to be frozen in an expression of disbelief.

"Is this the truth? You do love me?"

"With all of my heart."

He bent his head towards me and kissed me back.

Meg: Whew! I hope I'm not putting everyone out of character with all the romance.

JWJ: (sarcastically) Dumb blondes and romance. Like anyone is ever going to catch someone just before the train leaves.

Emma: It works in the movies.

Meg: I woke up at 6:20 this morning and ran about 5 miles, then worked for eight hours. I got home around 9:30, and have been writing this since about 10:30. Now it's midnight, and I am so going to fall over dead. I do not know when my next story is going to come out because I am currently out of ideas. It was killer trying to find the time to write all of these chapters. We shall wait and see where the muse of writing takes me next.