I got so bored that I'm writing chapter 11 now! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY (blows a little party horn) And there's more of that freetranslation.com stuff!
Chapter 11
When they got home (well, to Henri's new house, anyway), the Marquis and his family started to unpack. "So what are you going to do now?" Cecile asked anybody who wanted to listen, namely Sarah and James.
"Erm..." Sarah said. "I don't know," James answered.
"Uh-oh. They're actually bored!" Henri said. Cecile gasped. "Never!" she breathed.
"ANYWAY," James said, "I'll be right back." He went out the door and into the print shop. When he came back, he was carrying a copy of the Gazette.
"Fresh from the printing press!" he said happily. Sarah gently took it out of his hands and they all read it. "Hang on," Cecile said. "I already have a copy of that." She took it from her satchel. She sat down and began to read it. "Wait a minute! James! How'd you figure that out?" she said, shell-shocked and wide-eyed at the headline on page three. James grinned. "I saw it happen," he responded. "Seriously?" He nodded.
"What? What?" Henri and Sarah were saying? "What's happened?" "I'll read it aloud!" Cecile said. And she began to read.
"Contrary to certain people's belief, which is the belief that a Mr. Frederick Phillips is at large, Mr. Phillips has in fact left the country for England. After one rape and two attacks, Phillips was finally caught outside the late Benjamin Franklin's print shop almost a year ago.
"Now, after these three attacks, this journalist has witnessed Mr. Phillips boarding a frigate on its way to England. There is no more need to overprotect yourself, for we are all out of harm's way."
"He's gone!" Sarah said. "He's finally gone!" She threw her arms around Cecile's neck, and Cecile almost fell over because of the force. Everyone hugged each other and yelled, "He's gone!" But when Sarah went to hug James, Cecile and Henri smirked. Sarah made a forward movement twoards him, but then she realized who else was there. So she stuck out a hand. James shook it and said, "This would have to be the best day of my life." Cecile and Henri gave Sarah a knowing look. It kind of said, "Go ahead and hug him. We won't mind." So Sarah just threw her arms around his neck. James looked a little surprised but Henri and Cecile gave a look that said, "Just do it!" James smiled and nodded. He wrapped his arms around Sarah, and everyone else cheered.
"Finally!" Cecile said as everyone sat down to a sumptuous dinner of turkey and potatoes. "We've waited for that forever!" Henri agreed as he took a bite of turkey. "What are you talking about?" Sarah asked. "We've been waiting for you two to actually have the nerve to hug in front of us for the longest time!" Cecile said, spreading some butter on her slice of bread. "Seriously," she added as Sarah and James reddened. "It's nothing to feel embarrassed about." "Oui!" Henri concurred. "We've done it all the time, and you haven't seen us go pink." Cecile kicked him under the table. "Ouch!" he said. He gave Cecile a what-did-you-do-that-for look. She gave him back a you-weren't-supposed-to-say-anything-because-you-promised look. "Oh, well," Henri spoke aloud, and Cecile rested her forehead in between her thumb and index finger.
After everyone finished their dinner, Cecile went into the kitchen and asked Sarah to come along with her. Henri went up to his room and asked James to come with him.
"Sarah? Do you speak another language? I don't really want anyone to understand what I'm about to tell you," Cecile said. "Yes, Cecile. I speak Italian." "Phew!" Cecile said. "And I thought I was the only one."
"Lei vede, Sarah, ho quest'amico. Indovino ho avuto più sentimenti per il mio amico di ho pensato ho fatto. Che sono ho supposto per fare, Sarah? Lo lascio va? Lo lotto? Che?"
Sarah understood every word she said and smiled.
"Perché lei sorridono?" Cecile asked.
"Il Cecile, sono passato attraverso questo stesso sentimento esatto quando ero quindici. Ciò è quattro anni fa. Me ha portato tre anni a ciò ammettere sentendo. Portare il suo tempo, Cecile, prima che lei l'ammette. Ammetterlo quando lei sono pronto. Per caso, questo Henri di amico è?" Sarah said and grinned.
"No!" Cecile said. Sarah gave her a look. "Lei non ingannano nessuno, Cecile. Non me, non James, neanche Henri sé!" she said knowingly. "Come lei saprebbe?" Cecile asked skeptically. Sarah said these words understandingly: "Perché sono passato attraverso questo prima. Ricorda?"
Meanwhile, Henri was trying to talk to James. "James, do you speak any other languages because I don't want anyone else to understand what I'm about to tell you." "Well, I know Spanish," James answered. "Yeah, but then Cecile could understand us." "I know some German," James said. "Perfect!" Henri said.
"Sie sehen, James, habe ich diesen Freund. Ich errate, daß ich mehr Gefühle für meinen Freund gehabt habe, als ich habe gedacht, daß ich machte. Was bin ich habe angenommen, zu machen, James? Lasse ich es gehen? Kämpfe ich es? Was?" Henri said, and James grinned.
"Warum lächeln Sie?" Henri asked.
"Henri, ich bin durch dieses genaue gleiche Gefühl gegangen, als ich vierzehn war. Das ist vor drei Jahren. Es hat für mich vier Jahre gedauert, daß Gefühl zuzugeben. Lassen Sie sich Zeit, Henri, bevor Sie es zugeben. Geben Sie ihm zu, wenn Sie bereit sind. Ist durch irgendeine Chance dieser Freund Cecile?" James said in spit-fire German, leering at Henri.
"Nein!" Henri said, looking like he was obviously lying.
James gave him a knowing look. "Sie täuschen nicht irgendjemand, Henri. Nicht mich, nicht Sarah, auch nicht Cecile sich selbst!" he told Henri truthfully.
"Wie würden Sie wissen?" Henri asked him suspiciously.
"Weil ich durch dies vor gegangen bin. Erinnern Sie sich an?" James repeated.
Cecile said, "Vado dirlo, Sarah. Lei verrà con me?" And Sarah said, "Sì." At the same time, but in a different room, Henri said, "Ich werde sie erzählen, James. Werden Sie mit mir kommen?" And James said, "Ja."
Cecile and Sarah ran out of the kitchen, while Henri and James ran down the stairs. The four of them bumped into each other. Sarah and Cecile toppled over James and Henri and fell on their backs. Cecile and Henri got up and dusted themselves off. "Henri, I have something to tell you," Cecile said. "No, me first," Henri insisted. He turned to look at James. "You're doing the right thing," said James. "Go ahead." Henri took a deep breath and opened his mouth, but no words came out. "Go on," Cecile said with her eyes.
"Well, Cecile, the thing is, I think I like you," he said. "Well, of course. We wouldn't be friends if you didn't," she said. "Not like that," he said. "More than that," he clarified. "Do you mean to say...." Cecile said. "Even though I already did, I just want Sarah and James to know. Well, really only Sarah, because I told James at Chickasaw Bluffs, remember?" Cecile nodded. "So what are you trying to say?" Sarah asked. Cecile turned to her. "He's trying to tell you that he loves me," Cecile explained. Sarah was shell-shocked. "And that's exactly what you were trying to tell him," Sarah said. "I haven't told him yet. It's only been the other way around."
Henri looked wide-eyed at her. "You do?" he said. "Wait. I already told you," Cecile said. "When you asked me those three questions last year." "Oh, yeah!" Henri said. Sarah looked like she was about to cry.
That night, the four of them sat outside, drinking cocoa and looking at the stars.
"I know what else looks like those stars," Henri said. "What?" Cecile asked cluelessly.
"A little something I picked up in France," Henri said as he took something out of his pocket. She looked back up at the stars. Henri took her hand, put a small velvet box in it, and closed her hand. "Open it when you go to bed," Henri whispered as he took a sip of cocoa. "Ok," Cecile whispered back.
That night, Cecile was about to turn off her bedside lamp when she remembered the small velvet box in her hand. She pushed the small button that locked the box and opened it. Inside was a golden ring with a diamond in the middle. She was speechless. She quietly left her room and went to the end of the hall, to the darkened room with a sleeping Henri in it. She tiptoed over to his bed. She bent over and kissed him on the cheek. "Merci beaucoup," she whispered, and she left the room.
Translations! In order:
You see, Sarah, I have this friend. I guess I had more feelings for my friend than I thought I did. What am I supposed to do, Sarah? Do I let it go? Do I fight it? What?
Why are you smiling?
Cecile, I went through this exact same feeling when I was fifteen. That's four years ago. It took me three years to admit that feeling. Take your time, Cecile, before you admit it. Admit it when you are ready. By any chance, is this friend Henri?
No!
You're not fooling anyone, Cecile. Not me, not James, not even Henri himself!
How would you know?
Because I went through this before. Remember?
(This whole conversation is repeated with Henri and James. Only the names and the language change, capiche? Also instead of fifteen...four years ago, it'll be fourteen....three years ago.)
And then...
I'm going to tell him, Sarah. Will you come with me?
Sarah says Yes.
And Henri says
I'm going to tell her, James. Will you come with me?
James says Yes.
Then at the end of the chapter, Cecile says thank you very much.