Miss Plum stood in front of the classroom. The whole class was paying attention, except for Nancy Oleson, who would rather be anywhere but at school.
"Now, class," Miss Plum began. "This assignment is for everyone. I want you to interview someone in Walnut Grove who has achieved something in his or her life. You may interview someone who is popular among the town, or someone that is not that well known. What counts is that you state why this person is important. You will write a report on him or her and then share it with the class. Oh, and you may do this assignment with a partner." She paused, "Class is dismissed, but this is due a week from tomorrow!"
The class stormed out of the building.
"Nancy, Nancy Oleson, I need to speak with you for a moment please." Called Miss Plum.
Nancy froze. She thought she could sneak out this time without being scolded at, but she was wrong. Nancy walked up to Miss Plum's desk with an innocent look on her face.
"Yes, Miss Plum?" She asked.
"Nancy, I saw you in class today. You weren't paying attention. Do you even know what the assignment is about?"
"Why, yes. We are supposed to interview someone famous in the town. I'll probably interview Mother; she is the most well known person in Walnut Grove." Nancy said with a smile.
Miss Plum sighed. "Nancy, that isn't exactly what I meant. I want you to interview someone you don't know well. The whole point of the assignment is to interview someone so you can get to know them better, and have a better perspective of other people. I want you to do this assignment without your parents help. It is a big part of your grade. In fact, if you don't do this assignment I am afraid you will fail English. You better find yourself a good partner."
"Yes, Miss Plum. I will."
"Oh, and I will be checking in to make sure you are doing some of the work. Alright, you may go now."
Nancy bolted out of the school and ran to catch up with her pupils.
"Jason, Jason!" She yelled as she caught up to Jason Carter.
"What is it Nancy?" Jason asked.
"I was wondering if you would like to be my partner for the interview project." Nancy said, trying to catch her breath.
"Nancy, I really don't think that will work. I was going to be partners with Amy." Jason explained.
"Well, what if I paid you to be my partner?"
Jason smiled. "You'd pay me?"
"Yes, I'd pay you."
"Why do you want to be partners with me?"
"Jason, you are my friend. I was just trying to be nice."
"Nancy, you just want to be my partner because you know I make the best grades in English."
Nancy looked around to make sure no one was in earshot. "Jason you're right, but I need your help. Miss Plum said if I don't do good on this project I would fail English."
"Don't do well." Jason said proudly.
"What?" Nancy was confused.
"You said 'if I don't do good', but you should have said 'if I don't do well.'"
"You see Jason, that is why I need your help. Please, I promise to work."
"You promise?" Jason knew Nancy's studying habits.
"Yes, I promise."
"Fine. I will be your partner, on one condition."
"What's that?"
"I pick who we will interview."
Nancy rolled her eyes. She really wanted to interview her mother, but she knew she needed Jason's help. "Alright, who is it?"
"Mr. Montague." Answered Jason.
Nancy groaned. "Mr. Montague? He is crazy!"
"I know, and that is why we should interview him. Plus, he is famous for writing books and stuff."
"Okay, Jason, we will interview Mr. Montague, but you are doing the talking." Nancy said.
"Fine, I do the talking, but you do the questions."
"Fine!"
"Okay, it's settled. Meet me at the Wilder's Boarding house after school tomorrow."
Jason hurried off. Nancy was glad Jason would be her partner, but she wasn't fond of Mr. Montague, and she knew Mr. Montague was not fond of her. He called her a spoiled brat one day after church and since then she had not spoken a word to him. She wondered how she was supposed to come up with questions for a man that hated her.
"Jason! Jason! I got the questions!" Nancy said with a smile as she handed Jason the paper.
Jason looked at the work Nancy had done. "Nancy," he said, "these questions-did you by any chance write them during school?"
Nancy gave Jason a strange look. "Well, yeah. You didn't expect me to do them for homework did you?" She saw Jason staring at the paper. "Why? There is nothing wrong with the questions is there?"
Jason tried to be nice. "No, they are fine. It's just that they are so basic. I don't know how well we can get to know Mr. Montague with these questions." He explained.
Nancy shrugged. "Oh well. I did what I was supposed to do and nothing more. Now let's go get this interview done before it gets dark."
Jason and Nancy knocked on the Wilder's boarding house door.
"I'm coming!" Yelled Laura from inside the house.
Laura, with Rose in her arms, opened the door. "Nancy, Jason! What a nice surprise!" She exclaimed with a smile. "Are you here to see Jenny?"
"No ma'm. We are here to see Mr. Montague." Jason told her.
Laura glared at them. "Okay, he is in his room, I think." She opened the door wider for them to come inside the house.
"We are here to interview him for school." Explained Nancy, not wanting Laura to think that she was here to see Mr. Montague for any other reason.
"Oh!" Laughed Laura. "That makes sense. Jenny told me about that project. Good luck."
"Thank you." Said Jason, as he and Nancy trotted up the stairs.
Jason knocked on Mr. Montague's door, but no one answered.
"Maybe we should just go in." Said Jason.
"Maybe we should just go home." Answered Nancy.
"Nancy, we have to get this done. Remember this project determines whether you pass English or not."
Nancy sighed. "Fine, open the door."
Jason opened the door, but as they looked around the room no one was to be found.
"Hello?" Jason asked in a shaky voice.
All was quiet, but suddenly, out of nowhere, a head popped out from under the bed. "Hello!"
Both Nancy and Jason jumped. "You scared me!" Nancy said in a disgusted tone.
"You scared me." The head answered back. Slowly, a body that was attached to the head came out from under the bed. "You know, it is awfully rude to barge in on other people's rooms."
"We are sorry sir, but no one answered our knocking, and we have something important to ask you." Jason told him.
Mr. Montague picked himself up. "Important?"
"Yes." Nancy walked up to Mr. Montague. "We need to interview you for a school project. You see…"
Jason interrupted her. "We were wondering if you would be willing to do the interview. We don't want to impose, do we Nancy?" Jason glared at Nancy.
"It seems to me you already imposed. I don't think I feel like being interviewed today, but thank you for wasting my time." Mr. Montague showed them to the door.
Nancy started to leave, but Jason spoke up. "It's too bad you won't do the interview. Many people can get to know you better because of this."
"I don't want anyone to know me."
"It's also too bad that because of your, well, I hate to say it, but unwillingness to do this interview that a young girl will fail English."
'Yes, that is too bad." Mr. Montague was about to shut the door. "Wait, did you say fail English?"
"That's right. Nancy, is struggling in that class, and this is the only way she can pass."
"Why didn't you say so in the first place? I'd hate to see someone fail a class, especially English." Mr. Montague pulled up two chairs. "Come sit, we have a lot of talking to do!"
Nancy gave Jason a big smile. They sat down and Jason pulled out the questions.
"Okay, here is the first question. What is your full name?"
Mr. Montague cleared his throat. "I was born Sherwood Montague, in London, England on March 2, 1825."
"Oh, that was my next question. Okay, let's see." Jason looked over the paper to see what else he could ask. He wanted the questions to be in consecutive order. "Here's a good one! As a boy did you like school?"
"I absolutely loved school. I hated everyone at school, but I loved to learn." He looked at Nancy, "I especially liked English class."
Jason continued. "Okay, um, did you always want to write books?"
"Yes. Ever since I was a young lad I loved writing."
Jason tried to find another question to ask, but Mr. Montague stopped Jason before he spoke again.
"May, I ask you a question?"
"Sure." Jason gleamed.
"Why isn't your girlfriend asking any of the questions?"
"Oh, he is not my boyfriend." Emphasized Nancy. "And since I wrote the questions I think it is only fair that Jason asks them."
"I think, since you are the one failing English, that it is only fair that you ask the questions. Go ahead Jason, give Nancy the paper."
Jason handed it over to Nancy. She looked at Mr. Montague and rolled her eyes. "Were you ever married?" She asked, knowing that he would say no.
"Yes, I was."
Nancy and Jason stared at him. "Really? You told my family before that you were never married! Can you tell us about it?" Wondered Jason.
"I lied, and besides I don't like talking about that part of my life."
"Oh, please Mr. Montague. This will help me with my grade in English." Nancy pleaded.
"I doubt your teacher knowing I was married will influence the grade."
"Please, Mr. Montague. It would make for a good story." Jason tried to argue.
"Indeed it would. I guess there is no harm in telling you this." Mr. Montague paused. Jason took out a new sheet of paper to write notes. "It was while I was living in Canada. Yes, I believe it was Quebec. I remember I was attending a poetry reading. The French really know their poetry. Anyway, as I was listening to the poem, I spotted a blonde haired, blue eyed, young lady. She smiled at me, and before the night was over we were married."
"Wait! You married someone the first night you met?" Jason asked with inquisitive eyes.
"I did. We talked and realized how much we had in common. She was a poet, and I was a novelist. We had both grown up with the same values and our families were similar. So, we decided that we should marry. Nothing fazed us. We were married for about two years, and then…" Mr. Montague stopped.
"And then what?" Jason asked.
"I don't think I want to finish."
"Did she die?" Nancy asked with sympathy in her voice.
"No, child, she did not." Mr. Montague looked around the room. "I might as well tell you. I have never told anyone this before, and you can not mention this in your presentation, but I left her."
Nancy and Jason's eyes widened with fascination.
"She told me she was pregnant. That scared me. I did not want to be a father, and as you know I despise children. I couldn't handle the responsibility. I wanted to roam the world and not be tied down. So, without warning I left. I left her and everything I had gained in those two years. I have never returned since."
"Oh, Mr. Montague that is so sad." Said Nancy.
"It is, isn't it? I'm a terrible person. I wish I could go back, but it's too late now."
"No, it's not!" Cried Jason. "You can go back and tell her how sorry you are!"
"I don't think that would work. After all, it's been twelve years. I'm sure they want nothing to do with me."
"Is that why you are so bitter, Mr. Montague?" Asked Nancy.
"Perhaps it is."
"What was her name?" Jason wanted to know.
"It was Lorraine Dubois." Mr. Montague answered as he stared at the wall. "She was very French. She spoke English, but she loved her native language."
"Can we see a picture of her?" Asked Jason.
Mr. Montague stood up. "No, you may not! I think it is time for you to go. You have enough for your interview, now leave, please."
Nancy and Jason scrambled out of the room and flooded down the stairs. They did not say anything until the boarding house was out of sight.
Jason finally spoke up. "We got a lot more information than I ever thought we would! That was really interesting."
"Yeah, but I still say he hates me. I can't believe he made me read a question!" Nancy said in an appalled manner.
"He was only trying to help."
"Maybe." Nancy laughed. "You know what's funny? Dubois is my real last name."
"Really?" Jason stopped walking. "Nancy, do you know who your father was?"
"No. My grandmother said he left my mom. Kind of like what Mr. Montague did to his wife. Ironic, huh?"
"Nancy, Mr. Montague could be your pa!"
Nancy laughed again. "Oh, right Jason."
"Seriously. How many Dubois do you know?"
Nancy thought for a moment. "Well, none."
"So, it's not a common last name, at least not here. He said that Lorraine had blonde hair and blue eyes, just like you. And he said that happened twelve years ago. Aren't you twelve?"
"Yes, I'm twelve. Jason that lady was French-Canadian. I am an American."
"That doesn't mean anything. You could be her daughter. I'm telling you Mr. Montague could be your pa! He could have been the one to leave your ma."
"Jason, there are hundreds of illegitimate children. The odds aren't favorable."
"I still think…"
Nancy cut him off. "I think you are crazy. I am going to go home now."
"Oh, come on Nancy. Why don't we do some investigating? He must have a picture of her somewhere. There has to be some linking information."
"Jason, I don't see why this is so important to you."
"Think about it Nancy. This will guarantee us an A on our project. Miss Plum might be so impressed that she will give us an A in English forever. Besides, aren't you interested in your past?"
"Not really."
"What if Mr. Montague is your father? Do you realize how rich you would be? You would be richer than you are now!"
Nancy smirked. "You're right, I would be richer! Alright Jason, I will go along with this game, but if someone gets in trouble I am blaming it all on you."
"Okay, I'll gladly take the blame."
"Okay. So, what is your plan?"
"Tomorrow we will sneak into his room and find old pictures."
"He will probably be in his room."
"No, he helps my Ma with the paper on Thursday afternoons. He writes some story for the paper and every Thursday he submits it."
"Okay." Nancy paused. "Oh, I forgot I have to work the switchboard tomorrow."
"That's great! You can call the orphanage you used to live at and get information while I find a picture."
"Jason, I like your thinking. Well, I better be going. See you tomorrow!" Nancy said with a smile as she ran off towards the east.