Title: Queen of Spys-Part 1
Author: Sherry Thornburg (Promummytwo )
Category: Spy story, romance, and adventure
Rating: Guns, knives and kissing and suggestive metaphors.
Characters: The cast of SAJV minus Jules Verne himself (he's taking finals) and my own creations.
Summary: A manipulative and elusive traitor turns a marriage trap for Phileas into a deadly matter for his would-be fiancé.
Author's notes: This was my first attempt at fan fiction since I was thirteen. The McCollum clan is my creation, their island home is in fantasyland, and is loosely based on an old story of a McCallum head of family who booted his three sons out on wagons to make lives of their own. One son's wagon broke before leaving the yard, one got out of the area, and one adventurous son got all the way to the north islands. That one is the founder of my little Scottish island of sea merchants. This is their debut, married to SAJV.
Chapter 1
I once went to a grown-up party dressed in a confection of an outfit made of white lace and pink bows. My long brown hair was done up in curls that hung down my back with pink ribbons holding it all together. The effect caused more than one person to tell me I looked good enough to eat. As the night wore on, I came to dislike that expression.
The party turned out to be a grown-up affair. Grandaunt Eleanor led me around to show me off and then let me sit to watch the rest in silence. There had been a small ceremony of speeches and then Aunt Eleanor put me at a table with a plate of cake and party food and told me to be a good little lady.
I might have fallen asleep in a corner if a boy hadn't called from around the hall door, "You want to come play with me?" That had been all the encouragement I needed. I slipped out of my chair and left.
We went down the hall, around a few corners, and down some stairs into a huge room. It had all sorts of things to climb, swing and have fun on. We had a grand time until a loud voice called out, "Erasmus, you scamp, where are you?"
We stopped in mid-movement, looking toward the door, then at each other. "Who is that?"
"My brother," the boy said, head down. "We have to go back."
"Oh bother," I said.
We wound our way around the playthings to where his brother was calling. I let Erasmus lead the way.
Erasmus walked up to his big brother with no worries. "Here I am."
The older boy said, "Here you are, and where are you supposed to be, hmm?"
Erasmus looked down at the ground.
Watching on from several steps back, I watched to see what would happen. The older brother was a tall, thin and stern looking fellow, but while Erasmus had been looking down at the floor, I saw him smile. He wasn't really angry, just being gruff. He then smiled at me, as if to let me in on the fun of teasing his brother.
"And who are you there?" he asked, calling me closer.
I walked out of the shadows. "I am Lady Katharine Glenshire, sir. Who are you?"
"Phileas Fogg, my lady, pleased to meet you," he said, going down on one knee so as not to tower over me. "And now that we know each other, you two are wanted back at the party."
We followed Phileas back to the party, where I was turned over to Aunt Eleanor. The boys made their goodbyes before taking up sentry poses near their father, who had been the honoree of the night.
A short time later, Aunt Eleanor took me home. On the carriage ride back to Aunt Eleanor's house, I fell asleep thinking about the two boys with the strange names, especially the bigger one who had such wonderful green eyes. I like green-eyed people.
Then, we met again.
I was visiting with my cousin Daniel and his wife and extended family. Me, Patricia, and Penelope had great fun riding ponies across the countryside with our many boy cousins. One day, the twelve of us went skeet shooting. A group of older boys, university age maybe, come around the stables to do some shooting too. We, however, were taking up the entire area, so they had to wait.
I was about to take my turn when someone in their group started taunting us. From behind, Michael, Patricia, and I heard a voice say, "Children should not be allowed on the range, especially little girls. You can see for yourself they cannot hit anything."
My cheeks burned. That was highly unfair. Penelope had missed her last shot but had hit every time before that. She colored, eyes blinking away tears. If he had been our age, she would have boxed his ears, good. As it was, all she could do was stand there with me, keeping her back to him.
Michael jumped to Penelope's defense. "This little girl here could whip the best of you," he hollered back. "I dare you, a pound a shot to prove me wrong."
I knew exactly which little girl he boasted about. While I didn't like being used in his wagers, I was willing, for Penelope's sake. I had been shooting skeet since eight, and almost never missed.
The older boys had all laughed at Michael. "Do you have any money to back that up with?" our taunter said.
"I do."
I gulped. It was a bald lie. We had some money; but if we were to wager a pound a shot, one of us had to go after Cousin Daniel to make good on it if we lost.
Patricia whispered, "I'll go find Daniel," and ran back to the house.
The boys, no, young men, had consulted among themselves for a moment after the challenge was accepted. With much encouragement and back patting, one man walked out of the group to take the bet. I judged him at least as old as Daniel. He had black hair, green eyes and was very tall, dressed in hunting clothes, and looked confident as a peacock.
"I will show him," I whispered to Penelope.
Michael gave up his shotgun to the challenger as they confirmed the rules. One pound per good shot until someone missed. Clips would be considered hits. All my cousins took seats on the fence rail on the right of me. The young men took places to the left.
My opponent bowed to me with a smile and a wave of his hand. "Ladies first," he said.
"Thank you." I turned to the field. "Pull!"
The pigeon flew and was blown into a hundred pieces in less than three seconds. My cousins cheered. I turned to nod my opponent his turn. As Michael reloaded my shotgun, the other took his stance, called out, and did the same with his first shot. His friends cheered him,
Pull! Bang! Shatter.
Pull! Bang! Shatter.
At shot ten, Patricia came back with Cousin Daniel. He gave me his what-are-you-into-now grimace. He was not pleased at all about what we had been doing. I ignored the look and turned back to the match. Daniel would not take us too much to task, so long as the situation was explained… and I won.
At shot twenty-two, my blast clipped the pigeon, but a good hit.
His next shot was straight and true.
As the match continued, I got tired and nervous. If I lost, Daniel would be terribly put out with me. How much trouble I would get into if I lost and had to ask Uncle Steven to pay Daniel back? The payment was not the problem, of course, just the having to admit why I needed the money. He would be so displeased.
At shot twenty-three, my shot was perfect. It could have been nothing else. I was terrified of losing. I walked back to the fence, standing in front of Daniel.
He leaned forward across the rail and whispered in my ear. "If this goes to twenty-five good shots, I am calling it a tie. No arguments."
I sighed in relief. He had just given me an honorable way out. Bless him. I was going to give him such a big hug when this was over.
My twenty-fourth shot was good.
"Pull," my opponent called.
Bang went his shot, but there had been no corresponding shattering of the pigeon.
I saw the clay pigeon fly farther across the field and drop to the ground with a thud and a crack. Simultaneously, my cousins cheered my victory, and his friends groaned their defeat. His back was turned to me, but I saw the jerk of his shoulders at his loss. He turned to me unsmiling, but gave me a gracious nod, acknowledging my victory.
I walked to him and extended my hand. "A fine match, sir."
"Indeed, it was, miss."
He took my hand to shake it sportsman like, but afterward, he smiled down at me and bowed. It was a low bow, as he was nearly twice my height. He brought my hand to his lips, brushing my gloved knuckles with my first ever kiss to the hand.
Time stopped. I couldn't think of a thing to say. I just stood there like a statue as he turned away.
Daniel said, "And whom do these two owe this bounty, sir?"
The young man turned to him and shook his hand. "Phileas Fogg, sir. The reason for this bet is over there about to hand over the purse, Right Charlie?"
"Daniel Glenshire, sir. These are my cousins, Lady Katharine, Patricia, Penelope and Michael." He waved his hand to the rest and said, "and company."
Mr. Fogg gave a momentary nod and a few words before walking off with his friends.
Phileas?
I was transfixed as I watched him walk away, seeing the tall, green-eyed boy I had met. It was the same person I had just won the fortune of twenty-four pounds.
Phileas!