Chapter 33
Danielle stared at her mother’s portrait in awe. “So that’s what my mother looked like. My father always told me how beautiful she was. “
She turned to Gustave, smiling. “You have done a wonderful job, Gustave. Thank you.”
“You really do look like her,” Gustave said, his face turning red.
Danielle smiled and embraced him, then she turned to Henry.
“Thank you for digging this up, Henry, and thank Francois and Laurent for me. How did you know?”
“We couldn’t have known, Danielle. Not until I read the journal. I tried to tell you yesterday…”
“Excuse me, you two, but I cannot keep this,” Gustave said.
“Keep it for a little while, Gustave,” Danielle said. “Just until I tell my father what we found.”
“We can both tell him,” Henry said, looking at her. “Or better still. We can bring him here.”
“Good idea,” Danielle said, “but how will we keep Colette from finding out?”
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Colette was frustrated. She sat on the ground shaking her head. She felt as if she was going to cry. She hadn’t any idea what to do. Those broaches she wanted were gone
Who knew where they had hid them? Who could possibly have known? Unless Nicole had told Auguste about it or did she?
Well, whatever it was, she couldn’t stay here anymore. She put her hand down the bosom of her filthy, mud stained gown and pulled out a key. She had always worn this around her neck. Nicole had told her it was to the cellar door. There was one place left where she had heard something had been hidden. She couldn’t remember what it was, though.
Colette stood up. She suddenly felt better.
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“The note talks about something in the cellar,” Laurent said, “but it doesn’t say what.”
Auguste smiled. “There is nothing in the cellar, Laurent, nothing at all. I think Nicole mentioned it to throw Colette off. And if there is anything down there, it wouldn’t be worth anything to anyone.”
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Colette was a mess. Her key didn’t fit the cellar door. Nicole had always told her to use it if she needed to.
She threw the key away and plopped down on the ground. She began to cry.
“Colette? Colette du Lac?”
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Henry and Danielle ran out of Gustave’s studio, laughing and holding hands.
When they got to the hay field, Danielle turned to Henry.
“Race you to the manor,” she said, letting go of Henry’s hand.
Henry smiled. “You’re on,” he said.
Danielle gave him a head start.
Everything seemed fine again as they ran through the hay field towards the manor.
“Danielle, wait,” Henry called out. She had pulled so far ahead that he couldn’t keep up.
Danielle stopped and turned around. She was laughing.
“Hello Danielle, how are you this morning?”