“Let’s go save England,” Caleb said as he started to lead her into the boarding house.
As they stepped into the entry hall, a desk was positioned in the back and an older man sat behind it. He had white hair and his clothes were noticeably wrinkled.
The attendant glanced up. “Are you two looking to rent a room?”
Simone offered him a polite smile. “No, we are here to meet someone,” she replied. “A Miss Juliette.”
A look of displeasure came to the older man’s face. “What business do you have with a French woman?” he half-asked, half-demanded.
“My business is my own,” Simone replied, her smile remaining intact.
With a glance at the corridor, the attendant said, “This is a fine establishment. You best remember that.”
Simone didn’t dare contradict the man, but it wasn’t hard to notice that the building was in a state of disrepair. The paper on the walls was faded and sagging. The floor didn’tfare much better. The wood boards were worn and hadn’t been polished in quite some time.
Caleb spoke up. “We are just here to visit a friend.”
“You should keep better friends,” the attendant grumbled. “The French are a lousy, no-good people. I wouldn’t have even rented them a room, but my wife saw to them when I was out.”
“What room are they in?” Caleb asked.
The attendant scowled. “2B,” he responded. “At least my wife had the good sense to put them in a room where I can keep watch on them. I don’t want them to sneak out and not pay their bill.” He pointed towards the corridor. “The door is on your left.”
“Thank you,” Simone said. “Do you, by chance, know if Miss Juliette is by herself?”
“Neither her nor her useless brother have left their room since this morning,” the attendant responded. “If you were smart, you wouldn’t associate with those blasted Frenchmen.”
Simone knew she shouldn’t contradict the man, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. “Not all Frenchmen are bad,” she said.
“Show me a good Frenchman, and I will believe you.”
Knowing they weren’t going to change the attendant’s mind, Simone started walking towards the corridor that was just off the entry hall.
They arrived at the door that read “2B” and Caleb knocked.
Simone slipped her hand into the opening in her gown and gripped the hilt of the dagger. She didn’t know what to expect, and she needed to be prepared for anything.
After a long moment, the door opened and Juliette stood before them. She was dressed in the same simple gown she wore the day before but her hair was pulled into a loose chignon.
Juliette’s eyes landed on Caleb and a broad smile came to her lips. “Well, look who it is,” she said in a sultry voice. “Thank you for coming. Do come in.”
Caleb put his hand out, indicating Simone should go first.
Juliette took a step back and opened the door wide. “Is that terrible man still out front?” she asked.
Simone assumed Juliette was talking about the grumpy attendant. “He is,” she confirmed.
“That man is awful, just awful,” Juliette said before she closed the door behind them. “He took an immediate dislike to us because we are French.”
“Some people can’t see past themselves,” Simone attempted.
A tall man stood between the two straw mattresses in the small, rectangular-shaped room. His dark hair framed a thin face, accentuated by a slightly crooked nose. There was no smile on his lips to greet them, but his eyes conveyed a sense of contempt. By all accounts, he did not look happy to see them.
Juliette gestured towards the man. “Allow me to introduce you to my brother, Victor.”
Victor crossed his arms over his chest. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” he grumbled, his words anything but cordial.
“Be nice to our guests,” Juliette chided.
