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Post by Tim on Apr 22, 2019 11:40:24 GMT -5
Well, it would make sense for them to still hate the "Jerries". World War II has only been over for 18 years when this story is set. There were still a lot of people still living who fought in that war, or were affected by it in some way.
Of course, Tatiana would have heard of the Bronte sisters.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Apr 28, 2019 11:26:29 GMT -5
Chapter 15
"I wish we had more time to see York, it is the capital of the North after all", said Skye with a laugh as they waited to be seated at a nearby restaurant.
"You Yorkshire people are a barmy lot, Skye Rose. You might be more proud than Londoners", teased Jack.
"Of course we are, our territory is bigger than London and more lovely and we're tougher than the people down t'South", she retorted.
Tatiana could only shake her head at their banter, wondering if this was some sort of odd British thing. "It's called taking the mickey, us Brits are good at it. We all tease each other about where we come from, the English do it, the Scots do it, the Welsh do it and the Irish too. And we all take the mickey out of London", laughed Jack.
"It sounds rude, but then again I'm not used to it. But what I've seen of Yorkshire is lovely", said Tatiana diplomatically.
"Good to know, most tourists don't wander up here except those that have got family here. But that's how we like it, in London sometimes I don't meet any regular English folks and more tourists than British people. This means we keep Yorkshire to ourselves", said Skye.
"If you're so proud to be from Yorkshire, how come you live on the other side of the mountains?", teased Tatiana.
"A mere accident of my job, Tessa. I was accepted into a nursing school in Manchester and Ian was offered a teaching position at the University of Manchester and the Uni at Leeds never wrote back. At least we are British and Yorkshire is close by, imagine if we were from another country", said Skye.
"And our Mums are Polish, we can't see where the family lived since it's bloody Soviet territory now. I can't wait until Communism collapses, anyplace that has got more missiles and tanks than proper cars or food for its own people can't last very long", said Jack angrily.
"Could your family still get back its estates?", she asked.
"Unfortunately no, the Soviet government owns the property and if the Soviet Union collapsed the land would revert back to whatever government is in charge since our family fled without the deed which was in a bank vault in Warsaw. We don't even know if the bank even survived the war, it's complicated", Jack said with a sigh.
Tatiana nodded in understanding. The waiter led them to a table in the corner and handed them menus, before returning a few minutes later with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. "This place has trad English food but thankfully no fish and chips or anything drowned in gravy, that's not good for you", said Skye as the waiter poured them each a glass of wine.
"Ian's rubbing off on you, Skye", teased Jack.
"Of course, he's a Hindu and he can't eat beef and he's mostly vegetarian. It's better for you, plus eating that much meat and carbohydrates isn't good for you. As a nurse, I know these things", she laughed.
"What is Edinburgh like?", asked Tatiana.
"A lovely city, especially the Royal Mile and Holyrood and Edinburgh Castle. Holyrood was the home of Mary Queen of Scots and Edinburgh Castle was that of the Scottish kings. A lot of English people go there on holiday plus Edinburgh people aren't complete wankers like in Glasgow, so they're nicer", said Jack.
"Mary was a brilliant queen, it wasn't her fault that the wankers didn't want a queen", said Skye as she took a sip of wine.
"Mary Stuart is a very overrated historical figure, Skye. She was an anointed queen as a baby but she was more French than Scots, plus she had awful taste in men. She should have never married Darnley and then run off with Bothwell, at least Elizabeth never married any wankers", said Jack.
"She did have bad taste in men, but Darnley was never an actual king and Bothwell kidnapped her", argued Skye.
"Darnley was her cousin and an idiot, plus as queen she could have had Bothwell executed. Elizabeth wasn't as emotional and was a better queen for it", said Jack.
Tatiana sipped her wine and listened to the cousins' arguing. "It's a historian thing, we each got our own favorites and think the other side are complete tossers", said Jack.
"Yeah, it's like people arguing over football but more intellectual. I am a nurse but I minored in history and Mary Stuart is one of my favorite historical figures, she had a more interesting personal life than Elizabeth, even though she is the only Tudor was any good at being a ruler", said Skye.
"I see. Jack, who is your favorite historical figure?", asked Tatiana.
"Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa, the men who unified Japan. In Japanese, the family name comes first and that's how you would say their names in English. Before them, Japan was a bunch of small kingdoms run by the local warlords, daimyos with their own samurai armies and they would always be fighting each other. After them, they unified Japan into one kingdom and stopped all the fighting with private armies. Unfortunately, the samurai lost their status but the country was unified and peaceful", said Jack.
"That makes sense. I really don't have a favorite historical figure, Olivia is more into history than me", Tatiana replied.
"You'll get an education, trust me. And perhaps next summer when I go on my book tour, I can take you to Japan and the other places", said Jack with a rakish grin.
"And what about Mollie?", she asked.
"She spends the summer in Japan with her mum's people, they have a big flat in Tokyo and her mum is remarried to a bloke named Hideo Tanaka and they have kids so Mollie spends time with her siblings. Hideo's family owns a car factory in Tokyo and he's quite rich, they have a country house up in Hokkaido to escape for the summer since Tokyo can get bloody hot. They also spend the winter in Kyushu in the south since it's tropical, a lot of posh Japanese people do both", he replied.
Jack saw her look and smiled. "Tessa, Minako and I are divorced but it was amicable, we are civilized people. We realized we were better off as friends after a few years of marriage and thought it would be better if we divorced and found more compatible partners. Her and Hideo are happy and they have two lovely children and Mollie is happy in England, plus she gets to see her other family in Japan and be the older sister to her brothers. Us British are civilized about this sort of thing", he chuckled.
"I see. But I am concerned since the only people I know who divorced had awful marriages, but your divorce actually sounds civilized", she said.
"I know, because we are civilized people. I hope with my next marriage, it won't end up being like brother and sister", he joked.
After dinner, Jack lit Tatiana's cigarette and then his as they waited for the bill. "We can take a look around the Minster, it's lovely at night since they light up the windows. If we had more time and if it was open, we could walk to the top of Clifford's Tower and get a view of the city", said Skye.
"I know, the Minster is one of the largest cathedrals in England and the only reason Cromwell didn't torch it was because his general was a Yorkshire man. He's rotting in hell as we speak, us Catholics don't like the ugly bugger", said Jack.
Tatiana had to admit Skye was right when she saw the stained glass windows of the York Minster lit up from inside, the massive rose windows all lit up in different colors and casting a soft multicolored glow on the ground below. "Puritans were a bunch of nasty wankers, under Cromwell people couldn't go to the theatre or even celebrate Christmas since they thought everything was bad. Plus the Irish hate him even more", said Skye.
"Didn't he have the king executed?", asked Tatiana.
"Aye, Charles I. He wasn't a very good king but he wasn't an evil man, Cromwell was evil. Charles II was a good king and a fascinating bloke, he was as popular with the ladies as a movie star and some of his mistresses were actresses", said Jack.
"It's good to be a king", Tatiana quipped as they all laughed.
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Post by Tim on Apr 28, 2019 11:42:24 GMT -5
Just have to wait another 26 years, Jack.
Maybe, at the end of the story, you can do a flash forward of them watching the Berlin Wall come down.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on May 17, 2019 19:46:30 GMT -5
Chapter 16
Tatiana sat on the edge of the bed and calmly smoked a cigarette as she watched Jack talk on the phone to Mollie, a big smile on his face as he talked to his daughter. "Yes Mollie-Chan, I'll buy you a Scottish doll in Edinburgh. You'll have dolls from all over the world at this rate. Yes, I'll try to get a doll with red hair. And yes Miss Tessa and Aunt Skye are enjoying themselves. Be a good girl for Oncle Pierre and Uncle Ian and the Parker family, I'll talk to you later. Sayonara, Mollie-Chan", he said before hanging up.
"Do you really buy her a doll from wherever you go?", she asked.
Jack nodded as he took out his cigarette case and lighter and lit up a Regal, taking a drag before answering. "Yes, Mollie loves dolls. She has dolls from all over the world and she likes to make up stories about them, she writes them down in notebooks and her and Nicole act them out. She's going to be a writer when she grows up", he chuckled.
"Of course, since her father is a writer", she teased.
Jack laughed. "I know, it's in the blood", he said.
"You lot better hurry, breakfast is being served downstairs and we have to catch the train", chided Skye as she checked their luggage.
"Of course, Mamucia", he teased.
"The lot call me that, it means Mum in Polish. I can't help being bossy, someone has to discipline this lot", Skye laughed.
"My siblings call the Governess, so I know how that feels", said Tatiana in understanding.
"Good, another bossy female. In any event, in Edinburgh we're going to meet up with Veteema and Lonny McLaughlin. You'll like them, she and her husband are very American", said Skye.
"Is that good or bad?", asked Tatiana.
"Good, Yanks are an outgoing cheerful bunch. And Lonny is from out west, Montana. We actually saved him after he got shot by Pinkerton agents in 1900, his brother robbed banks and sent their aunt some money but some of the bills still had the bank marks on them. The agents thought he was his brother and shot him", said Skye.
"How awful! But he was innocent?", asked Tatiana.
"Yeah, the brother sent their aunt money but it was from a bank robbery. Lonny was working on a local ranch and had nothing to do with his brother's activities, he didn't realize the money still had the marks from the bank and he spent a few of the bills at a local bar. The bartender thought the money looked odd and notified the authorities, the agents mistook him for his brother. We saved him because he was innocent and the bastards would have killed him just for having an outlaw brother", said Skye angrily.
"Oh dear, poor fellow. What happened to his brother?", asked Tatiana.
"His brother was caught since someone recognized him from a wanted poster, but he broke out of jail and went on the run. He committed suicide rather than get arrested while he was cornered", said Skye.
"Very bushido, surrender is not an option", said Jack.
Tatiana just shook her head. "Alexei likes to read books about cowboys, I am sure he would like to meet an actual one", she laughed.
"Maybe. Let's roll", said Jack.
After breakfast, the trio walked down to the train station and boarded the train for Edinburgh. Soon past the York limits, they entered the moor country to the north which was even more rugged and beautiful than that to the west since there were barely any people about. The hills were covered in blooming heather whose pink and purple flowers covered the dark green and brown hills under a pale blue sky dotted with clouds, the train like a long thin snake making its way through the dales and hills. "The Highlands are more rugged but one can't grow anything there, only graze some sheep and shoot grouse and deer. Plus a lot of rich wankers have estates up there and they don't let anyone on them since they use them only to hunt, it doesn't feel right", said Skye.
"Yeah, I don't mind a bit of hunting if one hunts for food but this lot only hunts for sport to hang on the wall. Waste of time, in Belgium my Dad's family hunts to eat since they're from the Ardennes. Of course, the Jerries made a mess there in the last war", said Jack with a grim smile.
The train crossed into Scotland and barely an hour later they were in Edinburgh. From a distance they could see Edinburgh Castle perched atop the hill as the big stone edifice looked down arrogantly at the city, the Old Town area with its houses all clustered together like the Medieval quarter it was. From the windows and rooftops the St. Andrew's Cross waved defiantly, the simple blue and white flapping under a gray sky. "The Sutherlands were originally Scottish, from up north in Caithness. Our ancestor Robert Sutherland was a retainer for King James and he went south after the coronation, the king granted him lands in Yorkshire. Unfortunately, we lost the castle when our great-grandfather went bankrupt. Ian is actually third in line to the barony of Fishwaite, so we're nobility of sorts. Not that it matters", said Skye with a shrug.
At the station platform stood a tall, redhaired woman along with a tall, dark young man holding a black-haired little girl in a frilly pink dress. "Ah, glad you could make it", said Veteema in her Finnish accent.
"How are you doing, you lot?", said Jack as he slapped Lonny on the back.
"We're doing fine, Jack. I'm still getting used to travelin' so damn much, before this I barely left Landis, Montana. Sorry about the language, ma'am", said Lonny in his soft Southern drawl.
"No offense taken, Mr. McLaughlin. My brother likes reading stories about cowboys", said Tatiana.
"Well, reckon being a cowboy ain't really that interesting. We never found any buried treasure or fought Indians or any of that, most of time it's more boring than sitting in a long church sermon. And this is our daughter Mary Jane, she's named after my Ma", said Lonny as he smiled at the little girl. Both Lonny and Mary Jane had straight jet-black hair and olive complexions, their high cheekbones and overall dark coloring hinting at their Cherokee heritage. However, Lonny had very dark, almond-shaped eyes while Mary Jane had the Jarvinen blue-green eyes which were the same almond shape as her father, giving her quite an exotic look which was a combination of her parent's Native American, Irish and Finnish heritages.
"Very glad to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin. I've never met Americans before, but we have met more interesting people now than in our previous life", said Tatiana.
"Same here, I grew up in Landis which is a middle-of-nowhere place where nothin' happened. And now look", said Lonny with a laugh.
"After supper, you can tell us more about the West, Lonny. And in two days we go up north to take the ferry at Aberdeen", said Jack as they got their bags from the baggage claim.
"We flew here, I'm still gettin' used to it. This'll be the first time I'll go on a big boat, I just been in a canoe or the steamship to Billings. Our family went from Missouri to Montana on a train, Pa's family went from Kentucky to Missouri in a wagon. Reckon that was an improvement", Lonny joked.
"Daddy, we gon' see castle?", asked Mary Jane.
"Yep, May. We don't got castles in the states and we don't got royalty, just real rich people back East. And we're gonna see all kinds of stuff, baby doll", he teased as she giggled.
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Post by Tim on May 18, 2019 11:39:24 GMT -5
They could go to Glamis Castle, it was the childhood home of the late Queen Mother.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on May 19, 2019 15:55:41 GMT -5
Sorry for the delay, I was loading files onto my new MP3 player.
Chapter 17
Tatiana didn't think anything could shock her any more after working at her family's Red Cross hospital and their captivity in Siberia, but she was horrified at the story Lonny was telling them while Veteema played with Mary Jane. "So your brother was a bank robber and the Pinkertons shot you instead, and they got away with it?", she asked in shock.
"Yes, ma'am. Them Pinkerton bastards work outside the law since they're hired by rich fellas, pardon my language. You could ask my aunt and our Ma, I'm clean as a hound's tooth. They told everyone back at headquarters they done shot the infamous Harry McLaughlin, but they got the wrong McLaughlin", he chuckled bitterly.
"But that's wrong, the police ought not to shoot innocent people. I grew up thinking our Papa was a great man, but I heard from the guards that our Cossacks were shooting protestors and innocent people. I don't know if people in authority are good any more", said Tatiana with a sigh.
"Not really, most people in the government don't give a rat's arse about the people they're supposed to represent. Our MP hasn't done anything for our district, he's Labour and the last one was Tory and neither did anything", said Skye.
"Sounds like our fellas, they just hand out free whisky and barbecue so people'll vote for 'em", said Lonny.
"Interesting political lesson, I'll not ever run for MP since I don't want to be an evil, soulless wanker. Veteema, is Hugo meeting us in the islands?", asked Jack.
"Ja, in the Shetlands. He quite likes it there, even though he's a Gaul and the Shetlands are quite Nordic", said Veteema with a laugh.
"What do you mean?", asked Tatiana.
"The Orkneys and Shetlands were Norwegian territory until 1469 when they were given as a dowry to a Norwegian princess who married a Scottish king. I feel at home there, I feel at home near water and forests", said Veteema.
"I know, I'm the same way. I was born in Kentucky but my folks moved to Missouri and then Montana, and in Montana there's lots of forests and mountains and lakes. Can't stand cities, even nice ones like Helsinki. Too many people and noise", said Lonny.
"The Jarvinens are from Kainuu which is up north, we are country folks at heart. And when you woke up, Lonny, you thought you were back in Montana", she teased her husband.
"I know, I thought I was back home since I saw a big pine forest outside the window and a lot of snow. I got shot in Missouri while visiting our aunt", he explained.
"Trust me, Finland is better than Montana", she chuckled.
"How are Dr. Botkin and Annushka and Mr. Trupp doing, Mrs. McLaughlin?", asked Tatiana.
"Please call me Veteema, and may I call you Tessa? They're all doing fine, they were surprised and alarmed and thought something bad had happened to you but they're adjusting well. They're so glad to be safe, and Dr. Botkin took the bullets out of Lonny", she replied.
"Yep, the old Russian fella took out my bullets and the lady bandaged me up real nice. Best doc I've ever seen, ain't drunk and don't you get you drunk first before he takes the bullet out", said Lonny.
"Oh dear, doctors are supposed to be sober since they could seriously hurt the patient. I was a nurse at our family's Red Cross hospital during the war", said Tatiana.
"Wow, thank you, ma'am", said Lonny.
"Anyways, after supper we can go walking around the cliffs and the castle is lovely all lit up at night. If we had time we could visit Holyrood since that's where Mary Queen of Scots lived, supposedly it's haunted by her ghost", said Skye.
"Could you brink her to our time?", asked Tatiana.
"No, because she had living children, James I. In fact, it could wipe out the whole royal family since all our royalty is descended from Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York, including Mary. Whether we ought to be a republic or not is not for us to decide, although it could be an interesting experiment", Skye joked.
"Of course, just like Yanks", Jack quipped.
"So, wait. You can't rescue people who had children, and who's children had children?", asked Tatiana.
"Yes, in a nutshell. Tatiana, you and your family were supposed to be executed the night we rescued you. The whole world thinks you were executed in the basement of that ugly house", said Skye softly.
Tatiana suddenly felt faint and Jack offered her a cigarette which she accepted gratefully as she took a drag. "What?! You mean, the British royals never tried to rescue us, or anyone else? And they were supposed to kill Alexei too? I hope those Bolsheviks rot in hell", she growled.
"Same here, since none of you had children we could rescue you. Tessa, you're all safe here but this is why you can't meet the royal family or attract too much attention", said Jack.
Tatiana took another drag off her cigarette. "So the Bolsheviks were going to execute us, like common criminals? They are truly Satan's spawn, I want to get rid of them", she vowed.
"Vote Tory like we do, we hate the bastards much as you do since they stole our family's estates in Poland. If I was a Yank, I'd join the John Birch Society but only if they stop acting like loons. They believe everything is Communist, but some people are just naïve", said Jack.
Tatiana was thoughtful as the group went to a local pub for dinner, everyone having a dram of whisky and a pint of bitter except for her as she had a glass of white wine. "You are an idealist, Tessa Parker. You want to help and save people, it's damned admirable in anyone as long as it's not taken to extremes", said Jack.
"I am, Maria is the real bleeding heart among us but I am sensitive myself. If the Soviets are as bad as people say they are, why do people actually like them? They have no senses", said Tatiana.
"Some people really think that Communism will bring about peace on Earth, but MI6 reports out of Eastern Europe and China have nothing but bad things to say about the system. But I suppose if someone is very poor, the idea of sticking it to the rich is appealing", said Jack.
Tatiana sipped her wine. "But wouldn't it be better if someone built factories so that people could find jobs? That's better than revolution", she said.
"It sounds good, but some people just hate the rich. In any event, let's not talk politics whilst here and ruin the mood", said Jack with a chuckle.
"Yeah, we're in Edinburgh which is gorgeous at night. If we were here during the Tattoo or the Fringe festival, we could see bagpipe bands and street theatre. We will have to be content with seeing the castle lit up", Skye said in mock disappointment as the food arrived.
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Post by Tim on May 19, 2019 16:08:41 GMT -5
Just wait another 26 years, Tatiana, and you'll see that happen. I guess they were all watching the day the Berlin Wall came down (perhaps you can do a flash forward, showing that event).
And you're incorporated my you can't remove someone from history who is destined to have children thing. Thanks
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on May 26, 2019 11:45:29 GMT -5
Chapter 18
"I don't understand why people think Scotland is lovely, other than Edinburgh's royal sights the country is really quite awful", said Tatiana with a frown as they prepared to board the ferry in Aberdeen.
"I know, they have worse crap weather than us and possibly the worst food in all of Britain and the country appears to be inhabited by complete wankers. The Scots invented the three worst things in the world, golf, haggis and bagpipes", Jack quipped.
"Golf is more boring than watching cows sleep, reckon if I was a rich fella I wouldn't be playing no golf", declared Lonny as Veteema nodded in agreement.
"I suppose it's a way to show that you are a rich wanker, if I had a lot of money and more spare time I would learn to speak and read Mandarin Chinese, it's only the most spoken language in the world", said Jack with a laugh.
"Really? How many people are in China then?", asked Tatiana.
"Nearly a billion, if Mao doesn't kill any more. They're about as messed up as Russia, that's why our government and the American government are allies of Japan even though we beat them in the last war, the Japanese hate Communism", said Jack.
Skye watched attentively as the sailors opened the gate and people began to move forward to board the ferry, quickly checking her purse for the tickets and their passports. "Don't act odd and they won't notice", she whispered to Tatiana.
"The Orkneys, Shetlands and Faroes are gorgeous but Iceland is the real beauty among them. I'm a Northerner by heart, I need cold and damp and grey. If I lived in Japan, I would like to live up in northern Honshu or Hokkaido, the southern islands are too hot for me", said Jack.
"Then why don't you live in Japan then?", she asked.
"It's quite difficult to get a residency permit to live in Japan, you can't just walk in and rent a flat. You need papers from your government saying you have a purpose being here and that you are getting a job, this way people don't just arrive to get benefits. If I got offered a job in Japan, then definitely but not at the moment. And don't get me started on becoming a citizen, it's much harder. You must live there for twenty years, marry a Japanese person, speak Japanese and becoming a Buddhist or a Shinto. I did two out of four and that doesn't count", he quipped.
Tatiana couldn't help the spark of jealousy when she caught the reference to his ex-wife, imagining her as a tiny Oriental beauty in a pink kimono who bowed to him. "You have nothing to be jealous about, Tessa. Minako and I divorced three years ago and it was on good terms, towards the end we were like brother and sister. And yes, she is a beautiful woman but all women are beautiful", he teased.
Tatiana blushed guiltily. "I'm sorry, Jack. But the only people I know who are divorced had terrible marriages and messy divorces, yours actually sounds civilized", she said.
"Because us Brits are a civilized people, unlike our cousins across the pond. We don't do quickie marriages and divorces in Reno or Mexico like Yank movie stars, we are a civilized people. Our cousins across the pond are a barmy lot", he joked.
"Huh? You can get a divorce in Mexico? How'd that work out?", asked Lonny.
"You go across the border and bribe the judge, it's an American thing", said Veteema with a shrug.
The group showed their tickets and passports to the sailor at the gate and he waved them through with barely a second glance. Tatiana felt her heartbeat quickly go back to normal in relief as she was concerned that the sailor would find something off about her passport. "Your passport is a perfectly legimately one like any issued through the Home Office. As far as the world is concerned, you are Tessa Elizabeth Parker of Manchester, England", said Skye.
"I still felt as though someone is laying a trap for us, the Bolsheviks. If what you said was correct, they wanted us all dead", she said with a shudder.
"Keep a low profile and they won't find you lot, and we'll just try to stay low-key if we're in London. Due to the sort of country we are, one has to eventually go to London in one's lifetime for something", said Skye.
The passengers finished boarding and the ship's horn tooted a final time before the sailors untied the moorings and a tugboat pulled the ferry out of the harbor. It was around five in the afternoon and it seemed as though Aberdeen was a completely grey place: grey skies, grey cold water, buildings made of grey granite which soaked up all of the sun's watery, weak rays and made them dull. The Union Jack fluttered dully in the breeze and the ferry made its way out of the harbor until it was let loose just out onto the North Sea as it headed north towards the islands. Tatiana wrapped her gray windbreaker around her and was glad that Skye had pinned up their hair as the strong breeze made the loose strands flap around in her face. "Let's a drink before dinner, no sane person stands out on deck in the North Sea", said Jack.
The main bar of the ferry was crowded so the group found a smaller one below deck as they all found seats at an empty table. Little Mary Jane looked around curiously and giggled when she saw the lights from the bar reflect on the liquor bottles on the shelf, the lights casting odd green and brown lights on the glass bottles. "Oooh, pretty", she giggled.
"May, you're way too young for that", teased Lonny.
"How old is she?", asked Tatiana.
"She's just turned 17 months, she's already talking a lot in English and Finnish. She's got her mama's brain", said Lonny proudly.
"You're quite smart yourself, Lonny. You just didn't go to school", said Veteema.
"I only went to school for four years, it was a log cabin with one teacher and fifty kids. The teacher was a mean old man who's lick us with a switch for anything, I learned some readin' and writin' but preferred workin' with cows instead. The cows didn't lick your behind for not spelling good", said Lonny dryly.
"How awful, Mr. McLaughlin", said Tatiana in dismay.
"All schools was like that, ma'am. Maybe city folks had better schools, but if the teacher did that to May I'd kill 'em", he vowed.
A waitress came by with drinks, Singapore Slings for Jack and Tatiana, vodka tonics for Skye and Veteema, a pint of Carling for Lonny and a cup of apple juice for Mary Jane. "Schools aren't allowed to hit the children any more unless they do something absolutely horrid, like beating up another child or for using really bad words. I suppose back then very little learning actually went on", said Jack a mirthless laugh.
"When do we arrive in the Orkneys?", asked Tatiana.
"By tomorrow evening but we don't stay very long, just an hour or two. Not that there's much to see in the Orkneys since they're flat and all. The Shetlands have amazing scenery and are very rugged, if we had time we could hire out ponies and ride or go twitching for birds. The Faroes are the same except they have more sheep, but Iceland is amazing. Wait until you see for yourself, Tessa", vowed Jack.
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Post by Tim on May 26, 2019 12:15:11 GMT -5
Would the Bolsheviks really still be looking for the I.F. They don't know about time travel, so, to them, Tatiana would be 66 years old, if she were still alive.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Jun 2, 2019 10:31:36 GMT -5
Because of the Profumo scandal, there were members of MI6 and other branches of British Intelligence who were spying for the Soviet Union so it would be best for the family to stay out of the limelight and not meet the royal family. In fact, all of Sol Duga try to stay out of the limelight since they don't want to get involved in politics. And this is what they would see when the ferry docks in Iceland: Tatiana stood by the rail of the ferry as it approached the port of Seydisfjordur in eastern Iceland, her gray eyes wide in delight. "It's beautiful!", she exclaimed. Jack chuckled as he put an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek, satisfied when she didn't try to turn away. "We'll make a modern English girl out of you yet, Tessa Parker. Iceland is bloody gorgeous and this is the best approach. One can always fly into Keflavik and stay in Reykjavik but this is far better since it's more scenic. Hugo will meet us at the docks, we'll stay the night here and move on tomorrow, we're going up north and then west", he said. "I certainly can see that Iceland is prettier than the Orkneys or Shetland or the Faroes, the town looks rather nice instead of all worn and ugly. Plus we can actually see some birds and not just a few seagulls", she quipped. "Of course, the really nice scenery up there is on the outlying islands since the towns are so dull. But this is nothing compared to the West Fjords or Snaefellsness. The latter actually has volcanoes and Jules Verne set Journey to the Center of the Earth there", said Jack. "Alex loves Jules Verne and so does Natalie", she replied. "They have good taste. Of course, if you go in the volcano you'll just be burned to a crisp. Trust me, there's no underground people or demons underneath", said Skye with a laugh. Lonny held onto Mary Jane as the little girl looked at the town curiously with wide blue eyes. "Ooh, pretty", she giggled. "Yep, it looks like a gingerbread village and the mountains look like those in Montana, the Bitterroots. 'Cept there ain't any oceans, just really big lakes with lots of trout. But I'm a cowboy, we don't eat anythin' that got scales. That's for Catholics and city folks", said Lonny with a laugh. "In Iceland, people eat lots of fish since it's an island", Veteema told her husband as his dark complexion turned slightly green. "Nope, fish ain't good for you. Didn't Jonah get eaten by one, that's what the preacher said", he replied. "It was a whale, which is a mammal, not a fish. Fish don't eat people, other than piranhas and those are only found in South America", said Skye. The ferry docked at the town's tiny harbor, the big white ship easily dwarfing the adjacent fishing and rowboats and probably bigger than the town itself. The town was very pretty as it was set at the foothills in eastern Iceland and reflected in the calm blue waters of the harbor, the houses all neat little stone and wooden cottages painted in bright colors with white trim that made them look like they were made of cake and covered in colorful icing. The town's residents had gathered on the docks to welcome the ship and hugged their friends and family, only one lone figure not joining in. Jack came over to the figure and embraced him and Tatiana was surprised that it was Hugo, the wizard now having the form of a middle-aged fisherman in oilskins and a long gray beard that looked completely natural with his gray hair underneath a plain red baseball cap. His features were weather-beaten and wrinkled and he was short and stout, but only his eyes were the same silver-gray she'd remembered from before. "I can change my appearance to fit in, Miss Parker. You would not want to see my actual shape, since I am over 3,000 years old", he quipped. "Oh dear, I suppose that could be useful. So you can change into a woman then, if necessary?", she asked. "Yes, Miss Parker", he replied. Lonny seemed amazed at this information as his dark eyes turned black with surprise. "So you can be an Indian or a Negro or a woman if you want, mister? Damn", he muttered. "Yes, Mr. McLaughlin. I am an Icelandic fisherman, since we are in Iceland. Follow me", he said. Hugo led them past the docks to a handsome three-story white house with a blue tile roof which supported two chimneys on either side of the house. "The Hotel Aldan, the best hotel in town. Actually, the only hotel since the other is a hostel for fishermen", he said. The group followed him inside and the scent of cooking fish and the yeasty aroma of beer filled the air. The lobby had plain brown wooden walls which were bare except for a few large stuffed cod mounted on plaques and an ancient map framed and mounted which depicted the area in the 19th century, the man behind the old desk wearing a cheap toupee which barely covered his bald spot and who wore a painfully clean old-fashioned brown suit of the sort a Victorian vicar would wear. He barely looked up when Hugo checked in with them, just silently handing him the keys before going back to his book. "Icelanders aren't the most sociable people in the world, I think only Finns are quieter. Icelanders are even quiet when they get drunk, they just pass out", said Hugo. "Yeah, they make us British look like the life of the party. Then again, the French part adds some swagger", Jack quipped. Tatiana was surprised that she was sharing a room with Jack as her face turned bright red. Her face grew redder when she realized there was only one bed as she suddenly felt very faint. "Sorry about that, I suppose double rooms don't exist in Iceland. Don't worry, I am a gentleman and I don't want the wrath of the Tsar upon me", he chuckled. "I don't know what to think, this isn't proper", she fretted. "Tessa, in our time people share rooms all the time and even beds. Many of the people I know shagged their partners before they got married and no one cares unless the girl falls pregnant or if you come from a very posh or religious family", said Jack. "Shag is such an ugly word. Surely you and your ex-wife didn't do that before you got married", she chided. "We did, the first time two months before we got married. Mollie was born ten months after we were married, so that was not the reason we got married. We don't do the bloody sheet thing outside the castle anymore, us British are a civilized people now", said Jack with a sardonic grin. Tatiana just shook her head and tried to control the blush which now threatened to take over her whole face and neck. "But that's not right, Mama and Papa only did that on their wedding night", she protested. "Because they were royalty, I am not royal last time I checked. Not that I would want to be any of the ugly, inbred lot of wankers. And didn't your father have a mistress before he met your mother, otherwise he must a saint", he teased. "Stop that! Papa was always faithful to Mama, he would have never kept a whore!", she yelled. "Before he got married, surely your father liked women. And I know he was faithful to your mother, but that was before they met. Do you really think people only shag one person their whole life, then there wouldn't be very many people or much sin", he joked. "That's the way it's supposed to be, that is only for making babies", she retorted. "Perhaps, but if it was only for making babies then there wouldn't be much great art or literature or music, since most art is either about love or sex. Then again, I shouldn't show you my collection of Japanese woodblock prints since they are quite racy according to your tastes, Miss Tessa", he teased. "Don't tell me you have a perverted book like Ian", she said in horror. Jack burst into laughter. "You saw Ian's Kama Sutra book?! Haha, oh dear. The Kama Sutra is nothing shameful, and neither are my Japanese woodblock prints since they just show people making love and that is not bad at all. The porn films which keep getting busted by the coppers are bad since they are such rubbish, but trust me, the Kama Sutra and my Japanese prints are quite artistic", he said. "I need a drink and a cig", she muttered. "And I will treat you, Tessa Parker. I am a gentleman", he teased. Jack lit her cigarette first and then his before leading her downstairs to the bar. The bar was half-full with fishermen and old men who'd come by for drinks, the fat old bartender in a cheap brown suit wiping down a mug and then pouring pints of watery yellow beer with a lot of foam on top. Jack gestured to the bottle of Absolut vodka and held up two fingers as the bartender poured the drinks and set up a tab with a piece of paper and a pencil before handing them the drinks. "They don't have gin up here and the beer is ghastly, it's nearly a soft drink and cannot give you any sort of buzz", he explained. Tatiana nodded in understanding as she took a drag off her cigarette and exhaled before sipping the vodka. She winced as it burned going down and it's lack of taste disguised it's strength, shaking herself like a dog. "I don't think I like this", she said. "A lot of people now drink vodka instead of gin since it has no taste, at least this is real vodka and not that Yank rubbish like Smirnoff. I much prefer gin, but also because of James Bond since he drinks martinis with vodka. What sacrilege", said Jack in mock-horror. Tatiana finished her drink and vowed never to drink vodka again since it both no taste and burned going down. "I will take your word that you are a gentleman, Jack Lacroix. But you are beholden", she teased. Jack took her hand and lightly kissed the fingertips. "I will be a gentleman, Tessa Parker. But you may not want that", he teased.
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Post by Tim on Jun 2, 2019 12:00:26 GMT -5
Loved the discussion about sex. It cracked me up!
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Jun 9, 2019 10:07:46 GMT -5
This is what the midnight sun in Iceland might look like: Chapter 20
Tatiana stared in disbelief as it was past nine that night and the sun had yet to set, just turned to a vivid orange-red like a permanent sunset. "That's the midnight sun, the sun doesn't set up north until September. And in the winter, the sun doesn't rise for more than a few hours. But you can see the Aurora Borealis and the sky is totally black otherwise and you can see all the stars", said Jack. "We've seen the White Nights in St. Petersburg but this is amazing. But how do people sleep at night?", she wondered aloud. "They hang black curtains on their windows, or take sleeping pills. Or just stay up all night", said Jack with a shrug. "I wish I had our Brownie camera, Mama and Papa would love this", she said. "We have better cameras than Brownies now, there's a camera called a Polaroid which makes instant pictures. You take the pictures and the camera prints it out in a few minutes, the pictures aren't professional quality but they're not bad. I can show you mine if you want, I take pictures when we travel", said Jack. "My goodness, aren't they expensive?", she asked in surprise. "Not really, they're about a hundred or so quid for a simple model. They're mostly for people who take pictures of their kids or pets or on holiday, a fancy camera costs more and that's for professionals", said Jack. Tatiana nodded as she still looked at the midnight sun with awe. The sky was as vivid a red-orange as it had been at sunset but showed no signs of abating, the color reflected in the waters of the harbor and illuminating the white-washed houses as it turned the humble structures to a burnished golden. Even the seabirds were still up and about at this hour as their caws and squawks echoed around the yard, seemingly disoriented by the perpetual sunlight. She was very aware of Jack standing right next to her as she tried to control the flush which threatened to creep up her neck, him dressed casually in jeans with the pants legs rolled up and a white sleeved-shirt whose sleeves were pushed up and the top buttons undone to reveal his tanned chest with a small crucifix visible on the chain around his neck. Tatiana wished that she had packed longer dresses and skirts but she had been in a hurry, her own jeans down to her ankles and every button on her shirt tightened so that no skin was revealed. "It's too warm to be buttoned up like that, Tessa Parker", he teased. "I am a lady, Jack Lacroix. And we are alone, so I must be all buttoned up", she said with her own logic. "Oh dear, much as you are the most beautiful girl in England and I like you very much, I am not a ravisher of women. Even if I am part French and Pierre says I am more French than English or Polish", he quipped. "Maybe your brother is right, you have too much French charm for your own good", she chided. "I do, Miss Tessa Parker. And it's a good thing that someone has the charm in the family, Pierre has always been the practical one amongst us", he joked. "Where exactly in Iceland is headquarters?", she asked. "I see you are changing the subject, but you are a practical girl, Tessa Parker. It's on the other end of the island, on an island off the coast of Snaefellsness. Only we can see the island and it's not much to look at, just a bit of flat sand with an abandoned fisherman's hut. It stinks like dead fish and we have to go inside into a trapdoor, then sit there for fifteen minutes before we can go inside the secret entrance. So even if someone could see the island, go inside the hut, inside the trapdoor and then wait fifteen minutes, they still couldn't get in. In fact, they would just disappear but no one else has seen the island, Hugo just likes to be cautious", he chuckled. "That sounds like something out of a fairy tale, something Pushkin would have written", said Tatiana. "Or perhaps something out of a Stravinsky ballet, he's brilliant. Normally I'm a jazz person but I'll make an exception for Stravinsky, Firebird is stunning and Mollie and Nicole like Rites of Spring since it was in Fantasia by Disney. That's an animated film with cartoons set to classical music, Rites of Spring had dinosaurs. They also did Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky and some other things, Classical music is not normally my thing. Our parents prefer that, but it is good to expose kids to classical music so they'll develop some taste", said Jack. "But they like the Beatles", she reminded them. "They're not bad, at least they write and perform their own songs. Pierre's friend Clive knows their manager Brian Epstein, Epstein is queer too and he's a Northerner as well. Only thing he can't let that get out since he'll go to jail and the Beatles are so famous, it'll hurt their career. I do wonder why he would manage a pop group, though, Pierre says he's more posh than Clive and comes from a very rich family. Then again, maybe he wants to be a rebel", said Jack with a shrug. "Maybe, like a noble who composes music or writes poetry", she said. "Correct, I'm glad I'm not noble since I wouldn't be able to do anything interesting", he quipped as they both laughed.
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Post by Tim on Jun 9, 2019 11:27:39 GMT -5
If they'd arrived a few decades later, they could take digital pictures.
That is a lovely picture.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Jun 16, 2019 7:18:47 GMT -5
Chapter 21
Tatiana was in awe of the amazing sunset as the group prepared to sail on the bay towards Hvit Orn island in the bay. The sunset was an extraordinarily vivid one with every shade of pink, purple, and orange which silhouetted the mountains of the Westfjords to the north and Snaefellsness to the south, reflected in still, slate gray waters of the bay dotted with numerous islands. "We're waiting until we get the signal, even though there's barely any people here we don't want to attract suspicion", said Jack. She wondered what sort of people since this whole area seemed completely barren of animal or people life. There was plenty of tussock grass which grew wildly in the rocky soil and some frail wildflowers but there were no people or animals in the area at all, not even bugs or birds or rats. Whatever fishermen or farmers existed in this barren place had long since left and gone back to one of the tiny scattered villages in the area as they had not seen any people for hours, the emptiness very eerie. Jack saw a tiny puff of smoke quickly emerge from an island in the baby and ushered everyone aboard a rowboat. He helped Tatiana aboard and Lonny made sure Veteema and Mary Jane were safely on the little ship as Jack rowed the boat towards the island. Tatiana tried to control her racing heart as the boat didn't seem too steady and the land was quickly receding behind them, feeling that the water was still icy cold and trying to calculate how long a person could survive in the cold water in case of an emergency. She did have to admit that Jack had nice arms as he had rolled up his shirt sleeves in order to row the boat more efficiently, his tanned arms with a bit of muscle and the red phoenix tattoo appearing to flap its wings with every stroke of the oars. She was relieved when they landed on the tiny island but even though he had told her about the little shack they had to enter, she was still dismayed as the shack looked completely rundown and dirty and unsafe. None of the others shared her hesitation as they all went inside, the stink of dead fish and mold bad enough to knock out an elephant. Jack and Lonny opened a trap door on the floor and everyone carefully climbed down the stairs to a basement cellar whose earth-lined sides were damp and muddy and seriously unstable. Tatiana wondered if she had made a huge mistake coming here since the muddy cellar stunk badly of dead fish, salt water and mold and once Jack closed the trap door it was completely dark. She tried to control the claustrophobia rising within her as she closed her eyes and started praying, reaching into her dress pocket and pulling out a black-beaded rosary as she started praying softly in Russian. The blackness of the cellar was eerily still and the stink didn't seem to abate as the group waited there for what seemed like an eternity, even little Mary Jane being quiet and Tatiana now having prayed one rosary and starting on the second. After fifteen minutes, a dim light filled the cellar and there was a simple wooden door that Jack pulled open as they all went through it. The door led into a corridor made of polished dark brown and black stones lit by torches but that weren't filled with fire, seemingly carved into the stone itself. The corridor led onwards to four doors made of polished stone not unlike gemstones, one being blue, one green, one purple and one amber. Skye went though the green door, Veteema, Lonny and Mary Jane through the blue door and Jack led her through the purple door. Tatiana was still disoriented by the dark cellar and then the odd corridor and then further still when the door led to an astonishingly beautiful room done all in purple as she tried to get her bearings. "Purple is the Lacroix color, rest up and later on we'll meet the head of our family", he said. Tatiana could only nod as she gingerly sat down on the edge of the big purple bed and looked around in awe. The whole room was done in different shades of dark purple, but the effect wasn't overwhelming or gloomy. Instead, it looked elegant and peaceful with its massive four-poster bed topped by a purple brocade quilt and pillows covered in a lilac-colored cloth, the dark brown wooden chairs with their dark purple cushions, the floor made of polished purple stones and the walls painted lavender. Adjacent to the room was a modern bathroom with a shower, sink and toilet all done in purple and smelling not like the harsh chemical scent of lye, but rather of lilac flowers instead of perfume. "It's so beautiful", she murmured. "Wait until you see the big chamber, your head will spin. That chamber is where you will meet the head of our clan, but Hugo's chamber is even bigger. Yes, the shack leads to a very big underground complex. Sort of like where the Yank government stores its weapons, they store them under a mountain and it's supposed to be even bigger than this. That's why we have the shack on the island, no right-thinking person would want to spend time in a filthy, stinking shack for any amount of time", he laughed. "Of course not, but what if they do go in the trapdoor and stay there?", she asked. "They won't see anything at all, they'll just get claustrophobic and get out. We have to stay there for about fifteen minutes or else the door won't appear to us, if a non-Sol Duga person goes in there for fifteen minutes they won't ever see anything. It's to make sure that we are actual Sol Duga people", he explained. "I see, very good idea. So how do you know when you go on a mission?", she asked. "Hugo comes to visit us in one of his disguises, but there aren't as many missions as you think. We have to make sure that the person is worthy first, and that they have no living descendants so that we don't cause a problem. We don't accidentally want to bring back some wanker who's going to cause trouble. Depending on how many people we rescue, we only use one member or a lot of members. For you lot, all the clans had to get involved since there were so many people", said Jack. Tatiana nodded. "And there were a lot of people, I'm glad Dr. Botkin and Annushka and Mr. Trupp made it out since they are so loyal to our family. But I only regret that we didn't punish that horrid man Yurovsky", she said angrily. "He ended up dying of tuberculosis and he was in a lot of agony, if that's only consolation", said Jack. "I know that sounds like a horrid thing to say, but I'm glad he suffered", said Tatiana with grim satisfaction. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, he deserved it. To properly join us, you ought to study a lot of history so that you know what to do where we are going. Most of us have studied history and have degrees in history from university, and sometimes more. I not only have a BA in History, I have a Masters in Japanese studies and one day I will start working on my doctorate", said Jack. "What, so you plan on being a doctor?", she asked. "Not really, a doctorate is an advanced degree in something but I do get to put Dr. in front of my name. Pierre is working on his doctorate and Ian already has his in Hellenistic studies, he is technically Ian William Sutherland, PhD in Hellenistic Studies", said Jack with a laugh. "Amazing, Olga is going to enjoy that since she was always the smartest of us girlies", said Tatiana. "You are very smart yourself, Tessa Parker. I suppose that since you were royals who were just expected to have a posh husband and kids you didn't get a chance to become as educated as you should. You can go to university and study history, I can lend you some books and of course Ian has a huge library. Just watch out for the Kama Sutra", he teased. "Of course, now I know what it looks like. But I still can't believe a single man would want to look at that, it's exceptionally odd stuff", she said. "It's not odd at all, doing the same thing the same way gets boring", he teased. "I'm sure you have experience in that but I don't need to hear it", she retorted. "Of course not, Tessa. Not until later", he drawled.
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Post by Tim on Jun 16, 2019 11:25:47 GMT -5
Liked the comments about Yurovsky. He did, in a way, get away with him. And then Ermakov, what a piece of work he was.
And I can sympathize with Tatiana feeling that was. Those thugs did try to murder her and her whole family, after all.
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