Mrs. Evert smiles as he walks off and she hurries to the kitchen. Jonah is snacking on a cookie and pretending not to listen. Adults always think kids don’t hear them, but Jonah’s not stupid. “I can pretend to be tired, Mrs. Evert so they can be alone?” He pipes up. Both women stop and stare at him in shock.
“Jonah, I don’t know what you are talking about,” she gasps.
“I want Summer to be my Momma, and I don’t think Daddy’s gonna listen. Maybe you can help me?” His big emerald eyes glisten with unshed tears and the two women sigh.
“Of course we are going to help you, only you mustn’t tell anyone?” Mrs. Evert demands.
“Cross my heart and stick my eye, poke me in the thigh!” He says and spits on the floor. The women laugh until tears spill and urge Jonah to go distract Summer while they prepare everything.
Chapter 17
Summer awakens as the sun is setting. Tired of being cooped up in bed, she stretches and looks around. Her trunk is missing. Hanging on the door is her gown of pale blue silk. It is an off the shoulder, gold trimmed gown, with long sleeves and a tight waist. Her corset, stocking, and boots are beneath it. Summer strips and dresses, deciding a change will help her feel better, more like her old self. Her waist is cinched tight, and she is not surprised to see that she has lost more weight. Her appetite isn't what it once was. She sits at the mirror and unties all the strips of cloth, revealing long pale blonde curls.
Soon her hair is piled up on the sides, while the remaining curls are left loose. “Now if only you could do something with your face.” She examines the purple bruise which is beginning to turn yellow and sighs. Her headache is hovering in the background, but not nearly as strong as before. If only the rest of her body felt better. If anything, her muscles are worse.
“Too much laying around, I imagine.”
Summer stands and starts to clean up her room, drawing the drapes back to let the evening sun in. September in Boston is cold, but she needs fresh air. When she cracks the window and leans out to breathe it in, she notices the leaves are beginning to change colors, and she wishes things were different. This part of Boston is lovely. A knock on the door and Jonah bursts inside skidding to a halt.
“Where have you been all day, Jonah? I was beginning to think you forgot about me,” she teases.
Jonah walks forward, suddenly shy before her. “You… you look like a princess,” he says, staring up her.
“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Yates, but Princesses don’t have purple faces. It’s just me. This is what I normally wear. Do you like it?” She spins in a circle and laughs when he nods his head.
“Are you still angry at me?” She asks stooping to look him in the eyes.
“No, Summer.” Remembering why he came to visit her, he holds out his map. “Can you help me with this?”
“Of course. Let’s sit by the window. I am tired of being inside, I miss the sunshine.” She sits in a chair and rolls the map out on the desk. Jonah stands beside her and stares at the map with a confused look.
“The letters look funny, Summer. What does it say?”
Summer reads:
“Vous placez votre tête
Et rêve de dragons
À l'intérieur d'un tunnel
Sombres et
Vous le trouverez
Silver et sharp
Garder et protéger votre coeur.”
“But what does that mean?” Jonah complains.
“Look closely at the words and tell me if any look familiar.” She reads and points to each word slowly, and they begin to decipher it together.
Jonah grows excited over a few words, and finally, she reads it to him employing the words he recognizes.
“You rest your head
And dream of dragons
Inside a tunnel
Dark and deep
You will find it
Silver and sharp
Keep it close and protect your heart.”
“It’s a riddle. Where do you rest your head and dream?” She explains.
“Oh! My pillow! My room!” He yells and grabs her hand to pull her along with him. Summer laughs and grabs the paper and follows him down the hall.
Mrs. Evert and cook hurry inside her room. Excited they set up a small table with dinner service and candles, near the window. A fire is lit, to give the room warmth and romance. The women giggle as they add fresh flowers to the room.
Summer is oblivious as she helps Jonah search his room. “It’s not under my pillow,” and his crestfallen look is more than she can take.
“No, it was the first clue, there are more. Inside a tunnel, dark and deep. Jonah what could be a tunnel in your room. Hmm, could it be your toy train?” He shakes his head no and frowns as he thinks hard.
“Keep it close, rest your head.” His eyes light up, and he drops to the floor as she claps encouraging him. He crawls under his bed and screams.
Victor enters the room just as Jonah screams and emerges holding a wooden sword! He is so stunned, he just stares at the two of them, as Jonah yells, “Vous le trouverez” in perfect French.
“C'est parfait,” Summer replies with a laugh of pure joy.
“Daddy! Look, I found my treasure!” He yells, running towards him.
Summer spins and stares at Victor, dressed in a white naval dress uniform. Her mouth goes dry as she looks him up and down. “I see that son. A truly magnificent treasure, indeed,” he murmurs, and Summer blushes when she realizes he is staring at her.
“You have to look
