by Todd Kelsey
Edith felt the festivity in the air as Eric drove the huge black lumbering car up the road towards Burlston Hall, through a cathedral of trees that had been carefully tended over the years. Young William peered out at the lawns, and brightened when he saw the tents and balloons.
“Is it my birthday?” he asked. “I’m almost 4 years old!”
“No William, it’s not your birthday, this is to celebrate your sister being born.”
“Will there be presents?” he asked.
“We’ll, we’ll see about that” said Edith, mysteriously, and patted his leg. Thankfully, Alice was quietly sleeping at least for the moment. Boy was she thirsty.
Lord Cranshaw stood on the front steps, and Edith squinted, and then gasped, when she saw who was standing next to him. She rolled down the window even before they pulled to a stop.
“Rudy, you Yankee bastard!”
Lord Cranshaw looked at Winston Churchill, who was smiling. Edith stepped out of the car, carrying Alice, and saw Winston Churchill.
“Oh!” she said, embarrassed, and then not embarrassed. Now why was Winston Churchill here, today, this day of all days? Well, I won’t question good tidings.
“Hello Edith, I’ve only come to have a talk with you and Lord Cranshaw, and your family, and two others, who I think you know.” She saw Rudy and Ernst Grunen 100 feet away, coming around the corner of the manor, and Edith nearly dropped Alice, but quickly put her into Lord Cranshaw’s arms, who nearly glowed at the honor, as she ran off with excitement. “Rudy! You’re back!” and she flew into his arms and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Why is mom so excited?” asked William, holding Eric’s hand. “Has she gone looney?” he asked, looking up.
“Yes, William, everyone’s gone looney today. That is Rudy, a good friend of ours who flew with me in the Royal Air Force, and he went back to America to train American pilots, and now he’s back.”
“He’s a pilot?” asked William.
“Yes, and if you’d like to make him happy, call him Uncle Rudy, like you call Ernst Uncle Ernst” he said.
“Ok” said William. “How many uncles do I have?”
“Just two. Neither your mother or I have siblings, so Ernst and Rudy are your special uncles, and when they get married, you’ll have aunties.”
“Well, Eric, nice to see you hale and hearty.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister.” said Eric, who wondered what was happening.
“What’s afoot? It’s a surprise to see you here.”
“Ah well, do you remember back when I last saw you, in 1940?” Winston looked down at William and said to William. “Your father was supposed to get in touch with me, and he didn’t!”
“Was father naughty?” asked William, sensing humor in the man’s tone of voice.
“Yes, very naughty”. Eric sighed.
“Well, you know, I didn’t want to assume that our conversation was anything other than politeness about my father serving with you in the trenches.” said Eric. “And with the war and all . . .”
“Quite, quite. I’ve been busy too – but I’ve a moment to talk, and I believe it’s a good time, and a good day. An auspicious day, rather” he said. “So if you’ll do me the honor?”
And a few minutes later they were seated in the drawing room of Burlston Hall, with Lord Cranshaw and Winston Churchill sitting in two great chairs, and Rudy, Ernst, Edith and Eric sitting opposite, with Alice sitting on Edith’s lap, and William playing with a plane on the floor.
“Well Eric, I’ll get right to the point, but before I do, I’ll let Lord Cranshaw speak.” And Lord Cranshaw cleared his throad, but then Winston went on. “But before he does, I’ll at least have the fun of letting you in on one of the surprises.”
“A surprise?” William turned up and asked. “I love surprises” and Edith began to shush hum, but Winston said. “No it’s quite alright. Yes William, surprises are sometimes big, and sometimes small. And sometimes they are just suprises”. And he looked at the four pilots in front of him.
“Now each of you has nobly been inducted into the Order of the Dragonfly, correct?” And they all looked at each other, and back at him, and nodded. Eric wondered what was coming, and then remembered his letter to Winston Churchill of several years ago, telling him that he was going ahead with the founding of the Order of the Dragonfly, and to thank him for the key that Winston Churchill had given him, which he had assumed was symbolic. In Winston’s letter, which they had been given at George Wallace’s funeral, Winston included a key, and indicated that it was a key to the future, and symbolic, but emphasized – please do not lose it, and try not to lose your life either. At the time the Order was created, it was partly in honor of his father, and his mother, who had gone to try rescue others and gave their lives in the process. And Eric had felt it good to include Ernst, who had worked hard to help England defend itself, and had brought honor to the German people. It had also seemed good to include Rudy, as well as Edith. I wonder what Winston is up to.
“Well, I want to be the first to let you know that Lord Cranshaw is also a member of the Order of the Dragonfly – the old order, that is, when it was started in the midst of the trenches back in France.” And each of the young pilots looked with pride at Winston Churchill and Lord Cranshaw, and nodded.
“Here, here” said Rudy, raising his glass.
“Ok, Winston, and now it’s my turn for a surprise” and he looked around, and felt his heart start to beat, and his voice start to break. Now Bernie, you’re a Lord of the Realm and if you’re not that, then you made it through the trenches. You lost all your children as a result of this war and you survived, and now you’re a godfather in spite of the loss. So you just keep going.
“Now this is directed mostly at Eric and Edith” said Lord Cranshaw, thinking of Tommy, dying in a bombing raid, and his three daughters killed by a U-boat on holiday, and he remembered the grief. And he looked at Edith and Eric, adults, yet orphaned by war.
“Now you know how much I missed my Tommy, and my daughters” he said, and stopped for a moment, looking down, with his hands on his knees, not knowing if he could make it through the next sentence, but he looked up, his eyes streaming. Edith set Alice gently in Ernst’s arms, and she nestled, as she stepped over quietly to sit by Lord Cranshaw, taking his hand.
“Now you know much I missed my children” and tears started streaming, and Edith started crying. “But I want to thank you for adopting me as your godfather.” And he sniffed, continuing, and breathed, looking at Winston, who held his gaze.
“And frankly, neither Winston or I, or your father, were quite sure we’d make it out of the trenches, but we did. And Eric, we weren’t certain you’d make it through this war, either. Or you for that matter, Edith.” He took out his pocket handkerchief.
“But you all made it, by God”. And he looked around at Burlston Manor, which had grown cold to him, except for the times when the Wallace family was there.
“So I’ve talked with Winston – we’re the only surviving members of the Old Order, but we’ve some sway, each in our own way, and what I’d like to do Eric, is to make you my heir, to formally adopt you, and name you as my heir.” and Eric was surprised, but re-assured by the sincerity in Lord Cranshaw’s voice, who had grown to be like a father to him in the last few years, giving him advice, and being a mentor. Edith squeezed his hand.
“Now both Winston and I know that the war has taken a toll on you, and also that you’ve been developing a conspiracy amongst yourselves about going to America.” and the four young pilots looked at each other, and they all realized that Rudy had let the cat out of the bag.
“And I want to say, that I think you should go ahead and do it – go ahead to America, and then come back as you can. It won’t change my decision. And part of the decision, and part of the reason is so that the Order of the Dragonfly will have some resources to work with, in honor of the vision your father had for it, and in honor of where you take that vi
sion, and where it evolves, based on what you were saying in the letter when you reported the newest members” and he looked at Rudy and Ernst, and nodded. William looked up and interrupted.
“Lord Cranshaw, will you be coming to America?” and when Edith saw the look on Lord Cranshaw’s face, her heart nearly broke, so instead of shushing William, she looked at Eric questioningly, and she knew they were of the same mind.
“Lord Cranshaw, we would be honored if you would come to America with us, for as long or as short as you’d like” and she squeezed his hand, and hoped that there was some healing in the tears on his face. So much loss, so few tears, but at least their time has come to pass.
And Lord Cranshaw looked down at William, and knew that he would go – sure, that he would come back, but yes, that he would go.
Winston Churchill dabbed at his eyes. What a long war it’s been.
“Well” said Winston. “So that’s that. And I apologize, but I must be off.” and he went around the room, greeting each of the young pilots, and ruffled young William’s hair, and looked down and said. “Maybe you’ll be a pilot too, someday”. And then he looked at Edith, and looked down at Alice, who was quietly sleeping in Ernst’s Grunen’s arms. And maybe you’ll take after your mother and be a pilot too.