I was used to, the inside looked very much like wealthy homes in Tkaron. An ornate wooden chair stood next to a coat rack and umbrella stand in one corner of the front hall. A winding staircase led up to the second level. Arched doorways led to other rooms. Through the one on the left, I could see a small dining room, and a parlor was to the right.
The click of high heels sounded on the polished wooden floor as woman approached us from a hall behind the staircase. “Ah, vous avez arrivé!” She smiled and walked directly to Scott.
He opened his arms and embraced her warmly. Then he kissed her gently and used words I couldn’t understand, although I knew he was talking about me, “C’est ma soeur, April, mais son alias est Aimee.” He kept his arm around her as they turned toward me. “April, I’d like you to meet Danielle Bellami, my wife.”
Did he say wife?
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Danielle responded with a thick accent. She took my hand and kissed me first on one cheek and then on the other. “I’m so very happy to finally meet Scott’s family.”
I looked at Scott. “Is this what you were going to tell me on the plane?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t safe to talk.”
“That’s right! Why was that man following us? I thought nobody knew I was here.”
Danielle looked at Scott and said, “You were followed?”
“Only in the airport, not after,” he replied, and then turned to me. “I don’t think they were following you, April. Let’s move to the sitting room.” Scott gestured to the parlor. “It’s been a long trip.”
As we moved into the stylish yet comfortable room, my head spun. Scott is married? I’d been sitting for too long, on the plane and in the cab, so I stood instead.
I looked at Danielle. “I apologize for my reaction. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just…this is the first I’ve heard about Scott being married.” I looked at Scott next. “Is this what Keira was talking about that day in the park?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He looked baffled.
“She was mad at you for keeping secrets. Don’t you remember?”
“No.” He shook his head. “That was about the Resistance. Keira doesn’t know about Danielle. No one back home does.”
He and Danielle sat side-by-side on the sofa. Her hair was just about the same color as his. It was tied up in a loose bun and tendrils ran along the sides of her face, enhancing her olive complexion and deep brown eyes.
Danielle looked at me. “I’m sorry. I expected Scott to tell you before you arrived. Do you want me to leave so you two can talk privately?”
Scott put his hand on her knee. “No, you should stay.”
“How long have you been married?” I asked.
“A little over a year. Our anniversary was just a few weeks ago. April, please sit.”
I perched on the edge of a cream colored chair, and he continued, “I met Danielle when I began transporting people and goods overseas for the Resistance. That would have been about three years ago.”
“But, you’ve been a…a Shepherd, right?”
He nodded.
“For much longer than that, haven’t you? Since the beginning?”
“No, the Resistance grew slowly. It took time to develop trust with others who felt as we did and for all of us to get into positions where we could support each other properly. The person I called from the airport, for example. Her role is to relay messages. She’ll let Guy know we arrived safely. The man who was following us?” I nodded. “He called her after I disconnected, I’m sure of that. No matter how high his level of clearance, our Messenger would verify that I was sent to escort Mr. Lafleur’s daughter to their family overseas.”
“But what if he checks into that? There’s no record of an Aimee Lafleur, is there?”
“Yes, there is actually. We have people with all types of skills helping the Resistance. Aimee Lafleur exists in the national data banks, along with enough background details to convince anyone. If our tail calls the numbers that are listed for Aimee Lafleur or her parents, he’ll be connected to someone who knows exactly what to say to keep you safe.”
“Wow…” I sat back. “How could you have possibly kept all of this a secret from Keira and me?”
“That was the most difficult part.” Scott leaned forward and took my hands. “I wanted to tell both of you, especially about Dani. But I couldn’t,