Anastasia Romanov: The Last Grand Duchess #10 by Ann Hood Read Free Book Online Page B

rectangle where the trunk had been, that part of the floor a lighter shade than the rest. On the walls hung travel posters from Trans World Airlines, bright illustrations of exotic places with drawings of airplanes on them. In one corner, on a narrow desk, stood stacks of old postcards. Maisie picked one up and saw the faded signature: Y OURS, M AISIE P I CKWORTH .
    â€œI think we’re ready!” Great-Uncle Thorne called from the closet door.
    Maisie took one more look around this strange room before she made her way back out.
    â€œWhat is that place?” she asked.
    â€œWhy, the Voyage Room, of course,” Great-Uncle Thorne said without looking up at her. He pronounced
voyage
like
voy-ah-ge
.
    â€œThe Voyage Room,” Maisie repeated, imitating Great-Uncle Thorne’s pronunciation.
    â€œI believe we are ready,” he said.
    From his breast pocket he pulled out an envelope.
    â€œI just need to add the Pickworth seal to this, and then we shall open the egg and . . .”
    Great-Uncle Thorne paused.
    â€œWhere’s your brother?” he asked, as if he’d just noticed Felix was absent.
    â€œIn bed,” Maisie said.
    â€œBed?”
Great-Uncle Thorne bellowed. “On this most important night?”
    Maisie nodded.
    â€œWell, go and get him out of bed!” he ordered her.
    â€œShe doesn’t have to,” Felix said in a tremulous voice from the doorway. “I’m here.”
    What Felix realized as he lay in bed avoiding this very moment, was that if he did do Great-Uncle Thorne’s bidding this one last time, it might indeed be the very last time. And then he could go back to his normal life as a kid at Anne Hutchinson Elementary School. If it was time to open the egg, then he would do it. He would see what was inside, and then he would do whatever was required of him, because this might put an end to The Treasure Chest. No more getting chased, locked up, thrown overboard, fleeing, hiding, running, or losing Maisie.
    No more adventures.
    No more time travel.
    The thought made Felix smile.
    So he got up and made his way to the Princess Room, where Maisie and Great-Uncle Thorne were preparing to open the egg.
    He had to admit that he was surprised to find no egg in sight. Instead, there were clothes and furs everywhere.
    â€œGood!” Great-Uncle Thorne exclaimed, his eyes shining.
    He looked through the pile of clothes and began pulling out items and tossing them in Felix’s direction. Almost simultaneously he tossed other items at Maisie, who scooped them up with great delight.
    â€œYou need to be prepared,” Great-Uncle Thorne muttered.
    Maisie held an embroidered white silk dress up to her and skipped over to the full-length mirror.
    â€œNo, no!” Great-Uncle Thorne called to her. “There are three pieces to that.”
    He showed her a velvet dress and another white silk piece with more embroidery.
    â€œAnd, of course, there’s the
tiare Russe
,” he added, lifting a jewel-studded crown up for Maisie to see.
    â€œI get to wear that?” she exclaimed, racing back to Great-Uncle Thorne.
    She took the tiara from him and placed it on her head, surprised by how heavy it was.
    â€œMy neck’s going to break!” she complained.
    â€œYou won’t wear it all the time,” Great-Uncle Thorne said, plucking it from her head and placing it along with the three-piece dress into the trunk.
    Maisie watched as he added a long white fur coat with a matching hat and muff to the trunk.
    â€œNow, Felix,” Great-Uncle Thorne said. “Put this on.”
    â€œI’m not wearing this!” Felix said, studying what Great-Uncle Thorne had thrown his way.
    Maisie laughed. “That’s funny,” she said.
    That
was a white blousy shirt with a large navy blue sailor collar that fell behind the back.
    â€œAnd yours,” Great-Uncle Thorne was saying, ignoring both their delight and their complaints.