Free The Digger's Rest by K. Patrick Malone Page B

Help me get the bags
out!” Mitch called to him, dragging a few of the heavier bags from
the cab to the curbside. He would never have let Simon lift
anything heavy because of his leg, but he could sure help out with
the hand luggage. “Earth to Simon…” Mitch called out again.
“There’ll be plenty of time for gawking later.”
    When Simon finally came back to earth, Mitch
had already gotten all of the heavy bags out and was nodding his
head in Simon’s direction as if to say, “You can get those,” and
headed towards the front door of the George Hotel. He always stayed
there when in London. He loved the Georgian elegance of the place
and since he had to stick to the Museum’s budget when it came to
his accommodations, it was a perfect match. It didn’t hurt that it
was within short walking distance of the British Museum, so it
really served a multitude of his purposes.
    When he walked in the door, he
immediately asked the concierge for Madame Duvalier. Oddly enough,
during the fifteen or so years he’d been coming there, the French
woman had been running the establishment. A few minutes later a
very stylishly-coiffured woman in her late seventies wearing a
bright red scarf held to her shoulder by a huge rhinestone spray
over a tailored navy blue suit came out of the office door. The
colors of the French flag flitted through Mitch’s mind. Nice touch, Madame!
    “ Doctor Bramson!” she said in perfect
English with only a slight French accent. After all, she’d been in
residence in England since shortly after her father was killed in
the war, executed by the Nazis for being with the French
Resistance.
    “ Madame Duvalier! Comment ça va?” Mitch
greeted her, taking both her hands affectionately in his and
kissing her continentally on both cheeks.
    “ Tres bien,” she answered kissing both
his cheeks in return. “I was so pleased to find out that you would
be coming back to us for a visit.”
    “ Always a pleasure to be back at the
George and to see you, Madame,” Mitch said, smiling sincerely.
Since they first met so many years ago, they had taken to each
other like fellow travelers in a storm and she always made sure he
had the best of service. Just then Simon came up behind him,
accidentally nudging him with the tip of a suitcase. Humorously
jolted, Mitch didn’t even have to turn around to see what it
was.
    “ Madame Duvalier, I’d like you to meet
my assistant, Simon Holly. I’m training him to take over for me,
when I get too old to carry on the way I do,” he said smiling
mischievously.
    “ Bonjour, jeune Monsieur Holly,” she
said to Simon and put out her hand to shake his. He took it and
bowed like a gentleman, thinking to himself, Oh my God! She’s French. I’ve never met a French person
before. What do I say? and struggling for the proper
words to say to her that wouldn’t embarrass Mitch, finally deciding
to keep it to her own words, “Bonjour, Madame.”
    Never one to miss a beat, Madame Duvalier
observed Simon casually and saw the small bit of shiny metal
peeking out from his trouser leg and instantly knew what it was.
Ever the gracious hostess, schooled by both profession and her own
kind nature, she said to Mitch while still looking at Simon, “And
such a handsome young man, Dr. Bramson. I’m sure he will have no
trouble filling your shoes in that regard.” Then she looked back to
Mitch and winked slightly to let him know she was on with his
program. Simon blushed bashfully but managed to step up to the
plate, surprising both Mitch and himself.
    “ Thank you, Madame,” he said bowing
slightly again. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be staying at
such a beautiful hotel with such a charming hostess,” but thinking
to himself the whole time, Gee, I hope I
did that right.
    “ Why thank you, ma jeune Monsiuer Yeux
Bleu,” she said, reaching out to touch Simon’s face.
    Mitch looked sideways and said to Simon,
“That means ‘my young Mr. Blue Eyes’.” Simon