The Sign of the Black Dagger (13 page)

So the other Ranald Cunningham became a teacher as their own father was to do!

“I guess a number of things run in the family,” said Will with a grin.

“I wonder what became of the Comte d’Artois,” said Lucy.

“Let’s find out.”

They rummaged through some of their father’s history books until they found a reference to the Comte d’Artois. They looked it up.

The count had become King Charles X of France in 1824, following the death of his brother Louis XVIII, and had reigned for six years until being forced to abdicate after yet another revolution. So, in 1830, once again in debt and fleeing from creditors, he returned to seek refuge in the sanctuary of Holyrood Abbey for another two years.

“He didn’t seem to learn a lesson,” said Lucy. She hoped their dad would!

By 1830, William and Louisa would have been nearly fifty years old. Lucy and Will could not imagine them grown-up and middle-aged. They could think of them only as being of a similar age to themselves, tailing the evil Monsieur Goriot down the hill into the Grassmarket.

They reread the closing paragraph of the journal and afterwards turned back to the front page to look again at the sign of the black dagger, drawn by their ancestors more than
two hundred years before. It was time then to close the book, rewrap it in oilcloth, and return it to its place in the wall.

“I shall miss William and Louisa,” said Lucy.

“We can always read their story again,” said Will.