From Pemberley to Manhattan [COMPLETED]

Chapter 75

A FEW DAYS LATER

IN A TOP SECRET LOCATION

"They haven't returned yet, sir." If there was a supreme quality in Claude's personality, it was his ability to focus. He wasn't bright, nor educated, but the Professor favored him whenever he needed a man to keep an eye on something or someone. In that case, someones.

"When was the last time they were seen outside the building?", the Professor inquired.

"They left early this morning, sir." Claude had been there when the couple left precisely at seven forty-three A.M.

The male had been wearing jeans, a white cotton shirt and a deep green sweater held in the crook of his arm. The female wore a long, sunflower dress, navy blue with floral print, and a jeans jacket and a white scarf around her neck to protect her from the chilly weather.

Claude informed Lucca, the investigator responsible for following the couple during the day, since Claude should never leave his station, unless thus ordered by the Professor, as now had occurred. Otherwise, he'd still be patiently waiting for the couple's return, from his hiding place, an apartment just across the street from theirs.

"Do we know where they went?" The Professor didn't care much about details, as long as his men did. Keeping up with his charges' whereabouts was the minimum the entire team had to do.

"After walking for a while at the Champ de Mars, they went to Gare de Lyon and took a train to Versailles, sir." Claude had also been told they'd arrived there at ten twenty-four A.M., had had breakfast at a Café called Le Chevalier, and entered the palace at eleven o'clock with two paper bags in their hands, from the same Café.

After taking a two-hour tour inside the palace, they went to the gardens, where they promenaded for an hour or so, before choosing a spot to have a picnic. They were very fond of eating outdoors, Claude had learned in the past weeks. The last time Claude had heard from Lucca, eleven minutes ago, they were still eating under a tree near the Petit Trianon.

"Are they still in the palace?"

"No, sir. In the gardens." Claude was pleased for being able to give a good report. The Professor could be utterly mysterious, but he was also a good employer, besides paying them an impressive amount.

"And we're sure they haven't fornicated yet?" Claude didn't believe the Professor to be a pervert, but his interest in that particular charge was, at the very least, bizarre.

"I am sure they haven't... had sex in the apartment. Sir. Lucca and Adam gave the same report when the couple was out. No... Intercourse. The last... Romantic activity they publicly engaged in was the kissing at the party."

"Yes, a kiss that another three hundred thousand people have watched. So far." Lucca had almost been fired for that slip, Claude remembered with a shrug. Lucca had noticed the couple was being followed by someone who most certainly didn't work for the Professor, but he didn't want to blow his own cover by approaching the suspect.

Lucca remained close to them, in case the strange man did anything to hurt the couple. He watched him attentively as he broke into the house in Chatou where the couple had been invited for a costume party.

After witnessing the stranger, who ended up being the female charge's ex-boyfriend, being humiliated in front of the whole party, Lucca decided to go after Detective Brooks, only to make sure he wouldn't return to retaliate.

As Lucca went back to his original spying position, he discovered the couple together in an embrace, something he reported to the Professor immediately. He didn't, however, detect the person in a black costume filming the entire scene with his cell phone.

Now, both the lightsaber fight and the kiss were on YouTube, with thousands of new views every passing day. It was something the Professor hadn't expected. He hated surprises.

"What should we do, sir?", Claude needed to know.

"We go for Plan B."

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