London, 1924

The young boy hid in his wardrobe and waited for his nanny to come fetch him for tea. He knew that his mother wouldn't appreciate his little prank, but then, she probably knew where he was. This thought brought a tear to his eye as he remembered seeing her laid out at her wake only last year. His nanny said that she was in a better place--with God in Heaven. The night of the funeral, he had crawled into bed and slept with his father.

The boy heard his little sister call out from the nursery. He also heard the nanny talking to her. "And where has your brother gone? Is he in his room? We'll go and look for him, then."

He prepared to jump out at them as they walked through the connecting door. His sister toddled towards the wardrobe and tried to open it. "Go away," he said to her in his mind. "Go away."

"Come away from there. We don't want you messin' with your brother's clothes. He's

probably off dreamin' somewhere." The nanny picked up the girl and prepared to go.

"BOO!" he cried as he jumped out of the wardrobe. His sister clapped her hands and

laughed. After her initial surprise, the nanny joined in. "I fooled you, didn't I? For a minute, I thought Anne was going to give me away."

"Come, now, Your Highness, it's time for tea. Your father may join us today."

Prince James Stuart of England watched as the nanny placed Anne in her highchair and gave her some juice. She then poured James a small cup of tea and gave him a pastry. She then poured a cup for herself.

"You said Father would join us."

"I said maybe. He's a very busy man. It's hard work to run a country."

"I'll run this country someday. I'll do a good job, too."

"I'm sure you will," said a male voice.

James turned around. "Father!" He pushed out his chair and turned to him.

King James III picked up his son and gave him a hug. "So how's my boy today?"

"I'm fine." His father put him down. "I scared Maggie by jumping out of my wardrobe at her." His father laughed.

Maggie stood and poured the King's tea and handed it to him as he sat down by his

daughter's chair. "Thank you, Maggie." He took a sip. "How have they been today?"

"Very good, Your Majesty. I was planning on taking them for a walk in the garden after tea now that the rain has stopped."

"An excellent idea. I'm going to be engaged in a conference this afternoon and will need some quiet. Also, on your way out, tell Mary to set another place for dinner. My brother will be staying."

"Yes, sir." She wiped away the jelly that had gathered around Anne's mouth then took her out of the chair.

James wiped his face and hands on his napkin. What's the conf'rence about, Father?"

"There are some people in the country that don't want me to be king anymore."

"Can they do that?"

"It's happened before to our family because of religious differences."

"Why don't they want you to be king?"

"I'm not really sure. That's what the conference is for." He rubbed James' hair. "Now go with Maggie and behave yourself."

"Yes, Father." James ran outside with Maggie and Anne.

...----------------...

James noticed all the cars pulling into the courtyard and realized that his father's conference was beginning. He saw that Maggie was on the other side of the garden trying to keep Anne from eating the flowers, so he hid in the bushes right below the study window. He heard his father greet the visitors. "Charles, how bad is it?" his father asked as soon as everyone was settled.

"Very bad," a young man's voice answered. James recognized it as his uncle's. "The

Saxe-Coburgs of the old Hanover line have changed their name to Windsor and are pushing to regain the throne. The eldest, Edward, has quite a following that could prove dangerous. There was a demonstration early this week that drew a large crowd of supporters. I'm worried that we may not be able to hold them back."

James heard Maggie calling him and didn't want his father to know he had been

eavesdropping so he cautiously ran to her.

"And where were you? It's time for your evening lesson."

...----------------...

As the time passed, James forgot the conversation he had overheard. He very rarely saw his father and spent more time with Maggie and Anne. Three months later, in May 1925, there was a tension in the palace and James' temper was not untouched. He continuously got into arguments with Maggie and ran off to be alone.

One time he hid in a corner of the garden by the wall. In trying to release his anger, he began to throw pebbles against the wall. He stopped when he heard harsh voices coming from the other side. "Windsor is ready to take over the throne and rid us of the Frugal Scot."

"When will he be ready to move?"

"I don't know, but soon." The men walked away.

The name of Windsor brought back what his uncle had said about the Saxe-Coburgs wanting to regain the throne. He had to tell someone what he had heard.

He ran back into the palace. "Maggie! Maggie!" He found her in the nursery with Anne. "I've got to tell you something!"

"You've come back to apologize," said Maggie.

"No, it's more important than that!"

"Then I shan't listen to you until you apologize."

"Okay, I'm sorry."

"You don't mean it. I want you to go to your room until you do."

"But, Maggie--"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but you must be taught a lesson."

James stayed in his room until he was called for dinner. During the meal, he didn't say a word. Maggie tried to get him to speak, but he was too angry with her. After the meal, he went back up to his room and worked on his lessons before he fell asleep.

...----------------...

His uncle leaning over him awakened him later that night. "C'mon, Jamie, you have to get up."

James sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What is it, Uncle Charles? What time is it?"

"Don't worry about that, just get dressed quickly and quietly. I'm going to dress Anne. When you're done, come to her room." He went through the door to the nursery.

James dressed slowly because he wasn't fully awake. He didn't even ask "why" because he was in a dream-state. He sat on his bed and to tie his shoes and almost fell back to sleep. He walked to his window and was amazed at how different London looked in the dark. He opened the window and listened to the quiet that enveloped the city.

His uncle came in with Anne in his arms. "Get away from the window!" he said in a harsh whisper. James did so. "Are you done? Let me see. Good, let's go. Quietly, down the servants' stairs." James thought this unusual and pretended he was a spy in an adventure and had to sneak past the enemy.

Once outside, Charles took the lead with Anne bundled in his arms and James trotting closely behind him. In the fresh air, James' mind cleared and he began to ask questions. "Why are we leaving? Are we going to see Father?"

"No, he won't be where we're going but he told me to take you."

"Is that Windsor man behind it?"

Charles was surprised. "How did you hear about him?"

"When you had that conf'rence in Father's study. I hid in the bushes outside the window and heard you mention him. Today, after I had a fight with Maggie, I hid in the garden by the wall and I heard two men talk about him and say that they would be rid of the 'Frugal Scot' soon. What did they mean by that?"

"I'm not quite sure," Charles lied. "We'll soon be at our destination then you can get some more sleep. When you wake up, I'll tell you what happened."

James barely remembered when they reached their destination, but all he knew was that it was an ocean liner. His uncle said something to the man at the ticket office, and they boarded. Charles laid Anne in the middle of the bed then helped James change. The boy fell asleep with no trouble.

...----------------...

When James awoke the next morning, he heard seagulls calling and saw round little windows. He then remembered that he was on a ship and that last night wasn't a dream. His sister and uncle were already up and he could hear them in the bathroom. He changed his clothes then knocked on the bathroom door. "Come in, Jamie," his uncle said. "I was waiting for you to get up." James saw that he had shaved off his mustache. Charles noticed his expression. I had to shave it. It's time I told you why we left London. Your father asked me to take the two of you away. Things were becoming hard in England and he wanted you to be safe."

"Will he join us later?" James asked.

"He said he would try and join us as soon as he could." Charles knelt by James and held him by the shoulders. "We have to go by different names. We don't want anyone to know we're here. My name will be John Taylor and you will be my nephew Steven Taylor and Anne will be my niece Sara Taylor. You must remember to answer to your new name and to call me Uncle John. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Uncle John," James/Steven answered.

"Good. Let's go to breakfast."

...----------------...

James began to get used to being called "Steven"--it seemed almost natural. Anne responded to "Sara" only after a few days. Uncle Charles/John helped him with his lessons and the captain even let him onto the bridge. There was no one his age on the ship, mainly recently married or elderly couples. Some of those couples let him sit with them and play cards or join in a game of shuffleboard. They also had a soft spot for Anne and her big brown eyes. Everyone called them "darling little Sara" and "polite gentlemanly Steven".

After playing cards with an elderly couple named Collins, James/Steven and Anne/Sara went to the dining room to meet their uncle and saw that he was not alone. A woman was sitting with him. Anne ran over and gave him a hug. "Where have you two been? Enjoying yourselves?"

"Steven was playing cards. I watched." James was glad that she remembered to call him by the right name.

"This is Stephanie Blake. She is from Connecticut. Where is that, Steven?"

"The area of America they call New England," James responded out of reflex. He looked at the woman. She seemed quite pretty. She had dark brown--almost black--hair and hazel eyes. She was close to the same as his uncle who seemed to like her. "What's it like?" he asked.

"It's wonderful. Lots of trees, lakes, ponds, and especially, fresh air."

"She has invited us to visit her there if we want. What do you think?"

"I'd like to," said James.

"Me, too," said Anne.

"That settles it," replied Stephanie with a smile.

......................

......................

Two days before the ship was due to dock in New York, the news arrived from London.

King James III of Great Britain was dead, killed in an uprising for the throne. The young Prince of Wales and his sister were missing, as was the King's brother, the duke of York.

Charles was very nervous those last two days. He thought that there were Windsor spies onboard who recognized him and the children. He knew he couldn't let the Stuart line die out. Even if they never regained the throne, it was still one of the most well-known families in Britain. He knew there were clans in Scotland that were still loyal, but he didn't want another Culloden on his conscience. They'd all be safer in America. They would disappear into the hills of Connecticut and no one would ever suspect their true identities.

Stephanie said they could travel with her to Connecticut if they wished. "Thank you," said Charles, "but we must tell someone that we want to become citizens. That should take some time."

"I'll leave you my number and the directions to get to my house," she said as she wrote. "Right now, I'm staying with my father at his boarding house and maybe I can put in a good word for you and, hopefully, there'll be a room for you when you arrive."

"That's very kind of you. I hope we won't be intruding."

"No, not at all. I'm sure the children will love Greenwich." She knelt by the children. "I'll be seeing you soon. Behave yourselves." She rose and gave Charles a quick kiss. "Good luck." She walked down the gangplank. "You'll want to go to City Hall. A taxi can take you. I'd stay, but I might miss my train!" She waved and continued down.

...----------------...

They arrived in Greenwich, Connecticut two days later and they were directed to the Blake Boarding House. Stephanie greeted them with hugs and kisses then introduced them to her father who said he only had an attic room for them to share. Charles thanked him. "We don't mind. We shared a room on the ship and this will be a lovely change." He looked at James. "Won't it, Steven?"

"Yes, Uncle John," he replied. "It will be big compared to that."

Mr. Blake smiled. "Stephanie will have to show you to your room. I have a few things to take care of."

Stephanie picked up one of their small bags and James picked up the other. Charles carried Anne upstairs. "How did everything go in New York? What did Immigration have to say?"

"Because of the delicate situation in England and the fact that I worked for the old

government, there should be no problem in procuring a citizenship. They asked about the children's medical records and vaccinations and gave us all a thorough examination. I gave them this address and phone number. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. I want to help you any way I can." She stopped at the top of the stairs and opened the door. "Here it is." The room was quite big with a sloping ceiling and two bow windows. There were two beds, a desk, chair, large bureau, and a walk-in closet.

Steven walked in and stared in wide-eyed wonder. Even though he had known luxurious

rooms, this one was so different, so personal. He walked to one of the windows and saw a little boy playing. "Who's that?" he asked Stephanie.

"John Fitzgerald. He's close to your age, I think. I'll introduce you later. Are you hungry after your trip?"

...----------------...

As promised, the next day Stephanie introduced Steven to John Fitzgerald and the two

became close, inseparable friends. They played all summer long and spent all day, every day, together.

In July, John received word from the government and they offered him a job with their intelligence department. He accepted, hoping his information would help his England. He told his news to Stephanie. "I'll have to go to Washington before I settle down close to home. Before I go, however, I want to ask you something."

"I'll take care of the children as if they were my own."

"That's good to know because what I want to ask is, will you marry me?"

"I've only known you for three months," she replied, surprised, "but I feel like I've known you all my life. Yes, I'll marry you." She kissed him.

That night at dinner they told their respective families. Stephanie's father was ecstatic. "A government employee in the family. A nice steady job with pension." John smiled knowing that intelligence was far from steady.

Steven was a bit surprised. He liked her, but wasn't sure if he could get used to her acting like a mother, she seemed more like a sister or a friend. He then looked at his uncle's happy face--he was always smiling when he was with Stephanie. He smiled in return then gave Stephanie a hug and a kiss. Sara didn't understand what was going on and Steven tried to explain it to her. "Uncle John is going to marry her and she'll be part of the family. You can pretend she's an older sister."

"Oh." She smiled and clapped her hands. She then toddled over to Stephanie and tugged on her sleeve. Stephanie bent down and Sara gave her a kiss. "I love you, Stiffy!"

"I love you, too, Sara."

Two days later, John prepared to leave for Washington. He took the two children aside. "When I'm gone, I want you to behave yourselves and do whatever Stephanie says. Okay?" They both nodded. "Good." He kissed them both goodbye, stepped into the waiting taxi, and waved from the back seat as it drove away.

...----------------...

John Taylor walked into the Intelligence Offices and told the secretary he had an

appointment. "Yes, Mr. Taylor. If you'll follow me."

He was shown into the director's office. "Ah, Mr. Taylor, do sit down. I'd like to thank you for coming all the way from Connecticut."

"Good jobs are hard to come by without citizenship."

"Yes, well... I have gone over your story. With your credentials from British Intelligence, I'm sure you'll be a great help to us here. Now, tell me about yourself."

John took a deep breath and prepared to tell his story. He only lied about his name and downplayed his actual position in the old government. "That's about it, sir. Before my brother died, he asked me to bring his children to the States."

"What are their names again?"

"Steven is almost five and Sara is three. They're staying with my fiancée in Connecticut."

"How long have you been engaged?"

"Two days."

"I wish you luck with it."

"Thank you, sir. Is there anything else you need to know?"

"Just one thing: why did you decide to join us? In your situation, I would have just stayed comfortable in Connecticut."

"Let's just say that this whole thing has become somewhat personal. I want to make it better for the King's lost children--if they ever make it back."

"I've arranged for you to have a job in New York--purely a desk job for 'beginners'. As you progress, you can go up the ladder. Soon, you just might be able to go back to England."

"Thank you very much, sir," John said as he rose from his chair. "You won't regret this."

On the train ride back to Greenwich, John thought about his brother. Everything had seemed to be going fine until the Windsors decided to ruin it all by fighting for the throne. Maybe it was just part of the Stuart heritage; to be chased out of England, or to be killed. He just hoped that the children would make it back to London someday and not to have to hide their identities.

...----------------...

John worked as an analyst in the New York offices of the Secret Service, solving

hypothetical situations. He felt it kept his mind nimble and in practice as he learned the ins and outs of American Intelligence. At home, things were progressing smoothly. The children had become accustomed to their new lives and acted as if it was all they had ever known. James, no, Steven--it was even dangerous to think their names--asked some questions about "before" and John hedged around the truth so as not to trouble his nephew's young life. Stephanie enjoyed their company and took them for outings to the park and the museum. She had even interested Steven in reading! He was glad that they liked her so much because, if anything ever happened to him, all they would have was each other.

John and Stephanie were married in October at the Second Congregational Church at the corner of the Post Road and Maple Avenue, said to be the highest point in Greenwich. Steven was the ring-bearer and Sara was the flower girl. They had no time to get away for a "real" honeymoon, so they spent the weekend at the Pickwick Hotel.

At Christmas, after the children had made a mess of the living room with torn wrapping paper, John made a toast to his late brother. "Al though he was never able to get away and meet us, he died knowing that his children were safe and might one day return to the land of their birth." He sat down, hoping it was ambiguous as possible. Stephanie smiled at him and he knew that even if they didn't return, they'd still have a rich and full life here in New England.