Your presence is requested in the study of Blakeney Manor today at three in the afternoon. Matter of life and death.
Percy
The friends I had were loyal enough, I knew, to answer that small letter that had been sent to each of them. They would be in agreement with the mad idea I would be placing before them, and sure enough, they all arrived one by one. Andrew had made it there first, possibly having guessed that I would do something like this, and then the others followed.
John Osborne (whom we all called Ozzy as a tease) was the oldest of our close circle. A rather serious fellow but never one to turn down a meeting with all of us younger boys, no matter how much we poked fun at him.
Sir Elton Hunter what can I say? One of the more humorous men I knew, he always seems to make us laugh, whether he thought the jest was funny or not. Although there were some things about him that I just could not comprehend; his interest in butterflies is still beyond my understanding.
Lord George Farleigh was another one of the more serious men in the group. He was so particular about everything he saw, heard, and did that I could scarcely believe how close we were. I guess opposites really do attract.
Lord Antony Dewhurst had been my friend ever since we were knee high; we were both pranksters (still are!) and always had a devil of a time planning and carrying out our jokes. However if one of us was ever down, the other was there to help things become normal again. Tony was my other brother in life, and for that I would stick by him for all time.
Ben and Neville Mallory were the only true pair of brothers by blood in the circle. Tony, Andrew, and I had known Ben for quite some time and through him we met the younger Neville. Quite the interesting pair, they were a total contrast to each other as far as looks, but anything but different in manner. Anyone with an untrained eye could not tell that they were related.
Lord Timothy Hastings was as loyal as they come, but he was also the "ladies' man". It always seemed that he had some other girl on his mind every time he met with us, but like myself, he had no ready intention of settling down.
Sir James Leggett was rather the shy and quiet man, making him the least expected member to join in our wild bunch. While the rest of us were basically loud and always trying to make an impression, he was the one who remained impassive and under control. But he was an all around good man with a kind heart, and therefore wholeheartedly welcomed by the boys and myself.
Sir Harold Watson whom we simply called Hal was, like Neville, brought into the group by someone already in it. A close friend of Hastings and a lover of cards, he entered the gang instantly, although it took a few games for him to lose before we welcomed him completely.
Finally, there was me, Sir Percy Blakeney. I do not enjoy talking about myself, but a small introduction that should have come a while ago could not hurt. As were my comrades, I was born and raised an Englishman. My mother had gone insane after I was born and my father worried more about her well being than my own. Despite that, however, I did manage to grow up alongside my wonderful friends and live a normal carefree life.
Sink me I am not staying on the main subject, am I? Well then let us get back to it: the first official meeting of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. The room gradually became a full clamor of chatter and fear as each man approached me with his note.
"What is the meaning of this, Percy?" Ozzy exclaimed as he waved the paper literally in my face. "You write that you need to see us due to a matter of life and death, and then you sit before us, calm as the English Channel on a demmed sunny day! Now I demand answers!"
Standing up and patting him on the shoulder, I simply gave him what he wanted, not raising my voice even slightly. "My dear Ozzy, do keep your wits about you long enough for the matter to be stated. For all of our sakes, please do remain calm." As he quieted down, I paced the room slowly with everyone from Andrew to Hal looking on. "Gentlemen, we have all of course heard of the bloody, and sink me I do mean bloody, revolution that threatens our fellow men of innocence in France. Dewhurst himself has seen it all happen, is that not so Tony?"
The man in question nodded as everyone turned their gaze to him. "I swear that the jest about blood soaking the streets and gutters of Paris alone is not a lie."
"Really now?" I asked with a dramatically sarcastic gasp. "Odd's fish do tell the boys and I more about this, perhaps even who was executed recently," I finished while making myself contently comfortable in my chair once again.
As Tony stood up, I could have sworn I saw him become choked with emotion, and I could not really blame him. St Cyr had been a good friend of ours indeed, and to hear that he and his whole family had been cruelly murdered by madmen could cause nothing else but pain.
After a moment, Tony managed some words. "My friends, the Marquis de St Cyr and his family are dead." Allow me to mention that we all took a moment of silence out of not only respect but also shock. Then Tony continued. "Someone had discovered their hideaway place and it was there that they were dragged first to prison then to the guillotine. St Cyr and his wife were beheaded immediately, and I have to admit that I am grateful not to know the details of the child's death. All I can say about that is…I am speechless! I wish there had been a possible way to prevent this event."
That was my cue! Jumping up instantly, I shouted, "And now each one to follow will be stopped because we are going to do so!"
The entire room had become silent as each man looked at me as if I had three heads. Only Andrew could find words to speak. "Percy, by now we all know the strong need that you have to end the slaughter, but it is just not possible. How could we even attempt to stop the French?"
"If David could defeat Goliath, we can certainly teach them a lesson of our own."
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Farleigh asked dryly. "Robespierre is not going to stop the guillotine only because a few Englishmen want him to, Percy. We all know that."
As everyone agreed, I groaned in stubborn determination. "Come now gentlemen, somewhere deep inside you, there has to be a want to help the innocent prisoners. These friends that we have known all or most of our lives are being murdered day after day simply because they are of noble blood. Do all of you want to see it continue? No, I know you do not, and therefore we have to do something. I already have a plan, but first you must agree to it. Our lives will be at stake should we be caught, but I know we could do it successfully! Now who's with me?"
Slowly but surely, I saw many hands raised until no man had them lowered. Satisfied with the response, I walked over to my desk, beckoning them each to follow my lead. As they all joined me, I took out a piece of paper, red sealing wax, and removed my family signet ring from my finger. I applied the wax to the paper, and then having pressed the opened ring into it, I held the paper up for all to see. On the red wax had appeared the shape of a small flower.
"Gentlemen, I give you my family crest the Scarlet Pimpernel and the beginning of my plan. Every day, week, month, as long as we need, we shall sail to France to release and rescue as many prisoners as possible. I know very well that all can not be saved, but we must get at least a handful at a time; the more the better. However, we can not tell anyone about this, relatives, friends, sweethearts, no one! The less people that know about this will decrease the risk of betrayal."
"But what if anyone does suspect us?" Hastings asked quickly. "What should we tell them?"
"Very simply that we are going to France for clothes and frou-frou, or away on a fishing or hunting trip in Scotland or whatever! Make up any story you can, as long as we appear to be the least expected men involved with this whole Pimpernel business. After all, what do people think about us now? To them, we are nothing more that dandies anyway, so who could guess?" I waited until I had knowledge of their understanding before I continued. "Other than that, there is one more thing. Any orders or instructions that I will have for you will only come under this seal; if you see a different one, do not follow what its contents says to do. The seal of the pimpernel will tell you that the letter is authentic and from me. Any questions?"
Ozzy shook his head disgusted. "But Percy, we are only a few men! How are we…?"
"I know you are all afraid," I interrupted. "Believe it or not, I am also frightened out of my mind about this, but, my friends if we do not do this, who will?"
And so concluded our new lives as the Scarlet Pimpernel and his league, for after my last statement, they paused for only a second before giving a great cheer! Nothing, I knew, could stop us now!