A week later, Philo called Annie, Pierre, and Bart together in his study.
"Loved ones," he said, "I wish to make my own announcement now that the French Republic has had its say."
They all smiled. Annie touched the rosette of the Legion of Honor, worn proudly on her dress.
Philo sat at his desk, his hands clasped before him. "Annie and Pierre have been invited to appear at two Command Performances," he told them.
Pierre grasped Annie's hand and kissed it.
"The first Command Performance, in early August, will take place at the Imperial Opera in Vienna. The Empress Elizabeth and the Emperor Franz Josef have also invited you both to sing 'A Mother's Soul' at a memorial service for their late son in the chapel of the imperial palace.
"The second Command Performance, in late August, will be at the Covent Garden Royal Opera in London. Afterward, Queen Victoria wishes to receive you privately to offer her congratulations on what all Europe has come to know as 'the miracle of Pierre.'
"The Empress Eugénie has requested that our last stop in England be at Farnborough Hill. She has asked that Romelle be brought along. Our darling little American girl is to be officially recognized as goddaughter to the erstwhile Empress of France!
"It will be announced at both public performances that they honor the memory of Beth Heskitt Creel.
"In London, the Queen will confer upon Beth a posthumous rank of duchess, for which her line of descent qualifies her. A plaque of Pepper is to be mounted on an obelisk marking an important crossroads in the Cheviot Hills near the village where he was born. It will be engraved with this inscription:
Pepper of Bonaparte, 1878-1889
Loyal even unto death
Bart stifled a sob. Annie reached to touch his hand.
"Annie," Philo continued, "I owe you an apology."
She looked at him in surprise. "What for, Cap'n?"
He sighed in self-deprecation. "You have been the mother of this family. You have given everything you are to us. What, in turn, have we ever given you? "
"Oh, Cap'n, don't you really know?" she chided. "You have needed me! That's the greatest gift you could give!"
"But, Annie," Philo insisted, "we have stolen your life!"
She shook her head. "No, Cap'n, you did not steal my life. When you found me on that battlefield, you gave me one."
Philo's eyes filled with tears. "Do you remember what Doctor Will said the night he died?"
Annie sighed. "He asked me to look after Little Bart."
Philo nodded. "He also said, 'I set you free.' Remember the first evening Pierre was with us, when I told you I had a touch of indigestion after dinner? That was not strictly true. My trouble was in mentally digesting this new reality. Annie, at the behest of my conscience, all my claims on you must fall away."
Annie sat bolt upright, but Philo hurried on. "Hear me out. If I had died before this moment, you would have discovered that by the terms of my Last Will and Testament I bequeathed to you an equitable share of my fortune. I have taken you out of the Will, however, and have arranged to transfer the funds today. Pierre, call it a sort of dowry, if you will, but for twenty-seven years your mother has been the mainstay of our lives. She has earned every penny. Please remember that you both will remain members of this family, on whatever terms you choose, for the rest of your lives. We love you."
"Let me speak, Annie," Bart jumped in before she had a chance. "You are mother to me, and mother to Romelle, but the miracle of Pierre truly has changed your life. Therefore, I, too, set you free. You must be free in order to pursue whatever course God has in mind."
Philo stood. "To be presumptuous again, I suggest that we not talk about this anymore right now. It would be best to give it thought in our individual ways. Does everyone concur?"
They all nodded.
Philo went to Annie and kissed her. Bart did the same. They left the room.
Pierre moved forward in his chair as if to rise. "Shall I go, Mother, or shall I stay?"
Annie gripped his arm. "You are the greatest comfort I have ever known. Stay."
He settled back and took her hand.
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