A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(58)

“Perfect,” Conner said. “There’s only one thing we’re missing.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Pearl!” he said.

They turned around and dashed back into the casino. Pearl was still by the slot machine where they had left her. However, she was clutching three buckets full of coins she had won while they were downstairs.

“Nicely done, Pearl,” Bree said.

“Pearl, would you like to go on one last train ride with us?” Conner asked.

The old woman didn’t seem to understand him but she nodded sweetly. Pearl was in it for the ride as much as they were.

They brought her down the front steps of the casino and journeyed to the train station as fast as possible. They made it just in time and were the last ones to buy tickets and board the train. Their compartment wasn’t as nice as the other two had been but they didn’t mind—as long as they were on their way to Germany everything was right in the world.

The compartment door abruptly slid open to reveal an aggressive-looking train attendant. His eyes narrowed when he discovered Conner and Bree behind the door.

“Passports, please,” the attendant demanded.

“Why do you need to see our passports?” Conner asked.

The attendant squinted his eyes at Conner’s reluctance. “We’ve just gotten word of two runaway American teenage tourists,” he said. “It’s protocol to check the identification of every passenger on board the train who matches that description.”

Conner and Bree tensed up. They had come so close to getting to the portal but there was no way out of this now. Conner wondered if the train was moving too fast to jump out of it.

“But these are my grandchildren,” Pearl said in perfect English.

Conner and Bree turned their heads so quickly they almost gave themselves whiplash. Had she been coherent the entire time?

“I understand that, madame, but we still need to check their passports,” the attendant insisted.

“Fine, fine, fine,” Pearl said. “Let me get my purse and I’ll find them for you.”

She slowly went through her bag: one pen, one piece of hard candy, and one coin at a time. She pulled out wads of tissue and folded-up notes and stamped letters she had forgotten to mail. The attendant grew impatient waiting for her to retrieve the passports.

“Where did I put those passports?” Pearl said. “We were just in Monte Carlo and I put them in my pocket, then when we got back on the train I put them in my suitcase—yes, they’re in my suitcase! If you wouldn’t mind kindly waiting another moment, I’ll have a look for them in my suitcase.”

“That’s quite all right, madame,” the attendant said. He had run out of patience for the day. “I trust you. Please forgive this disturbance.” He slid the door shut and they heard his footsteps travel down the train.

Pearl put her belongings back into her purse and then looked up at Conner and Bree. Both were staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths as if she were on fire.

“So where are we off to next?” Pearl asked them sweetly.

“Have you been aware of what we’ve been doing this entire time?” Conner asked, completely mortified.

“I’m old but I’m not ancient. I can speak English, too, you know,” she said.

“And you let us take you around the continent willingly?” Bree asked, just as horrified.

“Yes,” Pearl said. “You seemed like nice kids at the train station in London. I wasn’t sure what was going on at first but I knew it would be good fun once we got on the train.”

Conner and Bree looked at each other. Both wore the same bewildered expression.

“I ran away on my own adventure when I was your age,” Pearl said. “I fell in love with a circus clown named Fabrizio and followed him around the globe.”

“Did you get caught?” Bree asked.

“No, and after six months of following him I finally had the courage to tell Fabrizio how I felt,” Pearl said.

“What happened?” Conner asked. “Was he creeped out because you were stalking him? Did he break your heart?”

“No, we were married for sixty-four years—until he died,” Pearl said. “Back then actions spoke louder than words. We just did what our hearts told us to. These days people act like love is an island—they all want to swim to it but no one wants to get wet.”

“What were you doing at the train station in London?” Bree asked.

“I had been visiting my son,” she said. “He dropped me off but I wasn’t ready to go home yet. I think I’m ready now, though. Disappearing for two days is the perfect amount of time to get your children to value you a bit more. I’ve enjoyed our little adventure together but I’m very tired and I should probably get off at the next stop and take a train home.”

Conner and Bree shook their heads and laughed. “What’s your real name, anyway?” Conner asked.

“It’s Elsa,” she said with a big smile. “But I insist you call me Granny Pearl.”

Conner and Bree liked the idea of having a new grandma. “Well, our names are—”

“Uh,” Pearl interrupted. “If you don’t tell me your names, I’ll never have to tell anyone where I saw you.”