The Soldier’s Granddaughter (#1)

A tiny bonus chapter based on and inspired by “The Color of Courage.” A first chance to get to know the characters and the new dual timeline series, “Timeless Agents.”

The Color of Courage: Sil and Grandpa Jack

Marseille, August 2004

Sil Anderson’s fingers traced the yellowing pages of Lise’s letter, her mind drifting to another time, another story. The scent of old paper transported her back to a cherished afternoon in her grandfather’s whitewashed cottage on the Welsh coast. The air was filled with the salty tang of the sea and the distant cry of gulls.

“Been a pest again, Silver?” Grandpa Jack’s voice rumbled like an old engine, warm and teasing.

“No, I haven’t, Grandpa Jack.”

He fixed his piercing blue eyes on her, her eight-year-old face still red and blotched from angry crying. Grandpa Jack, with his face full of white hairs sprouting from his ears, nose, and scalp, looked like a polar bear. He raised one of his sturdy eyebrows to coax a laugh from her, but Sil was in no mood to be cheered up.

“Your Mum and Dad only drop you off here when you’ve been ‘too much.’”

Sil almost laughed. Grandpa could imitate Ghislaine, her stepmother, so well with that high-pitched, hysterical voice of hers.

“I swear, Grandpa, I didn’t steal that can of paint for my graffiti. It was given to me, but Benny had stolen it, and of course, the shopkeeper accused me. Just because he hates me. Everyone hates me.”

“Everyone?” The other eyebrow went up.

“Perhaps not you. But you are old, and you can’t defend me.”

“I.Am.Old?” Her grandfather rose to his massive 6’2”, now bent and rheumatic but still towering. “You know the remedy for little whippersnappers like Silver Anderson who feel sorry for themselves, don’t you?”

“Oh, Grandpa, I don’t want to go for a stiff walk. I’d rather sit here and mope.”

But Grandpa had already taken his walking stick from the rack and plopped his faded sailor hat on his white head.

“Out with you. Five miles and an ice cream at Betty’s.”

“But do you believe me, Grandpa? That I’m not a thief?”

“You’re a thief alright, you half-pint. You’ve stolen my heart since the day you were born.”

He ruffled his hands through her dark curls, and out they went, hand in hand.

Sil closed her eyes, transported back to Pembrokeshire on that sunny August day. She’d been so confused by the world. Even then. But Grandpa Jack, with his war stories and unorthodox pedagogical methods, had been her rock in the quicksand of her life.

It had all gone downhill after he died.

She sighed, the letter slipping from her fingers. How she missed him. His past, especially as one of the Welsh Fusiliers landing on D-Day and trekking through half of Western-Europe to ‘send the Huns packing’, was filled with lessons she wished she’d paid more attention to. 

There had been a message there. A story about a narrow escape during a night raid, behind enemy lines, separated from his unit. Alone, with nothing but his wits and a map, he’d navigated through enemy territory, avoiding patrols and making it back to safety. 

At the time, she’d been more interested in the promised ice cream. Chocolate and vanilla. Her favorite scoops.

Now, she realized he’d tried to tell her a story of resilience and resourcefulness—qualities he’d instilled in her.

And here were Lise de Baissac’s letters. Another brave hero from World War II.

“Oh, Grandpa Jack. I will listen now!”

Lise’s letters were a gateway into Grandpa’s world too, a time when courage and determination were all that stood between victory and defeat.

In this new chapter of her life, Sil embraced the lessons of the past, ready to face the challenges ahead with the same courage that had defined Lise and her grandfather.

As she prepared to step into the vibrant streets of Marseille once more, Sil knew her own journey as a street artist was just beginning…

Join Sil Anderson on her journey in "The Color of Courage", where the past and present intertwine in a tale of resilience, love, and the enduring spirit of those who dare to dream.

Preorder your copy today and be a part of Sil’s story as she paints her future from Lise’s past, one courageous stroke at a time.