ASOUE: The Riveting Romance

Where There's Smoke, There's Fire - Kladora/Quiglet

In any case, the Baudelaires certainly wished they could've enjoyed a nice brunch with Kit instead of having to settle for a quick debrief and a picnic in the back of a taxi as she explained that she was worried that the telegram from J.S. asking all volunteers to meet at the Hotel Denouement on Thursday, and that she wanted them to go undercover as flaneurs to find out if J.S. was a friend or enemy of V.F.D., to which they quickly agreed to do for her, especially since she had told them that she was going to help their friend Quigley Quagmire rescue his siblings from Count Olaf's clutches after she dropped them off at the hotel.

As the Baudelaires sat in the back of the taxi in their concierge outfits, they couldn't help but feel an uneasy sense of creeping dread. "Do you think we trust Kit?" asked Klaus nervously. Violet sighed. "Since we got in her taxi, she's broken at least nine traffic safety laws, driven into a hedge and recruited us to spy for a secret organization. I like her." she said with a small smile on her face. "Me too." said Klaus before they got out of the taxi and joined Kit, who had her spyglass out, at the edge of the lawn of the Hotel Denouement.

"That's Frank Denouement. He's one of the managers. He's with us. You can trust him." said Kit right before someone who looked identical to Frank walked up to him. "I must need new glasses, because I'm seeing double." said Klaus as he looked out of his spyglass in confusion. "That's Frank's treacherous brother, Ernest. Do not trust him, no matter what he says. The schism has turned many siblings into enemies. Remember, F is for Frank, who is friendly. E is for Ernest, who is evil." said Kit sternly with a worried look on her face.

"How can we tell them apart?" asked Violet nervously.

Kit sighed forlornly. "Unfortunately, the only way to determine if someone is noble or wicked is through close observation. It's very important that you be careful about what you tell them, because if the wrong brother finds out what we're up to....." she began to say before they hid themselves behind the hedge to avoid being spotted by Frank and Ernest. ".....we could all be in danger. I've sent a message to Frank. He'll meet you in the lobby, unless it was intercepted by Ernest. Now if there are no further questions, I must be going. Quigley Quagmire will be arriving at Briny Beach soon, and if I don't leave to meet him right now, his siblings may be in Olaf's clutches for who knows how long. And we have reason to believe that he'll arrive at the shore within the hour, so I can't afford to waste any time. " she said with a sad smile on her face as she put a hand on Violet's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, melancholy is a side effect of my condition. I'm distraught and I'm pregnant. Good luck, Baudelaires. I'll see you tonight. And please be careful." she said as she watched them walk up the steps of the hotel through her spyglass before she felt someone standing next to her and smiled. "I was hoping I'd see you before I left." she said with a playful smirk on her face to the person standing before her, who looked identical to both Frank and Ernest. "Funny, I was hoping you'd stay." said the person with a small smile on his face. Kit scoffed, but felt a smile forming on the corners of her mouth. "I'll be back tonight. And if all goes according to plan, three siblings will be reunited at last and we'll have the sugar bowl." she said as she smiled at the mystery man. "We can end this once and for all."

"And then what?" he asked as he smiled back at her. "You, me, a tropical island, and her." said Kit as she put a hand on her pregnant stomach. The mystery man chuckled. "Her? Is that a fact?" he asked teasingly. Kit smiled and shrugged. "It's just a feeling." The mystery man sighed contently and took her hands in his own. "I never want to be apart from you again, except in the restroom, at work, and when one of us is at a move the other one doesn't want to see." he said with a big smile on his face. Kit smiled and blushed at his compliment. "I'll see you tonight. Send my regards to Frank."

As Kit walked back to her taxi, she sniffled quietly as she thought about the Baudelaires putting themselves in harm's way and hoped that their mission would be a success and as she started the taxi to drive back to Briny Beach, she was very startled when she heard a low, gravelly voice behind her. "Evidence of a picnic, like evidence of a secret meeting, is best discarded, or it is likely to attract unsavory visitors or.....ants."