CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Two years later
Fantine and Raoul stayed at Cosette's bedside. The youngest Monparrse child had Scarlet Fever and was slowly dying, for there was no cure. The children had been sent to stay with Janette – Raoul's older sister.
"How is she?" Raoul asked as he entered the room. Fantine looked up at her husband, tears in her eyes. "Oh God."
"She just passed." Fantine sobbed, clinging to her daughter's still form. Raoul held his wife and daughter for a moment before getting up from beside Fantine.
"I will bury her. You burn her things, for we do not want any of the other children getting ill." Raoul instructed. Fantine nodded and watched with a heavy heart as Raoul gathered Cosette in his arms and carried her outside.
"Let me help." Nellie spoke up, coming into the room. Fantine nodded and together, got rid of Cosette's clothes and toys, which were to be burned. Fantine knew that her dress and Raoul's clothes would have to be burned as well.
"Thank you." Fantine thanked the other woman. Nellie nodded and handed Fantine a rag. The two women scrubbed every surface of the bedroom, singing and talking all the while.
A week later, Belle, Aria and André returned to the Monparrse house to find both their parents in mourning clothes.
"Mother? Father? What is the matter?" Belle asked.
"Your sister is in heaven now." Fantine answered.
"No – she cannot be." Aria said, going to her sister's bedroom. She returned with tears streaming down her cheeks. André was too young to understand what was happening. Fantine picked up her youngest and held him against her chest, crying all the while. Raoul sat down next to the girls and held them while they cried.
"Momma, will you have another baby?" André asked that evening as Fantine tucked him into bed.
"No, my child." Fantine answered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Why?"
"Well, momma is getting older."
"Why?"
Fantine had to smile – her boy was so curious.
"Because my son, that is the way of life."
"Oh. Momma?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"And I love you."
Fantine kissed her son's forehead and exited the room. She then walked down the stairs to her and Raoul's bedroom. Raoul looked up from reading and looked sadly at his wife.
"Come here my dear." Raoul told her. Fantine made her way over to him, the tears streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall. Raoul held his wife in his arms, feeling tears in his own eyes. He rested his chin on the top of Fantine's head as he rocked her in his arms. He kissed the top of Fantine's head and held her close. Fantine sobbed, horrible heart wrenching sobs, for they were the cries of a mother who had lost a child.
The days that followed, Fantine stayed close to her husband as they mourned the loss of their youngest. Nellie took on caring for the children, leaving the lovers to mourn in peace.
"Why are mother and father so sad?" Aria asked as she, Belle and André helped Nellie roll dough for rolls.
"Cosette went to heaven last week." Nellie explained.
"Will we see Cosette again?" Belle inquired.
"Some day." Nellie answered.
"We go now?" André questioned. Nellie smiled and shook her head.
"No, dear boy. Not now." Nellie told the boy, helping him roll dough.
"Why can't we go now?" Belle asked. Nellie frowned, fearing she had said too much. Fantine walked into the kitchen at that time, looking thinner and sadder than ever. Nellie helped her sit down and handed her an apple. Fantine took two small bites and set the apple aside.
"Momma, why can't we go see Cosette now?" Belle inquired.
"My darling, Cosette is in a wonderful place called heaven. She is surrounded by all who have-" Fantine didn't finish her thought, for suddenly she broke down. Nellie sent Aria to get Raoul while she finished making bread to go in the oven for dinner that night.
"My love, I am here. Shh, it's all right. Darling, shh." Raoul soothed his wife. Fantine sobbed harder. "Children, leave Nellie be and go play." Raoul instructed the children. They nodded and left the kitchen. Raoul picked Fantine up and carried her to their bedroom, placing her on the bed. He sat next to her, rubbing a hand up and down her back, soothing her. Fantine cried harder, causing her to have a hard time breathing. Raoul quickly left the room and drew a glass of water from the well outside. He brought it in and handed the glass to Fantine. She drunk half the water as Raoul sang softly to her.
After a few minutes, Fantine began to calm down. Raoul took her in his strong arms and gently rocked her like a babe.
"Are you all right now?" Raoul inquired. Fantine nodded sadly as Raoul kissed her cheeks then her forehead.
"I do not want more children, for I can see how quickly they can leave us." Fantine told Raoul. Raoul nodded, still holding his beloved.
"I agree with you, dearest." Raoul said, kissing Fantine's neck.
"But I am willing to try once more." Fantine told Raoul. He looked down at her and kissed her forehead.
"Are you sure?" Raoul inquired. Fantine nodded and kissed her husband fully on the lips. He returned the kiss and climbed on top of Fantine.
"Raoul, not now, for we are still in mourning." Fantine told her husband, placing a finger on his lips. Raoul frowned and climbed off Fantine.
Two months later, Raoul and Fantine made love for the first time in a long time. For the first time, Raoul had hurt Fantine while they made love. Fantine winced in pain as Raoul's knee made contact with Fantine's shin.
"Oh, my angel. I am so sorry. Are you all right?" Raoul inquired. Fantine nodded and noted there would be an injury on her shin. Raoul kissed Fantine's shin before turning his full attention to the rest of her.
Three months later, something wasn't right. Fantine moaned in great pain as she felt something inside her push its way forward. She then felt something warm and wet between her legs. She turned on the oil lamp and saw the dead body of a three-month-old infant and a lot of blood. Looking down at her nightgown, she saw blood on it.
"Oh God. Raoul!" Fantine yelped. Raoul sat up in bed and looked at his wife. He saw the infant on the bed, along with the blood.
"Fantine, what happened?" Raoul inquired, making his way over to a scared-looking Fantine.
"I do not know what that is, only that it's a baby and it's dead." Fantine sobbed. Raoul took Fantine in his arms and looked at the child – it was another boy. Raoul wrapped the infant in a blanket and took it outside, burying it next to Cosette. He came back inside and got some supplies to clean Fantine up with.
"Come here my dear." Raoul soothed his wife. She came over and Raoul helped pin up her hair so he could wash her. He then removed Fantine's nightgown and helped her into the warm water. Taking a cloth, he cleaned the blood off Fantine's body, softly singing to her. Fantine was crying as Raoul helped her out of the basin and handed her one of his shirts to sleep in that evening. He then removed the bedding and put it in the basket to be washed. Together, they put the quilt over the two of them and fell back asleep. Raoul did, anyway; Fantine cried herself to sleep.
The following morning, Raoul let Fantine sleep as long as she wanted, for she didn't get any sleep the night before.
"Daddy, where's momma?" Belle asked as the four of them ate breakfast the following morning.
"She is ill, Belle. Let us not bother her today." Raoul told the children. They ate their porridge in silence, that is until Nellie's scream made them jump.
"WHAT IN GOD'S HOLY NAME IS THIS?" Nellie shrieked. Raoul left the breakfast table and ran to where he heard Nellie scream. She was holding the sheets soaked in blood.
"Nellie, keep your voice down. I do not want the children to know." Raoul whispered. Nellie looked at him, a curious expression on her face. Raoul quickly explained and Nellie's expression softened from curious to understanding.
"I will wash this and the nightgown as fast as I can." Nellie told Raoul.
"Do not rush, dear Nellie." Raoul said, placing a hand on Nellie's shoulder. Nellie smiled at Raoul and went to work washing the sheets. Raoul then walked back to the breakfast table to rejoin his children.
As the day passed, Raoul spent half the day with the children and the other half with Fantine. He sat down next to his beloved and looked at her lovingly. Fantine was lying on her back, half of her shirt off her body. Raoul removed the rest of it and ran his hands down Fantine's body. Fantine didn't respond, so Raoul unclothed and climbed on top of her, kissing her everywhere.
"Fantine, are you all right?" Raoul asked, looking down at his wife. Fantine nodded as Raoul kissed that sacred place between her legs. Fantine moaned with pleasure as she felt Raoul play with the folds of her skin. He brought his head down and entered that sacred place with his tongue.
"Oh God." Fantine moaned. Raoul exited that sacred place and kissed Fantine's body, making his way towards her breasts. Fantine moaned with pleasure as he kissed each one, his hands took Fantine's in his and had her hold and play with his shaft. Raoul moaned with pleasure as Fantine played with his shaft.
They made love for two hours, pausing only to rest so that they could make more love.
After they made love, both panting and sweating, they smiled at each other.
"What?" Fantine inquired, pulling the quilt over her naked body. Raoul removed the blanket and kissed the space between Fantine's breasts, climbing back on top of her. Fantine gasped as she felt him enter her, then softened when he kissed her neck, his hands holding her in his arms. Fantine kissed her husband back with all the passion she could.
"You're beautiful, that's what." Raoul whispered in Fantine's ear. Fantine smiled and felt Raoul climb off her.
"Raoul, I love you so much." Fantine told her husband, turning on her side so she was facing him.
"And?"
"And you are the most wonderful husband I could ask for."
"You are the most wonderful wife I could ask for."
"I have a thought for our anniversary, but you have to promise not to tease me about it."
"I promise my love."
"Iwashopingwecouldrenewourvows."
"Fantine, slow down. What did you say?"
"I was hoping we could renew our vows."
"That is a splendid idea, my dearest."
Fantine smiled, glad that her husband loved her idea.