They both stared at her in horror, the ending of the story in sight, or so they thought. Milady averted her eyes to their dismay and steeled herself for the storm to continue raging. She was not disappointed. Sissi knocked her cup over as she stood up to confront her. Hot tea spilled all over the place, drenching Milady's hands with the scalding liquid. She withdrew them with a faint cry of pain, her fingers red and blistered. Athos ran to get her some cold water to soothe them. He could hear Sissi shouting already.

'It just gets better and better doesn't it?'

'Sissi please' she pleaded against her, handkerchief pressed to her hand.

'What else have you done that I don't know about? Did you steal something from the chapel to fund your situation? Convince him to run away with you? Did you think it could work between you?' Her tone was harsh and mocking, taunting her aunt about the possibilities that she could get away with. But Milady was under no illusion that she could make it better by lying. It was the truth or nothing.

'I didn't love him.'

Athos' mind was turning to everything he could think of in double quick time. Had she played with his affections then left him? That made no sense. Surely he would have to claim responsibility for the child. Unless she had confirmed otherwise. but again, he couldn't see how that would benefit any of them.

'So you strung him along.' Sissi sounded bitter.

'No. That's not how it was. He never loved me.'

'Then what is this all about? What did you want with him? Something you couldn't get at home?'

'I never wanted a baby! Not like that. How can you accuse me of manipulating him?'

'I don't know, there seems to be lots of things I don't know about you all of a sudden.'

Milady looked at her angry niece; face flushed and blue eyes blazing. She'd never looked so beautiful but she knew that was a deadly weapon. It could disarm a man as she well knew. Sissi had yet to learn it but she would, in time. Athos urged her to sit and take a deep breath. She did so and resumed her glaring.

'What was his name?'

'Does it matter?'

'Yes.'

'Father Antoine.'

'And?'

'What else do you want to know?'

'Anything.'

'I didn't know him. What more can I tell you?'

Athos interrupted at this point.

'Why him? Sabine, the man was a priest. What good could have come from it?'

She turned on him like her niece before, fixing him with an icy stare that made him regret asking.

'You think I chose him?' She spoke through gritted teeth. 'I would have thought you wouldn't have judged me quite so harshly.' She knew that would make him feel bad but he felt like he'd deserved it this time.

Sissi leaned forward, hand outstretched to the one she had inadvertently burned. It hadn't occurred to her that this might not be as straightforward. Enraged by the lies she had been told, her aunts forefront role in this had shocked her, one of the few people she had trusted all her life. It felt like a betrayal and made her the wickedest person yet. But if her aunt was such a wicked person, surely she would have wanted nothing to do with her?

'So he seduced you and left you?' Athos spoke gently, not wishing to hurt her further.

Milady's eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted bitterly

'If that's what seduction is then women are doomed everywhere.'

'What…do you mean?' Sissi stammered.

Once again Milady hid her face in her hands and stayed silent. They waited. Athos skimmed his hand to her face but she blocked him.

'What do you mean?' He enquired gently.

'I've said too much' she whispered, so quietly that they had to lean forward to hear.

'You've not told me everything' said Sissi curiously.

'What do you want to know! I can't tell you anything more!' Milady raised her head and screamed so violently that the cups rattled and spilled over. She carried on, oblivious to everything but her overflowing anger.

'Nothing I do is ever enough for anyone! You ask the same thing every time and I can't think of any more ways to tell you. What do you want from me?'

'I just want to know why you did what you did!' Shouted back Sissi.

'It's not about what I did, it's about what he did' she raged back.

'What did he do? You still haven't told me' implored the girl, desperate to know why she had been lied to all this time.

Silence took its hold on them. Milady didn't want to say the truth. How could she tell her about it, the source of her shame? And in front of Athos?

'How am I supposed to tell you this when you shouldn't even know?' she asked bitterly, not needing an answer. She couldn't say it. She couldn't even phrase it properly, having only said it once, to her sister. She never spoke of it again.

The question was put to her again. She dropped back into the chair as if exhausted by the might of her anger. She reached for her necklace and twisted it around agitatedly, looking left, away at the window.

'Eugenie never wanted you to know.' The chain rasped against her fingers and tore through the deafening silence. 'She wanted you to know that you were loved and that you were no less than a blessing.'

'To whom?' Sissi responded sarcastically.

'To all of us.'

'So why didn't she want me to know?'

'She didn't want you to think that you weren't wanted.'

'Well I wasn't, was I? Not by you.'

Milady stayed silent, she couldn't deny it. It was a tough reality to handle.

'There was no future for him and I, let alone for you. It was a moment of insanity that cost us all.'

'So why did you do it?'

Milady's eyes threatened to mist over once again. Blinking it away barely helped, she could feel a tear escaping and making a steady line down her cheek. She could barely speak the words but it made itself known, piercing their hearts with the simple truth.

'I wasn't willing.'