Odette creaked open the door to Julien's room to make sure he was alright and found him laying with his bottom in the air and drool pouring out of his mouth. Odette stifled a laugh before silently pulling the door closed and walked into the room Alfie had mentioned. In it, she found a very large bed and an adjoining bathroom. She cleaned herself up and changed into the nightdress she had packed before looking in the mirror at herself. Alfie was right. She couldn't have gone on like she was. She looked away, embarrassed that she had offered herself to him and been turned away. She hadn't even thought to ask anything about him. Did he already have someone to see to his needs? Of course, he does! She thought, mentally berating herself out of embarrassment.
Pushing the thoughts aside, she walked to the bed, pulled the blanket back, and crawling in. This was the largest bed she had ever slept in and the silky sheets wrapped themselves around her so she did what any sane woman would do in a large bed by herself…. She streatched her body out, taking up as much space as she could and fell asleep in comfort.
When she awoke the next morning, she looked around in confusion. When the day before came back to her, she quickly got dressed and went to find Julien. When she opened the door, she found Alfie standing in Julien's doorway, leaned against the frame with his arms crossed, watching Julien play with a toy train.
"Maman!" Julien exclaimed in French when he spotted Odette. "It is a train!"
"I see that!" Odette replied with a smile before she turned to Alfie. "I'm sorry. He doesn't speak English."
"That's alright. He will learn." Alfie answered as he turned back to watching his son. "I will speak a mix of English and French until he begins to understand."
Odette nodded, deciding she will do the same.
"Maman, Papa will want to ride the train!" Julien said.
"Oh my!" Odette replied in playful shock. "Yes, he will! Let me go see if he will come play with us."
Alfie scrunched his brows together as Odette walked away, curious who he was referring to as 'Papa' since Alfie had told him last night that he was his father. When Odette emerged carrying a toy soldier, Julien reached for it and placed it on the train.
"He is young, but he knows he has been missing a father. I suppose seeing all the other children in our village with a papa helped him to realize this." Odette's voice was soft and sad. "I told him that his papa was a soldier and when he saw that, he…" She trailed off, motioning to the toy.
Alfie clenched his jaw. His anger at her was still there but showing it wouldn't do any good, what was done was done. Alfie was in their lives now and that wasn't changing.
"C'mon. Breakfast will be ready." He said in a tight voice before he turned toward the dining room.
Alfie watched Odette's skinny body carry her healthy son in and set him in a chair before sitting beside him.
"Ooo!" Julien said as he looked at the large layout of food Alfie had ordered his maid to make.
"Are you hungry?" Odette asked her son with a chuckle and Alfie caught the quick look of both relief and shock in her eye when she too noticed the large amount of food.
Julien nodded profusely in reply when Edna walked in.
"Edna." Alfie said. "This is Odette and Julien."
Edna nodded at Odette who smiled and said, "This food looks wonderful, thank you."
"It's my pleasure, Miss."
Alfie watched Odette eat, her knife and fork moving gingerly between her plate and mouth.
When she had eaten the delicate portions she had placed on her plate Alfie said, "Now's not the time to be French, love. Eat."
"I am French." Odette pointed out. "And if I eat much more, I will burst."
Alfie held her gaze for a moment before nodding. "Alright then, let's go shopping."
Odette got herself ready while Julien played with his new toys. When it came time to ready him, he screamed, not wanting to leave his new possessions.
"Let him stay." Alfie suggested. "Edna is good with children."
"Alright." Odette conceded.
Alfie told Edna that Julien would be staying with her before he leaned in and whispered something that Odette couldn't make out. Edna nodded and Alfie turned back to Odette.
"Ready?"
Alfie walked Odette across the street to a house and when he opened the door, Odette gasped.
"This is the house you have for Julien?" Odette asked, her eyes wide as she scanned the beautiful white walls and hardwood floor.
"For you and Julien, yes." Alfie corrected.
"This is so much more than I expected." Odette admitted. "Have you done this for the other women of your children?"
This question caught Alfie off guard and he froze, his eyes wide as he stared at her. "My what?"
"You have other children, yes?"
"Uh, no." Alfie said before adding with an appreciative nod to the thought, "Not that I know of, at least."
"Oh! I apologize, when you said Edna was good with children, I thought you knew from allowing her to watch other children." Odette sputtered.
"She has cared for many children. Just not mine, until now." Alfie laughed. "Though there is a very large possibility that I do have other's out there in the world."
They arrived back at Alfie's a little before lunch to find Julien down for a nap and the house smelling like sweets. When Edna emerged from the kitchen, she carried a plate of sweet biscuits which she offered to Alfie and Odette, who accepted gladly. Odette ate two at Alfie's insistence before getting comfortable on the sofa.
"Alfie?" Odette implored and Alfie grunted in response and he scanned the newspaper. "Do you have a woman in your life?"
"I have many." Alfie responded absently.
"Any that would object to my being here?" Odette asked, a small pang of jealousy hitting her stomach.
Alfie chuckled, still reading his paper and said, "They know better than to object to anything I do or say."
There was a small silence before she asked, "What is it that you do for work, exactly?"
At that question, Alfie glanced up. "I do dangerous things, Odette."
Odette hadn't expected that answer, but she couldn't say she was surprised by it. She noticed the way people jumped to meet Alfie's demands and keep him happy, and the way people would cross the street so they didn't cross his path.
"While we are on the subject, there are rules that you and Julien will need to obey." Alfie said placing the paper on the table beside his chair. "There are streets you cannot go on and I want you to steer clear of any Italians that you meet by Camden Road, do you understand?"
"Yes." Odette answered cautiously.
"There are also a bunch of fucking river gypsies in these parts. I don't want you talking to them either." Odette nodded. "Being the mother of my child will provide you and Julien with everything you will ever need. But it will also come at a price. I don't want you leaving Camden Town without my knowledge, and even then, I will send someone to watch over you when you are out."
Odette thought for a moment. "Should we be afraid?"
"No." Alfie shook his head. "Just cautious. I will always take care of the two of you. But my line of work is dangerous, and I've seen work and family mix for some of my… colleagues…and I don't want that to happen here."
"Alright." Odette said before a sleepy Julien walked in the sitting room.
After lunch Alfie went to his office while Odette and Julien went shopping for new clothes and shoes with money Alfie had given her. When she walked by a small bakery, Odette noticed a sign looking for workers and went inside to speak with the owner. When they arrived back at Alfie's, Edna came forward with another tray of sweet bakes and the two ate again. At dinner time, the three sat down and Odette was too excited to wait any longer to tell Alfie the good news.
"I spoke with a man about work today!" She beamed. "He said to come back tomorrow, and I could start!"
Alfie stopped and put his fork down. "What?"
"I found work!" Odette smiled.
"Yay, Maman!" Julien said throwing up his hands, catching onto his mother's excitement without fully grasping the situation.
Odette smiled and laughed with her son before noticing Alfie's demeaner. Alfie blinked at her repeatedly, his mouth tight and his fist clenched around his fork.
"No." He said in a strained voice.
"No? What do you mean, no?"
"You're not working."
"I- What?"
"You're not fucking working." Alfie repeated.
"And why not?"
"Because I fucking said so."
"Look, I appreciate you helping us out of a rough situation but it was never my intention to-"
Alfie slammed his fork onto the table. "I'm not 'helping you out of a rough situation'. How many times do I have to fucking tell you? I'm taking care of you because it is the right thing to do, because it is my responsibility to provide for you."
"But, I can work too and pay for-"
"You're not fucking paying for anything! What will you do with Julien while you work? Hmm? Have another woman raise him? A maid? A fucking nanny?" Alfie's voice raised. "And when he gets older what will he think? That he doesn't have to take responsibility for his family? What kind of example is that for him?"
"It will be a testament to how hardworking both of his parents are." Odette offered.
"No, it will be a fucking testament to how damn stubborn his mother is and that she gave up time with him when there was no need for her to!"
"How dare you!" Odette said, raising her voice to match his. "Do you know what our life has been like the last three years? I have been disowned by my family and worked my ass off to support us up until now! Just because you have all this fucking gold and crystal doesn't make you better than anyone, CAPTAIN. How long before you decide you do not want us anymore? At least then I will have enough money to-"
Glass shattered, Odette jumped, releasing a small shriek when Alfie slammed his whiskey glass down too hard. Julien immediately burst into tears, reaching for Odette who picked him up and held him close, watching Alfie with alarm.
"Don't you tell me that you are working because I am going to abandon my fucking son." Alfie said in a dangerously calm voice, raising finger to point at her.
Odette's own eyes filled with tears as she looked at Alfie while she attempting to soothe her son. Before any tears could fall, she turned and walked away from Alfie, taking her son with her.