Peter, wide-eyed, stared at her in disbelief. "Are you sure?"
"The doctor just finished his examination. It's true." Tears started pouring down Jocelyn's cheeks once more.
"Who's the father?" Peter asked, offering her a handkerchief from his pocket.
"Charlie," she said, wiping her eyes. "What am I going to do Peter? I can't have a baby, Harold is going to kill me."
Peter put his arm around her as she sobbed into his shoulder. She was shaking, trying to make it all stop but it was no use. They both sat there until Jocelyn had enough strength to calm down while Peter stroked her hair.
"Everything will be fine," he whispered.
"No it won't," Jocelyn sniffed, sitting up. "Charlie doesn't know and I'm scared to tell him. Everything's ruined."
"If you truly love each other then you have nothing to worry about," Peter reassured her. He was a firm believer of the Bohemian ideals. Love was the key.
"I suppose Harold will want me to get rid of it but I could never do that. Maybe Charlie and I could get married and raise a family that way. But he already asked the Duke about marriage and he said he would cut off all inheritance. I'd be asking him to give up everything for a nothing life with a lowly can-can dancer," she said, blinking back more tears.
"Jocelyn, if Charlie truly loves you then it will not matter if you are rich or poor. He'll be happy just to be with you. You're not a lowly dancer you're a great person."
"You really think so?"
"I know so."
Jocelyn smiled for the first time all morning. Maybe everything would be alright after all. Peter was right, Charlie wouldn't mind. Things were starting to brighten up.
"I better go downstairs and face the music. They're probably looking for me," she said getting off the bed.
Peter nodded and opened the door for her. "Jocelyn, I wanted to apologize for being so awful to you. Everyone warned me not to get to close to you seeing you're the Sparkling Diamond and all and I thought you'd be better without me."
"It's okay Peter. I thought you didn't like me," she smiled and let out a small laugh.
"No I liked you very much and still do. Like I said you're a great person," he grinned.
"Thank you, for everything," she gave him a small peck on the cheek. "See you later."
"See you."
Jocelyn's dressing room door was closed. She knew they were waiting inside, waiting to pounce on her with suggestions and questions like "how could you let this happen?". She took a few deep breaths and opened the door. It was only Zidler waiting for her. He was sitting in a red plush seat but stood when she entered.
"Where were you?" he asked. He didn't seem angry just calm. Frightfully calm.
"I needed time to think," she replied, walking straight to her closet. It was about time she got dressed and went out.
"Well, we certainly do have a dilemma now don't we?" he said in his business-like tone. "Of course we must handle this in the proper way."
Harold was acting as if one of the lights were broken or something needed to be fixed. Not the personal issue that it was.
"It's not your business Harold. Only mine and Mr. Bateson's. Now I need to know when he will be returning from London," she replied, going through the racks of clothes and costumes belonging to the Sparkling Diamond.
"But my dear."
"Harold please," Jocelyn turned, her blue orbs piercing into his. "Tell me when he is to return. This is not one of your business deals or club concerns. It's a very important matter, don't make this harder than it already is."
Zidler stood for a moment. Thinking everything over. For once in all his years of the Moulin Rouge he had no control over his Diamond. There was nothing to say or do except let it go.
"He comes back tonight on the six o'clock train. He was going to surprise you here but under the circumstances it's best you met him there."
"I'll need you to come to distract the Duke. We must be alone, too many people know the news already. It's best the Duke doesn't hear it right now, it's too soon," she replied, turning back to the closet.
"Of course, we'll leave around five-thirty," Harold said quietly. "I'll go now."
He turned to leave but before he could Jocelyn stopped him. "Harold are you just playing along and have a trick up your sleeve or."
Zidler smiled and took hold of her hand. He suddenly seemed so old and.sad. "I let your mother slip away because of my own selfishness. I owe it to her to help you because I did not help her. And I would like to think that I did one good thing in my life." Jocelyn squeezed his hand and smiled faintly. After he left she went back into the closet. She looked at the rack of clothes, all glittering with sequins and made of soft fabric. She needed to find something sensible. She looked in the mirror. Her eyes were still puffy from crying and her cheeks were flushed. She looked a mess but by the time it was ready to leave she made herself look normal. Except there was no hiding the tiredness as well as the sadness in her eyes.
The trainstation was crowded with families and friends waiting to greet their travelers. Harold wore his best suit as Jocelyn wore a navy dress suit with a black velvet hat atop her pinned up curls. A fishnet veil covered her face. Her hands were clasped together, her eyes anxiously crossed back and forth around the station. The train from London would arrive any second. If Harold was nervous he didn't show it. He stood at ease as if he did this everyday.
"How do you do it?" she asked, breaking their silence.
"Do what?"
"Stay calm."
"All creatures of the underworld are born actors," he said.
"Except for me."
Harold looked at her. "You're not a creature, you're the daughter of an angel and don't belong in the underworld."
"The London train has arrived. All passengers exit from Gate C."
"Here we go," Jocelyn said after the announcement. The butterflies in her stomach were wicked as they walked to Gate C and saw Charlie get off the train.
"The doctor just finished his examination. It's true." Tears started pouring down Jocelyn's cheeks once more.
"Who's the father?" Peter asked, offering her a handkerchief from his pocket.
"Charlie," she said, wiping her eyes. "What am I going to do Peter? I can't have a baby, Harold is going to kill me."
Peter put his arm around her as she sobbed into his shoulder. She was shaking, trying to make it all stop but it was no use. They both sat there until Jocelyn had enough strength to calm down while Peter stroked her hair.
"Everything will be fine," he whispered.
"No it won't," Jocelyn sniffed, sitting up. "Charlie doesn't know and I'm scared to tell him. Everything's ruined."
"If you truly love each other then you have nothing to worry about," Peter reassured her. He was a firm believer of the Bohemian ideals. Love was the key.
"I suppose Harold will want me to get rid of it but I could never do that. Maybe Charlie and I could get married and raise a family that way. But he already asked the Duke about marriage and he said he would cut off all inheritance. I'd be asking him to give up everything for a nothing life with a lowly can-can dancer," she said, blinking back more tears.
"Jocelyn, if Charlie truly loves you then it will not matter if you are rich or poor. He'll be happy just to be with you. You're not a lowly dancer you're a great person."
"You really think so?"
"I know so."
Jocelyn smiled for the first time all morning. Maybe everything would be alright after all. Peter was right, Charlie wouldn't mind. Things were starting to brighten up.
"I better go downstairs and face the music. They're probably looking for me," she said getting off the bed.
Peter nodded and opened the door for her. "Jocelyn, I wanted to apologize for being so awful to you. Everyone warned me not to get to close to you seeing you're the Sparkling Diamond and all and I thought you'd be better without me."
"It's okay Peter. I thought you didn't like me," she smiled and let out a small laugh.
"No I liked you very much and still do. Like I said you're a great person," he grinned.
"Thank you, for everything," she gave him a small peck on the cheek. "See you later."
"See you."
Jocelyn's dressing room door was closed. She knew they were waiting inside, waiting to pounce on her with suggestions and questions like "how could you let this happen?". She took a few deep breaths and opened the door. It was only Zidler waiting for her. He was sitting in a red plush seat but stood when she entered.
"Where were you?" he asked. He didn't seem angry just calm. Frightfully calm.
"I needed time to think," she replied, walking straight to her closet. It was about time she got dressed and went out.
"Well, we certainly do have a dilemma now don't we?" he said in his business-like tone. "Of course we must handle this in the proper way."
Harold was acting as if one of the lights were broken or something needed to be fixed. Not the personal issue that it was.
"It's not your business Harold. Only mine and Mr. Bateson's. Now I need to know when he will be returning from London," she replied, going through the racks of clothes and costumes belonging to the Sparkling Diamond.
"But my dear."
"Harold please," Jocelyn turned, her blue orbs piercing into his. "Tell me when he is to return. This is not one of your business deals or club concerns. It's a very important matter, don't make this harder than it already is."
Zidler stood for a moment. Thinking everything over. For once in all his years of the Moulin Rouge he had no control over his Diamond. There was nothing to say or do except let it go.
"He comes back tonight on the six o'clock train. He was going to surprise you here but under the circumstances it's best you met him there."
"I'll need you to come to distract the Duke. We must be alone, too many people know the news already. It's best the Duke doesn't hear it right now, it's too soon," she replied, turning back to the closet.
"Of course, we'll leave around five-thirty," Harold said quietly. "I'll go now."
He turned to leave but before he could Jocelyn stopped him. "Harold are you just playing along and have a trick up your sleeve or."
Zidler smiled and took hold of her hand. He suddenly seemed so old and.sad. "I let your mother slip away because of my own selfishness. I owe it to her to help you because I did not help her. And I would like to think that I did one good thing in my life." Jocelyn squeezed his hand and smiled faintly. After he left she went back into the closet. She looked at the rack of clothes, all glittering with sequins and made of soft fabric. She needed to find something sensible. She looked in the mirror. Her eyes were still puffy from crying and her cheeks were flushed. She looked a mess but by the time it was ready to leave she made herself look normal. Except there was no hiding the tiredness as well as the sadness in her eyes.
The trainstation was crowded with families and friends waiting to greet their travelers. Harold wore his best suit as Jocelyn wore a navy dress suit with a black velvet hat atop her pinned up curls. A fishnet veil covered her face. Her hands were clasped together, her eyes anxiously crossed back and forth around the station. The train from London would arrive any second. If Harold was nervous he didn't show it. He stood at ease as if he did this everyday.
"How do you do it?" she asked, breaking their silence.
"Do what?"
"Stay calm."
"All creatures of the underworld are born actors," he said.
"Except for me."
Harold looked at her. "You're not a creature, you're the daughter of an angel and don't belong in the underworld."
"The London train has arrived. All passengers exit from Gate C."
"Here we go," Jocelyn said after the announcement. The butterflies in her stomach were wicked as they walked to Gate C and saw Charlie get off the train.