Starting Over
Travelling
'Dear Satine,
How are you, darling? Harold and I are doing fine. We heard about the incident with the Duke and we just wanted to say how proud of you we are. I've always seen you as a daughter and I know Harold feels the same. When you came to us you were this scared little girl but now you've grown up so much. I know in the past it seemed different but I've realised how much you mean to me. The Moulin Rouge has changed so much since you left. We have now kept it permanently as a theatre and you can no longer feel the coldness as you walk in. We've all missed you so much and would love you to come back and visit. You can bring those people you've been raving on about - Phyl, James and Peter. And, of course, Ed - we want to meet your brother.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Marie x'
That letter arrived four days after the 'incident'. Satine immediately showed it to Christian who was a bit skeptical about going. He was afraid that it would dig up too many memories for her. She insisted that it would be good for her, that it would be like a holiday. After much pleading on her part, as well as Phyl's, he finally gave in. That was how, at 12.30 on Saturday, they were standing at London Victoria station. The group travelling were Christian, Satine, Phyl, James, Peter and Ed but Gerald, Kathleen and Frank had come to see them off.
'Are you sure you can cope without me?' Satine asked Frank.
'Of course I can. You take care of yourself, princess.' He said, using his pet name for her.
'I'm only gone for ten days.' She told him. Then she pulled him into a hug. They had become close friends. A whistle sounded and they broke apart. Everyone started hugging and Kathleen was giving each of them instructions.
Their suitcases were already on board so all they had were little bags. Christian picked up Satine's and James carried Phyl's. The two women walked on ahead, joining the back of the queue. The ticket man took the tickets and looked at them.
'Is this the whole party?' He asked. Satine turned to see that everyone was there and nodded. 'Your compartment is number 17. If you walk towards the front of the train you will find it about half way down. The dining car is in the opposite direction.' He said, pointing to the carriage on the end. 'If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask any of our competent staff. Enjoy your journey!'
'Thank you.' Satine smiled politely and started walking in the direction they had been told, with everyone following her.
***
It was a cosy little compartment with two rows of springy, red velvet seats. Little brass lights were situated in the four corners and a window was directly opposite the door with a curtain that could be drawn if desired. There was also a curtain across the door.
After the train had been travelling for a few minutes, everyone settled down. The four men had gone in search of something to drink, leaving Satine and Phyl in the compartment. They returned with a waiter who was carrying a tray of drinks for them. Sitting on the floor were Satine and Phyl, playing an intense game of Slam. Satine jumped up when the door opened.
'Might as well stop now, the drinks are here.'
'You're only saying that because you're losing.' Phyl said.
'Noooo. I just think this is a good time to stop.' Phyl smiled to herself and collected the cards up.
'Will there be anything else?' The waiter asked.
'No, thank you.' Christian handed the waiter a tip and he bowed and left. Settling himself next to Satine, he poured himself a drink. He took her hand from her lap and laced his fingers through it. Satine smiled at him and gave his hand a light squeeze before carrying on with her conversation.
'What's Montmatre like?' Peter asked curiously. He took a sip of drink. 'I mean, you read things in books and they are all negative.'
'Do you believe everything the books say about London?'
'No because they don't see London the way I see it.'
'Exactly. The people who wrote those books say the people are unfriendly and bad. How do you expect people to behave if you act all superior to them? I think Montmatre is one of the nicest places in Paris. You are all in the same situation so no one else puts people down. Well, apart from certain people.' Satine said, referring to Nini.
'When I came to Montmatre everyone was so helpful and friendly and I fell in love with it straight away.' Christian piped up.
'No dear, you fell in love with me.' Satine said, patting his arm. Everyone giggled. Christian blushed but he was also smiling.
***
The train arrived in Dover half an hour before the ferry was due to leave. They decided to board early and get settled into their cabins. Because of the short notice in booking the cabins, they had only managed to aquire two - a four bed and two bed. Unfortunately, they were also on different levels. After much discussion it was decided that the men would have one room and the ladies would have another. Christian and Satine weren't happy about this but agreed that it wouldn't be fair on Phyl to share a room with three men. The ferry was to travel quite slowly. They were leaving at 4.15 and arriving in Calais at 11.30, local time, the next morning. Their train to Paris was departing at 1, giving them a chance to look around Calais. They hoped to arrive in Paris at 2.30.
The ship's horn blasted. Satine looked at Phyl and grinned. Grabbing her hand, she pulled her out of the cabin and up the steps to the deck. The others were already up there, so they squeezed in next to them and began waving and shouting good bye to people, most of whom they didn't know. Once all the excitement was over and everyone drifted back to their cabins, the six turned to each other.
'How about after you girls get ready, we meet in our cabin before going to dinner.' Ed suggested.
'Why your cabin?' Phyl wanted to know, crossing her arms. Ed and James looked at each other.
'Because it's bigger, nearer to the dining room and, well, better than yours.' James said seriously.
'Are you listening to this, Satine?' Phyl turned to her sister-in-law. 'Typical!'
Satine broke away from Christian and turned around. 'What?' She asked, distractedly.
'Come on, Juliet.' Phyl said, rolling her eyes. She took Satine by the arm and gently led her away.
'You have 43 minutes.' Peter called after them.
'Pardon?' Phyl said, looking at her brother.
'That's how long they can spend apart before they go insane. I timed it once.' Everyone fell about laughing except Christian and Satine.
'Oh ha ha!' Satine said sarcastically. But deep down she knew it was true.
***
42 minutes later Satine and Phyl were standing outside the men's cabin, ready to knock. The door was opened by James who was dressed smartly in a tuxedo. He gave a low whistle.
'You look absolutely lovely.'
'Hey, hands off!' Christian called from the bathroom. Everyone giggled and as he came out of the bathroom, he gave his brother a smile to let him know he was just joking. However, he probably wasn't. He was fiercely protective of Satine but in a sweet way rather than an annoying one. He always tried to go with her when she went out and in the house he liked keeping tabs on her. Sometimes Satine and Phyl would play a trick on him and hide somewhere but most of the time she wanted him to know where she was.
'Are we all ready to go?' Ed asked standing by the door. When everyone nodded, he turned the handle and held it open while everyone walked through. James escorted Phyl to the dining room and Satine was escorted by Christian, obviously. They found their table and sat down.
The meal was absolutely lovely even if it did take forever to eat. Two hours after they sat down they were just beginning dessert. Satine had decided she couldn't possibly eat anymore so just sat politely and watched the others dig into their cake.
'This is absolutely delightful.' Peter said. Everyone nodded in agreement.
'Want to try some, darling?' Christian asked, holding a piece of cake between his fingers out to her. Satine leaned foward and he gently popped it into her mouth.
'Mmmm.' She said after a few moments.
'Want some more?' He offered but she shook her head. Satine didn't usually refuse cake. 'Are you feeling ok?'
'Wha-? I'm fine. I think I'm going to have a little lie down.' Satine said, rising slowly.
'Do you want me to come with you?' Christian asked, looking rather concered.
'No, I'll be fine. You lot enjoy yourselves.' She walked out slowly, Christian watching her every move.
***
Satine gingerly lay down on the bed, closing her eyes. Her stomach really hurt. The last time it had hurt this much had been.... Satine closed her eyes, remembering. She didn't know if she could cope if it was this again. She didn't know if she was pregnant or not. Moaning slightly, she hoped Phyl would come soon.
'What's the matter?' Phyl asked as she walked in twenty minutes later.
'I think it's happening again.' Satine moaned. Phyl looked at her and then realised what she meant. Quickly, Phyl ran out in search of the doctor.
Twenty minutes later Phyl returned with the doctor and Christian in tow. Phyl and Christian had been told to wait outside while the doctor examined her.
'You don't look very excited.' Phyl commented on her brother's face.
'I am but...what if it's his?' He asked. Phyl didn't know how to answer that, she just hoped it wasn't.
'How far along am I, doctor?' Satine asked once he had finished his examination.
'I'd say about six weeks. Could be more but definitely not any less.' Satine sighed in relief. 'Do you want your husband to come in?'
'Yes, and Phyl as well.' The doctor opened the door and Phyl and Christian walked in. Satine recognised the look on his face.
'Six weeks.' She told him, before he had a chance to ask. His face broke into a grin.
'We're having a baby?' He asked in a boyish manner. Satine smiled at his sweetness.
'Yes, we are.' Satine told him. They smiled at each other, the realisation hitting them.
'Dear Satine,
How are you, darling? Harold and I are doing fine. We heard about the incident with the Duke and we just wanted to say how proud of you we are. I've always seen you as a daughter and I know Harold feels the same. When you came to us you were this scared little girl but now you've grown up so much. I know in the past it seemed different but I've realised how much you mean to me. The Moulin Rouge has changed so much since you left. We have now kept it permanently as a theatre and you can no longer feel the coldness as you walk in. We've all missed you so much and would love you to come back and visit. You can bring those people you've been raving on about - Phyl, James and Peter. And, of course, Ed - we want to meet your brother.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Marie x'
That letter arrived four days after the 'incident'. Satine immediately showed it to Christian who was a bit skeptical about going. He was afraid that it would dig up too many memories for her. She insisted that it would be good for her, that it would be like a holiday. After much pleading on her part, as well as Phyl's, he finally gave in. That was how, at 12.30 on Saturday, they were standing at London Victoria station. The group travelling were Christian, Satine, Phyl, James, Peter and Ed but Gerald, Kathleen and Frank had come to see them off.
'Are you sure you can cope without me?' Satine asked Frank.
'Of course I can. You take care of yourself, princess.' He said, using his pet name for her.
'I'm only gone for ten days.' She told him. Then she pulled him into a hug. They had become close friends. A whistle sounded and they broke apart. Everyone started hugging and Kathleen was giving each of them instructions.
Their suitcases were already on board so all they had were little bags. Christian picked up Satine's and James carried Phyl's. The two women walked on ahead, joining the back of the queue. The ticket man took the tickets and looked at them.
'Is this the whole party?' He asked. Satine turned to see that everyone was there and nodded. 'Your compartment is number 17. If you walk towards the front of the train you will find it about half way down. The dining car is in the opposite direction.' He said, pointing to the carriage on the end. 'If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask any of our competent staff. Enjoy your journey!'
'Thank you.' Satine smiled politely and started walking in the direction they had been told, with everyone following her.
***
It was a cosy little compartment with two rows of springy, red velvet seats. Little brass lights were situated in the four corners and a window was directly opposite the door with a curtain that could be drawn if desired. There was also a curtain across the door.
After the train had been travelling for a few minutes, everyone settled down. The four men had gone in search of something to drink, leaving Satine and Phyl in the compartment. They returned with a waiter who was carrying a tray of drinks for them. Sitting on the floor were Satine and Phyl, playing an intense game of Slam. Satine jumped up when the door opened.
'Might as well stop now, the drinks are here.'
'You're only saying that because you're losing.' Phyl said.
'Noooo. I just think this is a good time to stop.' Phyl smiled to herself and collected the cards up.
'Will there be anything else?' The waiter asked.
'No, thank you.' Christian handed the waiter a tip and he bowed and left. Settling himself next to Satine, he poured himself a drink. He took her hand from her lap and laced his fingers through it. Satine smiled at him and gave his hand a light squeeze before carrying on with her conversation.
'What's Montmatre like?' Peter asked curiously. He took a sip of drink. 'I mean, you read things in books and they are all negative.'
'Do you believe everything the books say about London?'
'No because they don't see London the way I see it.'
'Exactly. The people who wrote those books say the people are unfriendly and bad. How do you expect people to behave if you act all superior to them? I think Montmatre is one of the nicest places in Paris. You are all in the same situation so no one else puts people down. Well, apart from certain people.' Satine said, referring to Nini.
'When I came to Montmatre everyone was so helpful and friendly and I fell in love with it straight away.' Christian piped up.
'No dear, you fell in love with me.' Satine said, patting his arm. Everyone giggled. Christian blushed but he was also smiling.
***
The train arrived in Dover half an hour before the ferry was due to leave. They decided to board early and get settled into their cabins. Because of the short notice in booking the cabins, they had only managed to aquire two - a four bed and two bed. Unfortunately, they were also on different levels. After much discussion it was decided that the men would have one room and the ladies would have another. Christian and Satine weren't happy about this but agreed that it wouldn't be fair on Phyl to share a room with three men. The ferry was to travel quite slowly. They were leaving at 4.15 and arriving in Calais at 11.30, local time, the next morning. Their train to Paris was departing at 1, giving them a chance to look around Calais. They hoped to arrive in Paris at 2.30.
The ship's horn blasted. Satine looked at Phyl and grinned. Grabbing her hand, she pulled her out of the cabin and up the steps to the deck. The others were already up there, so they squeezed in next to them and began waving and shouting good bye to people, most of whom they didn't know. Once all the excitement was over and everyone drifted back to their cabins, the six turned to each other.
'How about after you girls get ready, we meet in our cabin before going to dinner.' Ed suggested.
'Why your cabin?' Phyl wanted to know, crossing her arms. Ed and James looked at each other.
'Because it's bigger, nearer to the dining room and, well, better than yours.' James said seriously.
'Are you listening to this, Satine?' Phyl turned to her sister-in-law. 'Typical!'
Satine broke away from Christian and turned around. 'What?' She asked, distractedly.
'Come on, Juliet.' Phyl said, rolling her eyes. She took Satine by the arm and gently led her away.
'You have 43 minutes.' Peter called after them.
'Pardon?' Phyl said, looking at her brother.
'That's how long they can spend apart before they go insane. I timed it once.' Everyone fell about laughing except Christian and Satine.
'Oh ha ha!' Satine said sarcastically. But deep down she knew it was true.
***
42 minutes later Satine and Phyl were standing outside the men's cabin, ready to knock. The door was opened by James who was dressed smartly in a tuxedo. He gave a low whistle.
'You look absolutely lovely.'
'Hey, hands off!' Christian called from the bathroom. Everyone giggled and as he came out of the bathroom, he gave his brother a smile to let him know he was just joking. However, he probably wasn't. He was fiercely protective of Satine but in a sweet way rather than an annoying one. He always tried to go with her when she went out and in the house he liked keeping tabs on her. Sometimes Satine and Phyl would play a trick on him and hide somewhere but most of the time she wanted him to know where she was.
'Are we all ready to go?' Ed asked standing by the door. When everyone nodded, he turned the handle and held it open while everyone walked through. James escorted Phyl to the dining room and Satine was escorted by Christian, obviously. They found their table and sat down.
The meal was absolutely lovely even if it did take forever to eat. Two hours after they sat down they were just beginning dessert. Satine had decided she couldn't possibly eat anymore so just sat politely and watched the others dig into their cake.
'This is absolutely delightful.' Peter said. Everyone nodded in agreement.
'Want to try some, darling?' Christian asked, holding a piece of cake between his fingers out to her. Satine leaned foward and he gently popped it into her mouth.
'Mmmm.' She said after a few moments.
'Want some more?' He offered but she shook her head. Satine didn't usually refuse cake. 'Are you feeling ok?'
'Wha-? I'm fine. I think I'm going to have a little lie down.' Satine said, rising slowly.
'Do you want me to come with you?' Christian asked, looking rather concered.
'No, I'll be fine. You lot enjoy yourselves.' She walked out slowly, Christian watching her every move.
***
Satine gingerly lay down on the bed, closing her eyes. Her stomach really hurt. The last time it had hurt this much had been.... Satine closed her eyes, remembering. She didn't know if she could cope if it was this again. She didn't know if she was pregnant or not. Moaning slightly, she hoped Phyl would come soon.
'What's the matter?' Phyl asked as she walked in twenty minutes later.
'I think it's happening again.' Satine moaned. Phyl looked at her and then realised what she meant. Quickly, Phyl ran out in search of the doctor.
Twenty minutes later Phyl returned with the doctor and Christian in tow. Phyl and Christian had been told to wait outside while the doctor examined her.
'You don't look very excited.' Phyl commented on her brother's face.
'I am but...what if it's his?' He asked. Phyl didn't know how to answer that, she just hoped it wasn't.
'How far along am I, doctor?' Satine asked once he had finished his examination.
'I'd say about six weeks. Could be more but definitely not any less.' Satine sighed in relief. 'Do you want your husband to come in?'
'Yes, and Phyl as well.' The doctor opened the door and Phyl and Christian walked in. Satine recognised the look on his face.
'Six weeks.' She told him, before he had a chance to ask. His face broke into a grin.
'We're having a baby?' He asked in a boyish manner. Satine smiled at his sweetness.
'Yes, we are.' Satine told him. They smiled at each other, the realisation hitting them.
