Satine turned away from the window at the sound of a door opening. She smiled when she saw her son running towards her. He was followed closely by a solemn faced Marie. Ryan ran up to her and stopped mere inches from her. He was obviously excited about something.
"Mom! I met this man in the cafe today! Guess who it was! Come on, guess!"
Satine laughed quietly. "I can't guess. Who was it?"
"You know the guy who wrote that book you read all the time? It was him! Christian James!" Ryan took a step back, grinning from ear to ear.
Satine's smiled wilted from her face. "Chr...Christian?" She looked up at Marie, who nodded slowly. "Well, what was he doing?"
"He was sitting at a table when the lady spilt his coffee on him. He said he was writing a story."
"How did you meet him?"
"I got his paper that flew away for him. He bought me a cake from that nice bakery!"
Satine stood up and backed away from her son. She leaned a hand on the wall, which alarmed the boy.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
"Your mother is just very tired, Ryan. She was busy being worried about you. Now go and finish your homework." Marie stepped forward and shooed Ryan into his room, with him protesting the whole way. After Ryan was secured in his room, Marie went back out to see to Satine. Satine had sunk down to the floor, with a shocked expression on her face.
Marie sat down to be at the same level. Satine turned to her. "Was it really him, Marie? Was it really Christian?" Marie nodded, and Satine turned to the window. "He's come back."
"Yes, he's come back. And he could die for it."
Satine swallowed a lump in her throat. "No. The Duke doesn't know he's here."
"He could find out."
Satine turned back to Marie. "But he's come back!"
"And it's best that he not know you are alive. And I also suggest that Ryan not go anywhere without one of us. He could say something, like your name, and Christian would come looking for you."
"Then the Duke would definetlely have Christian killed." Satine said, finishing Marie's thought.
"Yes. Do it for Christian. Let him continue to believe that you are gone."
Satine turned away to the window again. Then she turned back to Marie and nodded.
The next day, Satine and Ryan were returning to their home after a long day of trying to find a pair of pants for the rapidly growing boy. Satine was taking no chances herself, and wore a veil to cover her face and her long red hair was pulled up under a hat.
"Look! Look, Mom!" Ryan said suddenly. He tugged on her arm.
She looked down at him, then looked in the direction her was pointing. What she saw made her stomach sink. It was Christian, sitting alone at a cafe table.
"Can we go talk to him, Mom? Can we?"
Satine couldn't answer; she was too busy staring at the man she still clung to so tightly. It was the same Christian. His hair was almost the same, but he kept a well-trimmed beard now. She also noticed that some of the life in his eyes was gone. The vibrant energy he had always carried was gone. She choked down a sob. She had done that to him. She had killed a part of him.
"Mom?"
Satine looked down at her son. "We should go. Marie will be wanting us to help her with supper." She looked back at Christian. A woman was approaching his table. He smiled at her, and she bent over to kiss him on the cheek. He motioned for the woman to sit down, and she did.
Satine watched this unfold, and made her heart sink. "So you've moved on." she whispered. She smiled sadly. "She's a lucky woman." She turned to Ryan and began walking back to her home.
"Mom! I met this man in the cafe today! Guess who it was! Come on, guess!"
Satine laughed quietly. "I can't guess. Who was it?"
"You know the guy who wrote that book you read all the time? It was him! Christian James!" Ryan took a step back, grinning from ear to ear.
Satine's smiled wilted from her face. "Chr...Christian?" She looked up at Marie, who nodded slowly. "Well, what was he doing?"
"He was sitting at a table when the lady spilt his coffee on him. He said he was writing a story."
"How did you meet him?"
"I got his paper that flew away for him. He bought me a cake from that nice bakery!"
Satine stood up and backed away from her son. She leaned a hand on the wall, which alarmed the boy.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
"Your mother is just very tired, Ryan. She was busy being worried about you. Now go and finish your homework." Marie stepped forward and shooed Ryan into his room, with him protesting the whole way. After Ryan was secured in his room, Marie went back out to see to Satine. Satine had sunk down to the floor, with a shocked expression on her face.
Marie sat down to be at the same level. Satine turned to her. "Was it really him, Marie? Was it really Christian?" Marie nodded, and Satine turned to the window. "He's come back."
"Yes, he's come back. And he could die for it."
Satine swallowed a lump in her throat. "No. The Duke doesn't know he's here."
"He could find out."
Satine turned back to Marie. "But he's come back!"
"And it's best that he not know you are alive. And I also suggest that Ryan not go anywhere without one of us. He could say something, like your name, and Christian would come looking for you."
"Then the Duke would definetlely have Christian killed." Satine said, finishing Marie's thought.
"Yes. Do it for Christian. Let him continue to believe that you are gone."
Satine turned away to the window again. Then she turned back to Marie and nodded.
The next day, Satine and Ryan were returning to their home after a long day of trying to find a pair of pants for the rapidly growing boy. Satine was taking no chances herself, and wore a veil to cover her face and her long red hair was pulled up under a hat.
"Look! Look, Mom!" Ryan said suddenly. He tugged on her arm.
She looked down at him, then looked in the direction her was pointing. What she saw made her stomach sink. It was Christian, sitting alone at a cafe table.
"Can we go talk to him, Mom? Can we?"
Satine couldn't answer; she was too busy staring at the man she still clung to so tightly. It was the same Christian. His hair was almost the same, but he kept a well-trimmed beard now. She also noticed that some of the life in his eyes was gone. The vibrant energy he had always carried was gone. She choked down a sob. She had done that to him. She had killed a part of him.
"Mom?"
Satine looked down at her son. "We should go. Marie will be wanting us to help her with supper." She looked back at Christian. A woman was approaching his table. He smiled at her, and she bent over to kiss him on the cheek. He motioned for the woman to sit down, and she did.
Satine watched this unfold, and made her heart sink. "So you've moved on." she whispered. She smiled sadly. "She's a lucky woman." She turned to Ryan and began walking back to her home.