Chapter 10
9 Months Later, April 1952
Gustave awoke abruptly as he heard his wife moan from the bed. He had dozed off in a chair next to the bed where Brigitte was resting. For the most part, the night had been quiet. However, the occasional disturbance upset the night. Gustave grabbed a clean cloth from the night table and dipped it in cool water. He sat on the bed next to her and stroked her hair. She turned to him.
"Did I wake you?" she asked apologetically.
"No, sweetheart, you didn't." He felt her forehead. "You're still warm. Maybe this will help you," he said, placing the cloth on her head.
"Have you been into town?"
"I went this afternoon when the doctor was here."
"Is it as bad as he told me?"
"The outbreak?" Brigitte nodded. "I went to visit Theodore and his family. His two daughters have already passed on and his wife is into her final hours." He paused to sigh. "But you are going to get better."
"Don't lie," Brigitte said coldly.
"Why would I do that?"
"Because the doctor's the only one who's telling me the truth. 25 people have already died, and half the town is liable to catch this disease. The doctor said he wouldn't even give anyone medicine."
"It sounds like he's not doing his job."
"Well, you're not doing yours, either."
"What?"
"As a husband, you aren't suppose to keep secrets from me. Especially in my situation."
"I'm trying to protect you!"
"It's too late for that!" she yelled, sitting up and ripping the cloth off her head. "I'm already sick, Gustave! I need you to be honest with me about everything! I..." She trailed off, and began to cough wildly. After she had finished, she began to cry, and Gustave put his arms around her. "Why is this happening to us?" she managed to sob.
"It will get better. I swear, this will pass, and my firm will grow, and we'll have the family we talked about."
"Gustave," she said, looking him in the eye. "I might leave you without giving you a son."
"Then leave me a daughter."
"Any child, in that case. Gustave, I might not make it through this."
"Don't talk that way. Of course you will make it through this. Now, go back to sleep."
She laid back down and closed her eyes. He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room. The sun was just about to come up, and Gustave decided to take a walk to clear his mind. When he came home, around mid-morning, he went to check on Brigitte. When he tried to rouse her from her sleep, her eyes did not open.
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"You got here faster than I expected."
"I got a letter from your father as soon as he got the letter from you. Your aunts and uncles can't make it, but I was sent with a few pies. Your mother will probably be bringing something from Laetitia." Enjolras grabbed his godson in a tight embrace. "You don't have to be strong for me," he whispered.
Instantly, Gustave began to cry. Enjolras supported him for some time before Gustave could finally stand on his own.
"Leon and Catherine got here yesterday. Catherine hasn't left the guestroom since then."
"I didn't think she would take it well. How's Leon holding up?"
"He's composed himself, but I think that he will be affected at the funeral."
"When are your parents coming?"
"They're bringing everyone tonight."
"Not...everyone."
Gustave threw a questioning glace at Enjolras. "Who's not coming?"
"Claire."
Gustave's heart leap out of his chest. He hadn't thought of Claire in months. She probably had thought about him every time he was mentioned in conversation, but he had been so busy, he had nearly completely forgotten her.
"Why? What's wrong with her?"
"We don't know. She just...left one morning."
"She left? Out of the blue?"
"That's what your parents said. But I wouldn't bring it up."
"I won't."
Just then, Leon came out of the guest bedroom and made his way downstairs. He spied Enjolras and came over to him.
"I am extremely sorry, Leon. Brigitte was a fine woman. The most wonderful daughter any man could ever ask for."
"And a splendid wife," Gustave added to make his father-in-law feel more at ease.
"Thank you very much. I just don't know what I'm going to do with Catherine. She's an emotional wreck. I hope your mother can help, Gustave."
"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Enjolras reassured.
"It just hasn't sunk in that she's gone. Not gone, like she's gone out to market, but gone as in never coming back."
"We'll get through this, Gustave," Leon said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Could you give me a moment alone?"
"Yes, we'll be in the study," said Leon, taking Enjolras with him.
Gustave sat on the first step of the staircase and put his head in his hands. He recalled his last night with Brigitte. They had been fighting, and he felt horrible about it. Brigitte might have left the world being upset with him. He felt that he couldn't live with that on his conscience.
There was a knock at the door, and Gustave picked himself up to answer it. When he opened the door, his Father and Mother stood there with his sisters and brother behind him. His mother threw her arms around him and began to cry. Enjolras and Leon came out from the study, and hugged Marius. Everyone eventually made their way back to the study, except for Charlotte and Gustave.
"Are you alright?"
"I've been better."
"Did you hear about Claire?"
"Do you know why she left?"
"I don't know if I should tell you."
"What?"
"I think that she was pregnant," Charlotte whispered.
"Pregnant?"
"Shh!"
"What do you think happened?"
"She probably found a man whom she thought she loved."
Gustave sighed deeply. "Where did she go?"
"She only left a note saying that she had to leave and that she was sorry." She studied her brother. "You loved her, didn't you?"
"Yes, I loved Brigitte very much."
"Not Brigitte. Claire."
"Claire? No, I..." His sister gave him a look. "You knew?"
"I guessed. Did you?"
Gustave kneaded his forehead. "Yes. Oh my God, yes. I loved Claire."
"You what?!"
Charlotte and Gustave turned to see Leon standing in front of them.
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A/N - I know this was sudden, but I swear I have a plot, (as well as fluff for 'The Grey Lady'). I know this was short, too, but bear with me. MORE REVIEWS PRETTY PLEASE!!!
9 Months Later, April 1952
Gustave awoke abruptly as he heard his wife moan from the bed. He had dozed off in a chair next to the bed where Brigitte was resting. For the most part, the night had been quiet. However, the occasional disturbance upset the night. Gustave grabbed a clean cloth from the night table and dipped it in cool water. He sat on the bed next to her and stroked her hair. She turned to him.
"Did I wake you?" she asked apologetically.
"No, sweetheart, you didn't." He felt her forehead. "You're still warm. Maybe this will help you," he said, placing the cloth on her head.
"Have you been into town?"
"I went this afternoon when the doctor was here."
"Is it as bad as he told me?"
"The outbreak?" Brigitte nodded. "I went to visit Theodore and his family. His two daughters have already passed on and his wife is into her final hours." He paused to sigh. "But you are going to get better."
"Don't lie," Brigitte said coldly.
"Why would I do that?"
"Because the doctor's the only one who's telling me the truth. 25 people have already died, and half the town is liable to catch this disease. The doctor said he wouldn't even give anyone medicine."
"It sounds like he's not doing his job."
"Well, you're not doing yours, either."
"What?"
"As a husband, you aren't suppose to keep secrets from me. Especially in my situation."
"I'm trying to protect you!"
"It's too late for that!" she yelled, sitting up and ripping the cloth off her head. "I'm already sick, Gustave! I need you to be honest with me about everything! I..." She trailed off, and began to cough wildly. After she had finished, she began to cry, and Gustave put his arms around her. "Why is this happening to us?" she managed to sob.
"It will get better. I swear, this will pass, and my firm will grow, and we'll have the family we talked about."
"Gustave," she said, looking him in the eye. "I might leave you without giving you a son."
"Then leave me a daughter."
"Any child, in that case. Gustave, I might not make it through this."
"Don't talk that way. Of course you will make it through this. Now, go back to sleep."
She laid back down and closed her eyes. He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room. The sun was just about to come up, and Gustave decided to take a walk to clear his mind. When he came home, around mid-morning, he went to check on Brigitte. When he tried to rouse her from her sleep, her eyes did not open.
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"You got here faster than I expected."
"I got a letter from your father as soon as he got the letter from you. Your aunts and uncles can't make it, but I was sent with a few pies. Your mother will probably be bringing something from Laetitia." Enjolras grabbed his godson in a tight embrace. "You don't have to be strong for me," he whispered.
Instantly, Gustave began to cry. Enjolras supported him for some time before Gustave could finally stand on his own.
"Leon and Catherine got here yesterday. Catherine hasn't left the guestroom since then."
"I didn't think she would take it well. How's Leon holding up?"
"He's composed himself, but I think that he will be affected at the funeral."
"When are your parents coming?"
"They're bringing everyone tonight."
"Not...everyone."
Gustave threw a questioning glace at Enjolras. "Who's not coming?"
"Claire."
Gustave's heart leap out of his chest. He hadn't thought of Claire in months. She probably had thought about him every time he was mentioned in conversation, but he had been so busy, he had nearly completely forgotten her.
"Why? What's wrong with her?"
"We don't know. She just...left one morning."
"She left? Out of the blue?"
"That's what your parents said. But I wouldn't bring it up."
"I won't."
Just then, Leon came out of the guest bedroom and made his way downstairs. He spied Enjolras and came over to him.
"I am extremely sorry, Leon. Brigitte was a fine woman. The most wonderful daughter any man could ever ask for."
"And a splendid wife," Gustave added to make his father-in-law feel more at ease.
"Thank you very much. I just don't know what I'm going to do with Catherine. She's an emotional wreck. I hope your mother can help, Gustave."
"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Enjolras reassured.
"It just hasn't sunk in that she's gone. Not gone, like she's gone out to market, but gone as in never coming back."
"We'll get through this, Gustave," Leon said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Could you give me a moment alone?"
"Yes, we'll be in the study," said Leon, taking Enjolras with him.
Gustave sat on the first step of the staircase and put his head in his hands. He recalled his last night with Brigitte. They had been fighting, and he felt horrible about it. Brigitte might have left the world being upset with him. He felt that he couldn't live with that on his conscience.
There was a knock at the door, and Gustave picked himself up to answer it. When he opened the door, his Father and Mother stood there with his sisters and brother behind him. His mother threw her arms around him and began to cry. Enjolras and Leon came out from the study, and hugged Marius. Everyone eventually made their way back to the study, except for Charlotte and Gustave.
"Are you alright?"
"I've been better."
"Did you hear about Claire?"
"Do you know why she left?"
"I don't know if I should tell you."
"What?"
"I think that she was pregnant," Charlotte whispered.
"Pregnant?"
"Shh!"
"What do you think happened?"
"She probably found a man whom she thought she loved."
Gustave sighed deeply. "Where did she go?"
"She only left a note saying that she had to leave and that she was sorry." She studied her brother. "You loved her, didn't you?"
"Yes, I loved Brigitte very much."
"Not Brigitte. Claire."
"Claire? No, I..." His sister gave him a look. "You knew?"
"I guessed. Did you?"
Gustave kneaded his forehead. "Yes. Oh my God, yes. I loved Claire."
"You what?!"
Charlotte and Gustave turned to see Leon standing in front of them.
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A/N - I know this was sudden, but I swear I have a plot, (as well as fluff for 'The Grey Lady'). I know this was short, too, but bear with me. MORE REVIEWS PRETTY PLEASE!!!