A/N: I would like to mention the quote in chapter one, "The cold wind had brought with it clouds so sombre and a rain so penetrating…" This quote is from Charlotte Brönte's Jane Eyre. I forgot to mention this in the last two chapters due to lack of caffeine. Sorry! Enjoy chapter three!
Chapter 3: The Zidlers
"Uncle Tómas!" Satine ran to her uncle. He scooped the little girl up in his strong arms. It was early in the morning. He saw gray and purple splotches covering Satine's face. His wife, Claudine, stood on the steps to their apartment. Celestine walked up to her brother.
"What did he do to the two of you?" Tómas asked Celestine.
"Not to me," she replied, "Just to her. I…I killed him, Tómas."
"Celestine…" Tómas started, but paused and sighed. He wore a disapproving look, "Come inside."
"You'll have to live with Harold," Tómas said, finally.
"What? Tómas, that is mad!" Celestine exclaimed, "He has been a disgrace to our family. I can't live with him. He'll make me work for him."
"Celestine, you have no choice. You killed Léonce! Do you understand what that means?" Tómas scolded, "It means that you will be found and put in prison."
"Let me hide here!" Celestine pleaded.
"No, Celestine. If you are found here by the authorities, they will arrest me and my family as well. You know I care about you and Satine, but I have Claudine and my own children to care for first."
"Yes, but…Tómas…Harold will make me work as a…as, well…" Celestine paused, "And who's not to say that I won't be found in Monmatre with Harold? I could easily be arrest there as I would here!"
"Celestine, don't be ignorant," Tómas said harshly, "The authorities go to Harold's bordellos for pleasure, not to arrest. Even if you have to sell yourself, you will be alive and so will Satine. That should be good enough."
Celestine said nothing. She looked out the window to see Satine and her cousins playing in the garden. She glanced at Claudine, who sat silently in the corner. But Celestine could tell that woman was disturbed at what Tómas was asking his sister to do.
"Very well," Celestine said, "I will live with Harold in Monmatre. But I do so for Satine; neither you nor your family. And, I will leave you to live with the fact that you forced me into prostitution."
"You forced yourself, Celestine," Tómas said, holding up his hands.
"Tómas, when one of your sons is in such danger as Satine was, the guilt will stab you. It will hurt. It is a pain that you will never recover from. You'll know that you could have saved your child from such monstrosity, and you'll know that you would have taken their place if you could have," Celestine said quietly.
She walked to the door, but stopped momentarily, and turned to her brother, sitting in his leather chair placed at his varnished desk.
"You'd better take us to Harold's now," she said coldly, "We wouldn't want you caught before you're rid of us."
Claudine snapped her gaze from the closing door to her husband.
"You're despicable!" she exclaimed, "You just sold your youngest sister to the men of Paris!"
"Claudine, darling, calm yourself…"
"No, Tómas! How could you? We could have helped them at least find a better place for them to stay. Harold's filthy bordello is no place for them. Especially Satine! She's Jean's age!"
"Claudine, do you want to end up in prison? Because that will come to pass if we help them!" Tómas said.
"You want to protect your family?" Claudine spat, "Celestine and Satine are your family." She stormed from the study.
Celestine held her sleeping daughter in her arms as followed Tómas through Monmatre on foot.
"We should have taken a carriage," she snapped.
"Celestine, please?" Tómas said. He carried two carpet bags with their belongings.
"The Moulin Rouge?" Celestine asked, upon stopping in front of the entrance of her brother's bordello. There was indeed a large, red windmill on top of the edifice. Celestine found herself wondering if Léonce had ever been inside.
It was early evening. No one had arrived yet.
"This way," Tómas said, leading Celestine around to the side of the building. There was a crumbling staircase leading up to a door, "Harold's office," Tómas said. He knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" came an enthusiastic, deep, energetic voice from within.
"Tómas," he said through the door. It opened immediately.
"Celestine!" Harold exclaimed. He was the eldest child of the Zidler family. He possessed the signature red hair, now spotted with white. He also had pale skin and large, blue eyes. He was bigger around the waist that Celestine or Tómas, but much more energetic. He pulled Celestine and Satine into a large embrace.
"My dear sister and niece here to visit! How marvelous!" his loud voice and abrupt embrace woke Satine. She grumpily rubbed her eyes and looked at Harold.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Uncle Harold, to you darling dove," he said, taking her in his arms, twirling her around. Satine giggled.
"You're funny," she said.
"Harold, we have to talk. Something has happened to Celestine and we need your help," Tómas said sternly.
Later that night, Marie, Harold's wife showed Celestine and Satine to a small apartment connected to the Moulin Rouge.
"It's not much," Marie said, "But we provide all of our…dancers their own quarters. Many of them have children also. We have a woman who cares for them while you ladies work."
"Thank you," Celestine said to Marie.
The woman was tall. She wore an extravagant gown, but not suggestive. It had a high, lace collar, and the dress fabric was dark, silk brocade. She wore a large brooch upon her breast. Her frizzy, dyed-gold hair was piled on top of her head. Her face was powdered with white and two smears of rouge graced her cheeks. Her eyes were heavily lined and her were lips colored.
"I'm glad to have finally met my dear sister-in-law," Maries said, kindly, "And my sweet, little niece."
Satine was exploring the small apartment.
"I'm very glad, as well," Celestine said quietly, giving a small smiled. Satine was now lying down on the double bed, quickly falling asleep.
"Listen," Marie whispered, "It won't be so bad. You might even meet a nice a nice man to marry. That's how I met Zidler. Once you have a husband, once you have someone to love, and they love you back, you will be free."
"I thought we're not allowed to love here. Harold was very clear about that," Celestine whispered back.
"Sometimes, you don't have a choice," Maries said.
"They thought young Satine was asleep, but she heard them. The words would be lyrics of a hopeful hymn that would stay with her forever.