Chapter 47. A Queer Little Man With A Big Heart

So the wedding preparations began.

Christian and I spent our days locked in a room together, trying on our wedding outfits and making sure we both agreed on what we would wear. Giggling when I set the veil on Christian's head before lifting it and kissing it, Christian dragged me to the floor atop a mound of discarded dresses and suits.

"Are you both decent?" Christian's father knocked, making us look up briefly so that Christian could tell his father to enter. "Dear Lord, Christian… could you have told me you weren't decent so that I could leave you both alone!"

"I don't believe anything we are doing is indecent," Christian told his father innocently.

"I didn't raise you to be like that," Christian's father said sternly.

"It was something I learned in Paris," Christian grinned, kissing me in-between words. "When you find something that you love, cherish it every moment of your life."

"You are a love struck fool if ever I saw one," Christian's father chuckled. "And I suppose you are just fine with that."

"Couldn't be happier."

"I can see that."

"I think that we will have picked out a dress and suit by the end of the day," I piped in, letting my presence be known as well.

"If you both give yourselves time to put your clothes on, rather than undress."

"Really father," Christian helped me up and dusted off the front of my dress. "To think that you would accuse of Isabel and myself engaging in such…"

"I was young once too, my boy." he reminded, laughing. "Your mother and me…"

"Alright…" Christian turned, whispering to me. "This is certainly something that I do not want my father to share with me."

"I love you both so much," I laughed, seeing Christian go red to the face at his father's talk of intimacy with his deceased wife. "And I cannot believe you would think anything scandalous after all that we have engaged in."

"Scandalous?" Christian forgot his father's talk. "What you and me have is certainly not scandalous. It is beautiful."

"You and your eloquence."

"I can't help it," Christian ran his hands through my hair, looking me in the eyes in a way that made my heart flutter more than our kisses. "You just have to be so beautiful."

"Have you heard the news?" Cecille called in the room next to hers where a doorway was open for her voice to carry through. "Isabel and Christian are going to be married in a few days! We are invited, as you've already guessed. Perhaps we should go?"

"Of course, ma belle." Gregory walked through the door, fumbling with his tie. "What kind of friend would we be, to leave them both at the altar alone. Imagine what they might do if we were not there to supervise!"

"I believe it," Cecille laughed, reaching out for Gregory's tie and playing with it with her fingers. "I always preferred you without a tie. You always looked too pressed and polished in one."

"Then no tie it is," Gregory grinned, pulling it off and tossing it aside.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Cecille looked up into his eyes, not asking for anything except to just be held in his arms, knowing that they both held their world right then and there. One hand raised to toy with one of his curls, and Gregory only grinned at her, as content as a man could possibly be.

"I love you," Gregory whispered, closing his eyes when he kissed her tenderly.

"Hard to believe that we spent all of our life together and are only now realizing this," Cecille laughed, although a knot in her stomach knew that was only a half-truth.

"I cannot believe I did not love you until now." Gregory said. "But, suppose I really did love you all this time as you have, Cecille, and that it just took me until now to understand that what I felt was truly love. Could that be?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Cecille remarked, kissing him roughly. "Because we're together now."

And that was the truth.

"Have you heard of the news?" Claudia, a robust woman with an abnormally sharp nose, approached Giselle during rehearsals for a new production in which Giselle was now the star.

"What news?" ever since the production, Giselle had been far more irritable, snapping every time she was acknowledged.

"So you don't know?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't waste my time humoring you."

"Well… you see…." Claudia stopped short when a tiny man burst into the theatre, a letter in his hands as he flailed his arms out insanely, cheering at the top of his lungs.

"Everyone!" Toulouse practically laughed the words and everyone stared at him in surprise that such a small man was able to make his voice so loud. "Christian and Isabel are going to be married this weekend!"

Cheers rang through the theatre, the applause for the love story that had failed to finish during the production. As people embraced in celebration, Giselle walked off stage to sit in a chair that was shadowed by the stage.

Her brooding caused no shock for Giselle was always in an unusually bitter mood, but no one realized that this was the cause of a long-developed anxiety that had plagued her ever since she had worked in the Moulin Rouge, unable to ever become the star… always brooding in the shadows as everyone praised the star… the Sparkling Diamond… every other woman to enter the Moulin Rouge except herself.

Toulouse, turning, was much in tune with emotions and the essence of human feelings. He thrived upon it. It did not take him long to notice Giselle in the shadows of the theatre, enveloped in a sadness that he could sense even from the distance that he stood.

"What is wrong, mademoiselle?" Toulouse inquired, bowing down when he came to face her. "Anything that I may be of service to?"

"Oh bother!" Giselle snorted, turning to avoid him. "I do not need your pity, little man."

"Your spirits are smaller than I," Toulouse moved so that he faced her again. "Though I am a little man, I have a big heart, mademoiselle. I can tell when a lady is not happy, and I simply cannot let that happen."

"There is nothing you can do for me to make me happy," Giselle wiped her nose, her eyebrows furrowed as she fought the sadness that had been making her tremble ever since that night.

"You are right," Giselle looked up at him, surprised at his reply. "The only person that can make you happy is yourself."

"Why must you bother me!" Giselle cried desperately, cringing when a few eyes came her way from the stage, and immediately lowering her voice. "I will never find such happiness again when I live in misery."

"What came to make you say such a thing, mademoiselle?"

"What?" Giselle allowed a few tears to roll down her cheeks that burned from the tears that had yet to leave. "I have spent all of my life wishing to be the star. To have people think of me as more than a whore. But it never happened. I might be the star now, but what does it matter? I am only the star because of Cecille,and I did not even pull through with her plans. I was going to murder someone that Christian loved. Someone that I might possibly have liked, if given the chance. What use is life and pursuing happiness if the only thing that surrounds me is such misery?"

"Perhaps there is much that needs to be cleared with your conscience?" Toulouse suggested. "I believe that if you went to the wedding, you might be able to finally be happy, mademoiselle."

"I doubt it."

"But why?"

"Because everyone hates me," Giselle grumbled. "And for good reason."

"Forgiveness is a great virtue," Toulouse said. "But I believe it is a virtue that everyone possesses, if they are willing to admit it. I do not believe those you think of are one of those ignorant people who do not believe this, mademoiselle."

"I would," Giselle's frown deepened. "But my way of living doesn't have me swimming in riches. I could never afford to go anywhere outside of the Moulin Rouge."

"I may be of assistance. Perhaps I could fund your trip?"

"Why would you do that?" Giselle's defense came up, allowing her bitterness to show as she spat venom. "I don't know you. You almost died that night because of me. What reason have you to go and help me, of all people?"

"Because a big man would be a gentleman and help a lady in need," Toulouse bowed. "And because everyone deserves happiness, mademoiselle."

"You are a queer little man," Giselle remarked and Toulouse almost gave up until he saw a smile come to her face. "But I believe you are right when you say you have a big heart."