The desk in his study seemed packed with documents before his eyes. He had business to attend and he had no time to waste. At last, little by little, he was wheedling the information they needed out of her. He just couldn't wait to see his partners that morning. True, poor Christine de Chagny had had a rough time but she had been given everything in the twinkling of an eye, while he, who had as much right or even more than herself, was only given money as a way to quiet him. Life was so unfair, things were so unbalanced…

Shaking off his pessimism, he adjusted his light camel-coloured coat and left his home. He was increasingly closer of his target.

Christine was lying facing upwards, still entangled in her sheets. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling. She was having trouble in getting back to sleep and she had been twisting and turning in bed for the last two hours. She tried to close her eyes and relax but found herself open-eyed after a few minutes. She was sure, since she had climbed into bed, that Édmond was inevitably a relative of Raoul's, a member of her late husband's family. But if he was, why hadn't they been introduced in the long ten-month period her marriage had lasted? Was her psychological exhaustion, her fear and desperation for finding a friendly face clouding her judgement? She sighed. All her doubts were keeping her awake and she did not know how to get to sleep again.

Giving up her unsuccessful attempts to sleep, she got up. Immediately, she noticed something. The door of Édmond's study, which was usually locked, was now strangely ajar.

She looked at the door for a moment, unsure. She did not want to cause him any trouble but she had been curious about the fact that he had allowed her total freedom in his home and yet he locked the room every time he left her alone in the house. She had wandered about the reason why he did so. Her hesitant steps brought her nearer towards the door. She came in, closed the door and sighed in relief. He was not at home, he wouldn't have to know, nothing would happen if only…

Her eyes found a small pouch on the desk, next to an envelope. Walking forwards, she reached the table and took the bag in her hands. It seemed to be bursting with coins and the black leather was nice at the touch. She turned it over and…

'It can't be!'.

She whispered an exclamation to herself when she saw a familiar embroidered coat of arms which identified its origin as the De Chagny's. The letter was addressed to… Raoul's mother? Her eyes opened wide at the huge meaning of such a revelation. Definately, that man, Édmond, had something to do with Raoul's family, but what, exactly?

Confused and unsettled, she rushed out of the study. That discovery had only worsened her worries.

Xxx

'So, you have news?', Marie looked at him with genuine interest.

He nodded. 'More than that…', he sat down. 'I've found out something interesting about our dear Christine'.

Both stared attentively, urging him to go on.

'The girl's the real lost sheep…but that's not the kind of information that would interest you nor the business that's brought me here today'.

'So….?', Emma started, expectant.

'It seems that she's in need of a shoulder to cry on, and she believes I can be the kind of friend that would offer his generous help with that. She's already revealed something we did not know till this moment and, of course, I've decided to ask for…cooperation'.

'And I suppose we are the ones who must abide to that cooperation', Marie finished for him.

Édmond smiled. 'That's exactly how it goes. As you already know we are certain that the Viscount's dead. My contacts have confirmed it'. Both women assented. 'Well, it seems there's another person she thinks of as dead'.

Marie frowned. 'I understand but, what does that have to do with us? What should we do?'.

'Oh, two things, none of them too complicated. I want you to find out if there was really another person close to her involved in this madness and if this person suffered a similarly fatal ending'.

'And what if we do not find out the information you require about this person, who may very well be a nobody?'.

'Just let me know and I'll pull the strings. I do not want anyone who was close to her trying to locate her hide-out and play hero. Oh, and one more thing…'.

'Yes?', Emma and Marie exchanged confused looks for a second.

'She confessed to me she has still contacts around here, so if she attempted to communicate with them by mail, I'd like to make sure those letters are successfully intercepted. As I'm aware that you are well-connected women, I imagine you have someone you may turn to with that purpose, though I realize that the lesser amount of people who know about her existence…the better for us'.

Marie nodded with a cruel curl of her lips. 'That won't take long, Édmond. Do keep us informed…'.

He laughed. 'I will, Mesdames, I will.'

A slight nod of courtesy and he abandoned the residence.

She hadn't seen him in all day and, thinking coolly, she had no desire to encounter him again. He had gone out especially early in the morning and she had not even seen him come back and take his usual cup of coffee or tea.

Angie did not know if she'd meet him that day and if he'd exhibit the strange attitude he had displayed the night before but she did know that she would never be the same with him. She could take delight in the plans she had made, despite the fact that, deep down, she was aware that she would probably never take the risk of carrying out her personal promise.