She swallowed with difficulty, resorting to her best acting skills. 'Mademoiselle Marguerite Giry is not at home at the moment, Mesdames. But if I may help you in any way…'.
Marie gave a false smile. 'Are you a relative of hers? You see, this is very important business…'.
She did not really know what answer she should give them. Those people would not probably be trustworthy and her mind was urgently looking for the quickest way to make them depart at once, leaving her, her daughter and the few people that mattered to them at peace.
'I'm the owner of this house. The poor child does not have father or mother. She earns her living as a ballerina, so she needs someone to attend her needs, help her and provide her a roof to live under, don't you think?'.
'I understand…', Emma took out an envelope from her pocket, subtly keeping it out of the other woman's sight. 'Then I suppose we'll be able to speak to you of the matter that's brought us here with the same confidence we'd offer Mademoiselle Giry herself. Would you be so kind so as to let us in? We won't take long…'.
Fortunately, her daughter was not in the house at the moment. She had entrusted the young woman with a few tasks that would take her an hour at least. She nodded and opened the door fully, motioning to them to come inside.
Both women sat down each in one of the armchairs with which they had furnished their not so roomy living-room. Life and circumstances had not provided them nothing better but they were content with what they'd got. They had a pleasant, comfortable place to live in and that was what really mattered. Madame Giry sat in front of her visitors.
'What do you need to know? I can't promise that I have all the answers you're looking for, but I'll try my best'.
Marie smiled. 'I understand', she sighed. 'See…we do not have too much time, so I'll be as straightforward as possible. We know that Marguerite keeps a close friendship to Christine de Chagny…'.
Her eyes opened wide, and though she had tried to conceal her gesture of surprise, she was certain that Emma and Marie had detected it immediately. Despite of that, she feigned confusion. 'I'm not too familiarized with Mademoiselle Giry's acquaintances, least of all her close friends. Nevertheless, if you tell me what is it that you want to ask her and who's the messenger I'll let her know. Anyway, if it's helpful to you, she has never spoken to me of that…Christine de Chagny before'
Emma raised her eyebrow in a very sceptical gesture. 'That seems a bit strange to me when we've been told that she was her greatest friend. Did you never see Meg Giry with a lady friend? Did she never ever name her?'.
'I'm sorry to disappoint you but I've been here most of the time. She's been working to become a prima ballerina, did you know that? She has so much ambition… so we did not have too much time to chat of anything else than her practice and… but, can't you tell me what's happened to that so-called friend of Mademoiselle Giry?'.
'Of course', intervened Marie. 'We are looking into her disappearance. You realize she was an important personality- I do not know if you are informed that the De Chagnys are one of the most prestigious families of France-and the girl vanished after the death of her husband and…', Marie delicately took the envelope her partner had been holding in her hand. 'We thought that she would know something after we found this letter. That's how we got this address. Obviously, the poor girl wished to contact her best friend before escaping somewhere else, I guess, because the place where we discovered this message was… deserted'.
She held out the letter to Madame Giry, maybe a bit unsure and expecting that she did not show too much interest or posed too many questions that would obstruct their work. She observed the envelope carefully and then opened it, waiting for the two women's approval so that she could read the contents…
Her snow-white complexion turned paler.
She was totally engrossed in her thoughts. She did not understand how she had managed not to fall under the spell of his gaze and touch that time. Though he had sounded truly interested when he had asked her if she would be leaving his apartment again… but no, that time she was determined not to yield to what he represented. She had promised that much to herself, even though experience told her that she would probably break that promise anytime and in more than one occasion. How, how was it possible loving someone in spite of the unfaithfulness of his feelings and of the fact that he probably had never corresponded her, to begin with?
Her steps were now quick, trying to reach the place as soon as possible. She did not want to see him or know anything about him, just finish off and leave. In her haste, she felt she had bumped with someone brusquely, a man. She did not know who it was until she lifted her eyes, which opened in surprising recognition. It was the same gentleman she had seen that day , the one that reminded her so much of…
'Pardon, monsieur. It was not my intention…'.
His light-blue eyes looked at her kindly. 'Oh, it's me who should beg for your forgiveness, Mademoiselle. I did not intend to get into your way either, and I see you are quite in a rush'.
'Yes', she admitted shyly, at the same time that she prepared to get on her way home. 'It's no problem, sir, thank you for your kindness'.
Édmond's brow knitted as he paid more attention to the girl's features. He noticed something… there was some familiar yet odd closeness to her that bothered him.
'Excuse me', his demand made her turn to him. 'I wandered…have we ever met? Is it possible that we might have seen each other somewhere else?'.
Damned it. Could it be that he had seen her that day after all? No, that was definitely out of question…
She laughed carelessly. 'I'm afraid not, Monsieur. It's the first time I've bumped into you…'.
He smiled, a bit unsure yet. 'Yes, of course, you must be right. Have a nice evening!'.
She nodded, as she watched him heading for the end of the street.
'Then…Are you sure that you do not know anything?', insisted Emma.
Madame Giry was trying too hard to not loose her composure and gave the woman a cold glare.
'No, I can only say that it's…truly regrettable that she's ended in such a predicament but do not doubt that I'll pass the message over to her, ladies'.
The two women stood and headed for the entrance.
'If that's it, we do not have anymore to do here. Thank you very much for your attention and please excuse the inconvenience…'- Marie looked at her with a polite expression.
'It's no problem', she smiled half-heartedly. 'If only I could offer a better help…'.
Both intruders nodded and said goodbye with false courtesy. Madame Giry closed the door venid them.
'Poor Christine...', her tone was spiritless. 'What have they done to you, my child?'.
That was the moment her daughter chose to unlock the main door. She had been listening to most of the conversation through the back door. As soon as the young woman found her mother, they clang into each other as if their lives depended on it. And Meg cried for her friend, while her dutiful mother caressed lovingly her long blond hair.
Somehow, she managed to get up. When she rested her naked feet on the cold wooden floor, she felt as if her body weighed a ton. However, she felt hungry after so many hours without having taken absolutely nothing to eat. She started walking slowly to the kitchen but, on her way, she stumbled over a carpet, landing on the floor and taking all the documents and papers that had been on the table with her. While she tried to recover her composure she distinguished some paper with Édmond's handwriting on it. Looking around to make sure she was completely alone, she took the paper in her hands with utter care. She began reading, not wanting to believe what was written before her eyes. Christine's hand shot to her mouth. Quickly, she left the paper aside. Édmond would be there at any moment with the doctor that would examine her.