"Christian has finally come to his senses and he's coming home, Catharine."
Proclaimed the weathered William James.
"What?" Catharine responded with a puzzled expression, "Are you certain?"
"Yes, dear. My son, your husband, is coming back home at last. It took him
long enough, don't you think?" the old man responded.
Catharine sighed and whined, "I hope he brought me something from Paris. He
knows that I've never been there."
Christian and Catharine were married in September of 1898 in an arranged situation. Christian was horribly depressed when they were married, while Catharine found it as a blessing. After all, Christian was the eldest child of the affluent William James, meaning that Christian would be well off when "the old bag" died, as Catharine put it.
There was no love in their marriage, even though there was effort put into it. Even though he knew it would cause a scandal and that he would probably not be allowed to return home, Christian left his house and his wife in the care of his father while he went to Montmartre to write about truth, beauty, freedom, and love.
His father had warned him, "You'll end up wasting your life at the Moulin Rouge with a can-can dancer!" His wife had begged him, "You can't leave, Christian! I'll never be able to show my face in polite society!" But Christian didn't listen to them and he went ahead with his plans.
About a month before Christian left, he slept with Catharine, but only to make her stop pestering him. He still didn't love her, and he had no way of knowing that on the day that he left, the doctor was visiting his wife to check and see if she was pregnant. She was, and Oliver James was born in January of 1900.
The months after Oliver was born were the hardest. Dozens of aristocratic ladies visited the house to see the new baby and questioned Christian's whereabouts. The only thing that Catharine could tell them was that he was in France on business. The ladies shook their heads in disapproval and whispered to each other on their way out the door.
"Business in France? What a lie! We've all heard the rumors. He's in Montmartre!" Lady Anderson whispered. "Montmartre? Why, Lady Anderson, are you certain?" Lady Graham gasped. "Yes, dear. He's been sleeping around with can-can dancers the entire time that Oliver has been alive." Lady Anderson replied. "Well I heard that when Catharine told him that she was pregnant, he got so upset that he left and refused to return." Lady Martin added. "He was such a charming young man. What could have happened to him? How could he have left a pregnant woman to have sinful affairs with prostitutes in Paris?" Lady Graham questioned out loud. "I feel so sorry for poor Catharine. She has to raise that boy up all alone without a proper husband. If Christian every returns, I can only imagine what will happen." Lady Stevens rang in. "You're right, Lady Stevens. Poor Catharine." Replied all of the ladies.
That was what life was like for Catharine and Oliver while Christian was gone. A life filled with gossip, scandal, and pity.
Meanwhile, back in Montmartre:
"You're a father? That can't be possible?" Toulouse asked with a confused look on his face. "I can't believe it either, Toulouse, but it is possible. Catharine must have been pregnant when I left London." Christian said, looking at the letter. "Who is Catharine?" Toulouse asked. With a sigh, Christian told Toulouse the story of their arranged and unhappy marriage and how he had left London to pursue his dream of becoming a writer.
"I never dreamed that my life in Montmartre turn out the way it did." Christian said at the end of the story, "Satine would have never had to lie to everyone and she would have lived longer if I had never came." "Don't say that! She's dead, Christian. We all miss her, especially you, but you've got to move on. Your time here was a learning experience. When you move back to London, you have to remember everything that you learned here." Toulouse shouted.
"What are you talking about? I learned nothing but heartache and loss." Christian sobbed. "You learned about truth, beauty, freedom, and love. When you go back to London, you can be the Christian that is true to himself and who lives each day to the fullest." Toulouse replied softly.
Toulouse left after that, but not before giving Christian the Toulouse- Lautrec residence address. "If you send a letter there, my mother will make sure that I get it." Toulouse added as he walked out of the door.
Christian and Catharine were married in September of 1898 in an arranged situation. Christian was horribly depressed when they were married, while Catharine found it as a blessing. After all, Christian was the eldest child of the affluent William James, meaning that Christian would be well off when "the old bag" died, as Catharine put it.
There was no love in their marriage, even though there was effort put into it. Even though he knew it would cause a scandal and that he would probably not be allowed to return home, Christian left his house and his wife in the care of his father while he went to Montmartre to write about truth, beauty, freedom, and love.
His father had warned him, "You'll end up wasting your life at the Moulin Rouge with a can-can dancer!" His wife had begged him, "You can't leave, Christian! I'll never be able to show my face in polite society!" But Christian didn't listen to them and he went ahead with his plans.
About a month before Christian left, he slept with Catharine, but only to make her stop pestering him. He still didn't love her, and he had no way of knowing that on the day that he left, the doctor was visiting his wife to check and see if she was pregnant. She was, and Oliver James was born in January of 1900.
The months after Oliver was born were the hardest. Dozens of aristocratic ladies visited the house to see the new baby and questioned Christian's whereabouts. The only thing that Catharine could tell them was that he was in France on business. The ladies shook their heads in disapproval and whispered to each other on their way out the door.
"Business in France? What a lie! We've all heard the rumors. He's in Montmartre!" Lady Anderson whispered. "Montmartre? Why, Lady Anderson, are you certain?" Lady Graham gasped. "Yes, dear. He's been sleeping around with can-can dancers the entire time that Oliver has been alive." Lady Anderson replied. "Well I heard that when Catharine told him that she was pregnant, he got so upset that he left and refused to return." Lady Martin added. "He was such a charming young man. What could have happened to him? How could he have left a pregnant woman to have sinful affairs with prostitutes in Paris?" Lady Graham questioned out loud. "I feel so sorry for poor Catharine. She has to raise that boy up all alone without a proper husband. If Christian every returns, I can only imagine what will happen." Lady Stevens rang in. "You're right, Lady Stevens. Poor Catharine." Replied all of the ladies.
That was what life was like for Catharine and Oliver while Christian was gone. A life filled with gossip, scandal, and pity.
Meanwhile, back in Montmartre:
"You're a father? That can't be possible?" Toulouse asked with a confused look on his face. "I can't believe it either, Toulouse, but it is possible. Catharine must have been pregnant when I left London." Christian said, looking at the letter. "Who is Catharine?" Toulouse asked. With a sigh, Christian told Toulouse the story of their arranged and unhappy marriage and how he had left London to pursue his dream of becoming a writer.
"I never dreamed that my life in Montmartre turn out the way it did." Christian said at the end of the story, "Satine would have never had to lie to everyone and she would have lived longer if I had never came." "Don't say that! She's dead, Christian. We all miss her, especially you, but you've got to move on. Your time here was a learning experience. When you move back to London, you have to remember everything that you learned here." Toulouse shouted.
"What are you talking about? I learned nothing but heartache and loss." Christian sobbed. "You learned about truth, beauty, freedom, and love. When you go back to London, you can be the Christian that is true to himself and who lives each day to the fullest." Toulouse replied softly.
Toulouse left after that, but not before giving Christian the Toulouse- Lautrec residence address. "If you send a letter there, my mother will make sure that I get it." Toulouse added as he walked out of the door.