Chapter 10:

During dinner, she had, by pure chance, found herself in front of William, to their delight for both. She had felt the young man's legs caress hers for a moment with a feeling of guilty pleasure. Then, that feeling had suddenly subsided when she felt the hand of her husband, seated on her right, slide on her thigh.

She had then looked at William with a nervous air that the latter noticed immediately, understanding perfectly well what was happening in front of him. He seethed inwardly when he confirmed his suspicions by "inadvertently" dropping his napkin and looking under the table to pick it up. He saw Ethan's hand on Julia's thigh, way too close to her center.

He met Julia's gaze again, who was watching him with anxiety and sadness. He just nodded at her, trying to give her a sign that everything would be fine.

Unfortunately, the two lovers had not been able to meet for the rest of the evening. At the end of the reception, Ethan found his wife chatting with Mr. Pagnol's wife. He took her with him by the waist and they began to say good evening to the other guests who, too, slipped away and went home.

The Brenks parents found their daughters in a corner of the room, sitting there looking…dejected. Ethan noticed the distressed look of his youngest, Emily, and immediately worried. Julia, who had obviously noticed their mood too, questioned them, but for some reason their parents did not understand, the girls just looked away, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. They did not insist and returned to send their greetings to the rest of the guests in the company of their daughters.

When the Brenks walked up to Inspector Brackenreid with his wife and Detective Murdoch, Julia's heart skipped a beat. They all greeted each other very politely, although William and Julia's gazes were much more pronounced than normal.

Rosemary and Emily immediately recognized their mother's lover and lowered their heads, still embarrassed, noticing the glances they were giving each other discreetly.

"You looked so beautiful tonight Julia…" Ethan smiled at his wife who seemed lost in thought as she stared out the window of the carriage taking them home.

Rosemary and Emily looked up at their parents who were in front of them in the car. When Rosemary opened the office door a crack and found her mother passionately kissing a black-haired stranger, her brain froze. She had been in such shock to see that.

She had put things together and everything had become clearer. It became clear why her mother had been so different over the past few weeks. She had a lover… She did not know if the shock came from the fact that she did not know her mother that well, or if it came from the fact that she had a double life.

She looked up at her parents when she heard her father express with bright eyes, how beautiful her mother was. She watched as her mother stared at him, her cheeks rosy with the compliment, but her eyes distant, lost in her own thoughts.

Today, she once again had the unpleasant impression of looking at a woman and not her mother. As if everything she had known had disappeared that evening. She looked at her father for a few moments, her heart sinking as she saw the bright eyes of pride he had on his wife.

"You mustn't talk about it. Neither to dad nor to anyone, do you hear? It's way too serious."

"I'm 15, I'm not stupid." Emily snapped at her sister.

The two sisters were in Emily's room, sitting on her bed. Arms crossed, Emily thought as she looked at her sister. She too had been completely amazed at what they had discovered. Emily had always been close to her mother and had been happy to find her in a better mood lately. However, what was hiding behind this good mood did not please her at all. It was way too awful.

"Don't you think Dad knows?" Emily asked softly.

"But what are you saying? Of course not!" Rosemary annoyed.

"I don't know… Maybe it's a tacit agreement between them. Maybe dad is doing the same on his side…"

"Nonsense." Rosemary rolled her eyes at her sister's speech.

"Stop treating me like I'm five. I'm shocked too, you don't need to be rude."

Rosemary lowered her eyes then slowly raised them to her sister.

"You're right… Excuse me. We shouldn't get involved in all this… Just, everything will be fine. I promise you." the eldest smiled sadly at her sister, before giving her a reassuring hug and slipping away to her own room, not at all convinced of her previous words.

When Julia opened her eyes the next morning, she immediately remembered the day before and smiled. It had been wonderful. The short time she had had with William had been amazing and she felt like she was in a dream. Sometimes she wished she had known him before she married Ethan. But she did not regret her current life. She could never bear not having her two beautiful and intelligent daughters with her, Emily, and Rosemary. They were her reason for living and she loved them more than anything.

Yet, since meeting William, her whole world had changed. She had fallen madly in love with him, and she felt incredibly good.

"You smile…"

Julia turned to her husband, lying beside her. He was looking at her tiredly from the night before. How long had he been watching her?

Julia simply nodded then tried to quickly get out of bed before her husband could catch her and force her to stay in his embrace. And she knew she had been right when she turned to see the disappointed look he now had.

"I would like you to do me a favor, my dear." Ethan began softly as he got up from the bed too.

He walked over to his wife with long golden hair and put his arms around her as she looked at her various dresses in her closet.

"Yes?" she asked distractedly as she tried not to tense up at her husband's advances.

"I need to deliver a letter urgently to Chief Inspector Brackenreid at Station 4"

Julia's heart literally skipped a beat at her husband's words. He wanted her to go to Station 4. William worked at Station 4. She must not be smiling. She did not have to smile. If she smiled, it would seem far too strange.

"And why do you need me for this? Wouldn't you rather do it yourself?" Julia tried to create a diversion.

"I'm not going to be able to give it to him today. I have a lot of work and I have a meeting with the doctors of the High Medical School to choose the interns who will come to do their internship at the hospital next year. I'll be home late... Don't wait for me for dinner." explained Dr. Brenks.

"What time…" Julia inhaled sharply when she felt her husband's hand sneaking vulgarly towards her femininity under her dressing gown. "What time do you expect to be back?"

"Hmmm… I don't know… Probably around 11:00 p.m.…" he replied distractedly, inhaling the scent of his wife's neck.

"Okay…okay." breathed the young woman with difficulty as her body responded, despite everything, instinctively to her husband's advances.

She closed her eyes and immediately saw William taking shape in her mind. She could not help it. She knew her husband misunderstood her reactions and she felt guilty somehow. But all she had to do was remember William's smile to immediately feel in a good mood.

Note: Poor Rosemary and Emily…Julia will go to the Station with a letter. Thank you to those who continue to read my story. And also a big big thanks to Sparky She-Demon who wrote me lots of comments on several of my fictions. Really thank you it's super nice and it made me too happy ! I hope you will like the rest.