Emilie sits quietly in a carriage from Jarjayes manor, slowly twisting and untwisting a handkerchief Oscar had given to her before her uncle's trial. The white linen is stained now. Soaked through with tears and smudged with the rouge Granny had dabbed gently on Emilie's cheeks that morning. The trial had gone as expected. Emilie's testimony along with statements from both Oscar and Andre were quite enough to convict her uncle. He would hang for his crimes.

Emilie twists the handkerchief up tightly again and the delicate embroidery begins to fray. Her eyes are dry. There's nothing left. She has nothing left. Her last living relative is going to die and she will be all alone. She knows how odd this thought is. Just a few days ago she was prepared to lay her uncle open with a sword herself. But having had some time to reflect, she only feels sorry for him. He had succeeded in his mission to make her understand how he felt. Angry. Empty. Alone…

"Emilie."

Emilie starts and drops the handkerchief into her lap. Andre looks in at her through the carriage window. "Oh, Andre. You startled me." She forces a weak smile.

"I'm sorry." Andre returns her smile awkwardly. "Are you ready to go back to the manor?" He asks softly.

"Yes," says Emilie. "Where's Oscar?"

"She has some palace business to attend to. She'll be home in a few days."

"She didn't mention that to me." Emilie wilts slightly.

"If it makes you feel any better, she didn't say much to me either. A messenger from the palace was waiting for her after the trial. All I know is that it's very urgent." Andre explains gently.

"Oh…" Emilie sighs.

"Now, now." says Andre. "She'll be back before you know it. I'll keep you company until then."

Emilie looks up at Andre who is grinning goofily at her. She chokes back a small laugh.

"It will be all right." Andre says hopefully. He disappears from the window and climbs up into the driver's seat above. He gathers the reins and clicks to the horses.

As the carriage moves forward, Emilie picks up the handkerchief and holds it out the window. She watches it float in the breeze for a few moments before letting it go.

The days without Oscar are agonizing for Emilie despite Andre's best efforts to cheer her up. The nights are even worse. Her nightmares are filled with thick ropes and splintered wood. Then a ghastly vision of her uncle with his neck at an odd angle shuffles towards her, his arms groping blindly for her throat. "How could you?" He rasps. "How could you?"

Emilie awakes in a cold sweat and rushes to Oscar's room only to find it empty. She throws herself down on the bed and sobs into the pillows until she's too exhausted to care anymore. She then lays awake, staring blankly at the window as the sky lightens outside. Just before daybreak, she finally falls asleep.

Emilie awakes with a start. She had been dreaming about her husband and son. It was such a gentle and pleasant dream. A welcome, if sad, reprieve from the nightmares that plagued her. She could see their faces so clearly. They were picnicking on the hill behind their home by the sea. Her son was toddling. His first steps. They were laughing. The sun was so bright it made everything look soft and warm around the edges. Emilie closes her eyes. Someone knocks.

"Emilie?" Andre's voice drifts through the door. "Are you in there?"

Emilie doesn't answer, trying desperately to hold on to the sweetness of the dream that is now quickly slipping away her.

"Oscar is back."

Emilie opens her eyes again and pushes herself up. "Oscar." Her angel. Her only remaining reason to keep breathing. She gets up quickly and opens the door, looking past Andre eagerly.

Andre laughs. "She's not here! She's in the courtyard. She's waiting for you."

Emilie smiles sheepishly. "Oh." She starts into the hall in only her nightgown when Granny spots her from the top of the staircase. In her arms is a simple, but lovely blue dress.

"Oh no you don't!" Granny shouts, bustling towards them at top speed. "You're not going outside like that!"

Andre barely manages to step out of the way as Granny pushes past him.

"But-" Emilie starts to protest, but Granny is upon her and ushers her back into Oscar's room and slams the door.

"I'm glad I caught you!" Granny quickly helps Emilie into the dress. "I know you're excited that Lady Oscar is home, but for goodness sake!" She starts to fuss with Emilie's hair, but Emilie is starting towards the door again.

"Granny. Thank you. I'm sorry!" Emilie says breathlessly. She rushes back into the hall. Andre is gone, but no matter.

"Emilie! Your shoes!" Granny calls after her.

Emilie doesn't hear her. She hurries down the stairs and opens front door of the manor, her bare feet slipping slightly on the polished floor of the foyer. She sees a carriage and Oscar standing with her back to her, her golden hair shining in the bright, morning sunlight. "Oscar! I missed-"

Oscar turns and Emilie's heart leaps into her throat. She stops, frozen to the spot. Afraid to breathe in fear she will wake up again and the perfect vision of her son wrapped gently in Oscar's arms will disappear forever.

Emilie sinks to the ground as Oscar walks towards her. "I had a hunch." She says quietly, handling the fair haired child to his mother. "Your uncle didn't kill your son. He wanted him to replace his own. It took some time to find out where he was hiding him. I didn't want to tell you in case I was wrong."

Trembling, Emilie envelops her sweet boy in her arms. He looks bewildered for a moment, then clings to her with his small hands. "Maman."

"Henri." Emilie chokes and holds her baby so tightly that he begins to cry. It's the sweetest sound she has ever heard in all her life. She relaxes and holds him out so she can look at him, gently wiping the tears from his soft cheeks with one hand. "Sorry, mon cœur. I'm sorry." He's grown. He looks like his father. The smile that spreads across Emilie's face is so bright that the sun would be envious.

FIN


My dear sweet readers! I'm so sorry I disappeared. I became pregnant when I was writing this and my darling son was born before I could finish. He just turned 6 months old. Gosh! I was thinking about poor Emilie tonight and felt inspired to finish her story so she could be reunited with her own sweet boy. This chapter is really short and very rough, but I hope it will satisfy you. I like to imagine that Emilie goes back to Normandy and remains friends with Oscar until the very end. They write letters to each other and Oscar visits with her when she goes to her family's villa. Eventually, Emilie meets Rosalie and they become good friends, too. Maybe someday I will write an epilogue, but for now I will mark this story as complete. I hope you enjoyed my first fan-fiction! I had so much fun writing it. Until next time… Aideu.