‘You should be grateful, madame, that despite your revelations I am still prepared to marry Hélène if she returns before the scandal becomes well known.’ Simon got to his feet and walked to the door. ‘I bid you good day, madame, and expect to have news of Hélène just as soon as you have any yourselves.’

When he had finally swept out of the house, Rosalie went back into her parlour and dropped into her chair by the fire. Where, she wondered, had the charming, suave gentleman whom she’d known as Simon Barnier gone? And who was this raging tyrant who’d appeared in his place? How could one man have two such different faces? How could she send her daughter back to such a man? She remembered that she had been going to speak to Agathe Sauze about Hélène and Annette’s disappearance, but now she decided not to. She knew how fond of Hélène Madame Sauze was, and if she did know anything of where they’d gone, Rosalie suddenly did not want to know. If she knew, she would be honour-bound to inform Simon.

Chapter 42

Hélène and Annette gradually settled into a comfortable routine in Agathe’s apartment. Hélène slowly overcame her dread of leaving the place and venturing into the street.

‘I don’t think you need to worry,’ Annette said when Hélène admitted her fear. ‘I’ve had a letter from Pierre and he says that Simon has told some story about you being called away to a sick aunt. No one believes it, of course, but he has to try to save face. Pierre says he made various efforts to trace us. He went to the station himself to see if anyone had seen us getting on the train but luckily no one had noticed us. The man in the ticket office told him that he hadn’t even seen two young women that morning, let alone sold them tickets to Paris or anywhere else. Of course,’ Annette went on, ‘he must be pretty sure that’s where we are, but he might as well look for a needle in a haystack. Pierre says Simon’s certainly been to the Avenue Ste Anne and he thinks to Versailles to see your brother Georges too, in case you were hiding there.’

‘Do you think he’ll think that Pierre might have bought the tickets?’ wondered Hélène.

‘I suppose he might, but even if he does, Pierre will deny it and Simon can still only guess that we came to Paris.’

‘But we can’t stay here for ever,’ Hélène pointed out. ‘It’s very good of Madame Sauze to lend us her apartment, but we can’t stay here for ever.’

‘No, I agree,’ said Annette, ‘but once Simon and your parents are all convinced that you will never go back to him, perhaps some arrangement can be made, so that you can come out of hiding. Perhaps I’ll know more tomorrow.’

‘Tomorrow? Why, what’s happening tomorrow?’

Annette smiled, her eyes alight with pleasure, and said, ‘Pierre’s coming up to the Avenue Ste Anne with Madame St Clair today. We’re going to see each other tomorrow.’