*

It was several days before Pierre was able to meet with Annette again. As before, they met in the market, where they could mingle with the crowds of housewives carrying baskets to do their marketing. Annette carried hers as she carefully chose bread, eggs, onions and garlic for their evening meal.

Pierre told her about Jeannot’s visit to the stable. ‘He says if you want to earn some money you should find someone called Benny Bonnet who has a stall selling chickens and eggs in the St Eustache market. He says he’ll tell Benny to expect you. It won’t be much, but I thought you might be glad to get out of the apartment for a few hours each day. Hélène can still do the sewing you bring her and between you, you should bring in enough without having to borrow from Agathe.’

Annette was delighted with the idea. She longed to escape the apartment into the fresh air, such as it was, of the city streets. Together they went to the market in St Eustache Square, where it was easy enough to find Benny, standing beside his stall, a crate of live chickens at his side, several others, their necks wrung, hanging from hooks along the roof of the stall.

Benny was a small rat of a man, with a fringe of sandy-coloured hair around a bald pate, who greeted them with a grin displaying wide pink gums in an almost toothless mouth.

‘Jeannot said you might come see me,’ he said. ‘Says you need a job. Well, my missus is laid low at present, so you could help me on the stall each day if you like. Dealing with the chickens an’ that. Can’t pay you much, just a couple of francs a day.’ He squinted at Annette and added, ‘You look a useful sort of girl and Jeannot says you’re honest enough.’ He nodded several times and then said, ‘Important that, as I might have to leave you on your own at the stall sometimes when I got some other business to do.’

It was agreed, and Annette was able to tell Hélène when she got home that, thanks to Jeannot, they had another source of income.

Chapter 43

Kitty Chalfont lost her child and her life in mid-February. She had struggled with her pregnancy from the start, but was reassured by Dr Evans, the family physician, when he said that the morning sickness that laid her low would probably abate by the end of the third month.

‘Still feeling a bit sick?’ he had asked on one of his regular visits.

‘Just a bit,’ admitted Kitty. ‘And some pain, in my side. I just can’t seem to get comfortable.’

‘Ah,’ said the doctor with a smile. ‘The joys of pregnancy. No bleeding, though?’

‘Just a few spots,’ Kitty said. She looked at him anxiously. ‘I’m not going to have a miscarriage, am I?’

‘No, my dear lady,’ replied the doctor heartily. ‘Whatever makes you think that?’