AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Marianne rushed forward and embraced her, closing her eyes as she breathed her in.
Perhaps Sister Augustine understood, because she stayed back for a while, as Marianne played with Marguerite chasing after her, hugging and kissing her, committing every inch of her face to memory.
After some time, Marguerite retired to the blanket looking tired, and Marianne gave her one last kiss, trying to keep the tears from falling onto her child’s face.
Marianne went to the nun. Sister Augustine’s smile faltered when she saw her. It was written there.
Sister Augustine sighed. ‘So you did it, then.’
She was speaking, of course, of Otto Busch.
Marianne nodded, and she began to sob quietly as she told the nun everything. Afterwards she said, ‘I – I’ll need your help.’
Sister Augustine nodded. ‘Yes. We can try to hide you.’
Marianne shook her head. ‘Not that. I made a promise to Jacques that I would have a priest come say the rites to place a headstone there. Do you think – perhaps one day when this is all over you could do it?’
Sister Augustine’s lip wobbled. ‘I would be honoured, cherie. But,’ and that’s when the tears began to fall fast, ‘y-you could just stay, Marianne. God will forgive you, child.’
Marianne looked at her, then looked back at her now sleeping daughter and wished she could. But she couldn’t. She knew she couldn’t. ‘They left out a part in Ecclesiastes, I feel.’
The nun frowned. ‘What do you mean?’ She remembered that they’d spoken of that passage before.
‘There is a time for vengeance and a time for justice, too.’
Marianne turned to leave, as she squared her shoulders and prepared to return to Paris to meet hers.
