whole body shook as he turned and ran from the room. Dear God, what to do? Once again his vows had trapped him. Marcel did it intentionally. He asked for a confession because it bound Xavier to silence. But why did these rules bind him? Colleagues reneged on them all the time, yet Xavier clung to some notion that an order existed in the universe. If he promised God something, he had to practice it or lose all faith in the system. But this was his sister! Xavier sweated profusely as he reached the street. Catherine, who stood with her typical confidence, looked at him with surprise, the glassy gaze entirely gone.
“Xavier, what on earth?”
“I have to go.”
Catherine muttered a protest but Xavier ran down the street without her. His heart pounded. Nothing had scared him more in his entire life. Evil. He had encountered pure evil. And it wanted to marry his sister. It trapped him in a corner and forced him to keep a secret. Catherine’s fierce independence led to the ultimate irony. She had fallen under the spell of a sinister and manipulative man. Xavier shook with fear as sweat ran down his forehead. He tore off his collar and raced to the church where he collapsed on his bed. His two worlds, family and church, collided with a violent force. He buried his head in a pillow and wept.
Xavier: Jérémie Pain
26 May 1789 Late afternoon
XAVIER HAD CRIED himself to sleep after running away from Catherine and her so-called fiancé. He had to hide and found refuge only in his dreams. Marcel trapped him into silence, and now, back at his church, he had only questions. What was that liquid? Was she under a spell? It sounded absurd. Xavier did not believe such nonsense, but Catherine had acted so differently after she had drunk it.
After dressing, Xavier headed toward the Saint-Laurent home, deciding that he would wait to talk to Thomas before doing anything about Marcel. Xavier drew all the courage he could muster as he climbed the stairs and entered the house. To his surprise, he walked into the parlor and saw Catherine sitting with Jérémie.
“Xavier, I hoped you would come. Have you recovered? Are you sick?” she asked, with concern in her voice.
“I’m well,” Xavier lied as he knelt and kissed her on the cheek then nodded toward Jérémie.
“Your timing is exquisite,” Catherine said. “We were discussing my engagement. Jérémie had no idea, can you imagine?” Jérémie glanced miserably at Xavier as Xavier took his seat and prepared for an evening of torture. “I told him all about Marcel, and the money—did I tell you about his holdings?”
“Yes,” Jérémie whispered.
“Did you tell Jérémie that you don’t love Marcel?” Xavier asked, trying to coax some sense into her.
“A minor detail,” Catherine said and rolled her eyes. “My brother dislikes the arrangements I have made. He believes in marrying for love and devotion, trivial impossibilities, if you ask me. I’ll never be able to love in a situation where someone dictates my life. So I chose based on financial interests and pure attraction. Look at you two,” she added. “You’re acting positively forlorn.”
Xavier rubbed his temples. How could she be so blind? “Is it an attraction to him or to spite Michel?” he asked.
“Don’t patronize me. It’s true that I don’t love Marcel, I just feel an attraction to him. But I know that society expects marriage, so I’ll choose my husband. Spiting Michel in the process is just an added bonus.”
“It sounds as if you have decided,” Jérémie finally said, “but why do this so hastily? Don’t do this to spite Michel. I’m sure that his suitor will leave you alone now that you can take your time with whatever decisions you want to make.”
“You’re so sweet. I know you worry about me, but I won’t rush into anything. Despite our engagement, he leaves soon for a voyage. Part of his business, and that delays further discussion. Actually, that’s another
“Xavier, what on earth?”
“I have to go.”
Catherine muttered a protest but Xavier ran down the street without her. His heart pounded. Nothing had scared him more in his entire life. Evil. He had encountered pure evil. And it wanted to marry his sister. It trapped him in a corner and forced him to keep a secret. Catherine’s fierce independence led to the ultimate irony. She had fallen under the spell of a sinister and manipulative man. Xavier shook with fear as sweat ran down his forehead. He tore off his collar and raced to the church where he collapsed on his bed. His two worlds, family and church, collided with a violent force. He buried his head in a pillow and wept.
Xavier: Jérémie Pain
26 May 1789 Late afternoon
XAVIER HAD CRIED himself to sleep after running away from Catherine and her so-called fiancé. He had to hide and found refuge only in his dreams. Marcel trapped him into silence, and now, back at his church, he had only questions. What was that liquid? Was she under a spell? It sounded absurd. Xavier did not believe such nonsense, but Catherine had acted so differently after she had drunk it.
After dressing, Xavier headed toward the Saint-Laurent home, deciding that he would wait to talk to Thomas before doing anything about Marcel. Xavier drew all the courage he could muster as he climbed the stairs and entered the house. To his surprise, he walked into the parlor and saw Catherine sitting with Jérémie.
“Xavier, I hoped you would come. Have you recovered? Are you sick?” she asked, with concern in her voice.
“I’m well,” Xavier lied as he knelt and kissed her on the cheek then nodded toward Jérémie.
“Your timing is exquisite,” Catherine said. “We were discussing my engagement. Jérémie had no idea, can you imagine?” Jérémie glanced miserably at Xavier as Xavier took his seat and prepared for an evening of torture. “I told him all about Marcel, and the money—did I tell you about his holdings?”
“Yes,” Jérémie whispered.
“Did you tell Jérémie that you don’t love Marcel?” Xavier asked, trying to coax some sense into her.
“A minor detail,” Catherine said and rolled her eyes. “My brother dislikes the arrangements I have made. He believes in marrying for love and devotion, trivial impossibilities, if you ask me. I’ll never be able to love in a situation where someone dictates my life. So I chose based on financial interests and pure attraction. Look at you two,” she added. “You’re acting positively forlorn.”
Xavier rubbed his temples. How could she be so blind? “Is it an attraction to him or to spite Michel?” he asked.
“Don’t patronize me. It’s true that I don’t love Marcel, I just feel an attraction to him. But I know that society expects marriage, so I’ll choose my husband. Spiting Michel in the process is just an added bonus.”
“It sounds as if you have decided,” Jérémie finally said, “but why do this so hastily? Don’t do this to spite Michel. I’m sure that his suitor will leave you alone now that you can take your time with whatever decisions you want to make.”
“You’re so sweet. I know you worry about me, but I won’t rush into anything. Despite our engagement, he leaves soon for a voyage. Part of his business, and that delays further discussion. Actually, that’s another
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