The Painter's Girl: Absolutely heartbreaking historical romance set in Paris by Helen Fripp

Author:Helen Fripp [Fripp, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781803141220
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2022-03-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Mimi slept fitfully that night, haunted by Colette’s scream, her fall, her little girl’s defiant declaration that she was a bloody nuisance. So when the clock struck 3 a.m. and there was an urgent rap on the door, she was already wide awake.

‘Who is it?’ she called, throwing on a gown.

‘It’s me, Agnes, from the Tuileries.’

Mimi’s heart throbbed in her ears as she flew to the door.

‘What the hell is wrong; is it Colette?’

Agnes stepped inside, looking shocked at the size and plainness of her little room.

‘No, Mademoiselle, it’s Jean-Baptiste. He’s dying, we don’t think he’ll last the night, and he’s asked to see you. I am to take you to him, but please hurry!’

Mimi dressed, hands trembling at the hooks and buttons on her new dress. Putain, too many of these!

Agnes helped. ‘Less haste, more speed. We’ll get you sorted and I’ve a carriage waiting outside. He paid for it. He’s a good man, Mademoiselle, and I’m sorry for him.’

In the carriage, Mimi fired questions at Agnes like a mad thing. No, Colette didn’t know her papa was dying, he’d adored his little girl, called for Mimi incessantly, much to his sister’s chagrin. So that was the reason for today’s encounter. Even though she’d been dismissed by his sister, he knew he could trust her, and he’d despatched Agnes to find her, and report back. She’d told Jean-Baptiste what a fine lady she was, and how kind she’d been to Colette and now he wouldn’t take the last rites until she came. Yes, it was that bad, the priest had been summoned.

Mimi rapped on the carriage window. The cabbie was driving like it was a bloody Sunday promenade.

‘Faster! A man is dying, for God’s sake!’

The cabbie whipped the horses and the carriage jolted into a gallop, bumping over the cobbles and forcing Mimi and Agnes to cling to each other to steady themselves.

Agnes whispered prayers under her breath over and over again, Please, God, please, God, let us get there in time, while Mimi’s mind raced. She thought she’d never see him, or Colette, again. How could she have been foolish enough to think that, when they’d made something so precious together, when the golden thread that connected her to Colette would never be broken?

The carriage juddered to a halt in front of an elegant villa on the Left Bank. She’d never known where he lived.

Pressing a coin into the coachman’s palm, Agnes ushered Mimi to the door, opened it herself and led her up the marble staircase. Mimi had expected to see servants running back and forth, the house in uproar with the master dying in their midst, but it was eerily quiet and empty. A fat priest held open the bedroom door, crossed himself in distaste as they passed, and there was Jean-Baptiste lying still, covers pulled tightly up to his chin, like he was already a corpse. Agnes slipped away, and Mimi stifled a gasp. She’d forgotten how young he was, only a year older than her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.