The Woman with the Bouquet by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

Author:Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Europa

Gabrielle was taken back into her cell with her wet hair, and she collapsed on the bed to go on thinking. That was what had been going on in her brain for the last three years of their life together as a couple, that was what she was hiding from everyone, that was how her life had been drained of savor and meaning to be reduced to a continuous nightmare. At the least by killing Gab she had acted, had put an end to that unbearable anxiety. She didn’t regret it. This afternoon, however, the doctor’s testimony had shaken her: she had learned why Gab was no longer as sensual, and how he must be suffering. The doctor’s comment had chipped away at her block of convictions.

Why was she discovering this only now? Before, she used to think he avoided her to devote his energy to his mistresses. Couldn’t that irresponsible Dr. Racan have spoken to her about it earlier?

“Gabrielle de Sarlat to the visitors’ room. Your lawyer is waiting for you.”

It couldn’t have come at a better time.

Maître Plissier placed the four tin boxes on the table.

“There you are! Now, explain.”

Gabrielle didn’t answer. She sat down and opened the tins, voraciously. Her fingers scurried through the papers that lay inside each box, pulling some sheets out to decipher them, then others, and still others . . .

After a few minutes, Gabrielle fell to the floor, prostrate, suffocating. Maître Plissier alerted the warders, who helped him to make the prisoner comfortable and got her to breathe. They took her on a stretcher to the infirmary, where they gave her a tranquilizer.

An hour later, when she had regained consciousness, she asked where her lawyer had gone. They informed her that he had gone away again with the boxes to prepare for the hearing.

Gabrielle begged them to give her another tranquilizer, and lapsed into unconsciousness. Anything, rather than think about what those metal boxes contained.

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