Page 125 of The Ringmaster’s Daughter

Michel sat, his leg jumping with nerves, as Henri drank his whisky back and then poured another.

‘She told them. She told that fils de pute little German officer who we all are. She told them what Werner has been doing. Salope! What for? What for? Some money? Some jewellery?’

‘He said he would look after me, that Wolff would take care of me!’ she cried. ‘It was a mistake – a slip of the tongue… I didn’t mean it – I trusted him!’

‘And now? Now he’ll send you away with the others, I bet. You’re no use to him anymore.’

‘I don’t understand…’ Michel said, even though he did.

‘Michel, we are not getting any papers to leave. Wolff was never even going to help, so this woman says. And to make it worse – to make it worse! – she told them that Werner is hiding Jewish people here. So now, instead of just performing then not receiving papers, Wolff has plans to round us all up at the end of the show. Isn’t that so?’

‘I came to warn you!’ Odélie sat up. ‘When I realised the mistake I made. I came to tell you what he is going to do! He would kill me if he knew, but I still did it. I did.’

‘How very noble.’ Henri’s voice cut through the air.

‘So, what do we do?’ Michel asked.

‘I am thinking,’ Henri said. ‘I am thinking.’

Suddenly, the count stood and called for his driver. ‘I need to go to Paris now. I will be back. Watch her.’

Michel waited until the sound of the car’s engine had disappeared before he turned to look at Odélie. ‘Get off the floor.’

She nodded and stood, picked up the glass and sat across from him, her head bowed.

‘Why, Odélie?’

‘It was an accident, Michel, I swear it. I was a little drunk. He said that Wolff had told him he felt there was something going on. I don’t know how I said it, but I told him. He said he would tell Wolff, and then Wolff called for me and I told him, and then he said he would take care of me and I knew, Michel, I knew what I had done. I knew how horrible I have been. With you. With everyone.’

‘Odélie,’ Michel’s voice was quiet, ‘was this all because of me and Frieda?’

‘No!’ She shook her head. ‘It was truly a mistake. I just said that everyone hides things – something like that. I didn’t think he would go to Wolff – I truly didn’t.’

‘But he did.’

She nodded.

‘What exactly did Wolff say?’ Michel asked.

Odélie wiped her tears on her sleeve. ‘He asked me to tell the truth. He had three soldiers in the room. I didn’t say anything at first, not a thing.’ She stopped and looked at the door as if expecting someone to rescue her.

Michel waited.

‘He made me sit down,’ she continued quietly. ‘He put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me into a chair, and he didn’t take his hands away. My legs were shaking. He spoke above me – asked me what I meant when I said people were hiding things. I think I laughed, you know, so he would think it was a joke. I said it was nothing – just something silly that everyone says.’

‘And then?’ Michel asked.

Odélie’s bottom lip quivered, her knuckles white as she grasped the glass, her legs trembling. She looked at him.

‘He said he’d arrest me and… and… let his soldiers have their way with me if I didn’t tell him. All the while he held me down, his hands on my shoulders. And then he kissed me, Michel. He kissed me and then ripped my dress open. He said that he would continue, then the other three soldiers would have a go. I—’ She broke down and sobbed, her shoulders heaving.

Michel moved to her and despite his anger, despite his fear, he kneeled in front of her and held her close.

‘You shouldn’t comfort me, Michel.’ She pulled away. ‘I don’t deserve your kindness, not after the way I treated you.’

Michel sat back on the couch. ‘Odélie, you were right to be upset with me – I did not treat you as I should have.’

She shook her head. ‘Not that.’