Chapter 51: A Secret Revealed
“No one ever keeps a secret so well as a child.”
Victor Hugo
Nantes, July 3, 1082
Late at night in his and Bert’s tent, Gaston de Toulouse pulled his blanket closer to his chin, “You’ve been avoiding talking about it.”
Bert, who was trying to go to sleep on the other matress at the other side of the tent, still wanted to avoid the subject, “Look, could we talk about something else…”
“No,” Gaston said firmly, “we’ll talk about it now.”
Bert was still hesitant, “Look…”
“You know what happened. Why did she…” Gaston did not feel like he needed to, or should, finish the question.
“Well,” Bert started, “Clara…” He trailed off.
“She what?”
“Clara has had…” Bert paused for a moment, “a bit of a crush on you.”
“She…what?” Gaston was caught off guard. His mind went totally blank, and he could not think of anything to say. “W-w-who else knows?” He stuttered after some time.
“Bregida,” Bert answered quickly, “and Pieronela, I believe. Look, I hate keeping secrets from you.” Gaston now felt a bit anoyed. Yet that’s what you did, all of you.
“Why did she only…” He began to ask.
Bert said, “I’m no wise man. I don’t know everything.” Bert turned over and said nothing, presumably trying to get some sleep.
As Bert drifted off into sleep Gaston lay awake, thinking. No one told me about it. Not even Bert. He knew.
Clara has acted a bit strange sometimes, Gaston realized. I’ve seen her smile at me at times, giggle at what I’ve said.
She stopped short of kissing me, though. Why? This was one of his last thoughts before he dropped off into sleep.
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Well, there we go. I've been planning this since Clara was introduced:
(from Chapter 40)
(from Chapter 47)
“No one ever keeps a secret so well as a child.”
Victor Hugo
Nantes, July 3, 1082
Late at night in his and Bert’s tent, Gaston de Toulouse pulled his blanket closer to his chin, “You’ve been avoiding talking about it.”
Bert, who was trying to go to sleep on the other matress at the other side of the tent, still wanted to avoid the subject, “Look, could we talk about something else…”
“No,” Gaston said firmly, “we’ll talk about it now.”
Bert was still hesitant, “Look…”
“You know what happened. Why did she…” Gaston did not feel like he needed to, or should, finish the question.
“Well,” Bert started, “Clara…” He trailed off.
“She what?”
“Clara has had…” Bert paused for a moment, “a bit of a crush on you.”
“She…what?” Gaston was caught off guard. His mind went totally blank, and he could not think of anything to say. “W-w-who else knows?” He stuttered after some time.
“Bregida,” Bert answered quickly, “and Pieronela, I believe. Look, I hate keeping secrets from you.” Gaston now felt a bit anoyed. Yet that’s what you did, all of you.
“Why did she only…” He began to ask.
Bert said, “I’m no wise man. I don’t know everything.” Bert turned over and said nothing, presumably trying to get some sleep.
As Bert drifted off into sleep Gaston lay awake, thinking. No one told me about it. Not even Bert. He knew.
Clara has acted a bit strange sometimes, Gaston realized. I’ve seen her smile at me at times, giggle at what I’ve said.
She stopped short of kissing me, though. Why? This was one of his last thoughts before he dropped off into sleep.
-------------------------
Well, there we go. I've been planning this since Clara was introduced:
(from Chapter 40)
Gaston’s answer came from the giggle of the girl standing next to Bert, Bert’s twin sister, Clara. She reveled Gaston’s shoes.
Smiling, Clara walked over to Gaston and gave him his shoes, which he quickly began to put back on.
(from Chapter 47)
Still holding his arm, Clara asked, “You’ll all be gone a long time?” It came out more as a statement than a question. She was biting her lip.