MY ENEMY MY LOVE
James Walker.
Copyright 2011 by James Walker.
Published by Black Leaf Publishing.
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Disclaimer: The persons, places, things, and otherwise animate or inanimate objects mentioned in this novel are figments of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to anything or anyone living (or dead) is unintentional. The author humbly begs your pardon. This is fiction, people.
Dedicated to Jo for her love and understanding
Cosette is spoilt, rich young woman, living just outside the Northern French city of Lille, whose privileged existence is shattered by the German invasion of France at the outset of the First World War. Rescued from being raped by a handsome German staff officer, they fall in love, little realising the twists and turns of fate that lie ahead of them as both her father, Aubert, and her new found friend, Brigitte, become embroiled in resistance to German rule.
This is a tale of love, war, atonement, and the capacity of the human spirit to overcome and be strengthened by adversity, set against a background of resistance to a brutal occupation that has become overshadowed by the events of a later conflict. The courage displayed, especially by women, in the face of that occupation deserves to be better remembered outside France.
1
Northern France 24th July 1914
It was an especially beautiful day, with only a few, high clouds in the sky. The temperature had been rising steadily for several hours, the air was still, and the ground parched through lack of rain. Cosette Guilloux could feel a trickle of sweat down her back but was unperturbed.
“Come on, Antoine, race you home.”
Turning her head as she spoke, she grinned at her younger brother who was almost alongside her. He was mounted on a well bred stallion but she knew that, wearing her jodhpurs and sitting astride her mare, Sesame, rather than on a side saddle, she could still outride him.
“Alright, Cosette, this time I’ll beat you!”
They had just emerged from a wood into open country and as they broke into a gallop she was quick to build up a comfortable lead. They had only about a kilometre left to go and her only concern was that she had given Sesame her head too soon.
As they raced on she was the first to have a clear view of the house where she had been born in July 1893. Built with the entrepreneurial wealth acquired by her great-grandfather, it was a fine-looking building surrounded by substantial grounds. Standing four stories high, with two towers at each end, it resembled a medieval chateau and, including servants’ quarters in the attics, it had all of twenty rooms.
She was still maintaining her lead but as she looked back she could tell that her brother was gaining on her.
“I’m going to catch you, Cosette,” he called out excitedly.
“Never!”
It was at moments like these that she was grateful for her competitive spirit when in the saddle, something which she had inherited from her father, who was still a fine horseman.
One major obstacle remained to be surmounted; a hedge that stood on the boundary of the chateau’s grounds. It was well maintained, barely half a metre wide but slightly more than a metre and a half tall. To jump it safely demanded courage and skill on the part of both horse and rider but Cosette was equal to the task.
As she approached the hedge, still maintaining a small lead, she had to be careful to steady Sesame and ensure that she maintained both balance and control as they went into the jump. Then they were both flying through the air, clearing the hedge by barely a centimetre, before landing comfortably on the other side. She shrieked with pleasure.
They were now only metres from their destination and she was aware that Antoine, having also successfully negotiated the hedge, was barely more than a length behind her and coming up fast. She could feel the sweat beginning to drip off her forehead in the heat and Sesame’s breath growing laboured. The mare was tiring fast. She leaned further forward in the saddle and offered her some encouragement.
To her delight she just held on by barely a head to reach the finishing line first. It was a tall, isolated elm tree, standing only a short distance from the stable entrance.
Her carefree mood then suddenly darkened a little. Everywhere she had been in the city of Lille the previous day there had been talk of war. After a generation and a half of peace, many people she had met had seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the prospect, whereas to her mind it carried with it only connotations of death and suffering.
She simply didn’t understand or care about the reasons that, her father, Aubert, told the family gravely, were hurtling the whole of Europe towards conflict. It was some comfort at least that he seemed to take no pleasure in the unfolding events, describing them as an act of collective madness. This helped her cling to the hope that it would somehow all blow over like a thunderstorm which, however fierce it may be in the distance, fails to ever quite arrive.
Antoine, never a poor loser, was happy to congratulate her. “Well done, Cosette. I thought I was going to catch you at the line.”
She smiled at him. “Not this time, Antoine.”
Like her he had a passion for riding while his lack of achievement at school and easy going manner had caused him to be fiercely rebuked by their father on more than one occasion. Now, to her dismay, he seemed swept away with excitement at the thought of war breaking out.
“I don’t want you to go and fight,” she appealed to him as they dismounted and handed their horses over to the stable lads to look after. “Don’t you realise that you might be killed?”
He simply laughed. “You know I enjoy a little danger in life. When we gallop across country and jump fences don’t we risk our lives?”
She shook her head. “That’s not the same thing at all, you know it isn’t.”
“No, I don’t.”
“I wish I could persuade you.”
“You can’t, Cosette. If our nation is once again to be at war with Germany do you take me for a coward? Anyway, what choice do I have? I am due to be called up into the army in a few weeks whatever happens. ”
“Oh, that stupid law!” For the last year and more she had heard so much boring talk about the extension of conscription from two to three years without exemptions.
“Even if there was no call up, I would still enlist. It’s time that we avenged the defeat at Sedan.”
“But that was so long ago and what if we are beaten again? Have you thought of that?”
“We won’t be. This time we will have not only our own imperial forces but, Papa thinks, those of the British Empire on our side as well. Russia too will attack Germany from the East. Come on, it’s getting late, time to change for dinner.”
With the help of her personal maid, Jeanne Desaix, Cosette dressed as quickly as she could. She put on one of her silk evening gowns, which she had bought only a few weeks before in Paris. Following a recent change of fashion it was V-necked, allowing her to show off her bosom, which was anyway forced upwards by the brocade corset she had put on.
Much as she felt constrained by her corset, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to confess that it helped her to display her figure to perfection. It helped remind her too that she had the timeless asset of dark-haired good looks. Her fulsome lips were, she felt, her best feature but others were more complimentary about her eyes, which one admirer had been bold enough to describe as dazzling.
She quickly made up her mind to wear the expensive pearl necklace that her grandmother had given her for her eighteenth birthday, and motioned to Jeanne to hand her the jewellery box that sat on her dressing table.
“Give me my pearls please, Jeanne.”
As the girl handed them to her she then fastened them round her neck and checked that her hair was properly in place. It was drawn back into a chignon or bun. It crossed her mind whether she should wear a little make-up but she knew that her complexion was still fresh and unblemished enough not to need such flattery. Then, as a final touch, she applied a little scent to her neck.
“Yes, that will do very well I think, Jeanne.”
“You look lovely, Mademoiselle.”
“Thank you, Jeanne.” She smiled warmly at her maid. She had chosen her the previous year because she sensed that she was a sweet natured girl who would also be loyal and attentive, as well as keep secrets if she had to. So far she had not been disappointed in her choice.
“Now, I really must go down to dinner. Papa never likes it if I am late.”
Descending the large staircase that dominated the interior of the house, she found that she was the last of the family to arrive.
“We have been waiting for you, Cosette,” her father said a little testily as she entered the dining room. She immediately realised that he was not in the best of moods, but then barely a day had passed in the last month when it had been otherwise. Although not yet quite fifty he also struck her as looking careworn and old with his grey beard and hair.
“I am sorry, Papa. Please forgive me.” She smiled at him warmly and he smiled back. It was at his knee that she had learnt how to ingratiate herself with men and she had no fear of even his worst tempers.
Glancing around her, she exchanged knowing looks with Antoine. She could see that his green eyes were full of affection for her and she found herself admiring his boyish good looks and easy charm. Of all her family, he was the one she most adored.
Meanwhile, her older brother, Philippe, was looking down at his soup bowl, and seemed lost in another world. But then she knew that was not unusual so thought no more of it. He had always been serious minded and thoughtful and although she loved him dearly they had never had very much in common.
She took it for granted that Philippe would, in due course, succeed her father as chairman of the board of the private company that the family owned; his training as an accountant being expected to enhance his ability to do so. Antoine, on the other hand, as she was very well aware, was decidedly uninterested in the prospects of a business career. Indeed, he had often confessed to her that he couldn’t think of anything more boring.
Her mother, Beatrice, was meanwhile giving her a stern, rather disapproving look. The kind of tactics that she found invariably worked so well with men held no sway with her at all, and they both knew it. She still felt that she was capable of reading her every thought and was unbending in her sense of propriety and good taste.
Putting her hand across her necklace rather nervously, Cosette wondered if it was her low cut dress that her mother disliked. In stark contrast to this she was attired in a high necked gown that she thought would not have looked out of place a decade previously.
Beatrice had a graciousness of manner, which Cosette hoped she had inherited. Her mother was a year younger than her father, her hair too had begun to show more than a hint of grey, while she had long since grown plump as a result of child bearing, a love of good food, and too little exercise. It frightened Cosette that she would one day look like her mother but she immediately dismissed any such notion from her mind.
She found her parents’ innate conservatism tiresome. Most particularly, she would have liked the freedom to travel on her own to Paris, and to be able to meet men without a chaperone, but this was deemed quite out of the question. She thought it something of a miracle that she had even managed to exchange kisses with any man, given how protective her parents were of her virtue, and she had needed to resort to subterfuge on more than one occasion to be able to achieve this.
As she had feared all conversation around the table was dominated by the latest news about the impending war.
“It’s in all the papers. Austria has now sent Serbia an ultimatum,” her father declared gloomily. This sounded like bad news. For the past few days she had become increasingly fearful that if war broke out too quickly it would put an end to her twenty-first birthday party planned for the following evening. She had been looking forward to this for ages, thinking herself fortunate that her birthday should fall on a Saturday. Now, however bad the international news, it was surely too late to cancel the event and a good attendance by family and friends could still be expected.
“From what I’ve read,” Antoine remarked, “Serbia would be totally humiliated if she agreed to Austria’s terms, in which case….”
“We shall have war, God save us,” Aubert added.
“But why, Papa?” Cosette asked. “I still don’t understand why events in the Balkans should force France into a war?”
Aubert looked at his daughter and sighed. “Really, Cosette, haven’t you listened to a word that’s been spoken round this table for the last three weeks and more?”
She was unembarrassed by this rebuke and simply smiled coyly at him. “You know I do not care about politics, Papa.”
“Whether you care about it or not, Cosette, I fear that it is about to have a dramatic effect on all our lives,” he responded gravely. “Should Serbia now be invaded that will make Russia come to its aid, and Germany will support Austria, while we and England will side with Russia. As I have been saying for weeks it is like a pack of cards waiting to fall over.”
“We should see it as an opportunity, Papa,” Antoine declared, his eyes full of excitement. “It will enable us to retake Alsace Lorraine and avenge the humiliation of the debacle forty years ago.”
Aubert shook his head. “The German army is as strong as it has ever been and the Kaiser is a warmonger. Any conflict could be long and costly.”
“But there will be a greater need for leather than ever father,” Philippe interjected. “Our business could thrive as never before.”
Cosette looked at her brother and felt a momentary sense of disgust at his mercenary nature. Obviously, to him, war simply presented an opportunity for the tanneries which they owned to make an even greater profit.
“My birthday party can still take place as planned, I hope?” she asked, looking towards her father as she spoke. Her tone of voice was slightly anxious.
“Yes, of course,” he responded. “Everything is prepared. Isn’t that so, my love?”
Beatrice looked at Aubert quizzically and pursed her lips; an old habit. “Tomorrow will be a busy day, especially for the cook, but everything is ready enough. And nearly everyone who has been sent an invitation has accepted.”
“It will be a party to remember, won’t it, Papa?” Cosette declared enthusiastically.
“Yes, and perhaps the last we shall have for quite some time if war comes soon,” Philippe added.
Cosette shot him a glance of annoyance. For as long as she could remember he had had a frustrating habit of spoiling things with some acerbic comment or other. Even so she had to confess that there was often a ring of truth in his words.
“Then we will have to make sure we really enjoy ourselves,” she said defiantly.
The family butler, Joseph, was now supervising the clearing away of the soup dishes, and turning towards him Aubert smiled and thanked him.
“Tell the chef that the soup was excellent.”
“I will, Sir, with pleasure.”
Cosette knew that her father treated all his servants well and had never taken his privileged lifestyle for granted. She was also quietly proud of the fact that he was widely respected and felt to be one of the best employers in the whole of Lille. She smiled at him and looked warmly into his hazel eyes.
He returned this readily enough but then his expression turned more sombre.
“What really worries me is that the Germans may attack through Belgium.” he said earnestly.
Inwardly Cosette groaned. Was there nothing else he could think to talk about but the prospect of war, she wondered.
“You really think that they will disregard Belgium’s neutrality when they must know it will immediately bring England into the war?” Philippe asked.
“Isn’t that just what we want?” Antoine added. “After all England has a fine army, with all the resources of its Empire behind it.”
“But think how close we are to the Belgium border.” Aubert responded. “I have already taken certain steps to protect our financial position and I am considering whether or not I should do more.”
“Whatever you think best, dearest,” Beatrice responded.
“Even if the Germans do attack through Belgium I am sure that our armies and those of England will be more than a match for them, Papa, “ Philippe added reassuringly. “There’s…”
“Oh, I’m sick of this. Please, please, can’t we talk about something else?!” Cosette interjected angrily. It was a warm evening and she had finally lost all patience with this seemingly endless topic of conversation.
“Really, Cosette, it was rude of you to interrupt your brother,” Beatrice admonished her.
“No, it wasn’t! I just know my party tomorrow is going to be ruined. No one will talk about anything else but war!” With that she stood up, threw her serviette down on her chair, and stormed off.
Beatrice tried to follow her but Aubert put a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Leave her, she’ll calm down. She’s just overwrought. It’s understandable enough.”
Cosette reached her bedroom, slammed the door behind her, and slumped onto her bed. She was a little tearful at first but then she even began to smile to herself. She decided that she actually rather enjoyed losing her temper. It made her feel better and when after ten minutes or so she returned to the dinner table her outburst seemed forgotten, while no one was tactless enough to mention the war again for the rest of the evening.
2
The following day passed in a whirlwind of preparation for the party. A large marquee had been specially erected in the garden and extra servants hired to help prepare and serve the food for the seventy or so guests who were expected.
The weather was even finer with barely a cloud in the sky so even by midday some of the servants were visibly wilting in the heat. Beatrice, who did not enjoy warm weather at the best of times, felt flushed and uncomfortable but rather than take any rest worked herself into a state of anxiety directing the final preparations.
Although she would not admit it, she was nervous at the thought of the arrival of her mother-in-law, Clarissa, who was expected for luncheon. Now in her mid seventies she had retained an iron-like grasp of her faculties and they had enjoyed an uneasy relationship for more than twenty five years. Beatrice was very much the mistress of her own house, normally too, a confident, self-possessed person, but in her mother-in-law’s presence there were still occasions when she could feel like a schoolgirl again.
She prayed that the journey from Paris would not put Clarissa in a bad mood. She was travelling in a chauffer-driven Mercedes that provided state of the art vehicular comfort. Still, the road would be hot and dusty, and she was vulnerable to headaches that could make her particularly ill tempered.
It was a comfort to Beatrice that Clarissa got on so well with Philippe who was completely devoted to her, while at the same time perhaps the one person in the world to whom she was prepared to defer. Beatrice was therefore relying on him to work his magic, and ensure that Clarissa didn’t spoil Cosette’s special day.
“She’s here, Beatrice.” Aubert’s voice sounded slightly anxious. “Let’s just hope she’s in a good temper.”
A few minutes later Clarissa swept into the hallway like the matriarch she knew herself to be with her personal maid in her wake. She had retained a good figure for a woman of her years, her face was not too obviously lined, and she was elegantly dressed in pale pink with an array of pearls hanging from her neck while wearing a tall, feathered hat.
The faint scowl on her face suggested the worst but as Aubert came to greet her she held out her hands to him and smiled slightly. He dutifully kissed her on each cheek.
“Have you had a pleasant journey, Mama?”
“Tolerable. It is too hot and I am tired. I fear that I may have a headache coming on.”
With that Beatrice came forward and they also exchanged kisses. Their body language though betrayed the lack of warmth between them and there was little or no eye contact.
“So, where is the birthday girl then?” Clarissa asked expectantly.
“I am here, Grand-mere,” Cosette replied. She was coming hurriedly down the stairs as she spoke. Glancing upwards, Clarissa eyed her somewhat quizzically.
“There is no need to rush child, I am not going anywhere.” Clarissa’s tone of voice was both irritable and commanding.
Cosette instantly obeyed her. “I am sorry, Grand-mere. I am just pleased to see you.”
“Are you indeed? I somehow doubt that.” With that she chortled and, putting out her arms, allowed Cosette to embrace her.
“Happy Birthday, Cosette.”
“Thank you, Grand-mere.”
Cosette felt somewhat in awe of Clarissa and believed, not without good cause, that she did not have the highest opinion of her. It was not that she was ever deprecating but she sensed that having lost her youth to the hazards of war she was impatient with her fun loving personality.
Her grandmother’s trenchant belief that the fairer sex’s role in society was essentially to breed and support her husband also made Cosette feel somewhat uncomfortable but she was too indifferent towards anything that seemed vaguely political to ever dream of arguing with her. She was conscious though that it was her grandmother’s stories of the Franco-Prussian war and the siege of Paris that had helped to forge her dislike of anything warlike.
“So, where are Antoine and Philippe?” Clarissa asked. As she did so she looked questioningly at Aubert.
“They have gone out, Mama,” he informed her. Clarissa raised her eyebrows. “They will be back for luncheon, I assure you.”
“So where have they gone?”
“Into Lille, Mama. I believe that they may be making enquiries about enlisting.”
“What, today!”
“I only said enquiries, Mama. Antoine is particularly keen to enlist.”
“And Philippe?”
“Like his brother, he wishes to do his duty.”
“But has the sense to realise that there is no glory in war, I hope. I remember the last time, don’t forget. Prussians marching down the Champs Elysees…..”
“I’m sure that won’t ever happen again, Mama.”
“It had better not. I hope to die in my bed without experiencing that shame a second time!”
Cosette felt dejected. It was her birthday, and a very special one at that, yet already she feared that as she had predicted at the dinner table the previous evening everything would be dominated by talk of war.
Beatrice glanced at her daughter and sensed what she was thinking. The look of dismay on her face was all too apparent. Tactfully, she persuaded Clarissa to enter the lounge and relax in one of its several easy chairs. Clarissa’s mood continued to be difficult, but within the hour both Philippe and Antoine had returned. At the sight of her favourite grandchild Clarissa’s face lit up with pleasure.
The bond between grandmother and grandson was obvious to all to see. Philippe had the capacity to make Clarissa feel young again. He was at once charming and attentive, and most importantly seemingly impervious to even her worse tempers, which, he knew, were never directed at him personally.
Cosette found luncheon tedious with yet more talk of the war and its financial consequences. Clarissa was full of advice to Aubert as to what he should be doing to protect the family fortune, but he told her politely but firmly that he had already deposited significant reserves in a Swiss bank account.
“I assure you, Mama, that even if we are totally overrun by the Germans they are not going to be able to lay their hands on a single franc of the money standing in that account.”
“But is it enough to protect the family’s interests?”
“Not totally, Mama, but I believe that I have still placed sufficient funds there to ensure that we could rebuild the tanneries even if they are all destroyed. The family fortune is safe in my hands, I assure you. Philippe is learning fast as well.”
Clarissa turned to Philippe, smiling at him warmly. He knew that the best role he could play for the remainder of the day was to keep her amused, so proceeded to relate the high state of tension that he and Antoine had found on the streets of Lille.
“Everyone we spoke to expects war to break out within a matter of days.”
“And you intend to enlist, I hear?” Clarissa’s tone of voice was not disapproving.
“Yes, Grand-mere,” Philippe replied earnestly. “We both wish to do our patriotic duty and are only anticipating the inevitable. After all I am a reservist and Antoine can expect to receive his conscription papers at any time. I want him to join my old regiment, the 5me Chasseurs a Cheval, first. You know he is a better rider than I am.”
“We went to the army recruitment office,” Antoine added excitedly. “We could have signed on then and there had we been prepared to. The officer we spoke to was very helpful. I think that they will accept me for officer training.”
“I would not expect you to join the ranks,” Clarissa responded. “After all you are gentleman of means, and Philippe, what rank was it that you reached?”
“I became a lieutenant, Grand-mere.”
Clarissa looked at him fondly. “And could have reached a much higher rank, I am sure.”
“My period of military service was at an end, Grand-mere. I was happy to return home to support Papa.”
Cosette couldn’t help but feel vaguely amused as her brother’s charm began to work its magic with her irritable grandmother. It enabled the afternoon to pass off without undue stress as final preparations for the evening’s party gathered pace, leaving Beatrice free to direct everything to her satisfaction without any interference from Clarissa.
With the first guests expected to arrive by seven thirty Cosette went to her bedroom at shortly before six o’clock, accompanied by Jeanne, who proceeded to run a bath for her. The house possessed every modern convenience that money could buy and all the main bedrooms were similarly equipped with en suite bathrooms.
As she lay back in the comfort of her bath the handsome face of Henri Delahaye flashed across her mind. She realised that she had developed a mild attraction for him. They had danced together a couple of times and would no doubt do so again this evening. She suspected that he had serious intentions towards her, but she was far from swept off her feet, and did not envisage herself marrying him. Anyway, she imagined that he would be in the army soon enough like her brothers and sensed that this was not the time to be falling in love with any man if it could possibly be avoided.
Although she had always assumed that she was bound to marry well, and that it was in natural order of things that she would bear several children, she felt in no hurry to embark on that experience. She liked her privileged existence well enough just as it was and appreciated the doting affection of her parents as their only surviving daughter.
Such a reflection brought back to her the memory of when her younger sister had died of diphtheria. It was the only time that tragedy had touched her life. She had been only seven at the time and she still recalled her deep sense of bewilderment and loss. For a few days she had been quite inconsolable but that was now no more than a distant memory.
It was not in her nature to ponder on the more sombre realities of life so her thoughts quickly turned to changing into the ball gown that she had purchased in Paris especially for this occasion. There she had gone to the couture house of Paul Poiret and bought one of his luxuriously expensive oriental gowns that had recently become so fashionable. Sea foam green in colour and made of silk, it liberated her from wearing a corset. She knew that it did not meet the approval of her conservative minded mother, who felt that, like the evening gown she had worn the night before, it was too revealing. However, she felt too great a sense of freedom in it to care. This was after all her coming of age party and she believed that as a grown woman with money she could now dress as she chose.
She was normally inclined to linger too long in a bath. However, on this occasion she was disciplined enough with herself not to do so, and once she had dressed she sent Jeanne to summon her father. He was quick to arrive and as he entered her bedroom he smiled warmly at her.
“You look lovely, Cosette.”
“Thank you, Papa. I see you have brought it.”
“Naturally.” With that he proceeded to open the box that he was carrying in his right hand and brought out a diamond encrusted necklace. She had been shown it many times before but never ceased to be dazzled by it. For all her family’s wealth from the tanning trade, property and investments, it remained in every way their most precious asset.
“Let me put it on you.” Aubert then proceeded to place it round her neck and fasten it. She was immediately struck by its weight, but that feeling was very quickly replaced by one of delight at its sheer beauty. Quickly, she glanced at herself in the long mirror that stood in the corner of her bedroom.
“It looks perfect on you, my dear,” Aubert said admiringly.
Suddenly, she was struck by a tingling sense of awe. She thought of her beautiful great-great grandmother’s portrait and of the other members of her family who had been privileged enough to wear this precious jewel before her in the century that had elapsed since it had come into her family’s possession.
“This is really special, Papa.”
“Of course.”
“It must never be allowed to leave the family, Papa. I feel that it would bring us all bad luck.”
Aubert smiled at her indulgently. “You know we would already have to be facing financial ruin before I would ever contemplate parting with it.”
Then he glanced at the clock that stood on the mantelpiece. “Time to go down, I think. Our guests should be arriving very soon.”
With that Cosette happily took his arm and he led her proudly out of the room and down the stairs.
3
The party proved after all to be everything Cosette could have hoped for. She enjoyed being the centre of attention and especially of being able to show off the necklace. It made her feel like a Queen.
There was much dancing, accompanied by the orchestra that her father had hired for the occasion , she drank a little too much wine , although not enough to make her feel ill, while to her relief there was little talk of war within her hearing. Guests were also generous with their presents and as a special gift her parents gave her keys to her own motor car, a four seated green coloured Clement-Bayard with red, leather bound seats. Her father had already taught her how to drive and she looked forward to being able to take the wheel at the earliest opportunity.
She danced more than once with Henri, conscious from the way he looked at her, of how attractive she must be to him. She was in a happy, carefree mood, and willing enough to smile at him and even flirt with him a little, but she was too much the centre of attention to allow him any opportunity to be alone in her company. When he came to leave she was also little more than polite and she sensed that his shoulders dropped a little with disappointment.
After the last of the guests had left, and she finally made her way to bed, it was well into the early hours. She then slept in late and was allowed to avoid accompanying her parents to church. In the afternoon she took the motor car for its first run with Antoine by her side. It was yet another warm, sunny day in what was turning into a particularly glorious summer, making the whole idea of war coming to spoil her world seem unthinkable to her.
She returned in time to bid her grandmother goodbye. Although Philippe had kept her in a relatively benign mood throughout the events of the previous evening, like everyone else in the family Cosette couldn’t help but feel a certain sense of relief now that she was leaving. As kisses of farewell were exchanged her grandmother however smiled at her in a kindly fashion.
“I expect to see you in Paris shortly, Cosette.”
“I would like that, Grand-mere.”
“If there is to be a war that could make travelling difficult,” Aubert commented gloomily.
Clarissa looked at him closely. “She had better come soon, in that case.”
With that she turned towards her car and smiled thinly at her chauffeur, who stood dutifully to one side, holding the rear door to the Mercedes open as he did so. In a few moments, with an imperious wave of the hand, she was gone, leaving Cosette grinning as her father let out an audible sigh.
For the remainder of the day her mind was constantly drawn to thoughts of Paris and the prospect of the rich entertainment that it had to offer. Her grandmother knew how to live well, could be sure to take her to expensive restaurants, the theatre and the opera, and let her enjoy a world that seemed far removed from provincial Lille.
There were times when she wished that her parents lived in Paris. It was not as if money was any impediment, while she was certain that life there would surely be far more exciting. However, she knew her father was too wedded to his role as a city councillor, and did everything that he could to live up to his reputation as a pillar of the community.
The following day turned out to be even warmer and sunnier than those that had preceded it. She had arranged at her party to go riding with one of her best friends, Louise Valmar, whose family owned several of Lille’s thriving textile mills and lived in an old chateau only some fifteen minutes ride away from her own home. They had known each other since they were small children and felt very at ease in each other’s company. Louise was tall, attractive, and slender, with an aura of sophistication that she sometimes confessed to Cosette she did not really feel, and was being actively courted by a young lawyer, Charles Leplee.
They decided to ride out towards their favourite woods, where there was also a secluded lake. At first their conversation was all of Cosette’s birthday party, but then Louise made the mistake of mentioning how anxious she was about the prospect of war.
Cosette groaned. “Oh no, not you as well, Louise! I’m sick of all this talk of war. I don’t want to hear anything more about it. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
“But don’t you realise how serious the situation is? I worry so much for Charles. Don’t you have the same concern for your brothers?”
Louise’s tone was admonishing, but Cosette was unrepentant.
“If there must be a war then of course I do. You know I am not an unfeeling person, Louise. I just don’t want to talk about it, that’s all.”
The two of them rode on in silence for a while. There were a few men to be seen working in the fields, but they had the road to themselves. The scene was one of bucolic peace and Cosette found it hard to imagine that it could ever be otherwise. Above them high, broken clouds were banked like snow topped mountains, while the sun was moving towards its zenith. She felt herself beginning to sweat.
“It’s very warm, isn’t it,” Louise remarked, echoing her thoughts.
“Yes, I love it. I wish every day of the year could be like this.”
“I prefer it cooler.” Louise said flatly. “This heat does nothing for my complexion.”
“Well, we’re nearly at the woods. They’ll be plenty of shade there. Come on.”
With that she spurred Sesame into a gentle canter and Louise quickly responded. Within a short distance they had entered the wood with its many, tall beech trees, that shaded them from the sunlight. She continued to lead as they turned off the road down a familiar track that led to the lake. It was one of her favourite places, completely secluded, and as far as she was aware a totally natural feature, fed by a small tributary of the river Deule that flowed through Lille.
Arriving at a small clearing, they quickly dismounted, and led their horses to the lake’s edge where they allowed them to drink. Then they tethered them to a couple of small sycamore trees and Cosette lay back on the grass, luxuriating in the sunshine. Louise was more pensive and sat staring out over the lake.
“Look, there’s a heron over there,” she said excitedly, and Cosette roused herself enough to look in the direction where she was pointing. She was used to seeing herons on the lake so wasn’t that interested. She felt hot and sticky and suddenly wanted to fling off her clothes and plunge into the lake’s cool waters. She imagined that they were quite deep but there was no suspicion that they were dangerous and she had no fear of swimming out of her depth.
“Why don’t we go for a swim,” she suggested.
“But we’ve nothing to wear, and no towels.”
“That doesn’t matter. We can swim naked and will dry off quickly enough in this heat.”
“But what if someone were to come?”
Cosette smirked. “They won’t, but even if they did, what of it?”
“Have you no shame, Cosette?”
“Not about my own body, no. I’m happy with it. Come on.” With that she proceeded to peel off her clothes.
Louise hesitated. “You swim if you like. I’d prefer not to. I’m not as good a swimmer as you are, don’t forget.”
“Well, do as you please.”
Cosette stripped off her clothes in a relaxed, matter of fact way, walked immediately to the water’s edge, and dived in. She was shocked at first by how cold it was, but the contrast with the hot, sticky air was exhilarating, and she felt liberated by being completely naked.
“What’s it like?” Louise asked her.
“Wonderful. Why don’t you come in too?”
Louise was tempted but her natural sense of modesty got the better of her so she continued to sit where she was. Meanwhile, Cosette swam out towards the centre of the lake, and once she had reached it, flipped over onto her back. She enjoyed being able to just float on water feeling deliciously exposed. She didn’t care if a man or even several men were suddenly to appear, and rather liked the idea of giving them a thrill.
Louise couldn’t believe how shameless and insouciant her friend was. There was almost a kind of innocence about her, she decided. Nervously, she continued to look around her, anxious to warn Cosette the moment she saw or heard someone approaching
“Don’t you think you’d better get out now?” she called out.
At first Cosette ignored her, but then, after a few moments, languidly turned over and began to swim back towards the banks of the lake. She emerged as unselfconsciously as she had entered the water, so that Louise couldn’t help but be struck by her sheer physical beauty with her well developed breasts, rounded hips, and pubic hair that was even darker than the hair on her head.
“You really should have come in too, it was exhilarating.”
“I thought one of us should watch out in case anyone came.”
“Liar!”
“No, it’s true. Anyway, I’m not as bold as you.”
Cosette laughed and as she did so laid back on the grass and let the sun begin to dry her body.
“It’s wonderful to feel such a sense of freedom and not to have to worry about all this talk of war, or what anyone thinks is or is not acceptable behaviour.”
“Don’t you care what I think?” Louise said in a rather hurt tone.
Cosette suddenly sat up with a look of concern on her face. “Of course I do. You don’t object to me being… being like this?”
“No, not really, but would you care if I did?”
Cosette laughed again. “I’d care about you being a prude. But you know I really do value our friendship, Louise. I hope that if there is to be a war we won’t be separated.”
“Why should we be?”
“My father thinks that the Germans might attack through Belgium. If they did, God knows what might happen to us.”
“We’d have time to escape, I expect, or the Germans would be defeated first.”
Cosette shrugged her shoulders and, sitting up, began to dry her hair with the tips of the fingers of both hands.
“You should get dressed now,” Louise urged her. “Someone really might come.”
“Oh very well; I suppose I’m dry enough.” In fact she still felt quite damp but, ignoring this, proceeded to dress herself.
As they rode home together, side by side, Louise wondered when they would be able to enjoy such a carefree experience again. “Should war come then it will mean the end of our rides together,” she remarked sadly.
“Well, with luck it won’t last long,” Cosette responded. “Anyway, you know I don’t want to talk about it.”
Then she tried to change the subject. “When are you seeing Charles again?”
“I don’t know. Very soon, I hope.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Louise’s reply came without any hesitation. “Yes, I am.”
“From the way he looks at you I think he’s in love with you too, so I’m sure you can expect a proposal soon.”
“Except that….”
“I know. Except that there’s all this talk of war.”
“I’m frightened, really I am.”
Cosette tried to be reassuring. “He’ll be alright, Louise, I’m sure he will.”
“I just can’t bear the thought of anything happening to him.”
Suddenly, they heard a distant rumble of thunder and glanced up at the sky. All too ominously dark clouds were gathering in the distance, which might soon bring heavy rain. That though would carry with it some relief from the oppressive heat whereas Cosette could not imagine that a war could possibly bring any benefits. So, very deliberately, she shut the entire subject out of her mind and spent the remainder of the ride home chattering in a light-hearted way about her party and summer dresses. The thunderstorm, even when it did arrive, also failed to amount to much, which she was determined to believe was a good omen.
4
By Wednesday morning the newspapers that Aubert read were reporting that the Austro-Hungarian Empire had declared war on Serbia and was mounting an invasion of that country. It helped to fulfil all his worst fears, causing him to declare solemnly at dinner that evening that war between France and Germany was now inevitable.
“Russia will come to Serbia’s aid, which will give Germany the excuse it needs to declare war. All out conflict is only days away.”
Cosette looked round the table and could see the expression of excitement on Antoine’s face. It brought a sudden image in her mind of both he and Philippe lying dead on the ground, their bodies covered in blood. She couldn’t conceive how either of them could even begin to be enthusiastic about the prospect of killing their fellow human beings, or being killed by them. It was a kind of death wish that she decided was totally beyond her comprehension so not for the first time she gave thanks for not having been born a man.
“We’re going into Lille to enlist tomorrow,” Antoine declared with a broad grin on his face.
Up until this moment Beatrice had seemed unconcerned by their intentions. Now that they were becoming so imminent, however, a look of consternation shot across her face. “But there has been no official mobilisation yet,” she exclaimed.
“We see no point in waiting for that, do we Philippe?”
He hesitated slightly before responding, being more sensitive to his mother’s heightened state of anxiety. “Antoine and I are agreed that we should act together in this, Mama. You know I want to get him into the 5me Chasseurs, if I can.”
Beatrice looked appealingly at Aubert. However, if she thought that he would support her in trying to persuade her two sons to think again she was mistaken.
“Antoine and Philippe must act as they see fit. Our country is in danger and it is only proper that they should wish to defend it.”
At these words Cosette was unable to suppress a giggle. She had an image of Antoine and Philippe standing alone against the might of the entire German army.
“I fail to see what it is you find so amusing, Cosette?” Aubert declared severely
“I’m sorry, Papa. It’s just that I don’t see what difference Antoine and Philippe can make to anything.”
Aubert’s response was merely to look at her with faint distain.
“We all know that the conscription laws would have made us enlist sooner or later,” Philippe commented flatly. “So Antoine and I are only anticipating the inevitable.”
“Quite, I agree,” Aubert responded.
The following day Philippe and Antoine duly went into Lille to enlist with the 5me Chasseurs a Cheval. They returned a few hours later to say that they had been successful in their intent and were required to report for duty within forty eight hours.
The imminent departure of both her brothers began to bring home to Cosette the realisation that the comfortable, secure world in which she had been brought up was just beginning to be shattered. Philippe had left before to serve his period of conscription, but that had been when the country was at peace, while she could never remember a time without Antoine.
As the hour of his departure grew ever closer she began to feel a profound sense of sadness. It was not in her nature to dissolve into tears too easily but she still found her eyes beginning to water as she kissed him goodbye on both cheeks.
“Try not to worry, Cosette. We’ll be home on leave soon enough.”
“God keep you safe, Antoine, and you too, Philippe.” With that she turned to her older brother and kissed his cheeks as well.
Beatrice was quiet and constrained, perhaps feeling it beneath her dignity to show too much emotion, but at the last she too began to grow tearful.
“Don’t worry too much, Mama. God willing, the war will not last too long.”
Philippe’s tone was reassuring and Cosette decided that this was a sentiment they could all share.
Once both Antoine and Philippe had departed she found herself alone with her parents for the first time in her life. There were the servants, of course, and life had the same routine, but the house still seemed strangely empty. The mood at the dinner table in her brothers’ absence was also sombre. By the time she accompanied both her parents to Sunday mass the news was out that Germany had declared war on Russia, and prayers were said for peace, so it was obvious to her that the pace towards war was now quickening fast.
As they emerged from church into the warm sunlight, Aubert declared depressingly that he expected Germany to also declare war on France at any time. “It could be happening even as we speak.”
“What should we do?” Beatrice asked. “Is it safe to remain here, do you think?”
It was the first time Cosette had heard her mother voice the possibility of leaving Lille, while her voice betrayed her state of agitation.
Aubert looked at them both gravely. “My duty as a city councillor is to remain. The business is also run from here as well. We must have faith that our army is strong enough to repel any German invasion. Of course, my love, if you wish to take Cosette to Paris…”
Beatrice shook her head fiercely. “No, no, my place is by your side. There is no question of my leaving you here on your own but…” With that she turned towards Cosette. “If you wanted to take up Grand-mere’s invitation then this would certainly be a good opportunity.”
She felt torn. On the one hand she found the idea of staying in Paris very attractive but she knew that living with her grandmother’s fierce temper and unyielding ways for too long would become very trying. Travelling to Paris at this time would also be too much like running away.
“No, Mama. I am not a child who needs to be protected from danger. We are a family after all. I will stay with you both, whatever happens.”
Aubert smiled at her, appreciating her loyalty and spirit. Then his mind turned to a different matter. “Of course, there is the necklace to consider. I’ve decided that it should be sent to Paris. Arrangements have already been made with our bank and it should be gone by tomorrow.”
The next day Cosette barely acknowledged Beatrice’s excited announcement, following a short telephone call from Aubert, that Germany had declared war on France. She felt quite numb, almost indifferent, and unable to conceive why so many supposedly civilised nations should feel so compelled to settle their disagreements through armed conflict.
Soon after that came the news that Aubert had most been dreading. Germany had invaded Belgium. The fact that he had been expecting it also couldn’t prevent him from feeling a profound sense of shock. The German Kaiser had to know that this act would bring England into the war so he assumed he must be counting on a quick victory before she could fully deploy her forces. Belgium was also bound to be overrun unless France acted with lightening speed. If it did not then he feared that the full might of the German army could be advancing on Lille within a matter of days.
All his life he had known nothing but peace and prosperity. Yet now, at the age of almost fifty, it frightened him to think that all that stood in jeopardy. He felt his resolution begin to ebb away and wondered if he should insist on packing Beatrice and Cosette off to Paris; perhaps even going with them. Then he cursed himself for being a coward and decided that he must stand firm and do his duty as a city councillor, whatever happened. It would be a test of his courage and he could only pray to God that he would be equal to this. Should Beatrice and Cosette be determined to stay with him then he would at least be able to take comfort in their support.
Two days later Louise called on Cosette to tell her that her family had decided to move to Paris where they owned a large apartment.
“When are you leaving?” Cosette asked her anxiously.
“As soon as possible. Papa thinks we shall be ready to leave by the weekend.”
“That soon! What about your father’s business?”
“I don’t really know. I suppose it can take care of itself for a while. And what about you, Cosette?”
Despite her sense of apprehension she smiled at her friend. “As I expected, Papa’s not going anywhere. He considers it his civic duty as a councillor to remain, whatever the consequences.”
“But you could still leave, surely?”
“Yes, I suppose so, but Mama has said she won’t leave Papa, and I don’t really see how I can desert either of them.”
Louise looked doubtful. “No, I suppose not.”
“Anyway, you know what a dragon my Grand-mere can be. I’d soon grow to hate living in Paris with her.”
Now it was Louise’s turn to smile. “I don’t think you really mean that.”
“No, perhaps I don’t. Still, I have to be loyal to my parents. You would wish to do the same if yours had decided to remain. So what about Charles, have you been able to see him?”
At this question Louise hung her head and seemed suddenly very close to tears.
“He’s gone. I did get a letter from him though. I will treasure it always.”
“So he does love you then?”
“Very much, I’m sure.”
Cosette wanted to say that she was happy for Louise but in the forefront of both of their minds was the fear that he would never return from the war so she said nothing.
“How are you leaving?” she asked instead.
“By train, I believe.”
“I’ll come and see you off.”
“I’d like that. I’ll telephone you when I know the time.”
Lille station seemed as crowded as Cosette could ever remember as she arrived to see Louise and her family depart for Paris on the Saturday afternoon. They had reserved seats in a compartment which they had to themselves and Louise was accompanied by her mother, her mother’s personal maid, and three younger siblings; a brother and two sisters. Her father was also there but explained that he was going to be following on by car with his manservant and most of the luggage that they had decided to take with them. The train appeared to be so full that there was barely enough space for everyone who had a ticket to be able to get on board, while the platform was packed with people who had come to see friends, family, and loved ones depart, not knowing when they would meet again.
Cosette and Louise hugged and kissed each other warmly as the time approached for the train’s departure. Louise was feeling tense and emotional and Cosette tried to be reassuring.
“Don’t be too upset, Louise. We can keep in touch by telephone, or failing that by letter.”
“Yes, of course.”
“And if the war really is over soon, it won’t be long before we see each other again.”
“I wish you were coming too, Cosette.”
“I know, but we’ve talked about that. I’ll be alright. Don’t worry about me.”
They were standing on the platform next to Louise’s father and mother, and very soon the whistle blew to announce the train’s imminent departure.
“Time to get on board, everyone,” Louise’s father declared. With that Louise’s mother turned to Cosette and kissed her on both cheeks. She had known her since she was a small child and was genuinely fond of her. Then Louise and Cosette exchanged final hugs and kisses and within a few seconds Cosette was waving goodbye to her as the train slowly pulled away. She suddenly felt a deep sense of sadness and reflected on how long it might really be before they saw each other once more.
5
Cosette quickly realised that boredom and loneliness were likely to be her two greatest enemies if the war was not brought to an end soon. Louise had not been the only one of her friends to leave Lille, leaving her fearful that the city would soon be denuded of any single girls of her age and class, with whom she had any acquaintance or anything in common.
There were though always the horses to turn to for consolation and she was able to spend hours tending to their needs now that most of the stable lads had gone to war. She would also have liked to be able to take her car for long drives, except that the roads in Lille and in the countryside around it were increasingly clogged with refugees from Belgium fleeing the German advance.