~Six~She trampled a circular path into the worn yet still beautiful Aubusson carpet; the small, single shape she created wound round and round. Her downcast stare focused on the intricate pattern of mauve roses and green ivy as they intertwined, a maze of loveliness almost covering the entire floor of the small sitting room.
Adelaide sat in one of the two padded wing chairs. She watched her daughter in silence, holding her hands in her lap, hand that still shook her. Jeanne's nostrils quivered with the smell of fear emanating from them both, growing stronger as they waited in the hot, dense air of the windowless room.
The outer door burst open; the two women jumped like frightened deer. Gaston strut into the room. Jeanne's heart froze in her chest at the sight of his mouth, the corners l
