Present Day

Proserpina

When she came awake to the familiar feeling of nausea, she swung her legs to the floor and made it to the bathroom just as the sickness hit her. After she had finished retching violently, she leant against the wall, panting.

Morning sickness, she thought bitterly. She was getting too old for this she told herself and glanced in the mirror. The face that gazed back at her was pale, deathly white and only the dark bruises under her eyes added any colour to her face. Splashing water on her tired eyes, she reflected on her conversation with Brian.

He had suggested that she take a few days off and fly to Bhutan. Stepping under the shower, she thought about it as the warm jets of water pounded her body. Why not? she asked herself.

But in her heart of hearts, she knew she would not run away. She was the one who held the family together, her children needed her.

Yes, perhaps in a few months, she could decide. But right now, she had to stay and fight. She would meet Lucien’s ‘son’ a