"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." Christian, Moulin Rouge

Part one: Miss Emma becomes her own

"Perchance there is a spell on her," her mother inquired "No women, let alone person, would want to go to Montmarte. It is vile and disgusting and a horrible place. The only thing there are those gentlemen clubs and the whore's who work there. Unless she is planning to become one of those despicable creatures, I will not let her leave. Not even if she wanted to become one." Her father looked at her with convincing, authorized eyes.

"There is nothing there. Your mother is right. You will find nothing, absolutely nothing there except rich bachelors and dirty tramps. And I forbid you to go. I forbid you to even think about going there," he demanded. They both looked at her with disgust.

"But it's not about what you want. It's about what I want. You're not the one's trying to make something of yourselves. I am. And if I want to leave and live in the district of whores, then let it be. For you are not the makers of my destiny. I am," she replied back.

”Young lady, that is quite enough! I will not have you talk to me or your mother like that. You take that back and go to your room," her father boomed. Despite his gentle face and bold zest, he never took too kind to outspokenness or rudeness. He was a tall man, one who most girls her age would fear and obey. But since the day that she was born, she had him wrapped around her little pinky and she never feared him. Because in the end, she knew that she had total control over her father. No one loved her more. And no one could set her passions a flame more than he could.

"I will not take it back. I meant what I said, and if I am to be punished, then so be it," she said boldly. 

"Emma," he growled lowly, "Do as I say or you will be punished." She shook inside, knowing that a punishment could go on for three weeks, at least one of those without food or daylight. But she held her ground. April told her that the new woman never was pushed around, even by her own father.

"No. I will not take it back," she whispered. Looking at her with fire in his mossy green eyes, he walked up to her and grabbed her wrist.

"April," he called to the maid, "Lock Emma in her room with water only. And do not let her out until she begs for mercy." He looked at her fiercely, and then pulled her to his ear. "Young lady that is more than enough. You will learn to shut up and stay quite. Or next time, you will be out on the streets," he whispered harshly. She did not let it show, but now she was terrified. What had happened to him? What had happened to the patient, modern man she loved? He let go of her wrist, then shoved her into the servant's arms. "If I see her out once, you will lose your job," he directed to the humble servant. She nodded her head and led the girl to her room.

"So what was it that you did now, Miss Emma?" the servant asked.

"Oh April, I tried standing up for myself, like you said. But along with my new self image, my father has accustomed one of his own. He is fierce and threatening. He is no longer gentle," she cried.

"Ay, but you did ask him to send you to Montmarte, the district of whores. I told you it wouldn't go along well. You shouldn't even have dabbled in that. You knew the answer. But you never listen to me. You can't go on in life thinking that things will go your way, Miss Emma. It just doesn't work," the servant replied. Giving up, the girl plopped herself on the bed in exhaust. She looked up to the maid with big green eyes, almost exactly like the ones her father had.

"April, what would you do? I mean, if you wanted to go explore the new culture and see the world for yourself and finally be let out of this bird cage?" she questioned. The maid sat down next to her and sighed. After a moment or two of silence, she looked at the girl.

"Miss Emma, I have known you since you were born. And now, you're 21, legal and old enough to make decisions for yourself. And I know your parents know that as well. But they are in a high ranks in society and will not tolerate their daughter tasting forbidden fruits, if you know what I mean. They do not believe that you should experiment with a culture like that. And they are afraid of their social status. Dear, they believe that you want to become a whore. And if the people of London were to find that out, they would shun and disown your parents. So, for their safety and some of yours, they forbid you to go. But, you are bursting at the seams to just be let go of. They don't know you like I do, sweet. They don't know that you want to stretch out your wings and let your creative juices flow. They do not know about your writing and you and I both know that if they did, they would not tolerate it at all. That is why I think!" she stopped, hesitatingly, "If I were in your situation, I would run away. I would say 'Poo poo to the aristocratic world. I want to be an adult and find my own beat.'" She turned to the girl and took her hand. "Miss Emma that is what I were to do. And you know that you and I are not that different. But I am not encouraging leaving. It may be a wonderful world, but it is also dangerous and scary. You must understand that your parents are doing this for your safety. They do not want anything happening to you," she explained softly. The girl, in outrage and distress, cried,

”But how am I to learn what is right and wrong in the world if I don't experience it? April, god knows I love you, but sometimes you don't think things through, just like my parents. I am aware of how scary and dangerous the world is. But I need to learn things. I need to see things. I need to become my own person, not the person my parents want me to be." She looked at her with a glowered stare. "I will leave tonight at midnight, April. I have money and myself. I trust you with this secret. You are my one and only hope. If I cannot get out of London soon, I will surely become a weak minded woman with no opinion of the world. And I cannot let myself become that. April, will you help me leave?" she asked, her eyes crying with help. She hesitated, and then looked the girl straight in the eye.

"You know I do not approve of this at all. But I can see it in your eyes that you need to leave. So yes, I will help you. But if anything happens, you are not to speak of my name, to your parents or anybody. Understood?" she demanded. Emma smiled and nodded her head. April gathered her skirts and began to leave the room. Before she left, she turned around and said, "I will come and get you at eleven. Then we will begin to plan." She turned away sharply and left the room. Emma smiled and knew that she would finally leave.

The cold London rain was pouring when she left the house at eleven thirty. With her, she had two suitcases, a trunk, and all her life savings. She turned around before she got into the carriage to take one last look at her home.

"Good-bye, my humble abode," she whispered. She stopped in her tracks and looked at the small home that she and her parents had shared all throughout her life. At that moment, the small home looked quiet and dark, seeing that almost everyone was asleep. She felt a hand on her arm, pulling her towards the carriage.

"Come on, love. We mustn't dwell on what is soon to be the past," the voice spoke.

"April, I can't believe I'm doing this," she whispered "I can't believe that I'm finally leaving." She took one last look and climbed into the carriage.

"Are you in, love?" April asked, sitting across from her.

"Yes, I am," she said back. The carriage started abruptly and within ten minutes, they were at the train station. As she stood on the waiting plane with April, a sudden fear shot through her.

"Remember love, this will take you to the ferry and then the ferry will take you to France. And get on the six o clock train to Paris from there. You know French well enough to get by. And don't get scared. You're on your way," April told her, giving her last minute instructions. She nodded her head and April, who sensed her fear, embraced her in her arms. "Don't be scared. It'll all take time to get used to. And when you become a famous writer, I'll be the first in line to buy it," she whispered. Emma cracked into a smile and before she said anything, the train pulled up. "Go! Leave behind your old life!" April cried.

"I will, April. And I'll think of you every step of the way," she said before boarding the train. Before she could see her reaction, she turned her back and boarded the train to the docks.

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