Earnest Love

Even the sex with Antoine was difficult. He was wracked with guilt over what Elizabeth was having to do on his behalf. There were constant apologies, occasional tears, self-pity, digressions into how they could fix it. There were discussions about how they should run away. But it never got them anywhere. As Elizabeth lay panting next to Antoine, the stress seemed overwhelming. Their relationship was in a pressure cooker, now, under the control of Charles Broadus. But at the end of the day, there was one thing Elizabeth could not doubt -- the love that Antoine had for her and the children.