Episode 4
1022 Words
Madame Corinne Deroy describes freedom as though it were a lover: intoxicating, dangerous,worth any cost.
Angelica in that brief moment wishes for her own freedom.
In a world, an era where divorce was illegal.
Leaving the marriage is nearly impossible.
Marriage was binding beyond emotion or reason.
A wife could not simply leave.
Separation was scandal, and divorce nearly unthinkable.
Only widows are free.
And in that moment,
Angelica wishes for the unthinkable.
Freedom
But at what cost? She thought.
Her thoughts are interrupted as she hears voices in the hallway, calling her name.
She recognizes one of the voice.
Frederic.
How long has she been here? She thinks.
Angelica stands up, adjusts her gown as she thanks Madame Corinne.
“ Thank you for the handkerchief”, she gestures wanting to return it back
“ Keep it”, Corrine says
“ That way, you can always return it another day”.
Angelica’s reply is interrupted as Frederic enters the room.
“ I've been looking for you”, he says looking at Angelica.
“ Uhmmm, I was….”
“ We were having a discussion,Duke “ Madame Corinne replies as she bows slightly to him. Her eyes staring him down.
He takes her hand and kisses it as he pulls Angelica close to him.
“ You took my darling wife away for too long Madame “ he replies
“ I apologize, Duke Frederic,I'll take my leave now”.
She says as she leaves the room.
Only Frederic and Angelica are left in the room.
He looks at her,
“ It's good you are trying to make connections”.
_ _ _
That night,she was unable to sleep.
And the nights that followed.
The thought of Madame Corinne Deroy lingered in her mind.
Of what she could be.
The life she could live.
The idea filled her with dread but the thought of freedom was enticing.
She calls for Lucille.
Angelica confides in Lucille, her voice shaking as she spoke the unthinkable.
They whispered late into the night.
Afraid the walls would hear the forbidden words they spoke.
“Lucille “, Angelica says.
“I want to leave,I don't want to stay here anymore “ Angelica continues.
“You can't just leave,it's impossible” Lucille replies.
“Are you thinking of eloping?”, Lucille asks fear in her voice.
“ If you try to run away and you are caught,you will be killed” she continues.
“ I know,but what if he leaves instead” Angelica says.
“ He always leaves,but will come back home “ she replies
“ What if he couldn't come back?” Angelica says as she fumbles nervously with her nightgown.
“ I don't understand “ Lucille says confused.
She sits at the edge of the bed watching her master.
Whenever Angelica was nervous,she has the habit of fumbling with her clothes as she did now.
“ I want to kill my husband “.
I want to kill my husband.
The words she has been thinking for weeks rushed out of her mouth in whispers.
“I want to be free”.
“To live my own life”.
“On my terms “.
“I want to live the way Corrine lives”.
She was terrified by her own thoughts.
Her faithful maid listened as Angelica spoke, fumbling over words as fear made her stammer.
Lucille had been there listening as Angelica wept quietly at night.
As she questioned what she had done to deserve such indifference.Yet all she could offer was comfort then .
No one dared imagine escape.
Even as scared as Angelica looked as she voiced out her thoughts, Lucille saw something else.
A woman who has made a choice.
Now,things are different.
Angelica made plans to get rid of her husband,to live life on her own terms like she said.
For the first time Angelica felt in control.
In charge like her life was her own, she made her own decision and she was going to stand by it.
No matter the cost.
And thus operation ‘kill my husband ‘ was born.
The birth of a plan born out of desperation,
Her last Resort.
_ _ _
At first she prayed,
Prayed he falls off his horse and gets stamped.
Prayed for him to fall sick and be bedridden.
But it wasn't working,so she found another plan.
She read.
Angelica spent the day at the library.
Reading books, researching ways to put her plan to motion.
She was going to do it anyway.
So it had to be perfect.
Make it seem like an accident.
Maybe blame his luck for running out.
An illness. Maybe
She thought to herself.
She read about flowers,plants that would be fatal if consumed.
Allergies that could be life threatening, medicines and it's uses.
She researched for days.
And then she struck gold.
In one of her search,she came across the ‘ poison apple ‘ a plant that had been known to be the cause for a number of aristocrats death ‘
The discovery intrigued her.
She quickly calls for Lucille.
“ I need you to get me an ingredient for tonight's dinner “ Angelica said.
“What ingredient?” Lucille asked .
“ The golden apple”. Angelica says
“ Milady,
It's called a tomato among locals” , Lucille replied while rolling her eyes.
“ Ohh,yes,yes,I need you to get it for me”.
I'm going to poison Frederic with it” she whispered.
Lucille gasps,
She looks at her bewildered, the tomato was known to cause poisoning among the rich.
She was surprised Angelica was able to suggest it.
“ I want it to be cooked with tonight’s food”, she says as she continues to flip throug
h the book in her lap.
“ Do you also plan to die with him?”Lucille says surprised.
“ Of course not”,she says looking at her maid's worried face.
“ I won't actually be eating,he won't notice” Angelica assures her.
“This is a bad idea milady”.
- Writer
