DrabbleWriMo 14: Juxtaposition

[igenlode]

Almost halfway (and three-quarters of the way through the actual book already!)

I'm not sure this one quite works as I'd hoped, which can be partially put down to not having room for all Valentine's confused emotions -- not least, the acute sorrow of her own childlessness, coupled with her affection for Roland (and the young man's existing hero-worship for 'the Marquis', of whose relationship he has no idea).

The other problem is that I haven't really managed to put across the idea of 'juxtaposition' being key to her realisation :-(

Roland looked up, and the elusive resemblance to Gaston caught at Valentine's heart. She had seen it first on finding the wounded boy at Mirabel, and thought she must be mistaken — but now, now that she saw them together...

He had been born, it seemed, near Saint-Chamans, Gaston's old estate. Was it possible that twenty years ago, in that light, faithless era before the deluge, some passing affair had... borne unexpected fruit?

She had to know.

~o~

She read the answer — and the remorse — in Gaston's face, and found that she could smile. "Dearest, when I see him... I am glad."