Roxanne, who had remained with a blank stare for a couple of seconds, immediately focused on her sister.
"As you know, I've been a little weak… unwell, in general."
Roxanne nodded.
"Joseph has done some tests, and he believes it was the shock that caused everything."
"Of course."
"Roxanne, I… was expecting a child and I've lost it."
The girl who didn't always dress in red anymore was speechless. It was the reaction Celeste was expecting, so she went on to explain herself.
"For several months, Mr. Harris has been paying secret night visits to me. He said it was all right, because we were engaged and everything… And I… I liked being with him. He was very sweet and I thought I was really lucky to be the only one who knew the man I was going to marry, for how handsome he was… because he seemed to love me.
The last night he came to my room, when he was leaving, he said he intended to ask Father to give him Dora instead of me. Because he'd had enough of me already. It was then that I came to know his true face, his wickedness, how he enjoys causing humiliation."
"That's why you changed your mind so suddenly about getting married."
"Yes. I knew it was a lie. He didn't mean to ask Father for anything. He only said that for the fun of making me believe he was. But I didn't want to spend my life with such a despicable person.
We've later seen he is also a murderer."
"What does murderer mean?" asked Blanche, with a voice hoarse from disuse.
"It means what he did to Violet," Celeste kindly answered her, aware that, even if Blanche was older than her, she'd come out into the world later. "It's funny how Father didn't want us to learn the words that have turned out to define him and his men better."
Roxanne raised her eyebrows in agreement.
"I'd very much liked to become a mother," said Celeste. "I really would have liked that a lot."
"You will. Someday," spoke again Blanche, truly joining in the conversation now.
"Probably," said the one in blue, taking her sister's hand in thankfulness. "But I won't forget this. And if I ever have the chance to make him pay for what he's done, I certainly will."