at him bewilderedly before picking out the smallest orange and placing it in his outstretched hand.
"Thank you. I''m terribly thirsty," Andre beamed contentedly.
Seeing him so at ease, Edith felt her earlier guard slip away all at once and couldn''t help but feel angry at him.
"Come home with us, Eddie," Philippe naturally used ''us'', clearly not intending to end their lively conversation.
"I don''t want to," Edith pouted, turning her head away.
Lost in his buoyant enthusiasm, Philippe didn''t attempt to persuade her with his elder brother''s authority. He soon walked away with Andre.
They had not been gone for long when Lucile''s husband, Camille Desmoulins, appeared not far away. He stood there nodding goodbye to his colleagues before hurrying over to them, almost trotting.
Camille stood close to his wife, showing concern for her well-being as the two of them spoke continuously with gentle and joyful tones. Edith almost felt as if, had she not been there, he would have eagerly leaned down to kiss Lucile deeply.
"You take Edith home with you first, Camille," Lucile said to her husband. "I''ll finish up this paragraph here and then come back with Citizeness Danton. If I leave now, my train of thought will be disrupted."
Understanding and considerate as always, Lucile turned back to Edith with a smile. "Wait for me at home, my dear. I''ll be back soon, then we can go on with our discussion."
As Edith followed Citizen Desmoulins onto the street, she saw that dawn had already crept in. The cold of the winter morning made her give a shudder.
Once inside the warm and cozy carriage, a wave of strong drowsiness overtook her. She was too tired to observe proper etiquette, and in front of Citizen Desmoulins, she leaned her head against the swaying wall of the carriage, falling asleep.
When Edith woke up in the guest room of the Desmoulins'', it was already approaching evening. She felt a bit embarrassed for having slept so carelessly for such a long time in someone else''s home, sticking out her tongue at herself.
The house was quiet, and she walked on tiptoes, turning into the study where she saw Lucile still working at her desk.
Lucile smilingly nodded at