Time: Present Day

Location: Paris, France.

"What do you think Margot, should I go or not?" Monique asked her older sister.

"I would if I were you. I think it would be playing on my mind if I didn't, but then, I'm not you am I?" Margot advised.

"You're right again Margot, it has been on my mind a bit lately, and I haven't been sleeping that well either. Maybe you've been right all along and we should have told him years ago, after what happened to Amelia and now that poor Carter's gone too. He'll never get to meet his son. He'll probably hate me if I tell him, and what about Don and Vera, it might upset their relationship with him as well. Oh My God! What a mess."

"Oh what a wicked web we weave when first we practise to deceive eh?" Margot tried to lighten her sister's dark mood. "Just do it. You can only go there in good faith and tell him that you and Jean, blame some of it on Jean, which is not too far from the truth anyway. That you two only had Amelia and his welfare at heart, that you thought them too young and the situation too volatile for them to make sound decisions, which would affect all of their lives and ours. So you took it upon yourselves to make certain decisions for them, but I wouldn't necessarily let on that Don and Vera were totally au fait with the situation either, unless he asked you straight out."

"If he does, then I suppose I could tell him that his Dad wasn't at all certain Amelia was well enough to carry the baby to full term, and he had recommeded termination. I just couldn't do it on religious grounds, that we had fully intended that the baby, should there be one, be adopted out in France before Amelia's return to Sydney. That nobody outside of the immediate family, excepting his parents and Father Dan should know the real reason for Amelia's going to live in Paris, let alone that she was pregnant, and gave birth to a son."

"There you go, you've worked it out for yourself, you didn't need my input after all. Now off you go, ring the Vatican, make an appointment to see Peter, then get on that computer and book your flights. You can be there and back in the same day. Rome from here is just like taking a flying trip to Melbourne back home. What's done is done, I'm sure Peter will see that, and I bet you'll feel much better about the whole business once you tell him."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll do it and get it over with once and for all," Monique decided.

"That's the spirit, speaking of which would you like a scotch to calm the nerves?" Margot asked her sister.

"Yes please, that would be lovely. In fact make it a double, a little dutch courage is what's required now," Monique said getting her phone from her bag.

Chapter 46 - Rome or Not.

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