" Put that bottle down." "Angèle!" " No." "Hurry up and put that bottle down." "Do as I say!" "Do you hear me?" "Put it down!" "Now listen." "Angèle." "Brise is a wanted man and risks the guillotine." "And why is he a wanted man?" "It should be you they guillotine!" "Am I meant to take responsibility for all your misfortunes?" "So be it." "But there is one I am determined to save you from." " That of being a mother and a whore." " You can't stop me keeping my baby." "Do you plan to carry on working when you're pregnant?" " Yes." " What about afterwards?" "The child will need looking after." "Even at night." "Are you planning to come upstairs to feed and change it between clients?" "I'll just owe you for the earnings I miss out on." "You're already in too much debt and you know it." "That's just it." "We've all agreed to help her pay off her debt." "And we'll be there to help with the baby too." "Really?" "Even Véra's going to pitch in." "Even Véra?" "I see." "So you want to share the debt?" "I want your assurance that it will be business as usual." "And I want an invitation to the christening." "Let me give you an up-to-date figure." "I just need to add last night's bits and pieces." "You're at 6.246 francs and 70 centimes." "If we divide that in half." "It comes to... 3.000 francs." "Where did these figures come from?" "I'm scarcely up to 1.000." "Do you want to read it?" "What?" "Look at all these bottles." "I don't drown my sorrows every day." "Not every day but often." "I can assure you." "You've overcharged me!" "I'm making an effort here." "But you need to be reasonable too." "Like it or not." "Those are the figures!" "You forget how Brise sponged off you." "He helped you run up your debt." "So." "Are you taking on the 3.000 or not?" "Thieving bitch!" "Get out." "You're banging your head against a brick wall." "Play her at her own game and negotiate." " Go back and apologise." " You've grown in self-assurance." "You're self-confident." "It's a good thing." "Now you've fucked the boss's brother." "You must feel at home here." "In the kitchen." "Wasn't it?" "Bravo!" "There was one trophy to win and you've won it." " What are you accusing me of?" " Nothing at all." "On the contrary." "I admire you." "You're ambitious." "Gaillac is worth more than my Caboche." "You're targeting the wrong person." "And you're siding with the wrong friend." "It seems she doesn't want our help after all." "Rose!" "You're to charge 50 francs today." " Why?" "He won't understand." " We're not asking him to understand." "But a lawyer like him must know that discretion comes at a price." "Right." " He must pay up in the first five minutes." " I know." "Valentine." "If you're not back in an hour." "I'll come up." "Monsieur." "Wait." "Talk to me." "Why summon me here if it's just to part my thighs?" "My answer will surprise you." "I don't like brothels." "Just whores." "Do you want me to tell you you're more than a whore to me?" "Only if it's sincere." "What about you?" "Are you sincere?" "I have a theory." "Where truth is impossible." "You have to learn to enjoy the lies." "And truth." "Is it ever possible?" "You never give in." "Do you?" "Never." "Then anything's possible." "It was only peach liqueur." "Nothing serious." "In the ten years I've been here." "You've never had a single pregnancy." "That's quite a record in the industry." "And you think Angèle is worth breaking that record for?" " We're all behind her." " Fine." "You just need to come up with 3.000 francs between you." "You think I don't need the money?" "I didn't need it yesterday." "What a fool I was." "To still believe my brother's promises." " Don't lie to me." "Hortense." " Think what you like." "The brothel hasn't made a profit since before the Commune." "I think nothing horrifies you more than a body swelling up and then emptying itself out amid cries of pain." " I need Angèle." " Then you should..." "Can you see her with a child?" "Look where it got you." "You had to work till you dropped to earn enough to feed a ghost." "That's what's in store for Angèle." "At best." "And that's assuming she's got your strength of character." "Do you think it's just a question of money?" "There's the cost of the pregnancy." "But then after that." "The girl is scared of missing an appointment with her child." "And there are the regular payments to the nanny or the school." "That should suit you if it puts her even more at your mercy." "You only mentioned the money." "I suppose?" "Yes." "Nothing's possible!" "How can I get you to trust me." "Rose?" " What are you doing?" " I have something for you." " Jewellery or perfume?" " Jewellery." "That's not what I want." "I know what you want and I can't give it to you." "Not now." "Are you so afraid of your sister?" "Be patient." "We should all have individual records of our debts." " What?" " At the Paradis." "The girls should have their own record to keep on their person." "That way." "There would be no arguing." "Do you want your freedom or do you want to change the Paradis?" "Do I really have a choice?" "Do you want to be the brothel madam?" "Make an effort." "Talk to your sister." "Olympe?" "Linda?" "No." "I don't want to." "Why not fetch Jessy from the kitchen?" " She's useless." " At least she knows how to play." "What about Angèle?" " She won't play any more." " Why not?" " We're not friends any more." " Really?" " Tell me more." " Angèle doesn't need me any more." "You were a millstone round her neck." "More like an anvil." "Pity." "All right?" " Want to play?" " What?" "Forget Angèle." "She's on her own now." "You can't help people who don't want to be helped." "Big mistake." "And Angèle can manage perfectly well on her own." "She does what she wants when she wants." " What a girl!" " Yes." "Are you playing." "Then?" " It's all right." "Girls." "I get it." " Were you here all along?" " Angèle!" " Are we playing or what?" "That'll do." ""The Emperor of China's concubine." "Lee Zou." "Is caught up in a conspiracy." ""She must poison the Emperor or be buried alive."" "I like the name Lee Zou." "It'll go down well." ""But Lee Zou manages to seduce" " "the Emperor's wife..." " The Empress." "Or her brother or sister." "That's not important." ""Who plans her escape from..." I've lost my train of thought." ""Who plans her escape from the Forbidden City" ""which is how she came to be in Europe."" "I see." "What do you see there?" "Look." "Those puny legs and calloused hands..." "What do they evoke for you?" "Muddy rice fields." "Certainly not an imperial city." "The hands are crucial." "It'll never work." " The girl from the Sahel." "Then?" " No." "Too scrawny." "I find her pretty." "Her command of French is unacceptable." "When I came here." "I barked like a cart driver." "You trained me." "You were there when I asked her if she'd ever made love to a man." "She blushed." "Too fragile." "She'd never survive here." " You said we needed exoticism." " We do." "This is Paris." "Sexual fantasies are key." "None of the three." "Then?" "I'd like to try Manon." "She claims to be good in the torture chamber." "I'd like to see that." "Pseudonym?" "Lucia?" "Marguerite came up with good names." "What?" "I don't believe it!" "I told you to count them." " I did count them." " It's your fault." "You rolled your eyes." " Rolled my eyes?" " Just now when the Jack came up." "You thought I had one too." " She rolled her eyes at you?" " Yes." "She rolled her eyes." "Are you deliberately stupid?" "Ladies." "This is Lucia and her daughter." "Annabelle." "Hi." "Hello." "Princess." "How old are you?" "Ten." "Annabelle's a pretty name." "Don't worry." "You'll be fine here." "You too." "It's dinner time." "Geneviève has made sauté of veal." "I love that." " What?" " "I love that"!" "What charming actresses." "And you have a beautiful theatre." " How are you?" " What are you doing here?" "You were the one who told me Pierre's mistress was here." "You were wrong to come here." "I want her to fuck me like she fucks my husband!" "I. Too." "Want to experience some of the pleasure she gives him." "Sharing is the key to a successful marriage." " Why the hesitation?" " I'm not sure Pierre will see it that way." "He won't have any choice in the matter." "He owes everything to my father." "His success on the Cape." "His return to Paris." "His stake in the opera house." "Didn't he tell you?" "I can do what I like to him and I've finally decided to take advantage." "For my benefit and that of my friends." "Reassure me." "Hortense." "We are still friends." "Aren't we?" "Of course." "Then see to it that Véra takes good care of me." "All right." "Valentine?" "Fetch Véra." "Please." "Perhaps you'd like to follow me to the parlour." "Is it good?" " Delicious." " Do you want some more?" "I was so hungry." "Thank you." "Well?" "What?" " Are you in love?" " Don't be stupid." " Rose?" " I swear." " His smell?" " What about his smell?" "Answer me." "It's fine." "Rose!" "You're falling for him." "What?" "Don't complain." "She's beautiful." "Take her to the Seventh Heaven room." "You mentioned records earlier." "You're about to set one." "Too..." "for commanding the best fee ever." "Double the price." "That's what you earn from now on." "A beautiful woman." "And she's got character." "She needs it." "She's married to my brother." "What did you say?" "Elizabeth." " Are you out of your mind?" " I know what I'm doing." " Your brother will be furious." " That's my business." " Hortense." "It's not that simple." " What isn't?" "Trust me." "Pour us a drink." "Will you?" "Now undress." "Completely." "Why don't we do this my way?" "Is that what my husband likes?" "What are you scared of?" "Watching you make a dreadful mistake." "Don't bother denying it." "Hortense has told me everything." "I lied to Hortense." "I've never slept with your husband." " Why did you lie?" " I love Hortense." "I couldn't bear her distancing herself from me and getting closer to him." "In love with your boss?" "Very amusing." "So you really do like women?" "I lied to put her on her guard." "Your husband promised her the brothel but he has no intention of giving it to her." "How do you know he won't give it to her?" "He told me." "So he trusts you." " He paid me to spy on his sister." " Spy?" "Fascinating." "What a surprise." "I'd given up waiting." "I needed time to think." "Have you decided?" "Yes." "I love this house." "And I know how much I owe you." "And?" "And..." "I made a mistake by leaving the way I did." "There." "Well." "Well." "So you knew I'd cope and you just wanted to tease me a bit." "That's it." "Exactly that." " How was your wedding?" " Good." "So it was good." "The trouble is." "Valentine has taken your place now." "She has a strange way of going about it." "From what I've heard." "It's the clients that count." "You know that." "And the clients are happy." "Do you want to prove that you can still be useful to me?" "Yes." "Let go of me." "Let go of me!" "Let go of me!" "Let go of me." "You filthy whore!" "You filthy whore!" "Let go of me!" "You filthy old whore!" "I went crazy." "She hit me and I just pushed her away." "Your brother's going to kill us." "Come with me." "Come on!" "This way." "Hurry!" "In here." "What's important is that he doesn't know it was you." "You were always threatening to tell his wife." "Don't worry." "Valentine will say exactly what I tell her to." " What about the other girls?" " Véra..." "He has a lot of enemies." "According to the girl." "Elizabeth lost her head." "She kept hitting her." "The girl pushed her away in self-defence." "It was an accident." "Which girl?" "What does that matter?" "Rose?" "No!" "Why?" "She is my wife." "Who came here to get her revenge on her husband." "And now you want to get your revenge." "It's nothing to do with the girl and you know it." "If you want to get your revenge." "Find whoever besmirched your good name to your wife." " The public prosecutor!" " Can I take the Seventh Heaven?" " Take the Round Room." " But he asked for it specifically." " It's reserved for the evening." " Is Véra still with her client?" "What's that got to do with you?" "You'll get a hefty fine for coming up here." "Aren't you working?" "I felt faint." "Hortense told me to stay here." "What about your client?" "What about my client?" "Is she still in the room?" "What if she is?" "She paid to be alone." "Alone?" "I saw Hortense leave the room." "Rose." "Get back to work." "Forget the rest." "I can see that something's wrong." "For the boss to let you go and to call for her brother." "What's going on?" "Why don't they call a doctor?" "It's too late." "It was an accident." "Rose." "In our world there is one golden rule." "No one dies in the brothel." "Otherwise it gets closed down." "So they're going to get rid of the body?" "How?" "By burying it in the middle of a forest." "Or dumping it in one of the suburbs." "It will look like an unpleasant encounter." "The police will never be able to trace it back to here." "With a bit of luck." "They'll find some poor sod to act as the perfect culprit." "Some poor sod!" "It's the golden rule." "No one dies in the brothel." "Are you protecting a client or did you kill her?" "My mother died here." "Didn't she?" "Tell me what happened or I'll go downstairs and tell everyone there's a body in the Seventh Heaven room." "What are you going to do with that poor girl?" "That poor girl is my wife." "Listen to me." "Rose." "There have always been suicides and murders in brothels." "Your golden rule is a myth the girls scare themselves with." "And one brothel madams perpetuate to keep them scared." "What do you want?" "For the police to come here?" "Would you rather one of the girls was accused of killing a snob?" "Forgive me." "Pierre." "No one deserves to be left on a street corner like a dog." "Elizabeth's body will be discovered tonight in our apartment." "The police will conclude that it was a domestic accident." "Rose." "Floriane's daughter." "Angèle?" "Angèle!" "I'll be right back." "Do you trust Edmond?" "Why?" "I need to talk to someone educated who hasn't been shut up in this prison." "Edmond fits the bill." "Edmond!" "Here." " Court report." " What does that mean?" "It's not a judgment." "Just an account of the facts." "Intended to prove that the accused deserved to be tried." "But..." "Well?" "There's nothing here to say whether this man was killed for the murder of your mother." "Tomorrow I will go and see a magistrate friend at the law courts." "The case file will be there somewhere." "I promise I'll come back to see you as soon as I have it in my possession." "Thank you." "What do you think they'll do with her?" "Is that what you wanted to talk to Edmond about?" "Are you sure you want me to answer that?" "You've got enough on your plate as it is." "You should never have called on me." "The building works couldn't be going worse." "And you dare to ask for my help with your personal problems?" "It's just that I think I can help you." "Really?" "Wait until you see her." "You'll thank me." "Pierre!" "How old is she?" "Come on." "The bread's fresh and the coffee's hot." "I've even brought you back a pot of rhubarb jam." "Can you wait five minutes?" "Door!" "Can we talk?" "300 francs." "Pardon?" "It's what I'm prepared to give you." "No one else need know." "300 francs..." " How did your wedding go?" " Very well." "Why do you ask?" "Did they let you into the church?" "I bet they all spat in your face." "What are you talking about?" "I was invited." "But you still felt their saliva running down your cheek." "All it takes is one dirty look." "What do you mean by that?" "Are you turning down my offer?" "I'm sorry." "Yes?" "What's going on?" "I need your help." "But I work for Hortense." "I'm on the verge of losing everything." "All I ask is for you to let me talk to the new girl." "The new girl?" "What are you trying to say?" "Gaudissart has more of a hold over me than ever." "Gaudissart?" "Serves you right for working with him." "If I don't do something." "We'll all go under." "Hortense." "Me." "You." "What?" "The reason we're both here..." "is because you trust me." "One." "Two." "Three." "Four." "Five." "Six." "Seven." "Eight." "Nine." "Ten..." "Coming!" "Lucia!" "Can you come here." "Please?" "Hello." "Monsieur." "Do you know who I am?" "The boss's brother." "Precisely." "I am also the landlord." "Would you rather I addressed you as Manon or Lucia?" "Manon." "Then." "Are you happy to be here?" "How did your first night go?" "The advantage in the provinces is that your clients are regulars which means they have to behave to a certain extent." "Or am I mistaken?" "No." "Monsieur." "How old are you?" "27." "Monsieur." "And your daughter?" "Ten." "Do you remember being ten years old?" "How are you going to manage with her?" "She'll go to boarding school." "Is that what you want?" "I want what's best for her and that's what's best for her." "To be apart from you?" "In my job." "Yes." "That's what's best." "You know..." "There's no such thing as a life without sacrifice." "I have my own cross to bear." "You know." "But there are some sacrifices which last a lifetime." "And others which allow you to build a life." "How?" "I can give you a lot of money." "Enough for you to never have to work again." "You would have to live a simple life." "Being careful what you spend on yourself and on Annabelle." "But... you'd both be free." "Do you remember being ten?" "The sacrifice I'm talking about." "You'd only have to make it once." "There would be no trace of it." "No memory." "The gentleman in question is very gentle and kind." "Annabelle will naturally be afraid." "But she will not be harmed." "I promise you." "I did this once before a long time ago." "The girl in question has no memory of it." "No psychological scarring." "I can assure you." "It would be up to you to give her other memories." "What do you think?" "I want to know precisely what will happen." "This is what will happen." "I will come back tonight with this gentleman." "I will introduce you." "You will take him upstairs and fetch Annabelle." "Rose?" "You didn't!"