That following May, late on a fine spring afternoon, after closing the shoemaker’s shop, Adam visited the inn for his daily refreshment. Through the window, overlooking the garden area, exactly the spot where his wedding feast took place, he overheard two villagers discussing him and his family. He was shocked to hear them speculating as to the real father of Clemence’s baby. Was it Eugene the miller’s son, or Maxim the blacksmith, married no less, Alex, the cooper, Quentin, the carpenter’s journeyman or Mathieu, the tailor? Certainly not Adam the husband! Adam listened, a rising torrent of feelings overwhelming him - humiliation, anger, sorrow, even disbelief, before realizing that they might notice him, thereby making him even more miserable. He retreated to a corner of the tavern room, calling for more wine and drank himself into a stupor before staggering home. He found his wife querulous and unwell. His smoldering suspicions fueled by wine burst into flames. Screams and accusations followed. She did not deny it and in fact owned it. He was not the father of the child she screamed, but that did not mean the child did not need a father. Shocked into sobriety, he sat down. His innate chivalry rallied. He agreed, the child needed a father and furthermore she needed a husband. He would claim the child for his own and not let anyone say otherwise. She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time but her response was that life could certainly be ironic. Peace of a sort restored she suffered through the remainder of her pregnancy. She gave birth to a baby boy during the night of the feast day of St Jean Baptiste with her mother and other local women of the midwifery sort on hand. They presented Adam with his son. After some time, they allowed him into the chamber but Clemence was sleeping with her baby under her mother’s watchful eye. All seemed well until at the dead of night Madame Niel’s screams roused the entire household. Clemence had gone into convulsions and now lay in bed, rigid as death but still alive. Adam sat helplessly by her side, holding her hand while Madame Niel and the other women, that now reappeared as if by magic, applied various home remedies. The next day dawned with no change except, to Adam’s intent eyes she seemed more composed, as if she had settled into a deep sleep. He took hope from that. If sleeping then surely she would wake up. He would not leave her bedside lest he miss the moment of awakening. Meanwhile, Madame Niel dealt with other pressing matters. The baby needed feeding and they must find a wet nurse. Someone remembered that the blacksmith’s wife was still nursing her baby and Madame Niel carried the child to her. Then they needed to plan the baptism but wondered who would stand as the child’s godparents? Clemence had evidently not given this any consideration; Adam had assumed that the family would select appropriate godparents; Madame Neil had assumed her brother, Gervais, would be godfather but he refused, saying that he would not be part of it and that was that. Then Monsieur Niel solicited his relatives and received the same blunt response. Time was wasting; everyone knew that it was crucial to get the babe baptized quickly lest sudden death claim him for damnation but by the end of the day, there was nobody. They sent for the priest and postponed the ceremony. Then Adam thought of his brother in Calais. He was certain that Jean-Paul would come to their aid if they could swiftly get word to him. The following morning, Gervais, perhaps feeling guilty about his refusal to stand as godfather, volunteered his two sons to take the message to Calais. Adam gave instructions and the two lads, Davy and Gaby, set off on their epic journey at midday. Adam returned to Clemence’s side. Later on, Madame Mallette, the wet nurse, came by with an armload of babies and a couple of young ones in her train to show the babe his mother. Madame Niel took him up in her arms, kissed him and placed him by his mother’s side. She stirred. Her eyes opened. Adam was overjoyed, the women wept, some sinking to their knees in prayerful thanksgiving. Clemence touched him gently then quietly murmured, “Pray for me, little one.” She leaned back on the pillows and fell back asleep. Meanwhile, the lads, like the ancient Greek messenger from Marathon, ran and fast-walked to Calais, arriving by nightfall. Jean-Paul received them at his imposing house near the harbor gate and hearing their tale answered the summons. The following morning, Jean-Paul, his wife Edmee and the two lads set off in a rented carriage, and arrived at Sainte Marie Kerque later that day. While Jean-Paul and Edmee consoled Adam and admired the babe, Madame Niel summoned the priest again and made plans for the baptism to take place the following morning. Accordingly, under a bright morning sky, the family and many of the villagers processed to the church, Madame Niel in the lead, holding the babe. She gave him the name of Etienne, after her own father. Jean-Paul and his wife Edmee stood as Etienne’s godparents. The priest baptized him according to the sacraments of the Catholic Church. Adam could only think of Clemence and was hardly aware of the ceremony. Afterwards they returned to the house for a small family dinner. Adam immediately went to his wife’s bedside. Madame Niel with the priest and other family members and friends crowded into the chamber. It was time, she explained, for the priest to administer the last rites since there was no hope of recovery and death was near. Adam protested, ordering them out, anger choking him. He made to strike the priest but Jean-Paul restrained him. Madame Niel, tears streaming, embraced Adam and clinging to him, pleaded for him to accept their loss and think of little Etienne. Adam broke down and wept; they all wept while the priest did his sacramental duty. Then all but Adam retired for dinner. He was with her when a final convulsion claimed her life. Since the priest was still present, Madame Niel arranged for the funeral. The women appeared again to prepare the body while Jean-Paul took Adam away to console him with a bottle of wine. Then he slept for a long time, missing most of the funeral preparations and visitors. On one day, Adam was at Notre Dame Church for the baptism of his son; two days later, he returned for the funeral and burial of his wife.
For more on Etienne's baptism and period funeral customs see Note 7 in:
This is the ossuary in St. Leonard's Church in the United Kingdom. The ossuary in Notre Dame in Sainte Marie Kerque would be much the same though probably with many fewer bones! . Image courtesy of:
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