Frances

Where are you going?

But you already know.

I’m going to pick up the child.
Oh yes?

Frances. August’s child.
Hmm

I will be back tomorrow.
Anne is coming to see you tonight.

Hello!

Hello. You are the guest of Mrs Matilda?
That’s me. You are waiting for me?

So August was your brother?
Yes.

Sorry about that.
Thanks.

It’s not much further.

It’s very sad.
Yes, of course.

You were close to your brother?
Hmm…
I see.

Welcome!

Here you are, I’ll take the baggage! Come come!

You had a good journey?
Yes. The driver was very chatty.

They all are. Nothing happens here!

But where is the little one? I told her to stay in the house.

How is Frances?
As well as possible, I think.

You must be exhausted. Have a rest here while I find the child.

Is that your aunt, Frances?
I don’t know. Probably.

What do you think?
How should I know?

It’s Matilda. I must go back.
I can come?

See you Frances. Have fun in the city.
See you Billy.

Hadn’t I told you to stay here?
Yeah

It’s perhaps time now to say goodbye Astrid. Frances leaves after lunch.

Leave us alone!

Ah, well….

I don’t want you to go.
Neither do I.

But you’ll write?
Promise.

Well then, I’ve never seen such a face!

I hate you! You are happy that I’m leaving!

Aaaah!

Oh, my god, sorry.

What’s going on here?
I was just looking for something.

You stop this nonsense, and go get changed.

I’m truly sorry…

And here she is, finally presentable! Come my little one, come sit yourself down.

It’s necessary, perhaps, to think about going.

Yes, I’m going to call.

Why do you have such a big bag?

Look after yourself my dear. I will miss you terribly!

Hello
Hello

What do you want?
I would like to know if I can walk your dogs?

Grrr… grrr…

No
Grrr

How did you find the right door?
I asked the concierge

Can I come in?

What an idea! Hmm.
Well, okay.
Be careful of the dogs.
Thanks.

I also right stories!
Hm?
Crime stories mostly.

All that is quite interesting my dear, but I’m trying to work.

Have something to drink if you like. In the little caninet.

Is this lemonade?

Ha, yes! If you like. Lemonade…

It’s not lemonade!

She’s poisoning me!
I have to go!
Hmm?

Frances! Where have you been?

I was looking for you. We have guests this evening.

I have some things to do. Stay here with you grand-father.

I have to make up the bedrooms.

Coo-coo!

Typical! The only one who’s willing to stay with me is nearly dead.

Or is really dead!

Hey! Papi!

Papi, wake up!

Ahhh!

Ah… what is it?

You have forgotten again, it’s Frances, August’s daughter. She lives with us.

DING DONG
Oh damn, they are hear already.

Hello, hello, welcome!
Anne?

Aha, Frances!
She looks like August. Like two drops of water!

Here are your cousins!
Hello.

Frances, go up to your room with the girls.

Okay.

So, here it is.
Yes, we know.

It isn’t like it was the first time we came here. We always slept in this room.

Is it true that your father wanted to drown himself?

But no, don’t you know? It was an accident.

That’s right.

Because he fell, he didn’t jump. It wasn’t on deliberate.

l]
Luck y for you that Aunt Ada coulld take you in.
Mama said that she had quite wanted to, but she has us already…

Yes, and Ada was all alone with grandfather. It was good for everyone, she said.

What’s this book.

Give me that!
Aha, it’s your secreat diary!

Stop!

Okay!

If you open my book, I throw the dog through the window!

Mama!
Then you’ll give it to me or not?

But what are you doing?

She wanted to throw Lulu through the window!

What did she do to you my little darling, eh?

I wasn’t going to throw her, but they had taken my book.

What book girls?
I don’t know! We didn’t see any book!

If you have lost a book Frances, it isn’t a reason to act like a little criminal.

Come to the table now children.

So the child is going to school?
Yes, she’s about to start.
She can read? My daughters could read well before starting.
Yes, yes.

She’s not going dressed like that, I expect?
I don’t see anything wrong.

Trust me on this. You always had peculiar taste.

Are you tired, papa? You can go and read a bit in your bed? Anne can help you.
Better you do it, Ada, you know what to do.
And us, the girls, we are going to see if we don’t have some clothes to give to Frances.

Ah yes Mama, we have a lot we don’t use anymore.
The newspaper is somewhere in the living room…

You see girls, Frances hasn’t a mother, then it’s necessary to set her a good example.
Go to bed, my dears.

Frances, you go to bed too, no?
Yes.

She has some charm, but you can see she was brought up by a man.

You are certainly going to find that a little hard to start looking after a child. But you will learn.
I took care of you and August. And I find Frances is very grown-up.

That’s what you think now.

[Not really sure about this panel – will check]
My god! What a heavy dinner. If that’s how you feed papa, he won’t have anything else for ages.
It’s not a big deal.

Hi Astrid, how are you?

I live in town at my aunt and grandfather’s house.

The house is big and silent.

Ada is kind, but she doesn’t say much. I prefered it at your house.

I had wanted to live at your house and we could have been sisters.

I hate my grandfather, and my aunt Anne, and my cousins.

I mmiss you! Write me soon!

See you. /Frances.

Evening Madame! It’s been a while!
Evening!

May I?

It isn’t very polite I know, but there is too much in the carafe for you anyway.
But maybe I’m waiting for someone?

Perhaps! But that’s not the case, is it?
In fact, we are neighbours.

Oh, yes! You are the actress with the dogs!
Actress? No! I am a writer.

I thought that you were a lady from a good family, but you are here boozing on your own!
I care for my fater. He’s asleep at home.

And you escape at the first sound of snoring? The brat, she’s sleeping too?
You know her too?
Oh yes!

She came round my mine today. She wanted to walk the dogs.
Oh no!

Definitely don’t let her! This evening, she tried to throw her cousins’s dog through the window!

Mine are too big. Why did she do that?
When I was small, I despised adults who didn’t know how to talk to children.

Now I am worse than them. The memories don’t help at all.

Me too, it’s a disaster. I don’t even know why she unsettles me.
How long is she staying at yours?

She has come to live with me. She’s the daughter of my little brother, he died.
The poor little thing!

But she is very tough, that’s for sure.
Yes, annd you too.

Perhaps it’s a family trait? Thanks!

Ha! Yes, perhaps! She looks like my brother. She doesn’t complain, she keeps quiet, just like everyone in this family.

I want to ask you something…

Go on.

Good – we can use our first names?

Why yes. Ada.
And I’m Louise.

What would you say to a little walk?
Right now?
Yes!
If that’s okay with you?

What is it that you want to ask me all this time?
Ah yes.
Well, briefly.

Perhaps I’m mistaken, but I believe that I saw you often, two, three years ago, in certain places…

You were always with a friend. A brunette.
Lydia.

Yes. Lydia. Then, you both disappeared. It ended badly?
You could say that, yes.

You know.

What are you doing?!
Sorry!

Sorry, I couldn’t resist anymore!
Really, forgive me. Wait, I’ll help you.

Don’t move!

Gosh, it’s really complicated.

Err, no. I don’t know how you do it.
It doesn’t matter.

No, think of something else.

Or something cute. The dogs. Otherwise, there’ll be trouble.
Not papa.

Frances!
Papa!

So we can run faster than the wind now?
Of course. Where were you, papa?

We waited for you, Matilda and me.
Really?

I alread told you that you don’t have to worry. Sometimes I have some things to do and I have to leave. That’s all.

Yes, but I worry even so, when I don’t know where you are. Matilda worries too.

Ha ha, well we’ll see.

Matilda! Papa’s come back!

So you remembered your daughter, finally?

Come on, don’t be angry!

Frances isn’t angry, isn’t that right Frances?
Well, no.

That’s because she doesn’t understand everything.
Frances, go play outside.

No! I don’t want to! You don’t decide for me!
You aren’t my mother!

That’s true! But I have to discuss certain things with your father, so outside!

Go, my dear.

We’ve got to put a stop to all this. I’m tired.

I rent your flat, that’s all. I didn’t ask to care for a child.

Frances takes care of herself. She always has.

You say that because she takes after you! Except me, she has no-one when you disappear!

Yes… yes, I know. And I’m very grateful to you. You know I have some little difficulties, nothing serious though, but all the same.

I have some things to settle. But now I am here and I’m not going anywhere.

I hope so. It can’t continue like this. It’s not good for anyone, not you, not Frances.
It’s a promise.

That’s good. In the end, I am happy that you have come back.

Me too, I’m glad. Sorry for worrying you.

Above all don’t think about that day.

And there you are. It’s not necessary to think of it.

Ah!

My god, you scared me.
Why aren’t you in bed?

You left me all alone.

I went for a walk, that’s all. Sometimes I sleep badly.

And you weren’t alone, Anne and her daughters were here. Go on, go to bed.

Good morning.

Good morning..
You slept well?

Pfff.. Something work me up.
And you?

You don’t look like you slept at all!
Was it you walking on the stairs in the middle of the night?

Er, no, although I went to get some water for Frances. She had a nightmare.

Is there some coffee left?

Frances!

Say Frances, why don’t you live with your parents?
They are dead.

Oh, sorry. How?
Assassinated!

What a liar!

I’m not lying!
Yes you are.

Say that again!
You’re lying.

You’ll see, dirty liar.

Stop!

Get off me!

It’s not very brave you know, to hit someone smaller than you.

I’m fine. He’s just a spoint little boy.

It’s not bad Frances! You want us to take you home?
No thanks.

See you tomorrow!

Who’s that?

It’s me.
August!

No! You don’t have any memory! I am Frances and August is never coming back!

Ada!

August…
She’s right.

Frances is your grand-daughter. August is dead.

Why do you say that to me? Where is your sister?
She and her daughters left this morning.

I want to see your sister. Why did she leave me alone with you?
You aren’t like your sister and your brother.

What a shame you waited until he was dead before saying something nice about August.

You who are such a good boy Auguust, why must you break our hearts, of me and your mother?
Leave the child!

What’s the point of hoping? Children don’t care!
They do what they want. They abandon you.

You don’t have a heart, not like us. Look at you, not even married!

Nothing worse than ungrateful children!

Ehhhh..!

Except perhaps ungrateful parents? Come on, we’ll take you to bed.

Where are they? Where is everyone?

We can kill him, you know, Ada.

You think? Frances, we can’t just kill just because we’re annoyed.
But he’s so mean to you.

That’s not a reason to kill. Otherwise there wouldn’t be many people alive. What’s more, he’s my father.

But papa was killed! I’m sure of it.
The police said nothing of the sort. They said that he fell.

But I think someone pushed him. I’m going to find the truth.
When I am grown up!

When you are grown up there won’t be any evidence left anymore.

Damn!
And seeing how much he’d drunk, it isn’t surprising that he fell.

Sorry.

I’m going to my bedroom.

Noooo..

Come!

Oh what luck! You can come out?

Just a little bit!

Louise!
Yes?

I had a terrible nightmare!

What was it?
I smothered my father with a cushion!

Oh, that’s all! There’s nothing clearer!
Mhm?

But yes, it’s obvious! You feel smothered yourself my dear!

I don’t know you very well, but that’s it. You have to change the disc, if you don’t want to go mad!
Bah, it’s too bad. What’s more, I had the same nightmare about August when he was a baby.
The horror.

It’s scary having people rely on you?

perhaps it’s that.
I must get back.
Shame!

So. You think you’ll come back?
Yes…

It’s just in case she wakes up like the other evening, Frances.

Ok, bye!

Is that you, Ada?

Im thirsty.

I don’t feel good?
Why?

Would it bore you to sit with me?

No, it’s okay.

Hi Astrid, how are you? And how is Billy?

Me, I’m okay. But I have something I must ask you to di.

The adults don’t believe me when I say that papa was assassinated.

If we wait too long, there won’t be any proof anymore. It’s necessary to find the truth, and quick!

You and Billy, you are my best friends. Please…
Yoo hoo!
Frances.

...help me. Write to me! Your friend / Frances.
Busy, eh?

Ada?
Yes?

How long does it take for a letter to arrive at Matilda’s village?
One or two days, I would say.
You are waiting for a letter?
Yes.
From Matilda?

No, from Astrid. But it’s a secret.
Ah, good.

Does it happen that letters get lost?

Have you been waiting a long time?
A month.

Me, in your place, I would write a new letter.

And then? I have to wait again?
Yes, if you don’t want to use the telephone. It’s less good for secrets, is that it?
Yes.
I don’t like waiting.

llhh!

Oh, you scared me. But you are dead, you too!

You know that Astrid, she hasn’t replied to my second letter either.

They must have forgotten me completely, her and Billy.

I swear! If she doesn’t reply this week, it’s finishhed! She isn’at my friend anymore.

What’s this?

That, it’s nothing.

Nothing at all?

You wrote all that?

The quantity is nothing to talk about. Don’t look at it.

Intriguing! There must be some treasures!

I told you NO don’t look at it!

It’s nothing, and, more, it’s private.

I don’t want your big nose in there!

Why do you keep them if they’re nothing?

You’re mad! If I chuck them, someone would be able to find them.
And then?

They descover that they’re bad. Or if not they publish them and have a huge hit.
You can burn them.

You think that they are bad then?
No, it’s not me who says that.

In that case, I might as well die.
That’s a it extreme, no?

Not at all. You don’t understand. It’s the only thing that I value in my life and if the output disappears, it’s as if I didn’t live.
Or as if I lived for nothing.

Lucky that I don’t have the same point of view. If I did I would be quite anxious.

You, it is different. Don’t listen to me.

Why is it different?
Because you aren’t as stupid as me.

It isn’t stupid. I would like to hav a dream like that.

Perhaps that would be different if I was talented at something.

I am convinced that you have talent. If you haven’t found it, it’s because you haven’t looked. Isn’t that it?

It’s because you live with your father like an old maid!

An old maid!? An easy old maid apparently!
And it’s only while he is ill that I live there.

I already said. I worked and everything. Lived elsewhere.
After, it becasme too complicated to do everything.

Why is it you that must look after him?

Because my brother was a vagabond, my sister is a bitch, and because I haven’t any family.

Oh, it’s late.

I must return.
Like always!

This time I come with you.

I would love that, but it’s impossible you know.
Why so?

You forget my father.
It’s not a reason. Your father understands nothing.

No, but I feel guilty.
And of what crime then!

But there’s Frances…
Yes, you are right. Don’t worry anyone.

After all, in ten, thirteen years, you won’t have your father anymore and Frances will be grown up.

At that moment, perhaps you will find an old maid.
Or if not, get married, respectable and all! Your father would be prod.
Stop.

I thought you had to return.

Madame, your friend has left.
Yes, I know. Thanks.

Goodbye madame.
Goodbye.

Hello?

Ada?

Good evening papa. Where is Frances?
Who?

Frances?

Frances?

What’s happened Frances?

Hi Frances! Thanks for your letter. Forgive me for not replying sooner. We have a lot to do at school. I haven’t spoken about your father to Billy. We don’t talk much a lot >>>

Since the start of school, we don’t play anymore. He is only with the big kids.

I have a new friend, Mia. But don’t worry, you are always my best friend.

My mother says that the police have already made an enquiry.

She say that your father died by accident. It’s because of alcohol she says.

Do yo uknow that if we bother the police, we can go to prison?!

In fact Frances, Mama says that it’s only in books that children are detectives.

In truth, I don’t know what to do. I think that the police already said the truth.

I’m sorry Frances, but you don’t want to open your eyes even so?

I don’t know what to do otherwise.

Or are you doing to stay like that all night?
Come on, I know that you aren’t sleeping. Help me a little.

Wait, I’m coming back!

No madame, your friend hasn’t come back. She walks her dogs around the bars, that one.

Good evening! What would you like this evening, madame?

I’m looking for a friend. A woman with three dogs.

Yes, she was here.

But she left quickly, with the other women.

You know where?

I got the impression that they went to another bar instead.
Which?

You must know better than me madame, if you know the type of woman.

Good, okay. Thank you.

Louise, you know that I adore your dogs, but I don’t have space for my feet.

Then I’ll have to go back if it’s going to annoy you.
No, forget it.

It’s already too long since we’ve seen you!

I would love to see the woman that you keep in her house all the time!
You don’t know her anyway.

Don’t be so sure! We know everyone here!
There aren’t any new people!

If so, you are stupid.
Aha, we have hit a nerve!
Then, we have certainly seen her somewhere!

Watch out! The dogs are going to overturn the table!
What’s up my dear?
Go outside? Okay.

It must be someone very young, if we don’t know her.
Yes, that’s it!

We didn’t know that you liked teens, Louise!
You are tiresome!

Here you are finally! I have been looking everywhere.
I’m going home.

Oh, you can come with me? I left everything adrift at the house.
But go on then.

Thanks. Frances refuses to speak. I don’t know what to do.

OK, I hear you. What’s up with her, Frances?
She is in her bed, without speaking or moving.

That’s normal, it’s late…
Who’s that?

It’s some friends…
Frances isn’t sleeping, she’s sad.

Yoo hoo ladies! You’ll have a drink with us?

It’s the least we can do when Louise introduces us to her new love.
Hee, calme yourself.

Okay, okay. This is Ada. But it’s not a good time.

Wait, just a little drop.
Come on, we’ll go back.

To love!
Ridiculous.

Come then. Bye, next time!
Non!

She’s a pain, Louise.
It’s you that was behaving like an idiot.
I think that she’s not interested in you anymore.

I don’t care. Only I didn’t understand where she finds these dreadful friends.
Oh dear…

So it wasn’t a teen?
No.

What was that all about?
Nothing. Shall we go?

Ah good, it’s you.

I’m hungry.

Come, we’ll look in the kitchen.

There’s some bread.

There’s some jam as well.

Some jam, it isn’t the right food for a growing boy.
But I’m not…

What?
No, nothing.

You are working hard at school, my boy?
Yes.
Good.

School is very important. You must work.

Where is your mother?
I don’t know…

Where are your sisters?
They’ve gone out.
Oh, yes?

Yes. Excuse me now.

All seemed normal then.

It’s here that things start to go wrong.

From here there are some white pages. There where we could expect to see your parents.

Instead of the big silence, there is a big whiteness.

Only these two cousins with heads of evil angels.

None of August, none of Ada, none of your grand-mother anymore.

I am really worried you see. Perhaps I shouldn’t have left her.

Oh, I’m sure it’s all fine.

I’ll go first, ok?

I must…

Okay, go on.

Hey, kid?

Are you hiding there?
No.

She’s gone!

Not so far as all that.

Papa, what is around your mouth?
No-one cooks here.

Are you making fun of me?
Not at all.

Papa, Frances, this is my friend Louise.

Good evening.
Pleased to meet you.

I want to go to bed.
I’ll help you.

Frances, it’s late. You must go to bed too.

What was it that you gave me to drink the other time?

Oh that, it was a joke.

It was martini.

You like my aunt a lot.

Yes.
It’s funny.

Perhaps. But she is very charming, your aunt.

You don’t want to sleep?

Yeah. You coming?

What do you have there?
Some photos.

Aha. Good night.
Stay a little bit.

Okay.

Thanks.

You have to get back?

Tomorrow. I’m tired.

Ada, Ada!

Anne is at the door!

Damn!
The dogs, are they shut in?
Yes.

Hello.
Were you still asleep?

You could have warned me.
It’s eleven o’clock!

We didn’t feel obliged to ask for permission to visit the family home.

Are you going to invite us in even so, Ada?

Go on, go get dressed at least.

Frances, go get dressed.

It’s incredible.

It’s not so bad to lie-in on a Saturday.

I believe that she has changed with the child in the house.

Well, well…

I’m going to see papa. He must still be in bed.

Ouuuuuuh!

Ah, hello.
Who are you?

I’m a friend of Ada. Louise.

Excuse me. My father is still in bed.
And I must let my dogs out.

Don’t leave me with them, please!
Just quickly, I’ll come back.

Papa!
Anne!
Why are you still in bed?

Why? Is it late?
Yes!

But I’m still tired.

Come on, get up!

Where’s Ada?
She’s making some café.
Mama, you saw the dogs?

There you are. I want to talk to you.

Who is that woman?

Like she said: a friend.
Who stayed the night here.

Answer me!
You know, as your older sister, perhaps I am not obliged to respond to anything you ask.

Oh, yes! Then listen to me well.
You don’t know what lengths I’ve gone to in order to protect you.

So that papa and mama didn’t understand what she was, your little room-mate.
And you, you just throw everything in the air, like you didn’t learn a thing.

Leave Lydia out of this conversation. And don’t talk about what you don’t understand.

That’s exactly your problem. You think that no-one understands? Everyone understands! But you’re only thinking of yourself, as always.

Oh so I’m the selfish one.

Come on ladies, calm down, calm down.

Shut up Boris, this has nothing to do with you.

Don’t look so put out, Ada. Why would you put anyone else first?

Have you thought about your niece? What it’s going to do to her?

Great, are you happy? Are you finished? Do you think you could get out of here now?
Huh?

Stop bossing me around.
Oh, you don’t like it?

What’s going on?

You don’t like being ordered about? And there’s a surprise: me neither! So stop waiting to be treated like the guest that you’re not.
If I’d known I would have taken Frances with us.

I’m not leaving here, okay?

Well we’re leaving right now. Girls!

Give your grand-father a kiss, we need to go.

Anne?

Don’t take it too hard Ada, we’ll come back another day when Anne will have calmed down.

Boris!

Goodbye ladies.

You okay?

It’s not so bad… Things will work out.

Hi.

You were really yelling, Ada.

She’s right. You went all red!

There you go grandpa. Ada’s put the house in order.
Mhm?

Me, I’m taking a nap.

End of the first episode.