Madeleine was instantly attracted to the handsome man twelve years older than she, and was impressed by the apparent worldliness of the Channel Islands native. He told highly embellished tales of his military life in Paris during the Revolution of 1848. Soon after their initial meeting, she wrote him a friendly note that began:

My Dear Emile, I do not feel as if I were writing you for the first time. (We) have become as familiar friends. May we long continue so.

Letters continued back and forth between the two, and several times they arranged meetings on the street or at a nearby shop. Soon, however, Madeleine's father learned of the friendship and demanded that it stop. Madeleine was the daughter of a wealthy Glasgow architect and it was not seemly, as viewed by that Victorian society, for her to be meeting with someone from such a lower class. Madeleine reluctantly wrote to Emile that their friendship must end and wished him all happiness in the future.

Emile entreated her to meet with him again, and persuaded a friend, Miss Mary Perry, to allow the couple to meet covertly at her house. Madeleine relented, and the correspondence and meetings continued, although secretly.

The couple wrote each other frequently, eventually addressing each other as husband and wife.

Emile kept all of her letters, but firmly instructed her to burn his, probably to prevent anyone in the Smith household from accidentally coming across them. They met at Miss Perry's when they could -- and occasionally met at night at Madeleine's house long after her family was asleep. As time went on, their romance intensified, they planned their wedding and marriage, and in June of 1856 they became lovers.

Madeleine's parents, not knowing that the relationship with Emile had continued after it had been strictly forbidden, began to search for a suitable husband for Madeleine. They settled on William Minnoch, a wealthy merchant and neighbor of the Smiths. In September of 1856, Minnoch stayed with the Smith family at their summer house on the Clyde, and he spent much time with Madeleine.

Knowing that Minnoch would be more acceptable to her parents and to society than Emile ever would, Madeleine encouraged Minnoch's affections and accepted his marriage proposal in late January of 1857.

Madeleine wrote to Emile in early February, telling him that they must part, as their love had grown cold, and she asked for the return of the letters she had written him. Emile, surprised by this sudden reversal of her feelings, refused.

She wrote him again, but by this time Emile had heard rumors of her engagement to Minnoch, and he demanded to know if they were true. She heatedly denied the report of her engagement, and asked again for the return of her letters. Emile again refused, saying that he was planning instead to show the letters to Madeleine's father.

Madeleine wrote two pleading letters to Emile, begging him not to expose their affair and bring great shame on her. She asked him to meet with her again.