A/N: Hi! So that's the actual first chap. As some of you know English is not my native language so I apologize for possible mistakes in the text. Feel free to point them out to me:). Enjoy reading and if you like please leave a review. Tell me what you think.

Chapter 2: A Knock on the Door

It was a sunny morning in May. The sun was already sending its hot rays into every corner of France, boding the beginning of a new day. Although it was still early, the heat was unbearable for a Madame Danglars. The young woman woke up with a groan and as soon as she opened her eyes she felt the familiar nausea.

It was a simple routine now – waking up and heading towards the chamber pot in the other corner of her room. Her limbs trembled and cold sweat appeared on her forehead, but her lips were grazed by a smile.

"Having no mercy for your poor Mama?" Delicately she placed both hands on her swollen belly. It was now impossible to overlook – inside of her the fruit of the love between her husband and herself grew, getting stronger day by day.

Only a few more weeks. She hoped that Michel would return back in time for the birth. She did not want to be alone with his mother when the time came. Madame Danglars, her mother-in-law, had clearly altered her behaviour towards her. She was now accepted by her as the wife of a merchant sailor, of her precious son. But there was still an awkwardness between the two women and it probably would exist for ever. She guessed that she could call herself lucky. There were so many women who did not have the great fortune of being married to the man they love and being accepted by the man's family.

After washing herself with the cool rose-scented water her maid Margo had prepared the day before, she dressed and went downstairs. Margo had already left for the market and Maria the cook had went to visit her family in the countryside. She guessed that Madame and her sister-in-law Hortense were still asleep.

She stepped into the parlor, and breathed in the scent of fresh bread and flowers that hung in the air. Of course Marseille was not a particularly clean city, although better than Paris. But the Danglars family had the fortune of living in a good neighborhood. A baker had his store right in front of their house, and not two blocks away had a perfumer settled down. The putrid smells of city life had no chance against the wonderful fresh aromas. Yes, Christine Danglars could call herself very fortunate.

Suddenly a knock was heard coming from the entrance. She frowned. The servants would never knock. And it was far too early for polite calls. Or maybe…had something happened to Michel? Was it a sailor?

She fought against the thought and went to open the door, proud at how controlled her steppes sounded against the stone floor. No, she was not nervous.

On opening her heart skipped a beat. There was no sailor standing in front of her, but a young woman with white skin and dark auburn hair. Her fingers were wrapped around a small pouch and her clothes looked too fine for a place like this. Her gown was of an exquisite forest green satin, but barely visible under the grey cloak she was wearing over her shoulders. Christine could not believe it.

"Georgie? Is...is this really you?"

"Can I come in?" A silent voice, barely more than a whisper, asked. There was exhaustion in it and it surprised Christine. She opened the door wider and led the visitor to the sitting parlor.

"I cannot believe it. What are you doing here? After you left I did not expect to see you for at least a year, despite your promise." Her surprise was great. "Please, do sit down. Tell me, is everything alright? How is Cináed?"

She realized that she had made a mistake as soon as the words left her lips. The woman's countenance changed to the worse. Only now did Christine see the dark circles under those dark brown eyes, the blank look in them frightening her. The pearl white skin was now too white, the slender figure now too slender. "Georgiana, is everything alright?"

She looked into her sister's face.

Well, technically she was not her sister. When her father had found the starving girl on the streets of Marseille more than ten years ago she had rejoiced at the thought of having a sister. Of course she loved her brother dearly, her stubborn and stupid Edmond, but for a young girl it was not the same as having a sister. And in the last ten years they had become more than sisters. They were best friends, confidents. They trusted each other.

Georgiana only looked down to her feet, her fingers playing with a strand of dark hair. Christine had always admired the colour. She herself had blond curls, beaming like gold in the sunlight, and deep blue eyes. Everyone in her family possessed these attributes. Georgiana, with her dark eyes and hair had always stood out, but in a good way. The sweet memories of their childhood in the hills and valleys of the Provence always made her smile.

But now she could not smile. With worrying looks she tried to find an explanation in Georgiana's eyes. It was as if looking at a corpse, no trace of life was to be found in those dark pools. "Georgiana, you scare me. Please, has something happened?"

"No." Her voice was scarcely audible. "Nothing happened."

"Then what is it? Why are you here? You left not five months ago."

No answer came. Silence spread itself over the room. Then finally she opened her lips. "Nothing. Can I stay with you?"

"Of course, but…What is it?"

"Can I stay with you?"

Christine was confused. Was she alone here? Where was Cináed? Did something happen between them? "Yes, of course you can stay here." She frowned.

A faint sight left Georgiana's lips and she seemed to relax a bit. "Thank you."

Christine sent her a smile, but she knew that it did not reach her eyes. "Don't thank me for this, ma seur."

She led Georgiana to a guest chamber, and left her alone to rest a while. The morning passed and soon the other habitants of the house woke up. Margo returned from the market with a basket full vegetables and discussing the newest gossip and rumors with another maid. Madame Danglars had new instructions for Christine and the cook, everything to guarantee the unborn child's health and well-being, of course.

Everyone was curious at Georgiana's sudden visit, but noon came and she did not show up. When she did not join them by evening Christine sent a tray to her room.

Somehow she was not surprised when the next morning Margot brought the untouched food downstairs. What happened to her sister? To her witty smiling Georgie? Her sister had gone through a lot that passed year. Christine had been shocked when she had learned the truth.

It had been October when her brother had been abducted by a horrid creature, a giant black wolf. She herself had been in the city with her father and mother at the time it had happened. On returning to their home a neighbor had told them everything, including the fact that Georgiana had left alone to rescue him. Edmond's friend, who himself had gotten injured by the animal's attack, had told her the beast had taken him to a nearby château.

She remembered how tense her parents had been, how tense she herself had been on hearing that. When hours later Edmond had arrived in a carriage, his body bathed in blood and unconscious and without Georgiana they had known that something was not right.

Three months had passed but no sign of her. No clue whether she was alright or not, where she was, hell, they had not even known whether she had been alive! Three long months waiting and hoping, without any result. And then suddenly one night she had returned, had returned back to her family. Christine had held her in her arms as if her little sister had been lost for a decade.

But she had been different. And with every day it had gotten worse. It had been…almost as bad as now. Almost, no, exactly as bad as during the time Cináed had nearly died. First Christine had not understood that change of countenance, that sudden change of mood. Her Georgie had never been one to brood or to stare through the air with vacant eyes.

Only later she had learned the reason behind that. Georgiana had fallen in love with a monster and suffered under that love.