What? A new chapter already? Yup, I'm just that nice. For those of you who haven't noticed, I've changed the rating from T to M. I'm sorry if that disappoints anybody. It wasn't my original intention and it's not just for the sake of this chapter. It's more of a shove that I'm giving myself. A challenge, if you will. Let's just hope I can earn it and not chicken out. In celebration of this decision, you're getting an itty bitty crumb of a lemon bar in the chapter. Enjoy it.

Our eyes continued to meet. I would not be the one to break the contact. Mr. Felton had told me that this was a dead man, but I had seen him bleed. I would not be scared of him. My eyes challenged him and the corner of his lip rose to a ghost of a smirk, accepting. He would not look away from me, and I might have sat there all night were it not for Mr. Norris.

"My lovely Sookie! I am hurt that you refuse to dance with me on my birthday!" I smiled kindly up at the face of the old man that I had come to like so much. He had obviously been taking it upon himself to empty the cask of whiskey, and he looked to be well on his way. His cheeks were rosy and his smile easy as he tried to steady himself with a hand on the back of my chair.

"Of course I mean to dance with you, Mr. Norris. I was only waiting for my turn." I stood and looped my hand through his arm as he smiled triumphantly and led me to the open space, Amelia and Mr. Felton on our heels.

George was still playing and was admittedly very good, though the music was a very different kind to what Mr. Felton had played. Though I had heard only a little, the music seemed to have an Irish beat to it. It was faster and livelier, which I soon learned was a challenge for Mr. Norris. His steps were clumsy, but enthusiastic. I tried to lead him a bit, but was soon overcome with laughter at each of his missteps, though he did not notice. The man was trying so hard to follow Mr. Felton's choreography. I did not blame him, Mr. Felton moved gracefully and skillfully with Amelia, but it was a tad beyond Mr. Norris's current capabilities.

I became most worried when he tried to copy a more advanced move, spinning me so that he could lead me with my back to his chest. As I turned, I said a silent prayer that he would not hurt himself on his birthday. My worry intensified when he did not immediately take my extended hand, though my worry was uncalled for. He led me effortless for several more steps before turning me back to him as the song finished.

I made to congratulate him for making it through the entire song but the words caught in my throat as I turned to find that I was no longer dancing with Mr. Norris. I took a step back from Mr. Northman, intending to get away, but he would have none of it. His arm reached out, grabbing my waist and pulling back into his arms as George began a new song. I vaguely remembered how I had never liked anyone named George very much. I should have known this one would betray me.

Once I had caught my bearings, I allowed Mr. Northman to lead me, keeping as much distance between our bodies as possible. I was determined to not make a public scene by rejecting him. As I calmed, my mind began to spin, trying to take my attention from the fact that such a man had his hands on me. The problem was that it was that very thought that intrigued me. Mr. Felton's story had filled me with questions; questions I was determined to find the answer too. Having my hand in Mr. Northman's presented me with an opportunity, as my telepathic capabilities were strengthened by touch.

Did I dare lower my shields? The last time I had allowed such an invasion, I had been accosted with the most unpleasant and indecipherable thoughts. It was useless, I could not talk myself out of it at this point. I wanted to know all that I could about this man, and I had the power to find out. Following Mr. Felton's lead, Eric placed both his hands on my waist and lifted me into the air for half a turn. As he did, I dropped my shields.

My eyes snapped to his, though I did not fully see them. In his mind, the lift of the dance was much more scandalous. I saw myself, bare breasted, my head thrown back as a moan escaped my lips. My feet hit the ground again in reality and the image was gone. I tried to stay in step, but was still shocked. I had not been expecting that. Eric grasped my hand again and for a moment his hand held both of my wrists pinned above my head. It was not real, but it felt it. It was clear what he was thinking and feeling and it was pouring into me with an intensity I had not felt before, as if he was willing me to feel it with him. With every turn of the dance I saw him throw me onto a bed or against a wall. Every time his hand brushed my side it was running up my leg, pushing my skirt up past my knee. I could not stop it, I did not even know if I wanted to. His thoughts infected my own and I could no longer tell which were his…or which were mine.

It angered me. How dare he so easily affect me in such an inappropriate way? I did not wish to see more. I closed off the shields to my mind and set my jaw. Though I felt my blush remain, I would not betray my knowledge of him thoughts. I did not look at him for the rest of the song, staring right into the chest in front of me. Though he would not even allow me that. He jerked, pressing me close to him on the final step. My eyes snapped up at the sudden movement and his eyes burned into me. I wonder momentarily why he only seemed capable of burning me or freezing me with his stare. My train of thought was lost when he slowly lifted my hand up to his barely parted lips and brushed them against my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Thank you for the dance, Sookie." He smirked before finally stepping back and releasing my hand. I was sure that the entire room was watching us, but when I turned, nearly everyone was otherwise occupied. However, our actions had not escaped the notice of Mr. Compton whose brow creased as his gazed flicked between myself and the tall frame that was making its way towards the door to the courtyard. I silently thanked God for the reprieve of his company, if only for a few moments.

I sat down at a table and watched as Amelia took Mrs. Fant's hand and guided the unsteady women out of the room and up the stairs. Anne had emerged from the kitchen when I had not noticed and was talking to Amelia's footman in the corner. Mr. Norris was talking animatedly to Mr. Felton and George, all of them with half empty glasses of whiskey. I smiled, knowing that Mr. Norris was enjoying his birthday.

"I should head home while I can still remember the way." Samuel had sat down and smiled sadly across at me.

"Are you sure? You could stay tonight if you wished. We could find a place for you." I did not like to think of Sam getting lost in the dark.

"Find a place for me here?" He spoke to himself, his eye cast down. He took a moment before finally looking back up to me with a grin. "Are you offering to share your bed?"

"Samuel! You're right, you should go home, you've obviously had enough to drink." I laughed at him as he finished off my glass of wine for me.

"Alright then, but you know I was only joking." I nodded and stood from the table with him.

"I'll walk you out." He nodded and took my arm, leading me into the courtyard. The night was cool and the wind had picked up a bit, catching at my skirt. We strolled leisurely into the stables and out the other side, the open country before us. Somewhere in the distance was our small town and Sam's home, but he did not move to seek them.

"Thank you for your generosity, Sam. I believe Mr. Norris thoroughly enjoyed his birthday." He smiled at me, his face nearly the same height as mine.

"It was my pleasure. It's been quite some time since this old inn has seen a good celebration."

"Well I'm glad you were here for it. You don't visit nearly enough." He ginned at the statement and looked at me as if contemplating something. "You know you're always welcome here. You're as much a brother to me as Jason, better even, as you've not left me."

His smile fell and he release a breath, the warmth clouding in the night air.

"I will try to visit more, but for tonight, I should be off." He leaned in and softly kissed my temple, so quick I was not ever sure he had done it. I quietly bid him a good night and watched as he walked into the night, slowly disappearing in the dark. When I could no longer see his distant outline, I turned and entered into the barn again. But my night was not yet over.

"Sookie." I snapped my eyes up from the floor to see Mr. Compton a few steps away from me.

"Mr. Compton, I thought you were still inside." I gestured to the inn. He shook his head and took a step closer.

"No. It's quieted a bit, and I wanted to take care of something." His words were directed at the floor, though I knew they were meant for me.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself." I tried taking another step towards the door. I was hoping he would understand that I was trying to take my leave, but he matched my step with two, closing the distance between us even further.

"Sookie, I'm not a rich man." His eyes had finally found his way to mine and I cringed at the desperation in them. I laughed, trying to break the tension of the moment.

"I should hope not, Mr. Compton. If you were, your choice of hobbies would be quite unorthodox." I teased, looking around the stables to make my point.

"What I mean is, I don't have a lot to offer you." I looked away from his face, glancing at his hands and they twisted his cap in nervousness.

"You don't have to offer me anything, Mr. Compton." My words we panicked and small, I was not even sure if he could hear them.

"What I can offer you is my love. Love and undying devotion." His hand reached up to cup my cheek, forcing me to look at him. "Since the day I came here I have loved you, and it has grown every day since. For so long, the only thing I have wanted and prayed for is that you would return my love. I thought I would wait, give you time to know me better, but I cannot wait any longer after tonight. To see you in the arms of other men…it is more painful than I thought I could endure. I cannot bear to be without you any longer. I know I do not have a ring for you, but I will buy you every ring in England if you would only consent to be my wife."

As he finished, I tried to fight my instinct to simply run away until I was safe in my room. I had suspected that he had felt this way but I had not prepared myself for this offer. And standing there, I knew it was not an offer I could accept. I looked back up to him as he waited with a look of fear and hope on his face. I had never disliked Mr. Compton, and I knew that I would hate myself for hurting him, but I knew I had to.

"Mr. Compton, I am so sorry…" I trailed off, not sure what to say. What would hurt him the least? How could I possibly tell him that I was unable to return his feelings, I barely even knew him. I searched his eyes, hoping he would understand. He did.

"No, Sookie, I am the one that should be sorry. It has been a long night, I've had too many drinks. I spoke rashly. Forgive me." As he spoke the last two words, he spun on his heel and headed to the end of the stables where a door connected to living quarters for himself and any visiting help. It shut almost inaudibly behind him and I released the breath I had been holding. Suddenly so weak, I collapsed on the bench across from Amelia's favorite horse.

How could I be so cruel? I had denied a man who, from all that I had witnessed and heard, was decent and kind and seemed to genuinely care about me. What bothered me even more was the idea that I seemed unable to love such a man. How selfish could I be to assume that a better man would come along? I did not have the prospects of Amelia, or even some of the other girls of town. My strangeness was well known and I was often deemed a pariah because of it. I knew all of this, but I still could not bring myself to think I had answered Mr. Compton wrongly. I could not love him, and therefore, I could not marry him.

"Don't punish yourself. Only a fool would ask such a question without already knowing the answer." Mr. Northman stepped out of a stall a few feet away and closed the gate behind him, heading in my direction.

"How dare you not make your presence known before now!" My voice betrayed more of my anger than I had meant it too, but he seemed not to notice, leaning comfortably on the stall across from me.

"I thought it would be rude to interrupt such an intimate moment." His shoulders shrugged infinitesimally and he showed no remorse for his actions.

"It was far worse of you to eavesdrop." I was astounded that such an infuriating man even existed. I tried to calm myself, hoping that my blush would retreat, though I was not sure if it was Mr. Compton or Mr. Northman who had caused it. We shared a silence for several minutes and I had hoped the exchange was over and that he would leave me. Instead, he spoke again.

"You did the right thing. You deserve better." His words were soft, not the joking or arrogant tone that he had been using.

"Do not presume to know me or what I deserve!"

"You know nothing about me, yet you always seem to be angry at me. It seems you're a hypocrite as well as a heartbreaker." His eyebrow raised, challenging me.

"I apologize Mr. Northman, I'm afraid I don't know how to behave around the living dead." His face betrayed just a bit of shock before he masked it again, looking at me, calculating.

"I assume one of your friends was in the war." He watched my face carefully, looking for hints of anything else that I knew.

"Indeed. Mr. Felton was quite aware of your story. It's a bit clumsy of you to use your real name when it's attached to such a stigma."

"Only shamed men change their names and hide. I will do neither. I have earned my name and it has brought me far more allies than enemies." The force of his voice scarred me. He had straightened from his relaxed position and now stood looking down at me. I knew his anger was surely not directed at me, but I was curious to learn its origins. With that intention, I gave him several moments of silence to calm, which he finally did, taking up his previous position.

"'Northman' doesn't sound like any German name I've heard." I tried to hide the curiosity in my voice, wanting only to sound casual. Confusion clouded his features for a moment before they were lit again by amusement.

"You shouldn't believe everything you're told, Sookie. Not all Hessians are German." His smirk only served to anger me further. "I was actually living in France at the time. I was arrested as a thief, but it was cheaper for them to sell me into foreign military service than to hold me in prison."

"You're a thief?" I couldn't decide if I should be worried by this or proud that I had extracted the information.

"No. I said I was arrested as a thief. I was never given a trial."

"So you're innocent." I was disappointed to come to this conclusion, but Eric chuckled as my statement.

"I would not go that far." He crossed his arms and continued to chuckle. When he finally stopped, I could see that he was not going to elaborate, but I would not yet give up my hunt for information.

"How does a former resident of France turned non-German hessian that was killed in America, and is of unknown origin, end up at an Inn in the south of England?" I had leaned forward in my seat, the desire for answers too great to hide.

"My business is mine alone." His words were not harsh, merely factual. I was deflated, realizing that he would give me no more tonight. This thought was only accentuated when George and the footman stumbled into the barn, oblivious to our presence, and followed the path that Mr. Compton had taken earlier.

"I should go to bed. It must be very late," I said as I stood and began to leave. I stopped when I noticed that Mr. Northman was following and gave him a questioning look.

"What? Would you prefer I sleep with the horses?" He laughed. I did not answer him, but instead continued on my way, aware of his presence only a few steps behind me. I did not look back at him as I entered the Inn, passed through the dining room, and ascended the stairs. I did not even look back as I slowly made my way down the hall, carefully stepping over the boards that would creaked and cringing as my shadow hit each one gracelessly. I did not stop when I reached my door, opening it and slipping in quickly, but I was interrupted before I could close the door.

"You're just across the hall?" His whispered, realization dawning on his features.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. It's nice to know you're so close if I should want you." I was amazed that his face stayed completely serious as he disappeared into his room, the door shutting quietly behind him.

I must have stood there for a full minute trying to decide if it was his intention for his statement to have such a double meaning, or if it was my own mind that sunk to those depths. The former thought made me shudder as I closed my door and began to unpin my hair.

Up until this point, I had been doing my best to forget the dance I had shared with him, but now I wondered just how much that had affected me. I had certainly heard similar thoughts from men at Sam's pub, but they had never tempted me, I had always been repulsed by them. I shook my head, convinced that it had been the wine. Had I kept a clear head, Eric's thoughts would have been just as vile as any other man's. That decided, I allowed myself to think of my second encounter with him this evening.

For every answer I learned, I seemed to develop ten more questions about the man. He was infuriating, always so cryptic and closed off. I would not let it deter me. I would uncover Mr. Northman's secrets, it was only a matter of time.

The satisfaction of that knowledge was more soothing than any lullaby, and I found sleep quickly and gladly.

What? Did I fake you out? Did you think it was gonna be Sam? Did anyone think it would be Eric? Well…gotcha. Good ol' Bill popped the big question. I promise there's an actual plan in my head (and on paper), so I didn't just do it to fuck with you.

OMG you guys are awesome. Every single review alert gets me all excited. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and special. I assume it's the same way a tickle-me-Elmo feels when it gets tickled. It's very gratifying… also addictive. So I'd appreciate it if you could give me a fix.

Yes. YOU. The one reading this. YOU should review. NOW.

Please.

Thank you.