Thank you for the reviews, it lets me know people are reading my work and that you like it.
I also have to say welcome to my newest reviewer Erik'sangleofmusic, you already have the idea. John will be in trouble at some point, and Erik, if he gets his mind around to loving Talia, wont be letting her get away as easy as Christine. But I mightstart to venta lot of relationship frustration out in this piece just because the person I think I'm in love with can't make up his mind if he loves me as a friend or something more.
I wish all a happy new year and hopefully it improves over the previous one.
Oh and PhantomLover05 do you know what I think you know?
Talia stopped Alexander in front of Anna's home in Paris. She swung down and tied the reins to the hitching post. She then patted Alexander's cheek. "Be good." She took long strides across the sidewalk to the outer door of the house. She rang the bell and waited for somebody to answer.
"Good day Viscountess de Chagny." The old butler said.
"Is Anna back from Germany yet?"
"No madam, but Lord Demay is here and would be happy to see you."
"I'll step in for a minute." Talia followed the butler into the house.
"The Viscountess de Chagny." The butler announced showing Talia into the library.
"Natalia it's good to see you. I'm sorry but Anna's still away. She should be back though by Saturday." Morice said.
"She must be enjoying herself then." Talia said setting down.
"She wishes you were with her. She writes of it often." Morice sat across from her.
Talia laughed, "Me parading round the museums and noble homes of Germany I think not."
Morice shook his head, "You keep yourself hidden not society. You could be accepted."
"After the Masbeth's cut and chop me?" Talia sneered.
"No, I would not suggest that. Not after the pain you went through to just be alive." Morice said agreeing that tearing her face back apart was not an option.
"I'm glad somebody understands that."
"Anna couldn't go through it either."
"I hadn't thought about her."
"She would be in as much pain as you were because she would insist on being your nurse."
"At least I would have company, but its not going to happen." Talia got up. "Tell Anna I'll be by the first of the week, or have her send a message to me."
"Alright my dear, but do be careful, I worry when your ride."
"Why, because I might be mistaken for the Phantom?"
"That's not funny Natalia."
"I know, I'm sorry. Good day." Talia walked out of the library.
"It looks like rain miss." The butler said showing her out.
Talia looked at the sky, "it will be a light rain, I can make it home." She walked to Alexander, and untied the reins. He stood quietly while she mounted.
The shortest path took her past the opera house. Not a ride she was enthusiastic to make. However, the weather had other plans for Talia and Alexander. The clouds let loose with small balls of hail.
Talia steered Alexander into the opera house stable and jumped down. She pulled themselves as far back into the stable as she could.
"It's alright boy." Talia whispered trying to sooth the nervous horse. Damn, I should have just stayed at Anna's. Talia tried to suppress the shivers running up her spine.
Hooves clattered over the cobbles of the stable yard as a black horse and rider flew in. The rider leapt from the saddle like a cat and walked to the stonewall that lead to the passageway. Just before he triggered the door the black horse let out a loud shrill whinny.
Alexander, ignoring Talia's quiet pleas not to, answered the black horse. The rider whipped his head around in time for lightening to make shadows over the white mask. He opened the door and then held his hand towards her.
"Come Talia." He beckoned.
Forgetting all fears and thoughts Talia lead Alexander out of the stall and to the passage.
The stonewall slid closed after they were inside. Talia followed him; head hung low like a child awaiting punishment. Alexander, though, was happy to be out of the hailstorm and playfully nudged Talia in the back.
Talia tapped him lightly on the nose trying to get him to stop. The gelding took this as a sign she wanted to play since she gave no verbal command with it. He shoved her hard this time.
Erik was stunned when Talia came crashing into the back of him. He reached on arm around to help her regain her balance. "Watch your step."
It was an order, not a suggestion. Talia got her feet back under her and then took a tighter hold on the bridle. "No." She said to Alexander letting him know he was wrong.
Talia paused for a moment and watched him put the black horse in his stall. She didn't want to be presumptuous and just take over the other stall. It was also fascinating how gentle he was with the large stallion.
"Do you expect me to un-tack your horse Viscountess?" He growled taking the saddle off Caesar.
"No." Talia walked Alexander into the empty stall. She quickly undid the cinch and lifted the saddle and pad off. She sat it on the stall wall and turned in time to have Alexander shake the water off his body splashing her." Thanks."
"Your welcome." Erik said concentration on Caesar.
"Well thank you too, but he other was because Alexander thought I needed a bath." Talia took the bridle off.
"Oh." He walked out of the stall and grabbed a few towels. He handed a couple to Talia.
She took one of them and laid the others on the stall wall. She then started to dry some of the water and sweat off her horse.
"Why were you out on a day like this?" Erik asked doing the same to Caesar.
"It was nice when I left home, and it started to rain on my return. I thought I could still make it home, but the hail drove us in here." Talia explained. "You?" She thought about how being next to his fireplace would be infinitely more comfortable than cold rain and falling chunks of ice.
"I had to get something and like you the weather turned bad." He walked to a closet and then returned with two horse blankets. "It may not fit well but it will warm him up."
"Thank you." Talia took the heavy blanket and started to put it on.
Alexander was startled by the quick movement of the fabric and started to thrash around in his stall, kicking and rearing. Erik dropped Caesar's blanket, threw open the stall door, and yanked Talia out of the stall.
Talia instinctively wrapped her arms around him and clung to the strong body that had saved her. Her heart was racing and she tried to control the shaking. Alexander had never spooked with her in all of his life. It scared her more than the blanket had scared him.
Erik looked down at her wondering what to do. He didn't want to just push her away, she had been badly frightened, but he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. Christine was scared when he tried to touch her, but Talia seemed to cling to his monstrous form not fearing him.
Talia finally came to her senses and knew she had just crossed the unspoken boundaries. She took her arms from under his warm cape and stepped back towards the stall. She looked past the mask and saw such pain in his eyes she wished Alexander had pounded her. "I'm sorry." She turned and reached to open the stall door to try and finish calming Alexander down.
She was shocked when his hand came over hers and opened the door, and even more astounded when he walked into the stall himself, closing the door behind him.
"Easy boy, this old thing wont hurt you." Erik whispered to the gelding. He had realized this was not the horse's usual behavior and theorized the storm and sudden appearance of somebody who scared his owner was truly what scared Alexander. The blanket had just been the final straw. He let Alexander smell the blanket that laid on the ground and then paw at it. He slowly then reached down and picked it up letting the horse watch everything he was doing. Alexander reached out and tugged lightly at the fabric with his teeth.
"On that bench is a mixture of grain and oats, get a good couple scoops for each of them." Erik told Talia, but then returned his attention to the horse. "See boy." He touched a corner of the blanket to Alexander's neck and watched the muscle twitch. He then slid the fabric down the horse's body and touched his legs with it. "It's all right." Erik finally took the bold move and put the blanket on.
Alexander didn't even twitch then. He had heard Talia scooping grain into a bucket and was more interested in food then what the strange man was doing to him.
Erik had to smile while he did the buckles to the blanket and stepped out of the stall. "He's fine now."
"Another thing I owe you for." Talia said pouring the grain and oats into the trough for Alexander and then walking around to do the same thing to Caesar.
"It was nothing." Erik said walking into Caesar's stall and putting his blanket on him.
Talia just nodded and then attached a water bucket into each of the horses' stalls.
"You know your way around a stable Viscountess." Erik said walking out of the stall and watching her pitch an armload of hay into each of the stalls.
"Talia, call me Talia, I hate ranks and titles." She said brushing the stray hay off her coat.
"I am Erik, Talia." He said and nodded respectfully to her.
"I am pleased to finally learn you real name, Erik." She nodded in return.
Servants tried to move out of the way when Philip and Raoul shook the rain off their heavy coats. Colover was the only one who stood his ground and then took the wet garments from the men.
"Colover tell Talia I would like to see her in my office." Philip told the butler.
"I regret to inform you that the Viscountess has yet to return from Paris."
"Paris, what would she be doing in Paris in weather like this?" Raoul asked.
"She said she was going to visit Lady Demay." Colover replied.
"Hopefully she has enough sense to stay at Lady Demay's till this storm blows over." Raoul said looking at his brother.
"Talia would, she wouldn't do anything to risk hurting Alexander." Philip walked towards his office.
Raoul followed him. "It's not right, she cares for that horse more than she cares for herself."
"Raoul nobody can say Talia is truly right, she is just surviving. I wish I knew what to do for her."
"Try and convince her to speak to John Masbeth, he's here in Paris for a couple weeks. Make her see that it's not butchery it will return her to her life." Raoul pleaded.
"Raoul I don't know if you have noticed but the scars that keep her hidden are not the ones on her face they are the ones inside of her. And why not? She only blames herself for father's death, and your guilt. Until she can come to terms with that she will remain the way she is."
