Despite my confusion, I still agreed to go. Nadir was not pleased.

"Erik what are you doing!" He asked when I told him what had happened, "This will not turn out the way you want it do, it cannot, don't pursue it!"

"Nadir I love her!" I shouted, "And I think there is a chance that she loves me to! Why shouldn't I pursue it!"

"Because Erik!" Nadir shouted, "The chances are she doesn't love you, and then what will you do? I would hate to see you move backwards after all you have done to get this far,"

"Why not?" I asked him bitterly, "Why can't she love me?"

"You are two very different people," He said, and I knew he was just being reasonable, but I did not want to listen to reason, "For one Erik she is half your age,"

"What does that matter?" I said angrily, "If she is…interested in me I deserve to find out! I deserve to have someone…and it is not as though I forced her, she asked me!"

Nadir sighed, "I am just worried about how this will end,"

"It is worth finding out," I said vehemently, "It is worth seeing what could happen,"

"Just be careful Erik," Nadir warned, "Do not get your hopes up too high,"

I glared at him. I realized he had a point of course, but that did not mean I wanted him as my voice of reason. I wanted Giselle.

And so that was why on Saturday I found myself waiting in the foyer of the Chevalier home. Normally I would never have done this. Going to a party was so far out of my comfort zone it might as well have been another country.

I was not the only one waiting. Another man, quite young, stood a few feed away from me, leaning against a wall. He was Claude Bonnay, there to take Georgette.

I felt so nervous I thought I might be ill. I was uncomfortable with crowds; sometimes even the men at the construction were too many for me. No matter what I would always feel like I was being watched and ridiculed.

Then all these thoughts disappeared. Giselle came down the stairs, her sister next to her. However I only had eyes for Giselle. I nearly fell over as my knees became weak. She looked like a vision of beauty. Her long dark hair was piled on top of her head while a few loose curls hung down to rest on her shoulders.

Her dress was ideal for her figure; the front was quite low cut, so much so that I believed if she took too deep a breath she might be in trouble.

"Erik," She smiled as she came down the steps ever so gracefully, "I am sorry to keep you waiting,"

"Not at all," I said, taking her hand.

We took one of Chevalier's carriages to the garden party. It was at the home of the Lord Bernard Arterberry, the hostess being Lady Alexandrine Arterberry. Normally Giselle would have attended with her mother and father, but the Count and Countess were in Paris.

The party was as I had expected. There were many wealthy French and English guests; the best of Deauville. On the exquisite lawn of the Arterberry estate, located just outside of Deauville proper, many tables were set up. Crisp white linins, flowers, and tea.

It was like a nightmare. Never in my wildest dreams would I have wanted to be in a place like this. The guests all had a pompous air about them…none of them ever mentioned my mask, but they did not make me forget I was wearing it. They way they addressed me, the way they would not look directly at me…they knew I was not one of them.

However, the company of Giselle made up for all of this.

"Is this the first time you have been to a garden party?" Giselle asked me when we were sitting down at one of the white covered tables dressed in white, flower patterned china.

I laughed. Did I look like a man who attended many garden parties? "Oh no, I go to them all the time," I said sarcastically.

"You do?" Giselle said in surprise.

"No," I said quickly, I have been told sometimes it is hard to pick up on my sarcasm, "I was just saying that to…I was just trying…"

"Oh!" Giselle laughed, "I understand,"

"God Giselle," Her sister Georgette and her boy were at our table as well, "You wouldn't recognize sarcasm if it bit you on the nose," She shook her head exasperatedly.

"Hush Georgette," Giselle looked angrily at her.

"Alright," Georgette said…a bit sarcastically.

Georgette and Claude Bonnay were interesting to watch. Everything about the way they spoke to each other, the way they looked at each other suggested that they were a couple very much in…lust.

It became clear to me why Giselle would not want to attend this party unescorted. Everyone was in pairs and it would have been very awkward for her. And she had picked me, she could have had anyone and she picked me. This thought was enough to get me though the party.

"Are you sure you don't want to take the carriage home? It would not be a problem," Giselle said to me. We had returned to the Chevalier mansion. Claude and Georgette had disappeared and I was saying goodbye to Giselle.

"No, it is not necessary," I said to her, "I enjoy the walk,"

"If you are sure," She smiled, God she looked gorgeous when she smiled, "Thank you for coming with me today…you really saved me,"

"It was my pleasure," I told her, "You are excellent company Giselle,"

Her face reddened a bit, "You are too kind Erik," And then she put her hands on my shoulders, leaned forward and kissed my unmasked cheek.

I felt my breath catch in my throat and I give much credit to my heart for not stopping.

"Goodbye Erik," She said as she pulled away, "Unfortunately I won't see you for a few days,"

"Oh?" This brought my back from the high I had experienced when I had felt Giselle's lips against my skin.

"Georgette and I are going in to Paris to meet our parents…Gemma is in a show and we are all going to see her," Giselle explained, "Now don't let the new house get ruined while I am gone," Her eyes sparkled with laughter.

"I-I won't," I stuttered. The prospect of Giselle leaving was not one I wanted to accept.

"Goodbye Erik," She said again, and with one last smile she turned and went inside her house.

I stood there and stared at the door for a few moments before I began the walk home. My feelings were mixed; I was not going to see Giselle for 'a few days,' but on the other hand, she had kissed me.

"Well you were gone for a long time," Nadir said when I finally returned home. I had not rushed to return, I was thinking about Giselle and what her feelings for me truly were. This had slowed my pace considerably.

"How did it go?" He asked me.

"As expected…if I never attend another garden party it will be no tragedy," I said dryly.

"And Giselle?" Nadir asked.

I sat down in the living room where I had found Nadir. I sighed and looked at him, "She kissed me,"

"What!"

"On my cheek…but still, a kiss is a kiss," I said.

"Erik," Nadir laughed, "I don't know what to say…my friend I really thought you had no chance, congratulations!"

"Hmm," I said, leaning forward and putting my head in my hands.

"Erik?" Nadir stared at me in my glum state.

"I still don't know how she feels," I told him, "A kiss on the cheek is hardly a declaration of love…and what is worse now that I have…been so close to her I really do love her," Nadir watched me intently as I spoke.

"Maybe you should ask her," Nadir suggested.

"Ask her what?" I asked.

"Ask her how she feels about you," Nadir said slowly.

"No," I said firmly, "I will not risk making an ass out of myself,"

"Erik if you are really tortured by not knowing how she feels, wouldn't it be better to just find out for certain?"

I hated him when he had a point.

The days with Giselle gone left me with plenty of time to consider what to do. I doubted I would tell her that I loved her, or ask her if she loved me. It was just too risky.

Being at the site without here was strange. I missed explaining everything to her, and I missed her enthusiasm as a listener. Of course I also missed watching her beautiful figure walking next to mine.

Lunch was a task. As I was starving, and as Giselle was still not back from Paris, I had to eat with the men.

"Well, look who is joining us today," Raoul Simon laughed as I sat next to him. Already I felt anxious…I was not wanted here.

Simon must have sensed how I felt, "It's not as though any of us blame you," He continued jovially, "If that girl hung on every word I said I would spend all day with her to,"

I felt a little more relaxed, "She is very interested in architecture," I offered.

"She is interested in something," Simon nudged me with his elbow.

As I didn't know what to say to that, I said nothing. In fact, I said relatively little throughout the rest of the day.

Giselle returned a week later. When I saw her coming I felt happy, as I had not since she had left. And then my eyes fell on the girl who was walking next to her.

She was gliding along, confidently surveying the site with cool eyes. Her blond hair was shining in the midday sun and her dress, or rather the way her body looked in her dress, was catching the eyes of all of the men I had working for me. Gemma Chevalier had returned with her family from Paris.