-1One day Evelyn received the door when a messenger rang, requesting precisely for her and Erik. Since he was napping she took the letter and thanked the man. Going into the parlor to the right she settled down on a couch, ignoring the dusting maids.

"Dear Mademoiselle Jacqueline de Soche,

Due to the nature of your injury, I would like permission to visit you and your fiancé for a check up. The damage to your womb needs to be inspected closely as it finishes the final stages of healing. Furthermore I am sending adoption papers. I believe that with your predicament a child would-"

Shaking hands dropped the white paper on to her lap, shining against the satin peach color of her dress. Evelyn stared at the paper, her dazed eyes reading the last few sentences although it took her mind forever to register the fact. Slumping back against the couch she felt her curled hair fall about her face. A hot, fiery feeling engulfed her suddenly, frying the tears that had grown in her eyes.

Standing up Evelyn gripped the page in her gloved hand, crumpling it in her rage. Her slipper-shod feet flew across the floor as she ran up the stairs, one hand holding the folds of her dress up. She panted as she reached the second floor, running still. Marching up to their bedroom door she flung them open, letting them slam against the walls.

Furious green eyes watched as Erik shot up in bed, startled and surprised. He wore no shirt and loose trousers under the sheets. Sitting up he looked at her like a scared and confused deer with wide blue eyes as she stormed over to the bed, her brows furrowed in fury.

"Erik? Is there something you need to tell me?" she whispered in a deadly voice, like a snake poised to strike. Erik actually found himself utterly intimidated by the smaller, weaker woman. Then he spotted a squeezed piece of paper in her hand which shook and clenched like a vice. His heart instantly dropped and he felt sick. She knew, God in Heaven, have mercy, but she knew.

Evelyn flung the paper at him, it falling to the bed like a wing of some bird of terrible omen. Silently he looked at the parchment, too sad and afraid to gaze at her.

"When were you going to tell me?" she asked lowly, her voice almost gravelly in its rage. "When?!"

"I wasn't," he choked out, his throat constricted from guilt and self-hate.

"Why?!"

"I-I was afraid I would hurt you."

"Oh? And I'm not hurt now? Sacré(goddamn), Erik! You knew I was going to find out!" she screamed angrily. He flinched and stared at his hands, morbidly wishing she'd just hit him instead of yell. She gave a frustrated groan and clutched her hair, pacing and trying to calm herself.

"You weren't going to tell me? What about when we first made love and I promised to give you a family? Erik, Erik, zut, je t'aime but right now I…I really hate you," she demanded, her rage beginning to fall a little, replaced by desperation. Erik looked up to find her eyes streaming heated tears and her lips faltering for words. What she said slammed his heart over and over like a hammer, beating it to a bloody pulp in his chest. In severe hopelessness Evelyn sat down on the lounge chair, her hands lying limply in her lap. A sob escaped her, shaking her entire frame. "And now I can't try again? I can't?!"

Erik stood from the bed but as soon as he moved she shot up, backing away from him. Her angry, despairing eyes glared at him and her hands clenched into themselves. He stopped, not sure whether he should advance or not. He wanted desperately to hold her and kiss her but he knew she wouldn't allow it.

"What did I ever do? Mon dieu, what did I do to deserve this?" she asked despairingly before clapping a hand to her mouth to stifle anguished screams. Erik instinctively reached out for her, wanting to comfort her burning soul. Evelyn shook her head at him, her horrified and miserable face wet with tears. Without another word she ran out the room, her feet slipping on the polished floors. Erik stood mutely, his body numb from the pain he felt swallowing his heart. He heard her run down the stairs and to the front door, crying. It flew open and slammed shut with a resounding bang like a gun.

There was absolutely no sound after that; none whatsoever. And Erik feared that it would remain that way if she could not forgive him.