Dreams of a Wounded Heart©
Chapter Thirty-six: No Vacancy
By Genevieve Lee
"It will end, just not as soon as we thought," Madame Giry said, trying to assure me.
I shook my head, placing a hand over my mouth as I did so. I looked back over at Erik, who was finishing the letter. He looked grim as he folded it back up and held it out to me. I came forward slowly and took it, holding the parchment taut in my fingers, gazing down at my brother's chicken-scratch writing. Erik pushed his fingers firmly against his temples, squeezing his eyes closed. It was quiet for a moment as Madame and I waited for instructions from Erik. Finally, he looked up, but his eyes were on me.
"We will marry tomorrow afternoon. That gives us about half a day to make preparations. You will help?" he asked, looking over towards Madame Giry.
She nodded. "Of course."
He nodded grimly in return before looking back at me. "The address your brother has given us is a motel outside of Paris. After we are married, we will begin traveling there and we should easily be there by nightfall. I'm not sure where we will go from there but there is something you must know." He gazed at me, waiting for a gesture to continue. I gave none, only stared gravely back at him. He continued anyways. "If he tries to take you from me again, I will kill him."
"Erik!" Madame Giry gasped his name, and he turned to face her.
"No Annette! It is the only way!" His voice was gaining in momentum and anger, and I knew I had to stop this argument before it began. "If he touched her again--"
"Erik, stop. Madame, he's right. He may never leave us alone…" I looked over at Erik, waiting for him to continue.
He looked over at Madame Giry. "I need you to find us a church, make us an appointment. Of course we will need proper attire. Just because it's moved up doesn't mean we should dismiss all formalities…"
He gave some more directions to her, but I quit listening. I heard some things about means of travel, clothing, choice of church, but most of the information went straight over my head.
"We will work everything out, Madeleine."
The mention of my name snapped me back into attention as I gazed at Madame Giry. I glanced over at Erik, who was looking at me with a look of anxiety over his features. My eyes set themselves back on the older woman. "Yes, I know," I whispered, and then not being able to look at either of them, I settled at staring at the ground.
I could feel Madame Giry's gaze on me for a moment more before she I heard her speak to Erik in a low voice. "I will be back soon with what you need." I then heard her footsteps fading as she walked deeper into the cavern and closer to the world above. I glanced up to see she was no longer in sight and I gave a light sigh.
"Madeleine?"
I looked over at Erik who was still looking worriedly at me. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
The words seemed to sum up everything, and I nodded, looking down again. I could still feel his gaze penetrating me though, and when I looked back up he opened his arms and I gladly obliged to the open invitation. I settled against his chest with a deep sigh.
"This isn't fair. Everything I have they have to touch. They have to ruin it." I didn't have to clarify with him that I was talking about Jason and my father. Though I comforted myself with the fact that my father would never be near my life again. I sucked in a shuddering breath and I felt his arms tighten around me.
"This is the last thing he will ruin. I promise."
I heard the curtained anger in the tone of voice, and by how tight his muscles suddenly became. I struggled to pull away and look him straight in the face. "Erik, please make me a promise."
"Anything," he said passionately.
I looked at him fiercely; hoping my expression alone could get the point across. "Erik, I don't want you killing him unless you must."
His eyes hardened considerably. "You need to--"
"No, Erik!" I said, my eyes flashing intensely back to his face. "I know you told me you would kill if you had to. You had to kill my father, but if you do not have to kill Jason, don't. What crime has he committed besides being thick-headed and conceited?" My words were true, and they seemed to not only hit their mark with Erik, but with me as well. If I truly thought about it, Jason had done very little to me. Yes, he had taken me as his fiancée for the wrong reasons, and yes, he intentionally made my life a living hell, but it wasn't anything I couldn't get over. Perhaps one day he would grow out of his pompous shell and be a good man. I knew Erik would never have to kill him, and I wished Jason could see me now, pleading for his life. I knew if I gave Erik my blessing, he would go out and kill Jason. But my opinion mattered to him, and for that I was grateful.
"He tried to take you away from me," he reasoned, looking hardly down at me.
I tried to disentangle myself from his arms, but he wouldn't let go. I gave up. "He has no idea who you are," I expertly countered.
"He obviously still wants you."
"Not me," I said, shaking my head. "Just a girl of my status." Erik gave me a confused look, so I hastily explained myself. "Jason was to inherit his fortune, but he had to be married to do so. He did not want to marry yet, but apparently money won in favor of love. He decided to choose a girl with little status, me, but one that would not taint his reputation. His plan was to marry me, stay for a little while, and then leave me. He would have his fortune and he would be the eligible Jason De'lorme again." I shook my head in disgust. "He would have created a story of why he left me that would leave him innocent, and me ruined." I shrugged. "Not that my reputation to all of them mattered much anyways. Point being," I said with a lower voice, "that even though Jason is an imbecile, he doesn't deserve death."
Erik seemed to be contemplating for a moment. "I don't know if that justifies anything or if it just makes me more angry."
I shook my head. "He doesn't matter anymore. Don't let him matter. We will get married, and if we somehow run into Jason, though I cannot imagine how, finding out I am married will probably be enough for him to bow out gracefully. Ultimately, he's a coward."
"How did you find all of this out?" he asked with awe in his tone.
I shrugged modestly, letting a smile creep onto my lips. "I learned at a young age that if you want to know something, ask the servants."
"Diabolical," he said, his lips twitching in the corners. "Remind me to never hire servants in our home." His face broke out in a full smile at the mention of our.
"Are you implying, my dear fiancé, that you intend on keeping secrets from me?"
He bent down and gave me a kiss that left my head spinning.
"Never."
It was still a hard prospect to deal with. The fact that I was getting married and Christian and Brenda could not be there was heartbreaking. I had asked about inviting Brenda, but both Madame Giry and Erik agreed that our exit should be as quiet as possible, giving Jason no way to discover we were ever there. I had grudgingly agreed only when Madame Giry offered to give her a letter the next day once we were gone. So I had quickly composed another letter, crying as I did so.
I was sick of good-byes.
Perhaps what hurt above all is I considered for a moment of actually letting Erik kill Jason, just so we could remain where we were. As soon as the thought passed my mind, I set it aside, thoroughly disgusted with myself. How could I think such a thing? But that was something that comforted me. It was just a thought. Many things passed of the threshold of my mind and I shouldn't be ashamed. At least, that's what I told myself.
Anyways, point being that the urge to not leave and solve the problem in…other ways was very strong, but I persuaded myself that leaving may be the safest thing to do. What upset me the most is that I was not going to be able to say a fond farewell to Brenda. I only hoped we would see each other again soon and she would understand my inconspicuous escape.
I spent most of the night in my room. Erik insisted I get some sleep, though I suspected he wanted to be alone for a while. I did not ask, but instead abided to his wishes, except I mostly just lied there staring at the wall in the darkness, hoping that time would pass more quickly and put an end to my tortuous thoughts. Thankfully, Madame Giry arrived in a few hours with what we needed. She came into my room and roused me from the light sleep I had fallen in only moments ago.
"Madeleine."
I heard my name whispered and a light hand on my shoulder. I gave a small moan and rolled away from the soft touch.
"Madeleine!" This voice was sterner and I knew it belonged to Madame Giry. It would be my luck that I would be woken up the moment I had fallen asleep.
I reluctantly opened my eyes to be greeted with the grim faces of Erik and Madame Giry.
"Get up Madeleine! We have work to do."
I gave a light nod, kicking the covers off of my legs and standing unsteadily. I stretched and my back cracked back into place, earning a strange look from Erik. I blushed and looked away.
"Erik, you should leave now."
"But—"
"The groom may not see the bride before the wedding. Now out!"
As soon as Erik was gone, Madame Giry wasted no time. She quickly locked me in the bathroom, not letting me out until I had bathed. Once I had, she threw me into a dressing gown before she attacked my hair. She swept it back in a pretty style, using a rounded brush to make my slightly curly hair more defined. She then pined a few curls to my head, but leaving most to flow down my back. After she had finished my hair, she applied a little rouge to my cheeks. The entire process took about an hour, and finally she stepped away, grabbing a box that sat on my bed. I watched her carefully as she took the lid off and motioned me over.
I obediently got up from the divan and came over to the bed, looking over her shoulder to see what was being offered to me. Within the box lay a pile of white silk and satin. A gasp formed its way into my throat, but I bit it back and sighed instead.
"Oh Madame…" I took it from the box and held it out in front of me, the dress unfolding itself and billowed to the floor like an ivory river. I studied it for another silent moment, noticing it resembled my original wedding dress very closely, and I looked at her and smiled.
"It was too short notice to get the dress makers to speed up and get yours ready in time and—"
"No, it's perfect. Thank you," I said truthfully, tears of gratitude formed in my eyes.
"It's no problem. Erik is right. Just because the wedding was moved up does not mean everything should be dismissed." She gave a light smile, and then urgently motioned towards my dressing screen. "Quickly. We must leave in ten minutes time."
I nodded, and taking the dress with me, I disappeared to change. I slipped my nightgown off and put my new corset on that Madame Giry had brought me. It was more convenient and I was able to hook it up in the front, and since it was already tied, I could dress alone. After it was fastened, I pulled the dress over my head, lacing it up quickly. I stepped from behind the screen to have Madame quickly come over to me and arranging the dress artfully over my frame.
When she was satisfied, she handed me a cloak that would keep the dress hidden from Erik's view for the most part, which I hastily put on. Then, together, Erik, Madame Giry, and I made our way to the church.
We did not have time to dawdle, and as soon as we stepped into the church, we were pushed straight into the ceremony. No music, no walking down the isle, just Erik and I standing before the priest with Madame Giry dutifully standing behind me as the witness.
"I, Erik Desslar, take you, Madeleine Taylor, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity."
Though the entire situation had caused us to marry sooner than planned, my face still broke out in a grin as Erik looked down adoringly at me. He did not speak the words Jason had only a month earlier to me, but a vow of his own choosing. I was thrilled to hear vows spoken to me that they actually meant something. It was my turn to say the vows, but instead of going with something traditional, I said the words I had rehearsed over and over in my head on the way to the church.
"Erik, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life."
The priest then said something else, though I do not remember comprehending what. I was far too busy looking at Erik. All that happened next was Erik bent down and kissed me. It was sweet and slow, just as it should be. It was by far the best kiss I had ever received; not that I had many to choose from. As soon as the papers were signed, everything was in place. I was Erik's wife. Wife!
Ah, how foreign the word was. To know I was no longer a miss or mademoiselle, but a missus and madame. I could tell by the look in Erik's eyes how strange it was for him too.
We left the church and went straight into a carriage that would take us straight to where my brother was waiting. With a fond farewell to our witness, we were off on our first journey as husband and wife.
We did not travel long. Our wedding was midday, and since the inn's location was only in a town outside of Paris, we were there a while after the sun had finished setting. Upon arriving, Erik paid the driver handsomely and we made our way inside, fingers entwined. The giddy "just married" feeling had not left us during our drive, that much was obvious.
A sign on the door alerted Erik and I of a problem, but we went inside anyways.
"Did you not read the sign? We have no vacancies available tonight!" a disagreeable, middle-aged man barked as soon as I took a step over the doorway.
I squeezed Erik's hand and cleared my throat. "Yes, we are aware of such things monsieur, but we are meeting my brother here."
"James Laurence?" he questioned, looking down at a sheet of paper on the desk.
Recognizing the same false name he had used last time, I nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"He left a key for you. You will be sharing a room, I suppose, since I have no vacancies."
I nodded, holding out my palm to which he quickly dropped the key into it. I think he was as anxious to be rid of us as we were of him. I happily left the disgruntled man and found the room number printed on the key.
I will not bore you with the happy hellos and excited tittering over Erik's marriage and mine. Just know the first few minutes were of a joyful reunion, only to be dampened with a problem.
"The inn owner has informed us that there are no vacancies tonight," I said as I seated myself on the floor next to Susan who was glowing in the attention I gave her. I began absent-mindedly braiding her hair.
"Yes, I suppose we shall all sleep here," Christian said before looking at Erik. "Would you like to discuss what to do tomorrow, and perhaps leave by nightfall?"
To this my husband (Yes, I could not resist using the word) nodded. "I believe it would be best if we left after dark, with Jason being so very close. But you are right, we should try and get some sleep."
My brother nodded as he quickly stood, glancing around the small room filled with people, and of course, my cat.
"Madeleine, Farrah, and Susan, you shall sleep on the bed. Erik and I will take places on the floor," he said, pointing out two spots where they could each fit.
I bit my lip at the sleeping arrangements, but could only nod. What other option was there. We all took turns changing behind a makeshift-dressing screen. Once we were all ready for bed, we exchanged goodnights before going to where we would sleep.
I lay slowly down next to Farrah, watching as Christian and Erik tried to make themselves comfortable on the floor. Tears filled my eyes as I set my head down on the bed. I had no pillow, as I had given mine to Erik. I was not dense though. I knew neither of us would be getting much sleep.
How fair was it to us that we had to spend our wedding night like this: apart and worrying the entire time? We had waited so long to be married, to finally be together, and now the night that was meant to celebrate our triumph in being able to actually marry was taken away from us. I blew a small sigh through my lips and rolled over, facing the wall and focusing in on a little dot. I saw the dot begin to move, and realizing it was a spider, gave a small shudder and shut my eyes, listening to the sounds of everyone's deep breathing.
No doubt everyone was quite tired, and after loosing much sleep the night before, I knew I was. I should have been trying to get some actual rest, but through the whole time, I found myself opening my eyes to take a peak at Erik, wondering if he was feeling the same torment I was. Finally, I could not take it anymore, and I opened my eyes again to gaze at Erik who was lying stiffly below me. I got out of bed slowly, only shifting part of my weight every few seconds until I seceded in escaping without waking anyone. Sophie wasted no time in stretching out in the now vacant space.
I folded the blankets gently back over the bed, and gazed at Erik, who lay unmoving on the floor. Perhaps he was asleep after all. I stepped carefully over him, clutching the small blanket I had taken with me, to my body. I bent down slowly and saw that his eyes were indeed closed. I turned with exaggerated slowness and lay down next to him, not quite touching him yet. I waited a moment to be sure everyone was still asleep before scooting myself against his chest.
He stirred and I heard him murmur my name. We spoke no more, but he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to his chest. We remained this way the entire night. It wasn't the ideal wedding night, but it was something. That was all that mattered.
Genny's Note: -peaks out from behind shield- Okay, am I safe? Are you guys not going to throw rotten tomatoes and come after me with torches? Yes, I know I took forever to update. I had a lot going on and my eye has been twitching nonstop from the stress from it. Who cares that I have to get up in six hours? My eye isn't twitching and you guys finally get a chapter! Yay for all of us!
For some reason, my personal line breaks aren't working. Maybe a new program they have? Anyways, I am too tried to figure it out or care, so I just added the traditional ones. I figured it didn't matter.