WARNING: VIOLENCEIF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH VIOLENCE DO NOT READ THIS POST

Part Thirty Five

The sun browed the hills with its elegance, those bright rays shimmering over the pond and trees. Golden light slipped through thick curtains, glass windows and doors. Warming everyone and everything that those golden rays touched. Birds chirped in the distance, Emma was barking as loudly as she possibly could while she dug for gophers. Horses trotted back and forth along the fence line of the pasture, snickering and whinnying for their food. The sound of little feet hurrying along the hall, corridors and down the stairs pitter-pattered their way to the dinning room for breakfast.

Izzy's laughter seemed to echo through the Great Hall, while serving the children biscuits and eggs. Freshly squeezed juice always at the ready, pitcher after pitcher full of it to me exact. William and Lucien ate their food just by leaning forward to inhale it all, thankfully Nicholas seemed to keep what manners were driven into him. Paloma and Diana sat adjacent to their brothers, watching with complete disgust or attempting to out do them. Ten little feet hung from their chairs, either swinging innocently or about their mischief of NOT keeping body parts to themselves.

It was a wonderful morning, at least it seemed it was.

Nicholas couldn't help but feel the lack of warmth in the room and it wasn't because of his siblings. Instead it was just the unfulfilled feeling of those missing, a piece of his young heart was missing. His mother and father had not joined them this morning, he rarely saw his mother in the mornings really.

His mother had finally given in to his father only a week ago. She had given in to letting Nicholas see himself well dressed, and groomed. So far he was doing an exceptional job, a crooked button here or there but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a tug. Only secretly he knew his mother would wait by her door to watch him, and he found that as much as he didn't need her help. He missed it greatly, but it wasn't just her he missed. He missed his father who was seeming more uninterested in his sons and even the girls than ever before.

It felt strange or perhaps it was just him? Looking around the table, the other smiling faces and giggling of children seemed to belie his feelings. Yet Nicholas could not help the emotion inside his small brain it was too much for a child to understand. One way or the other he had to stop and focus today he had to make his mother proud by being a good example.

Today the girls were going to attend their first day of schooling. May God have mercy on Monsieur de'Paiget who also sent his two sons to the same instructor.

"Come children! It's off to The House with you or else we'll be late!" Izzy called. Mari and a newly hired maid named Sasha made quick work of the table and unfinished dishes. Izzy took two unwilling arms, proceeding to drag the girls out towards the carriage that would take them to The House. Nicholas stood, William right after him both ruffling Lucien's hair on their way out. Ultimately leaving him alone.

It was Lucien who said the word that Nicholas had been feeling. Alone in the large dinning room, a small wooden horse in his hand he whispered softly.

"Empty..."

It was true, the Great Hall for all it was worth was Empty.

Esperanza combed her dark curls aimlessly or unseeing of what she was really doing. She had lain in bed all evening waiting quietly as a wife should wait. Obediently she waited, obediently she watched the clock and obediently she had cried in the privacy of her room. Now here she was several hours later, morning filtering through the window brightening the room but not her mood. Her soul was dark now, her tears falling with little meaning and her room was Empty.

The bed had remained empty, her heart had become empty, and now her day to day actions were empty. Her husband had not come home last evening, not a word had been sent. Of course she reasoned that perhaps he and George would talk late with the other men on business or other male matters. Yet when midnight had long been past by several hours, and still she sat propped against the bed he still had not returned. Eventually she moved her worrying to her window where she seated herself to watch and wait for the carriage that had never come.

She had bathed with a small hope that her husband would return, so she had soaked for maybe an hour. Nothing. No one came to her to tell her if he was alright, no one came to comfort her worry, then again no one knew. Listening to her children this morning had brought tears to her eyes, was she really such an incapable woman to not even be wife enough for her husband to return to? It didn't matter, so long as her husband was back home, safe with her.

He doesn't love you...A breathy voice whispered.

"What was that?" Esperanza said out loud. The sound of her own voice made her jump, a sound so foreign and so loud compared to the silence she lived in. Perhaps her lack of sleep was getting to her, or was she simply going insane?

He loves her...Christine...Christine...It whispered again.

"Christine.." Esperanza whispered as well. Only she whispered with a bottle up venom that was just begging to be released. Her eyes seemed to focus on her reflection finally, looking back at a woman unworthy of what she had. Esperanza seemed older this morning than even she remembered herself, all her imperfections she could find radiated with gusto. Her scar was hideous, her face and flesh weren't silky soft for a man to touch. Her breasts were full but eventually gravity and age would imperfect them. Still she had a slender waist that flared into womanly hips of childbearing, to legs that weren't so lovely. That dark hair of hers wasn't dark anymore was it? It wasn't even long enough for a man enjoying those curls through his fingers. "No wonder he doesn't love me..."

The admission made her weep with renewed vigor. Esperanza found flaws in herself that only a woman could find in herself, after all a woman's worst enemy or critic. Is herself. To any other woman or man for that matter Esperanza was still a Goddess of dark and natural beauty she held such envy from the women she didn't even know it.

Gravel giving beneath hooves, creaking of wheels and the jingle of reins had Esperanza's attention within a trice. Tears forgotten, imperfections forgotten she nearly flew to the window. Her hands touched the glass and decorative paneling to hold herself from rushing through it to her death. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as Duncan stepped down to help his Master out of the carriage.

Erik...

Erik stumbled from the carriage nearly falling on top of his young coachman. Amazingly Duncan held his own against his Master, leading him up the steps at a gruelingly slow pace. Erik stumbled forward, backward and from side to side. If it hadn't been for Duncan he surely would've broken his neck just attempting to get to the door. It wasn't too far now Erik thought Allllmost there...Once there he fully intended to lean against the wood and take a breather. When those doors opened and he fell into the waiting arms of a woman.

Christine...

"Erik! Goodness Duncan? What's wrong with him? Where have you been?" Esperanza's voice snapped. She had not meant to sound so well, so angry in fact she was filled with joy. Her husband was home! Poor Duncan tried to stammer out what he could in a breath only her husband's breath said a lot more. The smell of booze was enough to make anyone faint, how Erik managed to stay awake like this was amazing. "Erik you're drunk!" Esperanza accused aloud, more to herself than to Erik or Duncan.

"Come Duncan, help me get him to bed." She would chastise her husband later. Slowly Erik's head rolled back on his shoulders and he squinted through his eyes at her. Saying with a slur that had Duncan gulping down his fear as he watched his Mistress's face.

"Yerrrr...n-noot...Chrrrrrrrrrissssssssstine..." Erik said drunkenly. If he had not been drunk Duncan was certain his Mistress would've done something like: Break his Master's nose? The murder in her eyes kept him silent as he obediently helped her take Erik to the bedchamber.

You are not Christine he had said. Damn right she wasn't.

"Leave him there Duncan you may have the day off," Esperanza informed him. Just one look at Duncan told her exactly how she probably looked, neither of them had slept. Both had waited just obediently as dogs for Erik, only this 'DOG' would bite. When he was sober Erik would desperately wish he were drunk.

With a sigh she set about to removing the smelling clothes from her husband's limp body. He snored loudly with his mouth open oblivious to her and was she was doing. Tugging at his pants then at his suit, it took Esperanza a good hour to get him decent enough for bed. As a matter of fact he could just lay there in his under shorts for all she cared. Quietly she removed his socks the sound of her labored breaths and his snores filling the room. That is until her husband seemed to be having a fond dream a smile curving his lips. Then he said what he never should've said.

"Christine"

That did it, that was it. Esperanza tossed his feet away from her and she banged out of the room like a woman possessed. Returning only a moment later with two water pitchers filled to the brim. Water still chilled from the morning she stood beside him, looking down at his smiling face. So..you are to think of Christine are you dear husband? Then think fondly of this...With that she dumped both of them on him.

What satisfaction she intended to get never came, instead her husband was out of the bed in a heart beat. He loomed over her in his anger those blue eyes that had once looked upon her fondly promised death. They promised a death beyond her imagination, pain that would be never ending and God only knew what else. Upon reflex she dropped the pitchers, and just as they shattered on the floor Erik back handed her so hard she went reeling.

"Little Bitch!" She heard him bark out as she hit the ground with a thud. Turning her head Esperanza watched him come toward her that look still within his eye. Attempting to flee she got to her hands and knees only to have her head whipped back as finger nails dug into her scalp pulling her dark hair. She could smell the booze on him, blinding him with his anger.

By her thick curls he lifted her viciously without mercy, fingers curled into a fist. Esperanza's eyes went wide, her finger nails clawing, her hands hitting in vain when that fist hit her in the jaw. It sent her sprawling back onto the ground, onto the shards of the shattered pitchers cutting herself. Not even given time to groan out her pain Erik, grabbed her lifting her ungently looking down at her.

"You are a pretty Bitch you know that Christine?" Then he kissed her with a brutality that made her whimper against his lips. Where was her Erik? Esperanza sobbed in her mind, when this drunken animal that lived in the body of her husband released her lips from his own. Glaring down at her he snarled when she didn't swoon like Christine should have, in love, in want of him. With a growl he dragged her toward the vanity and there Erik slapped her repeatedly, slapping Christine. The Bitch that had taken everything from him in one night, one kiss, and yet something in him was trying to get him to stop. His heart.

The tiny woman before him fought back as best she could which he didn't like. Women were supposed to be meek and easy to break weren't they? Growling he slammed Christine (Esperanza) against the vanity her head connecting to the mirror. The mirror cracked, slowly shattering with each slam he sent the tiny woman against it. Her blood sprinkled it, sprinkled him, sprinkled his soul making him feel such a high that he shuddered in pleasure.

"Erik..Stop..please.." She whispered.

Oh now she wished him to stop?

No Christine this will never end it is time that you pay for YOUR sins.

He released the woman in his grasp, letting her fall in a heap on the floor. Turning his back to her he went to the small drawer next to the window, looking out a moment he saw the beauty of this place. What was he doing out of the Opera House? Taking my revenge on Christine Daae...my revenge...her chains are still mine. She will only sing for me..His mind whispered. The sound of whimpers reminded him that Christine was waiting for him.

My Christine...Only Mine

Esperanza tried desperately to crawl to the door, the pain in her arms and legs Hell Fire. She didn't care, her husband had gone mad the alcohol let him live in his fantasy world. To him she was Christine, the one whom had done him the greatest wrong ever dealt him. Slowly she was paying for another woman, always living in her shadow and now paying for her crimes. Tears stung Esperanza's eyes to trickle down her cheeks taking the crimson fluid of her life with them. When she felt that noose wrap around her neck.

Eyes wide she gasped for air that would not come, that lasso holding her securely. Strangling the life from her, taking her from this world she turned around to look up at Erik. He had this smug smirk on his face as he continued to tighten it around her ivory neck digging within her throat cutting off her air.

"You wont ever sing for anyone again Christine..." He said.

God help her...Someone help her...

Help him...

Erik...God I love you...Were her last thoughts.