Greetings to all!

It's a rainy Monday and I have a stray black cat resting on my balcony. She or he (probably he) tries to avoid getting wet. So far he's been lucky. A small rug placed there especially for him is keeping him warm… ;-)

Thank you for reading and reviewing! (broad, wide smiles while writing this...)

I'd also like to thank Desiree and TOWDNWTBN for their hard work. Hugs!

Chapter 36- Cassandra

"Didn't I instruct you to stay at home?" Erik's booming voice cut the wind's sound in two. He glanced over his shoulder before running a hand over his face, sweeping the raindrops away. "Next time you want to sneak up on someone, wear soft leather shoes, James."

"I didn't want to 'sneak up' on you! I just wanted to spend the night at the Twin House." James revealed himself, the hint of a smile on his lips.

"A very sudden change of heart, considering I specifically asked you to stay at the Red Door Cottage. It could be dangerous—"

"I'll go back first thing in the morning for Mr. Hamilton, and I won't interfere with your preparations."

Erik entered the kitchen, tossing his soaked jacket on the kitchen table, irritation and anger pouring from his every movement. Now, with Christine heading to safety, he could feel his own emotions of frustration and disappointment welling up.

He frowned and composed himself, not wanting the boy to think he was mad at him. A muscle tightened in his jaw. There had been a time in his life when he couldn't have cared less for other people's lives. When had he started caring about their feelings? He sighed, tired. Maybe he could start setting his traps tomorrow. After all, Pineaut's men were not meant to arrive before tomorrow evening. He'd have plenty of time.

Watching James building a fire, he remembered all the nights they had spent in comfortable silence together during the past several years.

"Do you want something to eat?" Erik asked, pouring some Scotch into a glass. He tried to exile all thoughts of the mischievous smile Christine wore every time she served him. The way she had managed to worm her presence into his life was maddening.

"No, thank you," the boy replied, stirring the fire with a poker. "Will you need me tomorrow after Mr. Hamilton's delivery?"

"No! After tomorrow morning I do notwant you to set foot near this place! This is very important, James. It will be very dangerous! Swear to me you won't disobey!"

"I promise," James said with a smile. "I could help you, you know. I have some ideas of my own—"

"I know. That's why I want you to go to Christine. You can take Red tomorrow afternoon—"

"You want me to leave, too? I thought I would stay with you," James interrupted him, standing up. "I am not a child! I thought you trusted me…" His voice trailed off, the disappointment in his face obvious. It wasn't the first time this day Erik had felt like a villain.

He sat in the armchair, absentmindedly looking at the blazing fire. Watching Christine leave had probably been the most difficult thing he had done in his life. He hadn't even had the heart to escort her to the cart, afraid he would change his mind.

"I trust you, James. I would trust you with my life. That's why I want you to be with Christine. If we didn't need to continue the façade that the women are still at the Red Door Cottage into tomorrow morning…we need to give them some time, but after Saturday, none of this will matter." He watched the way the amber liquid trapped the firelight.
"I need to know you'll be with her in case something goes wrong."

"You mean in case you don't make it?" James' voice was stern and serious. Erik looked into his eyes, wondering when the grungy little freckle-faced boy had turned into this collected young man. He smiled at him with pride.

"I didn't say that, but it is important to have all possibilities covered. It provides confidence, and keeps the mind clear and focused," Erik offered as if they were in a lesson.

James nodded in agreement, obviously seeing his point. "What about Christine? You promised her…" His voice faded away.

Erik smiled bitterly. He had given many vows this day. A log crackled in the fireplace, producing an eerie sound as it broke, sending a spray of sparks towards the chimney.
"Christine knows I was never good at keeping my promises."

II II II

Emily was certain her pounding heart could be heard by the horseman, betraying her presence in the cart. She risked a glance from under her blanket, and her throat tightened as she saw the large mount trotting towards them, the rider too anxious to wait in place. He wasn't wearing a hat, and along with his dark stallion, he provided a ghost-like figure that sent a shiver through her. Robert murmured something, but the wind muffled his words. The rider had now passed beyond Robert and was looming right over her.

"Emily, Christine? I think congratulations are—"

"Who is it?" Emily asked, her voice sounding more fearless than she felt.

"Deus ex machina!" A familiar deep voice with the faintest hint of a chuckle replied in its habitual accent. Alexander Arnaud dismounted and, without hesitation or asking for permission, he lifted her up, and as he helped her get to her feet, he whispered in her ear so she could hear him through the bitingly cold wind. "Didn't I promise you nothing would happen to you or your baby?"

"But…how…?"

"We will talk later—"

Emily opened her mouth to ask a question, but his gaze was fixed on the cart. "Where is Christine?" His tone was rough as he regarded the empty space before him.

"She's not with us…" Emily muttered, feeling her heart sink, seeing him scowl as comprehension dawned. "She has left. She's going back to Erik." His frown became deeper, his brows one undivided dark line over his narrowing eyes.

"Why didn't you stop her?" he asked, puzzled.

"He shouldn't be left alone," Emily whispered pathetically. His stare on her was penetrating as he listened to her words with difficulty. Alex looked at her gravely for a while as if she had revealed a secret not even she herself knew.

"Erik trusted Christine with you, and you let her leave?" He was addressing Robert, who had joined them. Emily bent her head, biting her lower lip as she absorbed the situation.

"I tried to talk her out of it—" Robert's voice trailed off under the weight of his guilt.

"Obviously you didn't try hard enough! How long ago did she leave?"

"Maybe half an hour…we could go back and fetch her—" Robert offered miserably.

"She could be at the Twin House now," Emily said, but even she could hear the doubt in her voice. "Perhaps we should go back—"

"No!" Alex exclaimed in barely restrained anger. "I won't risk falling into one of Erik's traps only to endanger you, too. We will go along with the plan for now until you are out of harm's way, and then I'll see what I can do." He had started walking towards the tree, where the lantern was still swinging and bobbing with the wind. "Bring the cart over here," he ordered Robert less than politely, with Emily struggling to keep up with his angry, uneven strides a few steps behind him.

With her glance focused on the light, Emily at first missed the closed carriage which waited for them at the turn of the road, completely hidden behind the trees.

"Is this for us?"

"Do you think Erik would let you travel all the way to Whitfield in this cart? The poor horse would die in the process!"

Emily's gaze took in the deep green lustrous color of the brougham drawn by two powerful black horses. They looked fresh and ready to get moving. The carriage's windows and fittings gleamed in the dull lamplight. This light means of transport seemed fast and reliable for a journey, but too luxurious to remain unnoticed. A cart, on the other hand…obviously, Erik had considered every detail in his plan to secure their way to safety, and Emily felt guilt sting her.

In a mercurial change of mood, Alex turned to her with a smile on his face.

"Emily, let me introduce you to Monsieur Gérôme Aristeid. The man and his wife Galatea practically reared me."

Emily smiled shakily at the white-haired man with the elegant beard who had appeared and now bowed his head in response. The man acknowledged Robert with a nod, and despite his age, climbed swiftly onto the box.

"There is no one I could trust more," Alex murmured as he helped her climb into the brougham.

Emily gasped at the sight of the soft leather and velvet in the interior, which was all illuminated by lanterns.

"It is a custom-made, brougham-style carriage, but it has more of a Dormeuse-like interior. Make yourselves comfortable," he offered, showing her the way the seat cushions could be arranged to allow the passenger to sleep at full length.

Emily watched him as he went to help Robert carry her trunk, and arranged the cushions to accommodate her aching back. She felt quite self-conscious about raising her feet, but if they were going to have a long journey, she would not have another choice. In a matter of minutes, the two men had joined her inside the carriage, and compared to the previous trip on the cart, it now felt as though they were gliding down the road.

"What about the cart…and your horse? Will you leave him?" Emily asked, trying to steal a glance out the side windows.

"We are just outside Swindon. Someone will find the cart in the morning…" Alex offered with indifference, shrugging his shoulders, "and Mercury would follow me to the ends of the earth." His smile was genuine, softening his rugged features.

"How did you know we were coming?" Robert's stern, almost suspicious tone erased the smile from Alex's face.

"I guess I owe you an apology for the terrible scene Erik and I enacted during your visit to Emily. We decided that if Erik appeared to have no help from an outsider like me, he would look less dangerous to whoever has been watching him, and he didn't want to provoke any further action from them. His house has been full of people these days, so the news of our rift was sure to spread easily." Alexander stretched his bad leg and grimaced. "When I left, I went to my house, and then straight to Dover as if I were indeed going to France. It was easy to trick the man following me." An arrogant half-smile formed on his face. "I went to Gérôme's cottage. He helped me with the details, and for the last ten nights, we've been waiting for you. There was no other way for Erik to let me know of your arrival without the risk of raising suspicions."

"So what you said then—?" Emily asked in a faint voice, shifting in her seat beside Robert.

"I was very harsh and inexcusably rude. I apologize for my tone."

Emily watched Robert furrow his brown brows; he clenched and unclenched his fists against his trousers. It hadn't escaped him, either, that Alex had only apologized for his tone. She felt her cheeks grow hot as her ire began to rise. She couldn't believe the nerve of the man!

"Did you two get married?" Alex asked in mock innocence, seeing her distress.
Emily frowned, letting her silence answer his question. Her stare on him was hard, reprimanding.
"Then I don't have a lot to apologize for," he replied, the edge of his mouth curving derisively. His unyielding gaze continued fixed on Robert before he finally leaned back against the velvety surface of the suede cushion and closed his eyes.

Robert snorted beside her, tension washing over him with every breath he took.

II II II

"Why are we turning here?" Christine asked as she saw Red Door Cottage's lights becoming smaller. She shifted, grasping the railing beside her, putting more distance between herself and Mr. Hamilton.

"The lane gets too narrow for the cart in half a mile. This is the safest way to the Twin House. Didn't you say Monsieur Rochelle would be at the Twin House by now?"

Christine nodded. Her stomach tightened, and for the life of her, she wasn't sure whether it was because of the prospect of facing Erik's wrath and disappointment or for another reason she couldn't comprehend yet.

Was she such a coward that she needed Mr. Hamilton's presence to diminish Erik's fury at her ruining his plans? No! No matter how angry he would be with her, Christine was certain that a part of him would be pleased to see her. She wasn't worried about plans, either. Past experience showed that Erik had always been good at improvisation.

Why did she feel that strange, different sense of anxiety filling her?
It was just a matter of her being practical. Why walk the extra forty minutes to the Twin House when Mr. Hamilton could help her see Erik sooner?

Still, it seemed to her that the diminishing lights of the Red Door Cottage were beacons of safety, and she was slowly drifting away from them.
"Mr. Hamilton, I've changed my mind. Please stop the cart. I will walk to the Red Door Cottage—"

"I can't let you do that, Madame Giry! A woman walking alone in the night…we are ten minutes away… from the Twin House—" Mr. Hamilton offered in that usual manner of his, dividing his sentences into fragments.

"I prefer to walk to the Red Door Cottage. It's so close, and Emily will be worried if she doesn't see me soon. I insist…" Her voice faded as she felt his hand, heavy on her shoulder, as he pushed back the hood of her cloak to have a clear view of her eyes.

"You know you are in no position to insist on anything right now…my dear Madame Giry. Or should I say, Countess de Chagny?"

II II II

Alexander Arnaud opened his eyes and consulted his watch, removing it from his waistcoat pocket. He knocked lightly on the front window and mouthed a question to Monsieur Gérôme. Having received a similarly unspoken answer, he straightened himself in his seat opposite Robert and Emily and focused his gaze on the carpeted floor of the carriage, as if making mental calculations.

Emily noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He had been waiting for ten nights in a row in the late autumn cold and rain for nothing! Christine was gone, and shehad let it happen. Erik would be absolutely furious with her, and she couldn't blame him.

She clasped her hands on her midsection, taking some consolation from the faint kick she felt. For the last half hour, she had been leaning against Robert's shoulder, his strong arm holding her protectively against his body as they whispered trivial things to each other and mooted possible names for their baby. When Alexander had begun to stir, Robert had removed his arm, leaving her feeling cold.

She eyed the man sitting opposite them in doubt. More than once, she had suspected he was faking sleep. His eyelashes had seemed to flutter every time Robert offered a silly, exotic name he had heard during his trips, and she could swear she had seen his upper lip curl slightly upwards when she had confided to Robert that she thought she was expecting a boy.

Whatever the case was, Alexander's brief sleep had provided a much appreciated sense of privacy in their confined space, and now Emily felt herself yawning, the weariness of the day catching up with her.

II II II

"What is the plan for our trip?" Robert's hard tone as he spoke to Arnaud awakened Emily. She opened her eyes, fully alert, looking at the two men who stared at each other, exchanging glances of equal challenge.

"The plan was to travel through Reading and Basingstoke to a remote cottage on the outskirts of Whitfield and wait for Erik to join us. Galatea – Gérôme's wife—has prepared the house. The distance is longer, but the road is far better than the one crossing Wiltshire. Now, you will go through Hungerford and Whitchurch. By late morning, you will be at Whitfield. The road has many potholes and bumps. It will force a slower speed, and it won't be as comfortable, but it is the quickest way possible, and there is less chance of your meeting anyone. If you do," Alex looked at them both in turn, "say you are guests of Lady Arnaud, and that you are going to her estate at Winchester."

"What are you going to do?" Emily asked guardedly.

"When we reach Hungerford, in less than an hour, I will take Mercury and go back."

"To the Twin House?" Robert asked.

"I think I have already made it clear that that would be a waste of time. If Christine has gone there safely, Erik will be all she needs. I won't risk interfering with his plans."

"Then…?" Robert's stern voice forced an answer.

"I will just go check something," Alex replied elusively. "If anything went wrong, I don't think there is a lot we can do but hope."

Emily felt a heavy burden on her shoulders again. Guilt mixed with dread, and the terrible feeling that had haunted her since morning. What was the right thing to do?

"I will go with you!" Robert's decisive tone cut the silence in half.

"You will stay with Emily. You'll see that she and your child arrive safely at the cottage and wait for us there."

"There is no way I could live with myself or face Monsieur Rochelle again after letting Christine go. I'll join you. It's not that you won't need me!" Robert threw a brief look at Alexander's bad knee, making his point.

Alexander's face turned red, and he moved his outstretched knee, bending it beside his other leg, turning pale in the process.

"Mr. Duggan, if you have the slightest sense of priorities, you will stay with your fiancée." His voice was low. Whether it was out of pain or anger, Emily didn't know.

"I could stay at an inn in Hungerford, while you two—" she offered faintly.

"Are you in your right mind, woman? Are we going to leave a pregnant lady out in the middle of nowhere—?" Alex exclaimed, the tension in the carriage rising by the second.

"Don't you dare speak to her like that!" Robert muttered through his teeth. "Of course that is out of question, Em!" He turned to her, his cobalt blue eyes burning, and then back to Arnaud. "If you intended to go back, why didn't you leave immediately?"

Surprisingly enough, Alex was looking at him with what seemed a newfound respect.

"I wanted to make sure you would have no trouble, that no one stopped you. Every mile you cover to move away from Swindon counts. Mercury is fast and will cover the distance three times faster than this carriage. I'll be back in less than 45 minutes. You do realize I may be on a wild-goose chase," Alex offered, to ease their worries away.

"The only solution I see is for me to fetch a horse at Hungerford and join you. What ever happens, two men will be better than one," Robert concluded in a matter-of-fact manner that made Emily focus her gaze on him.

Every time she saw him, she saw her childhood friend, the boy who had played with her, pulling her braids; and then Robbie, the lad who had left her to seek a career, or the dream she had left behind to seek safety in a miserable marriage, and, lately, her hope for happiness and family. He knew that, and he seemed happy she could see the 17-year-old young man in his eyes every time he talked. There were few moments—moments like this one—in which Emily could truly glimpse the man Robert had become. The passing years had molded both of them, and their new shapes would have to be discovered inch by inch. She liked this new, decisive man she was discovering, and wondered what he saw in her after so many years. Maybe they could finally forgive each other the mistakes of the past and claim the amount of happiness they deserved.

Then why did Emily still feel such heaviness in her heart? The same cloud of foreboding was hovering over her as the men kept talking. Alex's attempts to change Robert's mind were losing their impetus. He looked tired and resigned to Robert's determination to make his previous mistake right. A chill ran down her spine at the thought. Maybe that was Robert's nature….

Emily was drawn from her reverie as the carriage halted to a stop. She looked at the two men, wondering how it was that men looked so alike in situations such as this. Their features were as different as night and day, but their expression was the same: focused determination evident in the hard set of their jaws, their lips tight in a firm line, their previous animosity turned to an easy camaraderie.

"We are just outside Hungerford," Alex offered, seeing her confused stare.

"Mercury can carry both of us until I find a horse there," Robert completed the explanation.

"This is goodbye, then," Emily muttered to herself.

"Nonsense, Em! Don't start with this again! You are the one who always said we should have faith, and everything happens for a reason…" Robbie reminded her, as Alex was climbing out of the carriage, his cane in hand. Robert brushed her lips gently with his mouth, his whiskers feeling unfamiliar on her skin. She had so many little things to get used to, she thought, smiling for the first time.

"Please help me out, Robbie. Just for a couple of minutes. I fear my feet will get numb…"

Emily drew a deep breath of cold air, clearing her lungs and her mind. Erik would be very harsh if he knew she had let her silly intuitions worry her so much. She sighed, composing herself.

"We are running out of time…I'll leave you to say your farewells," Alex said, glancing at Robert, who was standing a few feet away near Mercury. "Remember! If anyone asks, you are going to Winchester—"

"To Lady Arnaud's estate," Emily completed his sentence, "I remember. Alexander…"
Her voice faded. She turned her head, regretting what she had started to say.

"What is it? What is worrying you, Emily?" He gently placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. She watched him withdraw his hand, and, clasping his cane with both hands, he bent a little towards her. "You know you can tell me," he said in a conspiratorial tone.

Surprisingly, she realized she could share her fears with him. She didn't know whether it was because of his Eastern origin, but she felt he wouldn't mock her or get frustrated with her.

"I have had a bad feeling about this, a premonition, a fear that something bad will happen, or has already happened…I know I'm driving everyone out of their minds. I think it's my fault Christine left—" Emily said in one breath.

"Christine is an adult. She is the only one responsible for her choices. This is no one's fault!" Alex offered pragmatically. "Is this the first time you've been having this feeling?" he asked after a few moments of thinking.

She nodded, amazed she hadn't thought about this before. So many deaths in her life, so much bad news…she had never had a premonition warning her of any of the disasters that had changed her life forever.
What was different this time? She cupped her swollen belly in the protective manner that had become her habit lately. Maybe she was just silly after all. Now, watching him run his palm slowly along his strong jaw, she wished she could erase the crease on his forehead. Maybe everyone would be all right, and she was being driven by her condition and the constant little fears it evoked.

A smile formed on his face but didn't reach his eyes as Alex pushed a long, loose strand of raven hair behind his ear.

"It's all a matter of patience, then. We will see if Emily Millen is a little Cassandra."

Deus ex machina : god who resolves plot: in ancient Greek and Roman theatre, a god introduced to resolve a complicated plot.

Cassandra: ignored prophet of doom. Somebody whose warnings of impending disaster are ignored.