Raoul had awoken, stretching across the bed and then panicking, worrying why Christine was not beside him. On sitting up he smiled to see her sitting at the table, already dressed and in the process of sweeping back her hair.

"Up so early, Little Lottie?" Raoul yawned, as Christine turned to face him.

"You know I'm always up this early. I've never been one to sleep in."

"I suppose I will notice that more now…now that we share a bed." He smiled knowingly, his face filling with a new form of desire that Christine had never read in his features before. She smiled her countenance as demure as ever, as she fastened a clasp in her hair and stood up.

Raoul rose to his feet and Christine gasped in astonishment, forgetting almost entirely that he was naked. She blushed, averting her gaze. She heard Raoul laugh as he dressed quickly and rush over, nearly knocking her backwards with the force of his embrace.

"You shouldn't turn away Christine. I am your husband now. I have shared all that I am with you, and so have you. There is no need to be coy…you no longer need to play the virgin with me."

Christine was shocked by his brashness; this was a side of Raoul she had never seen before. It made her feel uncomfortable and, after she had let him kiss her, she pulled away.

"I was thinking of spending some more time with Meg and Madame Giry today, before they leave." She forced a smile before continuing, "To say goodbye I suppose. Is that alright?"

"Of course it is my darling; you don't have to ask my permission. I may be your husband but I do not own you. You may do as you please."

Christine was pleased to leave the room, but she could feel the way they eyes of the house were turned on her as she walked through the corridors. They were all examining her posture, the way she walked, the way she held herself; all being scrutinized as if, all of sudden, she was expected to have changed.

To Christine's relief she found only Meg in the rooms where they had been staying and, as soon as the door was safely closed behind her, she feel to the ground and wept.

"Christine what is the matter? Are you unwell? I should call Raoul…he'll be so worried…"

"No…no please Meg, don't fetch Raoul. Don't leave me."

Meg sat on the floor, her concern for her friend written clearly in her face as she asked, "What is it Christine? Tell me what is wrong?"

"Does it make me a very bad wife to not want to sleep with my husband? Is it wrong to feel physically repulsed by the act?"

Before Meg could reply, Madame Giry entered and, seeing Christine crying, instructed Meg to leave.

"My dear," she began as soon as Meg had left and she had helped Christine to her feet and into a chair, "What is troubling you?"

"I did it…I did it because I had too…because I couldn't possibly do otherwise. He didn't hurt me, he was distant but he never hurt me…But I don't think I could do it again Madame Giry. I don't think I could let it happen again…"

"It is him isn't it? You cannot sleep with Raoul because he still plagues your thoughts. You claim that he is dead to you but it is plain that he is not. Tell me…" She began, pouring a glass of water and handing it to her, "This may be a rather impertinent thing to ask but it must be…did you think of him? When you were with Raoul were you thinking of him?"

Christine trembled as she drank, "No. I never did…I thought of nothing...I was blank and then I felt awful; as if I had been violated…as if I had done something terrible that didn't feel right or good. And then when it was over and Raoul was asleep I got up. I dressed and tried to rid myself of the feeling but I could not…and then I thought…"

She stopped, brushing back the tears as Madame Giry urged her to continue. "And then I thought of him…I thought of him and I cried…I cried as if my heart were breaking and I realised Madame Giry; I knew why it felt so awful to lie with Raoul…"

She paused, virtually unable to speak as the emotions swept through her. "I knew that I could not be like that with Raoul. And that there was only one man in the world I could ever lie with…I knew that I would never be able to bare being so with Raoul…You see, Madame Giry….I don't belong to him."