Chapter 7

The sunlight woke her up again the next morning. Carlynda turned her head away and looked to the empty spot beside her. She was slightly disappointed, but not surprised, to see Erik had already gotten up. She stretched her arms and groaned. She snuggled back into the warm blankets. They smelled like Erik, she realized. She buried her head into the sheets and smiled. Something about his scent made her feel so happy. She didn't understand why, but what she did understand was her reluctance to get up. Yesterday's break from work was so wonderful she didn't want to return to it just yet. She was too comfortable in bed. She looked to the nightstand beside the bed and smiled. This morning Erik had left her another rose and a note.

She reached over and picked up the note.

Carlynda,

This morning is the meeting with the fop who wishes to be my patron. I may still be in the meeting when you wake. I'll open the door once he is gone.

I'll see you then.

E.

She chuckled and shook her head. It was the first time he didn't put anything remotely romantic in his letter. She glanced over at the door. Since it was still closed, she could assume he was still in the meeting, giving her more time in bed. She might have to open her bakery a little later than usual. She might have some customer complaints with that. That would be another upside if she could hire more people. If she was late, the bakery would still open at the right time.


Thirty minutes later she had her ear pressed against the door to the office, trying to hear voices indicating Erik was still in his meeting. She thought she could hear Erik's familiar baritone voice, but wasn't sure. She moved to the armoire and opened it. On one side of the dresser was Erik's suits, lined up with perfect spacing between each hanger. On the other side was her dresses with equally even spacing. She shook her head in amusement for Erik's neatness before pulling out a light blue dress. Since she was always there, Carlynda started to leave clothes. Now that she thought about it, half of her clothing had ended up in Erik's room. It almost looked like she already moved in.

Carlynda paused as this thought it her. She glanced around, seeing evidence of her all around. There was her brush on the vanity Erik had put in his room for her use and her little log book that she use to keep track of her supplies and money for the bakery. Her facial powder was sitting innocently at the edge, still full because she barely ever used it.

She opened a drawer on the small dresser and saw she had filled it with her books. Erik didn't have a bookshelf in his room, but he had promised to install one high above the bed for her. She closed the drawer and let her dress fall to the floor as she explored some more. On top of the dresser was the vase with some of the roses Erik got for her and a box of some of her jewelry. She knew the rest of her jewelry was located in a drawer at her vanity. In the washroom, she spotted her frequencies by the wash pale, her towel on the rack next to Erik's, and her scented soap by the tub.

"My word," she whispered. It was as if she moved in with him. She hadn't even realized it had happened until Meg had mentioned the possibility. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment. The arrangement with Erik wasn't for her to move in with him. They were only lovers. He was not her suitor. They weren't courting and most certainly not married. What would Erik think of this once he realize what was happening? The very thought of Erik's possible reaction mortified her. That settled it. She must find another living arrangement. Some place close to the opera house.

"Oh," she said in distress. What would be the point? She spent her nights at Erik's side every night. She woke up here and got ready for her day. Her things would still end up here.

Not knowing what to do and knowing there wasn't anything to do at that particular time, Carlynda finished getting ready for her day.


She was putting her hair up on top of her head after she bathed and changed into her blue dress when the door to Erik's office opened. She looked in the mirror and saw Erik's dark reflection standing in his office, away from the light of the window in the room.

"Slow morning, my dear?"

She smiled and nodded. The worries she had before had washed away while she was in the bath, giving her the ability to smile brightly as she put in the last pin. She turned in her seat with the smile still on her face. "Yes. It was lovely. I wouldn't mind having a slow morning more often." She stood up and went to the window to close the curtains.

With the sunlight hiding behind the curtains, Erik was free to enter the room. "You seem to be making a habit of sleeping in. It will eventually effect your business."

"Yes, but I was thinking of hiring people so I didn't have to show up every day or stay for nearly so long."

Erik took her hand to lead her back to the office door. "That would be splendid."

"How did the meeting go?" she asked.

Erik creaked open the door to let the hallway light in, but, of course, stayed off to the side so she still couldn't see him. "I'll tell you all about it when you come tonight. I have no wish to keep you from your work."

"Until tonight then." With one last smile she left his office and rushed to the front entrance. She was already late in opening her bakery, but she didn't want to be any later.

She exited the opera house, pausing to let her eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. Ahead of her a well dress man was waiting for his footman to open his carriage door for him. He must be the possible new patron. His shoulder length brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. He was tall, but not nearly as broad as Erik. His clothes were made from the finest tailor, rich in coloring and fabric. His boots were made from some expansive leather. He was holding a cane against his side with his arm as he wiped some dirt off his black bowler hat.

She paused at the top of the steps. The figure looked very, very familiar. It couldn't be. No. Was it? "Lucian?"

The man paused and turned, his familiar hazel eyes catching sight of her. His face was clean shaven and there were tired lines under his eyes. "Claudette?" His eyes lit up and he rushed up the steps. "Claudette!"

She laughed and rushed down, meeting him half way. He quickly scooped her up in his arms and spun her. "Lucian!" He put her down, but kept his hands on her arm. The smile wasn't leaving any of their faces. "Lucian, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? Claudette, I came home to find you gone. No one knew where you went. You were just gone!" The smile faded from his face. "No word from you for three years. How do you think that made me feel? But enough about that." He took a step back and looked down at her. The smile was back on his face. "Look at you! You've grown."

She giggled and shook her head. "No I didn't. You will find that I am the exact same size I was when you last saw me."

He stepped close to her and measured her with his hand. She came just to his nose. He stepped back and nodded. "I can see that."

"Oh, you." She punched him in the arm.

He laughed as he rubbed his arm. "You've grown violent to be sure. However, your height wasn't what I was talking about. You seem different, more mature and wise. You've grown in spirit, very, very different from the young, innocent, naive, spoiled girl I knew when I left."

She nodded. "I know. In many ways it's a good thing I left home."

His eyebrows went up. "More proof of your growth. Had I called you spoiled before, I would be covering my ears from your wails."

Her mouth flew opened in protest. "I would not have wailed."

He nodded. "Yes, you would have. You were a delicate little creature. Too innocent to know your own wants and needs. Which caused me the greatest surprise to find you've ran away. Something I still don't understand."

She glanced down, feeling a little uncomfortable. She wasn't sure why she couldn't tell Lucian. She had told him everything once, but he wasn't there when she needed him the most. It wasn't his fault, but she still couldn't help but blame part of it on him.

Seemingly noticing her distress, he said, "Let's not talk of that just yet. Come, have a late breakfast with me. We have much to catch up on." He took her hand and placed it on his arm to lead her to his waiting carriage.

She smiled and shook her head. "I wish I could, but I am already late in opening my bakery."

He paused and glanced down at her. "Your bakery? You've opened a bakery? You don't know how to bake."

"I've learned."

"This I must witness. Come, Claudette, I'll drive you over. Just tell me how to get there."

"Carlynda."

"Pardon?"

They made it to the carriage. "I no longer go by Claudette Bellamont. She is gone. In her place is Carlynda McBeth. And the bakery is not far. Just by the old tailor shop on Mansfield. It's across from the gentlemen's club."

"Mansfield? That is rather close to the roughest part of the city. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with your bakery being there. Or anywhere near that particular gentlemen's club. It could barely be called a gentlemen's club."

"It was the cheapest real estate I could find, Lucian."

He sighed and nodded. "Alright, then." He turned to his driver to give him their destination before helping her in the carriage and climbing in beside her. "McBeth? Mother's maiden name."

"Yes." Their mother was English. Father met her while visiting London and married her a few months later before bringing her to France.

She settled down on the velvet seats. She hadn't been in anything this fancy since she ran away from home. She had forgotten how comfortable it was.

Lucian suddenly let out a chuckle. She turned to him. "What is so funny?" she asked.

He shook his head and stared at her. "My own little baby sister runs away from home to open a bakery."

She returned the smile. They both knew that wasn't the reason she ran, but it was fun joking about it. "You, my dear brother, will just love my chocolate filled pastry sprinkled with nuts and drizzled with maple syrup. Imported from the Americas."

"Mhm, that does sound good. Despite the three years, you still know me well, but I feel I must relearn everything about you. How did you get access to maple syrup anyway?"

"I know someone who knows someone who knows someone in the import business."

Lucian shook his head in mock disappointment. "My sister has turned into a business woman. No one back home would ever believe it. I'm not sure I believe it!"

She kicked him. "Oh, you."

He lifted his feet out of the way. "Excuse me, enough with the violence already! Running away sure did make you evil." He grinned, showing her he was just teasing.

She laughed before turning back to the window.

"When are you free today?"

She turned back to him and blinked. "Why?" His tone sounded serious, a little ominous and the look on his face suggested the same thing.

"Because we do need to have that talk, Claudette." He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he stared into her eyes. "I need to understand why you just left. That was so unlike you."

"Carlynda," she corrected absentmindedly.

Lucian gave her a look. "In the privacy of this carriage I'm going to call you by your given name, the name I know you by. Now, when are you free to have the discussion?"

She turned away to watch the passing scenery. She knew they needed to talk, but she wasn't sure she was ready too. She heard Lucian sigh and leaned back against his seat. "After work."

"Pardon?"

She turned back to him. "You can come by after work. We can't talk long. I have someplace to be, but I can spare a few." They both knew it would take longer than a few minutes, but she figured she could send a message to the opera house to let Erik know she'd be a little late.


Unlike the day before yesterday, she was busy at work. Lucian didn't stay long, only long enough to have a pastry, but he promised to come back before closing for their serious discussion. Because of the busyness of her day time seemed to slip by without notice and she didn't get a chance to send a note to the opera house for Erik. Lucian came back minutes before closing and dragged her for a walk in the park.

The sky was growing pink by the time they sat down at a bench. The ground had little patches of snow here and there from the first snow fall of the season. The cool air would explain why they were the only two in the park at that time, giving them the much needed privacy.

Lucian turned to her on the bench and took her glove covered hand. "I've missed you, sister. Our parents told me you ran because you weren't pleased with the man who offered for your hand. I know there must be more to the story. You wouldn't have ran for that reason alone. Tell me, Claudette, what made you run? Who was he? Father nor mother would tell me."

She gently pulled her hand out of his and sat up on the bench, gazing at the little pond by them. "You're right. There is more to the tale. Father told me he agreed to Monsieur L'Angley's offer."

"Luc L'Angley?" Lucian asked sounding alarmed. She nodded and heard him curse under his breath. "He is old enough to be our father." He leaned forward. "What did he do to you? Did he try to kill you, Claudette?"

She shook her head. "No, no, nothing like that. When Father told me I felt…very displeased with it, but I was obedient. I went along with it. Monsieur L'Angley was charming and devilishly handsome for a man of fifty and he is aging very well. I started to doubt the rumors about him. He was kind and very sweet. I fell for his charms, but then he tried to do something and he said something. I went to our parents, but he got to them first. They believed him over me." She turned to face him. "And you, Lucian, you weren't there. I had no one on my side. Despite what I said our father was still going to bind me to him. I couldn't do it. I couldn't let that happen. So, I ran."

He took her hand again. "I am so sorry I wasn't there. I didn't know. I swear to you, I didn't know. I didn't even know father was trying to marry you off until I got home and you weren't there. They didn't even tell me you ran away from home."

"They must have known you would have believed me."

"Over L'Angley? Any day, Claudette. Especially, L'Angley. Our grandmother always told us to stay away from that family. What was father thinking?" Their father's mother, for reasons unknown to them, had always warned them about the "insane" L'Angley family, as she would call them. Apparently, her son didn't listen to his late mother's warning. "Tell me, what did he do? What did he say?"

She shook her head. Not ready to tell him. Lucian could be reckless at times. She didn't know what he would do if he knew. Plus, she simply was not ready to talk about it, even though it happened three years ago. She never had to speak of it since then, since she tried to tell her parents.

"When you are ready, Claudette, tell me, please. It may be important."

"Important? How? It's over," she interrupted.

"I think L'Angley has been following me."

"What?!" She sat up in alarm. Her heart beating in her chest. She felt that fear grip her.

He tightened his hold on her hand. "Calm down. I haven't seen him since I got into Paris. I didn't think much of it. I never knew he was the one who offered for your hand. He would just appear out of nowhere while I was traveling. But he always looked busy when I see him. Talking to someone at a diner or reading the paper in the park. I never thought he was following. I just thought, at the time, that we just happen to be traveling to the same places, just a coincidence."

"There are no such thing as coincidences, Lucian," she snapped as her eyes flickered nervously around the park. "He must be following you to get to me. Oh, why? Why?" She shook her head. "Why? Why does he want me so much, Lucian? I don't understand. Why me?"

He pulled her to his chest and stroke the back of her head. "Shh, shh. I don't understand either." His chin rested on the top of her head.

She buried her head in his chest. "He scares me, Lucian. He scares me," she whispered. She found comfort in his arms. It was familiar to her. It was like she was fifteen again and stubbed her toe on the staircase. Lucian found her crying at the bottom of their staircase and held her just like this, waiting for the pain to go away. He did that every time she felt the need to cry. She lifted her head and gently pushed him away. She was no longer fifteen. She was no longer that girl. And it would take longer than five minutes for the pain to go away. "You have to stop calling me Claudette, Lucian. That isn't my name anymore. I am not that girl anymore. I'm Carlynda McBeth now. A bakery owner. Nothing more, nothing less."

Lucian sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Not calling you Claudette is like not calling you my sister, but you are my sister, you are. We may not have seen each other or spoken in three years, but that doesn't make you less my sister."

"And I'm glad for that, Lucian. Really I am. You have no idea how alone I've felt, but no one knows who I am. Too everyone I know, I'm Carlynda McBeth, bakery owner. I want to keep it that way. I don't want to explain to them. Please. Please call me Carlynda."

Lucian stared at her and she could almost see the little gears in his head working, thinking. He finally nodded. "Fine. For now, at least."

"Thank you," she breathed out. She leaned against his arm, her head on his shoulders. She closed her eyes. "You sure he's following you?" she whispered.

Lucian kissed her head and shook his head. "No. As I said, it didn't even occurred to me until you said he was the one to ask for your hand. Don't go flinching at shadows until I know for sure. Come." He nudge her head with his shoulder before stand. "Let's walk around before my butt freezes to the bench."

She let out a chuckle as she stood. "It's not that cold out, Lucian." She slipped her hand on his arm as they began walking down the path.

"Says the woman who wasn't just in Africa for a few months."

She gasped. "Africa? What were you doing in Africa?"

He shrugged. "Just seeing the sights. But, that's beside the point, compared to Africa, this is freezing."

"Where else have you traveled too?"

"Well, let's see. I've been to Greece…"

They walked, talking about trivial things, for almost an hour before he started to lead her back to his carriage. "It's getting late," her brother said. "Let me take you home."

She suddenly gasped and a hand flew to her month. "Oh no. It's late."

He nodded and looked at her like she was four years old. "Yees," he stretched the word out. "I did just say that." They reached the carriage and he opened the door for her.

"I'm late. I forgot to send the note. Take me to the opera house please. Quickly." She climbed into the carriage as he spoke to his driver.

He climbed in and sat across from her. "May I ask why am I dropping you off at the opera house?" He leaned forward. "For that matter, why were you there this morning?"

"If you must know, I happen to be close friends with the manager and," she stressed quickly before he could get all older brotherly on her, "I know Meg Giry, one of the dancers. I've lived with her and her mother almost as soon as I got to Paris." She really didn't want to get into a conversation about Erik just yet, if ever.

Lucian nodded, looking a little relieved. "I'm trying to become the patron of the opera house. Perhaps you could put a few good words in for your friend, the manager. How did you meet him anyways?"

She chuckled. "Maybe I will put in a few good words." She ignored his question. Instead, asked one of her own. "How did the meeting go? And why do you want to be the patron?"

He shook his head. "Fine, don't tell me. And what is this, an interview?" he asked with a grin. "The meeting went well, I believe. Though I got the feeling he didn't really like me."

"It isn't you personally, I'm sure. He just doesn't seem to like patrons."

Lucian rolled his eyes. "That's comforting," he said drily. "Anyway, I want to be the patron to do something productive with my life. I got tired of traveling and I decided to live at our family's manor in Paris. I like the theater. You know I do, so I decided to go for it. It's something to do with the loads of money I have."

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the opera house and Carlynda stepped out onto the street. Lucian stayed inside, but leaned out. "You'll be alright?"

She glanced at the darken structure and nodded. "Yes." She turned back to him. "You won't tell mother or father I'm here, will you?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, Cla…Carlynda. I'll see you…" He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, when I see you."

"If you become the patron, I'll see you often, brother." She smiled before walking up the steps to the theater. It wasn't until she was inside that her brother's carriage pulled away.


Oh no, she forgot to send a note to Erik.

"This could only end in tears." -okay, where's that quote from? Anyone?

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