Chapter 12

The sound of a grunt beside her woke her the next morning. That was followed quickly by the creaking of wood. Her head was pounding. She groaned and opened her eyes. Her brother was trying to sleep rather uncomfortably on a wooden chair by her bed. His hair was sticking up all over and his robes were winkled. There were dark circles under his eyes. It didn't look like he got much sleep last night.

Last night…

Flashes of last night returned to her and she sat up quickly in bed, jolting her brother awake.

"Claudette, you're awake!"

She turned to face her brother again. "Wha…" She coughed. Her mouth was still dry. She rubbed her aching head. The movement hadn't helped its pounding.

"Here."

Lucian handed over a cup of water that was sitting on her nightstand. She gratefully took several large gulps down until her mouth felt hydrated. She tried speaking again with much better success. "Wha…what happened last night?"

Her brother leaned forward and sighed. "Apparently, the maid, Margot, worked for L'Angley." Her eyes widened. "She reported everything she observed to him and let two of his hired men into the house in attempt to kidnap you. The tea she gave you was drugged with some sleeping mixture."

"How…how did she know I would be awake?"

"Pardon?"

"She already had the tea in hand when I opened my door to her. How did she know?"

"The first night you were here, she noticed you didn't sleep well. She walked pass your door a few times and heard you tossing and turning before going to bed herself. She did the same last night, waiting for a sign that you were awake."

"Which she got when she saw my light coming from the cracks of the door."

Lucian nodded. "I heard a crash and came rushing in. Margot didn't put up too much of a fight. She was blackmailed into doing it. Something about her daughter not belonging to her husband."

Her eyes widened. "Oh."

"Yes. Quite the tale she has. Anyway, it took me and several footmen to tackle the two puppets of L'Angley. They are currently in prison. I'm sure he isn't happy that his plan failed."

"I knew it." She knew she should have gone to the opera house last night. Despite her brother's concerns, she knew Erik would keep her safe. She knew she would have better luck at staying safe at the opera house. For goodness sake, Erik slept right next to her, his bedroom was hidden in the back of his office, and Erik barely slept three hours a night. She would have had more protection there than she ever had at her brother's manor. She knew this. She knew, but she had to indulge her brother. Erik may be one man with no footmen, but that was why he didn't need footmen. He could be dangerous by himself.

She hugged herself and glanced around the room. Nothing looked out of place. They did well with the cleanup, but the atmosphere had changed. No longer did she feel any safety there. She felt chilled despite the flames in the fireplace. Monsieur L'Angley breached those walls, tearing down any protection she would have felt there.

"Knew what?"

She ignored the question and said, "I am not safe here, Lucian. He found a way to get to me here. I must return to the opera house. I know you aren't comfortable with my safety in someone else's hands, but I am safe with him. I trust Erik. That will need to be enough for you. I've lived this long on my own. You don't need to be the one to protect me."

He seemed to perk up at her tone. His eyes narrowed. "It sounds like I have no choice."

"You don't, Lucian. You don't know him like I do."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on her mattress. "But he doesn't know, Claudette. How can he protect you when he doesn't know he needs to?"

She glanced down at her blanket covered lap. "He does know something is wrong ever since the first night I slept here. He just doesn't know what or who or why."

He raised his brow. "Claudette, you've have to start trusting others. If he is going to protect you, he is going to need to know. If I'm going to trust you in his hands, I need to know that he knows. He needs to be prepared."

Her mouth flew open and her breath got caught in her throat for a second. "I trust him!" she finally gasped out.

"You trust him with your body. You trust him with your life, but you don't trust him with yourself. Do you trust anyone with your heart anymore?" His eyes lit up like he just realized something. He sat up slightly, his mouth pulled down into a frown. "What happened to you?"

How did one respond to that question? What could she say?

She said nothing.


By the end of the day, Carlynda decided that she wouldn't tell Erik what happened last night. If he knew, he wouldn't stop asking for answers and she really wasn't ready to talk about it to him or anyone really. So, when she entered his office after six in the evening, she tried her best to keep a carefree smile on her face, readying herself to tell Erik about redecorating her brother's home. She did managed to redecorate one room, his parlor. Her brother was now waiting on several orders of armchairs, rugs, and curtains for the room.

Erik's head was bent over some papers. The lamp at the corner of his desk was dimly lit. It gave enough light for him to read, but not enough to give her any details of him. She could tell, though, that he had dark hair sleeked back away from his face. He set the papers on the desk and turned off the lamp before glancing up at her. He stood to greet her. "How did you sleep last night, Carlynda?" he asked after he led her to her chair.

She hesitated. "Well, I did get some sleep. So, I suppose you could say I slept well. What about you, Erik? Did you sleep well?"

"I didn't get a lot of sleep, but that is not all that unusual."

She nodded. She wanted to ask why he didn't show up last night, but didn't know how without making her sound desperate or disappointed or clingy. She didn't know how to ask.

"How did the redecorating go?" He leaned back in his chair.

"It went well. I managed to redo his parlor. My parents had horrible tastes. The parlor was all mismatched and very distracting to the eye, and not in a good way. Of course, my tastes weren't all that better. The first room I should have done is my old bedchambers. Maybe next time, if there is a next time. I'm not planning on having a next time, of course, but something needs to be done with all that pink, white, and lace."

"Pink?" She should hear the disbelief in his voice. He may have seen her old room before, but it was dark, making seeing colors rather difficult. "I didn't realize you have a fondness for pink." There was a touch of hidden humor in his tone.

She glared at him, frustrated that he wouldn't be able to see it in the dark. "I don't. Not anymore, at least. But I was quite the girl when I was younger. Everything was very dainty and princess-like."

"Innocent, bright, and pure." Erik muttered the four words wistfully.

She paused and nodded solemnly. "Yes, nothing like how I am now."

"You still seem bright to me, a light in my rather dark world."

She felt her face heat up at the compliment. She didn't know if she was embarrassed or flattered. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

There was a knock on the door. Carlynda eyes narrowed in confusion and fear. No one had ever knocked on his door this late. They've never been interrupted before. L'Angley didn't follow her there, did he? "Were you expecting someone?"

"Not this soon. Why don't you wait for me in the bedroom?"

She nodded gratefully. If it was L'Angley, the less he knew about her and Erik the better.


Erik's body was tense. It was too soon for Jules to receive word back from his informant. Much too soon. Last night, instead of going to Carlynda, he decided to take this chance to find all he could on the Bellamont family. He couldn't find much on Carlynda, but he did find plenty on Lucian Bellamont. Her brother was a moral standing bachelor, he traveled consistently, was known to be a little reckless when he was younger, and his family was very old and wealthy. Information that didn't help him discover who was after Carlynda. After discovering the Bellamont's place of birth, he sent out word for more information. But, as he said before, it was much too soon for Jules to hear back from the informant.

He waited until he heard the bedroom door click shut before pulling the lever to unlock the door. "Enter," he announced as he sat down at his desk.

The door open and Jules entered, leaving the door open behind him. He was holding tightly to the rim of his hat. His eyes shifted around nervously. "Erik, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Count Bellamont is here to speak to you."

"Is he now? Tell him to come back at a more reasonable hour." It wasn't all that late, only after six thirty, but he usually closed his office to visitors at six in eager anticipation to Carlynda's arrival.

"I told him, but he is most persistent. He says it concerns his sister."

Erik froze before slowly leaning back in his chair. He stared at Jules thoughtfully. "Bring him in." He knew if they kept their voice at normal speaking level and not raise them, Carlynda would not be able to hear anything through the closed door. Erik just hoped she would keep it closed. He felt that she would not be happy about the conversation that was about to happen between him and her brother. And he really hoped her brother didn't come to talk about his relationship with Carlynda. Nothing the man said could stop him from seeing her.

Jules left and Count Bellamont entered seconds later. Jules closed the door behind the count, leaving only the two of them in the room. "What about your sister do you wish to speak to me about, Count Bellamont?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Bellamont eyes searched the room. "Where is my sister, M. Geroux?"

"I suppose she is getting ready for bed." Erik watched with mild enjoyment as Bellamont's jaw tightened and his hands gripped his cane until they were white. So Carlynda did tell her brother. He was curious if she did. He would have loved to see Bellamont's reaction to hearing that.

"May I sit, monsieur?"

"If you could find the chair, then be my guest."

Bellamont month thinned. "Then I'll stand," he said in almost a growl.

The count's frustration was noted, but Erik didn't care. His lips twitched in amusement, but did his best to sound indifferent. "If you wish. How may I help you then? You said this was about your sister."

"Yes. What I say, I hope, would stay between us. She might not like the fact that I'm here."

"Consider it done," he said without hesitation. If it had anything to do with her safety and protection, Erik was all too willing to go with anything Bellamont said.

"I'm not going to break her trust and tell you everything. I just want you to be aware that there is danger. I would very much prefer her to stay with me, but she is…well, very adamant in her wish to come here."

The man sighed and his tone shifted, sounding more firm. "Listen, Monsieur Geroux, I don't know you. I don't know if I can trust you to keep her safe. She tells me you can, but I don't know that. So I'm asking you. Can I trust you with my sister?"

Erik hesitated. He wanted to say yes. He knew he would never hurt her, that he would protect her, but how could he tell her brother to trust him? After what he done in the past, how could anyone trust him? He suppose the most important question was, what other choice was there?

He leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk. "I am not going to allow anyone to harm her, count. Not even myself." Never. "Her safety and happiness is my main concern. Now, tell me, who is after her and why?"

"Forgive me, but how can I know your word to be true. Why don't you come out of the shadow and allow me to look you in the eye? A man can sweeten his voice to say the most convincing of lies, but he can't hide the look of deceit in his eyes."

"I didn't realize you were so poetic, monsieur. You're going to have to trust me."

"How can I?" he snapped, his eyes narrowed in anger. "How can I trust a man of the shadows?"

"Maybe that is why you can trust me."

"What do you mean?"

"I am more dangerous in the shadows. Darkness is an old friend of mine. I can better protect her here, in the shadows, watching unnoticed by others. What better way to find an adversary, then catching them unawares? I would keep her safe in the environment that has kept me safe all these years. She will not come to harm while she is under my watch. Now, tell me, who it is?" he repeated in a low, dangerous tone.

Bellamont's body seemed to relax at his unspoken vow to keep her safe. "His name is Luc L'Angley. His late father was a duke. Why he doesn't have that title no one seems to know. Just watch out for him. He's dangerous. Our grandmother warned us many times to stay away from his family, but our father didn't listen to her. Now, he is after my sister."

"Know thy enemy, but you aren't giving me anything but his name. Who is he, Count Bellamont? What did he do to her?"

He shook his head. "Just watch out for him."

More tightly, he repeated his question. "What did he do to her?"

"I don't know!" Bellamont finally snapped. He took a few deep breaths. "I don't know," he said again with a force calmness. "She won't tell me. All she told me was that he didn't take her virtue, but I don't know if I should believe that or not. Just…just watch out for him, for my sister's sake."

Erik didn't like not knowing how this L'Angley hurt Carlynda, but he was forced to admit her brother didn't know either. He was not going to get much else from him, he was sure. "I'll keep my eyes open."

The man sighed in relief. "Thank you. I'll see myself out." He left the office.

Erik sat there in thought for a long while. Mentally going through everything Bellamont told him and ways to keep Carlynda safe. She must not go back to her bakery. He couldn't protect her there, but he didn't know how to keep her from there without locking her up. He couldn't lock her up. He did something like that before, with Christine. He would not become that man again. The Phantom of the Opera was gone, but if not that, then how?

He shook his head and went to his bedchambers. Carlynda was sitting up in bed, brushing her long, soft dark hair. He loved her hair down, free and wild. There was an intimacy in seeing her hair unbound and in the process of getting brushed. It was a very marriage type of act, and he would like nothing more than to be married to her. She was nibbling on her lower lips as she stared into the darkness. She stopped and glanced in his direction when the door opened.

"Who was it?" she asked, anxiously.

"Pardon?" He closed the door behind him and began the process of taking off his clothes.

"At the door. Who knocked?"

He sat at the vanity's chair to take off his shoes. "It was just Jules."

"Oh." And with that 'oh', her body seemed to relax in relief. She went back to brushing her hair as he shrugged out of his waistcoat. "Is everything alright? It must have been important."

"What someone sees as important, may seem insignificant to another."

She let out a chuckle. "So, it wasn't all that important?"

"I didn't say that."

Pause. "So it was important?"

"What is your definition of important?" He took off his shirt.

"Erik," she complained. "You're sending me in circles."

He chuckled. "It's not something you should be worried about, my dear. It actually didn't have anything to do with the opera house."

"Oh, I see." He heard a cling as she set her brush down on the nightstand.

"What do you see?"

"Since it didn't have anything to do with the opera house, you are frustrated that he bothered you because you don't see that it was important."

He stood up to take off his trousers. He smiled in amusement. "If that is what you wish to believe."

She groaned and flopped down onto her pillow. Her hair he had been admiring flared out around her. So much for her brushing, he thought with a grin. "If you don't wish to tell me, then don't."

"I told you, Jules didn't really have anything to say." Technically, he was being truthful.

He walked to the other side of the bed and climbed in. He settled down on the pillows before pulling her towards him. She snuggled into his embrace, her back against his chest. "Too tired?" she asked.

He shook his head. "You are. You didn't get enough rest last night." He lifted his head to kiss her temple as she held his hand against her chest. "Sleep, my dear." Their legs automatically tangled together under the blankets.

He waited to hear her breathing rate slightly decrease and become regular indicating a deep sleep before snaking his arm out from under her to take off his mask. From the direction they were facing, he was laying uncomfortably on his porcelain mask. He set his mask down at the nightstand on his side of the bed without disturbing her too much before placing his arm back under her. He hugged her to him. It was times like this that he could very easily imagine they were married, when he felt content just lying there holding her. For some reason, this seemed more intimate than their usual nightly activities.

It was a few hours later that he allowed his body to surrender to the touch of sleep.


The next morning a familiar scene took place. Carlynda's head over a bucket and Erik holding her hair back and patting a cool cloth across her damp forehead. She took the offered glass of water once she was done and swished it around in her mouth and spat it out until it was empty.

Erik took the cup back. "This is the second time in a matter of days."

"It was just something I ate," she said hoarsely.

He leaned forward and set the glass on her nightstand. "I barely believed that was the case the first time, Carlynda. Don't try to blame it on that this time."

"What else could it be?"

"I don't know, but until we figure this out, you aren't going to work."

She sighed at his overprotectiveness. "I'm already feeling better, Erik. I am going to work, for at least a few hours. I don't need to be there all day anymore."

"No."

Carlynda sat up and took his hand. "Erik, we've talked about this. You can't order me around. I am not someone you own. I am not an employee. I am your friend."

"It's not about controlling you, Carlynda. It's about your health. Are you not concern that you've been sick randomly only for a short period of time, twice in a matter of days? It's winter now, my dear. The air is bitter, the streets slippery. Let's not risk this illness getting worst by sending you out there." He stood up, bent over, and picked up the bucket. "Rest. I'll check on you throughout the day." He disappeared into the washroom to clean the bucket.

She laid back down and watched his shadow dance on the only wall of the washrooms she could see. The door was only partially closed, so she couldn't see anything, but the wall.

It was winter, the season of sickness. People get sick the most during this season. It could be the reason she was sick, right? Influenza was a common illness during this time. She knew very, very few things about that ailment. People puked and many people die. Her heart started pounding in her chest as she considered this. What if that was what she had?

Erik returned the bucket to her side of the bed. Before he could straighten back up, she grabbed his wrist. "Erik, can I have influenza?"

He immediately knelt to the ground beside her bed and grabbed her hands. "No, no, you don't have the symptoms for that."

"But…"

"You don't have a fever, muscle aches, cough, congestion, or exhaustion. Despite common beliefs, influenza doesn't cause you to regurgitate your stomach. You aren't going to die. Whatever you have, it doesn't seem life threatening. You may have gastroenteritis, but I don't think that is the case. You don't have diarrhea, cramps, or a fever." He touched her forehead, as if to re-confirm the lack of a warm head. "You're not dehydrated either. Gastroenteritis, as far as I know, doesn't cause death. It's a common misconception. Lately, people are calling the common stomach bug the flu and it's not." He brushed back a strain of hair from her face, his fingers lightly touching her skin, but it was still enough to send thrilling shivers down her spin. "You rest. That's all we can do at this moment." He stood back up. "The bucket is there in case you should need it."

Carlynda nodded. She didn't think she would need it, but she was touched by his thoughtfulness anyway.

Erik left the room, leaving her to her own thoughts. Since it was still early, she tried to get back to sleep. For a few hours, she was in and out, half in a daze. She was only faintly aware of the few times Erik came in to check on her, a brush of his hand on her cheek or forehead, a tune being hummed.

She finally got up around nine, her mind fogged by either lack of sleep or too much sleep, but a warm bath and a fresh change of clothes helped her feel refreshed. She didn't end up needing the bucket again, as she suspected. Eventually, she left the office to see Meg, despite Erik's protest.

She found Meg in her dorm room, packing a bag. Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she slowly walked over. "Meg? What are you doing?" She wasn't leaving the opera house, was she? Erik wouldn't do that.

The young blonde glanced up and gave her a big grinned that eased her worry. "Carlynda! I thought you'd be at work. Didn't you hear?" Meg bounced excitedly. It reminded Carlynda of a child at Christmas time. "I was finally, officially made the prima ballerina! I get my own dressing room and everything now! I'm moving into my new room now."

Carlynda mouth flew open and she let out an excited chuckle. "Meg, that is wonderful! I'm so happy for you. It's about time. Here, let me help you." She picked up one of the full bags.

"Thank you." Meg tied the strings of her other beg and lead Carlynda to the door. "I know. I mean, I understand why I didn't get the position right away. Monsieur Geroux had to test me again, to see if I was still up for the spot and there were others he was looking at. He wants the very best to be prima ballerina. And…," she stressed, nudging Carlynda with her arm, "…he was occupied with other activities."

"Why is it that every conversation I have with you seems to lead to mine and Erik's nightly arrangement?"

"Because I find it so romantic," Meg answered, stopping at a set of double doors. "My new room." She opened it and they entered.

"Oh my, it's grand," Carlynda said, turning around to get a whole view of the beautifully decorated room. The walls were a light shade of blue, the top of the wallpaper had a dark blue vine design going all the way around. The bedspread was made of a soft cloth, softer then the dormitories bedding, and the quilt was a navy blue and the sheet was a sky blue. The pillows were white and fluffy. One of the far walls, in the corner, stood a large golden-rimmed mirror and a bar for Meg to practice her dancing with. There was a nice large, golden vanity, a door to a washroom, two large armoires (one for her every day clothes and another for costumes and dancing uniforms), a beautiful white four-panel dressing screen with light blue flower design all over it, and a light blue tufted settee with golden rims.

"It's not as big and grand as the prima donna, but it really does look beautiful and it suits me well." Meg dropped her bag at the foot of the bed. "I love the blue."

"Yes, it is very lovely. It's like it was made for you." Carlynda followed Meg's example and set the bag she carried next to the other one. "And what Erik and I have is hardly romantic," she said, getting right back to their earlier conversation.

Meg sat on the settee and Carlynda joined her. "Come on, Carlynda, don't think me a fool. I could see how much you are in love with him."

Carlynda shook her head, trying to ignore her heart skipping a beat and her face heating up. She let out a nervous sounding chuckle. "I am not in love with Erik Geroux. I love him as I would love a friend, but I am not in love with him. You have get your head out of the clouds. It's a silly notion."

"Is it?"

The caused her to pause. Was it silly? Of course it was. Carlynda had never seen Erik face to face before. They both were keeping secrets from each other. It was silly. "Yes," she said, but she could feel her voice shaking as if uncertain.

Meg eyed her. "I say the lady protests too much." She stood up. "Anyway, now that I have moved. I have get back to rehearsals. I'll see you later."

Carlynda got up and bid Meg a goodbye before returning to her room…err, Erik's room. She was glad to see Erik wasn't in his office when she walked through it to get to the bedchambers.

She stood by the window and glanced out into the streets. People were walking to and fro, carriages rattled across, horse's neighing, but she wasn't seeing any of it. Her focus was on her conversation with Meg.

Silly it was. She couldn't be in love with Erik. How could someone love a man she had never seen before? She knew nothing about his past, where he came from, who his parents were. But did that even matter? Did one love physical appearance? Did one love what he did in the past?

She laid a hand over her heart. It was pounding wildly in her chest because she knew the answers to those question. It didn't matter what Erik looked like. His background didn't matter. She knew him. She knew he was protective, kind, short-tempered. She knew he would never willingly hurt her. He was her best friend, the one person she knew she could trust. He didn't judge her for her past mistakes. He accepted her, all of her, when he agreed to take her into his bed. He treated her like his equal, discussing things no man would usually talk about with a woman. He was a prefect gentlemen, who didn't bend his beliefs to fit society's norms. He was protective and cared for everyone in his opera house. He could be stern and strict, but that was because he believed those around him could do better. He pushed his employees, but he wasn't unkind. He wanted the best. He…

"Oh my." She turned and leaned her back against the cool glass of the window. Her thoughts had turned from denying she could love Erik to listing the reasons why she…"Oh my," she repeated.

Carlynda slid to the floor in a daze. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't love him. She groaned and laid her forehead on her knees. What would Erik say if he found out? He couldn't. He couldn't know. He couldn't ever find out. The humiliation would be too great. They were just friends and he didn't see her anything more than a friend to comfort him on the coldest of nights. That was their arrangement, just to be there for each other, help each other sleep without nightmares, comfort one another. Nothing about love. Oh, this was a disaster. What if he break her heart? The last man she thought she could love turned out to be insane. This could not be happening.

No matter what she said, no matter the reason it just couldn't be, it didn't change the fact that she was unquestionably in love with Erik Geroux.


Finally updated. A lot of you expected or hoped Erik would save the day. Too bad he was too busy trying to dig up as much as he could on his lady love! She finally figured out that she is in L-O-V-E.

Please Review.