Chapter Seven
Christian weighed the letter in his hands, feeling the heavy parchment inside that his father insisted to use. He drew in a long nervous breath, the anxiety almost palpable in the air, feeling his heart flutter in agreeably in his chest. If his father hadn't sent them any money, if he had denied his help, then Satine would…his reverie was shattered by Satine's voice.
"Go on Christian, open it.' She said, the questions going through his mind undoubtedly scrawling through hers, her hands folded tersely in her lap and stared fixedly at the letter in apparent apprehension. Christian sighed and turned the envelope over to its blank backside, sliding his finger under the flap and hearing the paper tare loudly in the silent room. He slid the coarse paper out, opened its crisp three way fold, and read out:
Christian,
I received your letter just yesterday, and was disappointed to have found out that you have married. Undoubtedly to some whore whom you met in Montmarte, and have convinced yourself that you are in love with. Though I disapprove of your matrimony, I am in no situation to deny my only son financial aid. Therefore, as it does not seem that your need is immediate, I simply ask that yourself and your wife accompany your mother and I to a social dinner at 8:00 on Sunday evening, at the Golden Water mansion on 32 street. I trust that that time is convenient for yourself, and after I have witnessed yourself with your wife, I shall consider the circumstances of which I shall grant you money.
Father
Satine looked at Christian questioningly. "Just a dinner? I was expecting much worse." Christian however, was holding his head in one of his hands, the paper having floated gently down to the wooden floor.
"Not so bad?" Christian repeated with a hollow laugh. " Darling, he wants to meet you." He said, his voice laden heavily with dread. Satine still looked puzzled, and she perused the letter one more time before tilting her head quizzically back up. "Satine, he hates you, he thinks you're the most despicable creature in the underworld." Realization overflowed Satine's eyes as she nodded understandably.
"And if he doesn't approve of me he'll never give us money for my medicine." She stated blandly, absently turning over the envelope over in her hands.
"Oh darling, I'll get the money some way, don't worry." He said, moving closer to her and wrapping a comforting arm around her waist. Satine bit her lip, her eyes clouding over.
"This is all my fault Christian" she blurted out suddenly, the vehemence in her voice startling.
"What?"
" This, all this." She said, her head bowed slightly, her red waves curtaining her features. "Everything. If you hadn't ever met me, all this pain, all this uncertainty, all this suffering, would never have existed. The duke, my being sick, the worry of being caught, the wounds caused by jealousy, hopelessness, defeat, betrayal…" she trailed off, her breath catching in her throat. "Sometimes I think to myself that it would have been better for you if we had never seen each other that night of the Moulin Rouge, or if I had died on the stage of Spectacular Spectacular." She finished quietly. Christian frowned, his eyes widening as Satine completed her outburst.
"No Satine!" he said, his intensity matching her own. "NEVER think that, darling. My life is so wonderful now that you're in my world. When I thought that you had died it was…horrible. I didn't want to go on living. I honestly don't know what I would have done. No matter what happens to us Satine, all that really matters is that I love you. Nothing will EVER change that." He said firmly, hugging her closer to him, her body so solid, so warm in his arms.
"How could you say that when I'm to blame for everything horrible in our lives?" she asked tearfully, but this time her voice was laced with doubt.
"I could say that when you're the cause of everything good in my life Satine. I longed to be in love, but never did I dare to hope that t could be as incredible as I feel now. You're my everything." Satine smiled through her sadness, once again marveling how someone like Christian could ever love her, a whore.
"I love you too Christian." She whispered, happiness bubbling through that swiftly overtook the depression. He grinned.
" Now Satine, I'm afraid you're going to have to pretend to be somebody else. Just for one night. You're a great actress." The words were harmless, but for some reason they sent a chill darting up her spine, a strange premonition of ill fate. Her grip on Christian's arm tightened, and he hoped that whatever future event she felt would never come to pass.
**Author's Note** I FINALLY POSTED IT!!! A big weight off my chest. I hope you liked it, like I said, have faith! What does Satine's horrible feeling mean? Will she and Christian's love end in death? FIND OUT SOON!!! (Soon this time, I swear!)
Christian weighed the letter in his hands, feeling the heavy parchment inside that his father insisted to use. He drew in a long nervous breath, the anxiety almost palpable in the air, feeling his heart flutter in agreeably in his chest. If his father hadn't sent them any money, if he had denied his help, then Satine would…his reverie was shattered by Satine's voice.
"Go on Christian, open it.' She said, the questions going through his mind undoubtedly scrawling through hers, her hands folded tersely in her lap and stared fixedly at the letter in apparent apprehension. Christian sighed and turned the envelope over to its blank backside, sliding his finger under the flap and hearing the paper tare loudly in the silent room. He slid the coarse paper out, opened its crisp three way fold, and read out:
Christian,
I received your letter just yesterday, and was disappointed to have found out that you have married. Undoubtedly to some whore whom you met in Montmarte, and have convinced yourself that you are in love with. Though I disapprove of your matrimony, I am in no situation to deny my only son financial aid. Therefore, as it does not seem that your need is immediate, I simply ask that yourself and your wife accompany your mother and I to a social dinner at 8:00 on Sunday evening, at the Golden Water mansion on 32 street. I trust that that time is convenient for yourself, and after I have witnessed yourself with your wife, I shall consider the circumstances of which I shall grant you money.
Father
Satine looked at Christian questioningly. "Just a dinner? I was expecting much worse." Christian however, was holding his head in one of his hands, the paper having floated gently down to the wooden floor.
"Not so bad?" Christian repeated with a hollow laugh. " Darling, he wants to meet you." He said, his voice laden heavily with dread. Satine still looked puzzled, and she perused the letter one more time before tilting her head quizzically back up. "Satine, he hates you, he thinks you're the most despicable creature in the underworld." Realization overflowed Satine's eyes as she nodded understandably.
"And if he doesn't approve of me he'll never give us money for my medicine." She stated blandly, absently turning over the envelope over in her hands.
"Oh darling, I'll get the money some way, don't worry." He said, moving closer to her and wrapping a comforting arm around her waist. Satine bit her lip, her eyes clouding over.
"This is all my fault Christian" she blurted out suddenly, the vehemence in her voice startling.
"What?"
" This, all this." She said, her head bowed slightly, her red waves curtaining her features. "Everything. If you hadn't ever met me, all this pain, all this uncertainty, all this suffering, would never have existed. The duke, my being sick, the worry of being caught, the wounds caused by jealousy, hopelessness, defeat, betrayal…" she trailed off, her breath catching in her throat. "Sometimes I think to myself that it would have been better for you if we had never seen each other that night of the Moulin Rouge, or if I had died on the stage of Spectacular Spectacular." She finished quietly. Christian frowned, his eyes widening as Satine completed her outburst.
"No Satine!" he said, his intensity matching her own. "NEVER think that, darling. My life is so wonderful now that you're in my world. When I thought that you had died it was…horrible. I didn't want to go on living. I honestly don't know what I would have done. No matter what happens to us Satine, all that really matters is that I love you. Nothing will EVER change that." He said firmly, hugging her closer to him, her body so solid, so warm in his arms.
"How could you say that when I'm to blame for everything horrible in our lives?" she asked tearfully, but this time her voice was laced with doubt.
"I could say that when you're the cause of everything good in my life Satine. I longed to be in love, but never did I dare to hope that t could be as incredible as I feel now. You're my everything." Satine smiled through her sadness, once again marveling how someone like Christian could ever love her, a whore.
"I love you too Christian." She whispered, happiness bubbling through that swiftly overtook the depression. He grinned.
" Now Satine, I'm afraid you're going to have to pretend to be somebody else. Just for one night. You're a great actress." The words were harmless, but for some reason they sent a chill darting up her spine, a strange premonition of ill fate. Her grip on Christian's arm tightened, and he hoped that whatever future event she felt would never come to pass.
**Author's Note** I FINALLY POSTED IT!!! A big weight off my chest. I hope you liked it, like I said, have faith! What does Satine's horrible feeling mean? Will she and Christian's love end in death? FIND OUT SOON!!! (Soon this time, I swear!)