Chapter Nine
Golden Water mansion was huge. A gigantic, intricately designed iron gate, rising to almost the roof top of the house, with two equally big marble columns flanking them took up most of the field of vision. The columns were adorned with twin majestic bronze eagle statues, opening up invitingly to a large garden lit enticingly with tiny lights embedded in the foliage, giving the greenery an angelic, fairy like quality. Satine gasped, clutching Christian's arm tightly, thinking that this house undoubtedly was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. They walked into the garden where the other guests were mingling happily, waving around crystal goblets glimmering gold with champagne. Satine immediately came into her element. Her "Sparkling Diamond" social smile shimmered fixedly on her face, as she laughed and giggled appropriately as the case desired. Christian himself nodded along detachedly, talking enthusiastically to perfect strangers not the thing he enjoyed most. But it obviously made Satine happy, so he just shrugged and went along. Then the front door to the mansion opened, and the guests filed in slowly, shaking hands with the host who waited at the door as etiquette required. Christian and Satine followed, Satine still engrossed in a conversation about Parisian fashions with another woman and her husband about she and Christian's age. Christian frowned, looking at the door, trying to catch a glimpse of the host. He thought he saw…his heart leapt practically into his throat, hearing a high nasal voice cut through the air.
"Ah, yes my dear, so glad you could come…" Christian's eyes widened, yanking Satine's arm frantically.
"Christian," she started with a frown, but he pointed towards the direction of the doorway wordlessly. She exhaled sharply, turning back to his face.
"Come on Satine, we have to get out of here." He hissed to her, turning around and trying to maneuver the two of them through the thick crowd of people. But he was stopped short as he almost walked right into his parents.
"Christian." Said his father in his usual gruff, sandpaper voice. He was short, a full three inches below Christian, dressed stiffly in a heavily starched suit. His mother was a small, thin woman, with chocolate brown hair pulled firmly into a French twist, her gloved hand resting lightly on her husbands forearm.
"Father, we have to go." Whispered Christian vehemently, eyeing the doorway with obvious misgiving.
"Nonsense Christian." Chimed in his mother, in a frail, tinkling voice that reminded Satine strongly for some reason of broken glass.
"Mother, you don't understand…" said Christian, but by that time they had already reached the door.
"So nice to see you again-" started the duke, extending a hand, before freezing as he caught Satine and Christian's faces, and spitting out angrily "You."
"So you've already met?" asked Christian's mother pleasantly. The duke nodded, looking as if he was about to throw up or explode in anger, Christian couldn't decide which. He and Satine slunk quickly into the dining room, trying to get as far away as possible from the duke.
"What are we going to do?" asked Satine, looking at the entrance to the dining room anxiously.
"I don't know….we have to just act like everything's normal, all right? Everything will be fine." Satine nodded as the last of the people came in, and the pair took their seats at the table. The duke sat at the head, and stared, seething, at Christian and Satine for a moment before turning back to the other guests. Then, in perfect unison, six servants, three at one side of the table and three on the other, presented the piping hot trays of food. Everyone greedily began to help themselves, but Christian and Satine picked unenthusiastically at the meal, swirling the food nervously around with their forks. The duke looked at the two of them, overcome with burning jealousy and anger, fingering the gun in his waistcoat pocket he habitually kept there. *Satine is MINE!* he ranted internally, *Not that idiotic WRITER'S! I paid for, I OWN HER!!* His upper lip pulled unconsciously back in a sneer. *And I will make her mine.*
**Author's Note** So, how did you like it? I finally got this chapter out in a half way decent amount of time! YAY! What will the duke do? Will he succeed in whatever evil plan he has? Stay tuned!!
Golden Water mansion was huge. A gigantic, intricately designed iron gate, rising to almost the roof top of the house, with two equally big marble columns flanking them took up most of the field of vision. The columns were adorned with twin majestic bronze eagle statues, opening up invitingly to a large garden lit enticingly with tiny lights embedded in the foliage, giving the greenery an angelic, fairy like quality. Satine gasped, clutching Christian's arm tightly, thinking that this house undoubtedly was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. They walked into the garden where the other guests were mingling happily, waving around crystal goblets glimmering gold with champagne. Satine immediately came into her element. Her "Sparkling Diamond" social smile shimmered fixedly on her face, as she laughed and giggled appropriately as the case desired. Christian himself nodded along detachedly, talking enthusiastically to perfect strangers not the thing he enjoyed most. But it obviously made Satine happy, so he just shrugged and went along. Then the front door to the mansion opened, and the guests filed in slowly, shaking hands with the host who waited at the door as etiquette required. Christian and Satine followed, Satine still engrossed in a conversation about Parisian fashions with another woman and her husband about she and Christian's age. Christian frowned, looking at the door, trying to catch a glimpse of the host. He thought he saw…his heart leapt practically into his throat, hearing a high nasal voice cut through the air.
"Ah, yes my dear, so glad you could come…" Christian's eyes widened, yanking Satine's arm frantically.
"Christian," she started with a frown, but he pointed towards the direction of the doorway wordlessly. She exhaled sharply, turning back to his face.
"Come on Satine, we have to get out of here." He hissed to her, turning around and trying to maneuver the two of them through the thick crowd of people. But he was stopped short as he almost walked right into his parents.
"Christian." Said his father in his usual gruff, sandpaper voice. He was short, a full three inches below Christian, dressed stiffly in a heavily starched suit. His mother was a small, thin woman, with chocolate brown hair pulled firmly into a French twist, her gloved hand resting lightly on her husbands forearm.
"Father, we have to go." Whispered Christian vehemently, eyeing the doorway with obvious misgiving.
"Nonsense Christian." Chimed in his mother, in a frail, tinkling voice that reminded Satine strongly for some reason of broken glass.
"Mother, you don't understand…" said Christian, but by that time they had already reached the door.
"So nice to see you again-" started the duke, extending a hand, before freezing as he caught Satine and Christian's faces, and spitting out angrily "You."
"So you've already met?" asked Christian's mother pleasantly. The duke nodded, looking as if he was about to throw up or explode in anger, Christian couldn't decide which. He and Satine slunk quickly into the dining room, trying to get as far away as possible from the duke.
"What are we going to do?" asked Satine, looking at the entrance to the dining room anxiously.
"I don't know….we have to just act like everything's normal, all right? Everything will be fine." Satine nodded as the last of the people came in, and the pair took their seats at the table. The duke sat at the head, and stared, seething, at Christian and Satine for a moment before turning back to the other guests. Then, in perfect unison, six servants, three at one side of the table and three on the other, presented the piping hot trays of food. Everyone greedily began to help themselves, but Christian and Satine picked unenthusiastically at the meal, swirling the food nervously around with their forks. The duke looked at the two of them, overcome with burning jealousy and anger, fingering the gun in his waistcoat pocket he habitually kept there. *Satine is MINE!* he ranted internally, *Not that idiotic WRITER'S! I paid for, I OWN HER!!* His upper lip pulled unconsciously back in a sneer. *And I will make her mine.*
**Author's Note** So, how did you like it? I finally got this chapter out in a half way decent amount of time! YAY! What will the duke do? Will he succeed in whatever evil plan he has? Stay tuned!!