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Guardian Angel
Erik felt the earth stop turning. "Your... sister?" he said in a choked voice.
"Half-shister, actually." Raoul didn't seem to notice his companion's discomfort. "You shee," he continued drunkenly, "Her mother was my father'sh mistress. Don't shee how he got her to be that. Didn't sheem the type if you ashk me. Anyway, she ended up marrying a duke."
"Michelle did?" Erik was still trying to absorb all of this.
"No. No. Michelle'sh mother married a duke. Lord Winshter-Lord Winster- Winterbrook." Raoul sat up, looking pleased that he had accomplished saying such a hard word.
Erik, on the other hand, was anything but pleased. "Excuse me. I must go." Erik strode out of the room, his anger growing with every step. Behind him, he heard Raoul saying, "You aren't mad at her, are you? Don't be mad. She was going to tell you."
Erik stormed into the ballroom. Every head within twenty feet turned to him. He glared right back until they all nervously turned away. Erik scanned the room for Michelle. Not seeing her, he began to stalk around the room. He was detained when an arm caught his. "There you are, darling," one of the women that had been buzzing around earlier purred. Before she could make any discreetly vulgar suggestions, Erik yanked his arm away and continued in his search, ignoring the angry screeches that followed.
"Erik! I'm over here." He turned to the voice and saw the object of his fury coming toward him. "You certainly walk fast," she said breathlessly when she reached him. "I've been trying to catch you since you walked in. Meg was unusually closed- mouthed-"
"Get your cloak," Erik growled. "We're going."
He turned and started walking back to the hall. Michelle had to run to keep up with him. "Erik," she said. "It's only nine o' clock. The real party won't even begin until at least midnight." She laughed until she noticed that he wasn't in a laughing mood. "Erik, what's wrong?" By this time they were in the dressing room, and Michelle had her cloak fastened around her neck. Erik had the mirror opened and had one foot through the opening. Michelle grabbed his arm. "Erik. What is wrong?"
He sneered at her, broke free of her grasp, and disappeared into the inky blackness. Michelle hurried inside, lifting her skirts and following the sounds of Erik's footsteps. She was finally able to catch the end of his cape, and so followed him through the labyrinth of secret passageways. There was no gently leading arm or softly cautious gentleman to lead her now.
*Why is he so angry?* she thought despairingly. *Have I done something wrong?*
When they finally reached the house, Erik yanked is cape from her hands. *So he noticed,* she thought distantly. He turned away, presumably to go to his bedroom, but stopped when Michelle asked, "What is wrong?" He didn't turn around; he just stopped.
Michelle continued hurriedly. "Erik, are you mad at me? Have I done something wrong? Is it because I made you talk to Raoul? I know you don't like him, but if he said something that upset you-"
Erik's bark of laughter held no humor. "Oh, yes. He certainly said something, your ladyship." He turned and saw the shock on her face. "How did you know?" she whispered.
"Your dearly devoted brother told me," he sneered.
"Raoul?"
"Oh, I apologize," he said mockingly. "HALF-brother. Your mother was his father's whore, yes?"
Fury flashed through the hurt in her eyes. "Don't you ever call my mother that," she snarled fiercely.
Erik sniffed. "I don't even know your mother, so perhaps I shouldn't judge." He smiled cruelly. "You, on the other hand, I do know. Or thought I did. You must have had fun playing the peasant."
Michelle felt tears burning her eyes. "I was going to tell you," she said in a choked voice.
Erik laughed without humor again. "When? Right before you left?"
"Tonight," she said softly, praying she wouldn't cry in front of him. "Right before...before the mistletoe."
"Ah, yes. The mistletoe." He chuckled callously. "I must say, you'd have made a fine actress. I actually believed you enjoyed that kiss." Erik glowered at her, the anger burning his eyes camouflaging the pain and hurt of betrayal that twisted his gut.
Michelle felt as though he had slapped her. The tears that had threatened now came pouring out. Angry at her weakness, for letting Erik see how much h could hurt her, she struck out at him. "Just because one woman hurt you, you can't trust anyone!" she yelled. "If you don't want people to hate you for your face, maybe you should try looking a little deeper yourself." Covering her face with her hands, Michelle ran past Erik into her room and slammed the door. Leaning against the wall, she let her tears flow freely. The memory of the things he had said threatened to steal all her strength, so she threw herself across her bed before she could crumble into a heap and buried her head in a pillow allowing the sobs to wrack her body. She finally realized something she should have grasped before. She loved Erik. People had said much worse thing to and about her and it had never hurt. But it hurt this time, because she loved Erik. And he might never love her back.
Guardian Angel
Erik felt the earth stop turning. "Your... sister?" he said in a choked voice.
"Half-shister, actually." Raoul didn't seem to notice his companion's discomfort. "You shee," he continued drunkenly, "Her mother was my father'sh mistress. Don't shee how he got her to be that. Didn't sheem the type if you ashk me. Anyway, she ended up marrying a duke."
"Michelle did?" Erik was still trying to absorb all of this.
"No. No. Michelle'sh mother married a duke. Lord Winshter-Lord Winster- Winterbrook." Raoul sat up, looking pleased that he had accomplished saying such a hard word.
Erik, on the other hand, was anything but pleased. "Excuse me. I must go." Erik strode out of the room, his anger growing with every step. Behind him, he heard Raoul saying, "You aren't mad at her, are you? Don't be mad. She was going to tell you."
Erik stormed into the ballroom. Every head within twenty feet turned to him. He glared right back until they all nervously turned away. Erik scanned the room for Michelle. Not seeing her, he began to stalk around the room. He was detained when an arm caught his. "There you are, darling," one of the women that had been buzzing around earlier purred. Before she could make any discreetly vulgar suggestions, Erik yanked his arm away and continued in his search, ignoring the angry screeches that followed.
"Erik! I'm over here." He turned to the voice and saw the object of his fury coming toward him. "You certainly walk fast," she said breathlessly when she reached him. "I've been trying to catch you since you walked in. Meg was unusually closed- mouthed-"
"Get your cloak," Erik growled. "We're going."
He turned and started walking back to the hall. Michelle had to run to keep up with him. "Erik," she said. "It's only nine o' clock. The real party won't even begin until at least midnight." She laughed until she noticed that he wasn't in a laughing mood. "Erik, what's wrong?" By this time they were in the dressing room, and Michelle had her cloak fastened around her neck. Erik had the mirror opened and had one foot through the opening. Michelle grabbed his arm. "Erik. What is wrong?"
He sneered at her, broke free of her grasp, and disappeared into the inky blackness. Michelle hurried inside, lifting her skirts and following the sounds of Erik's footsteps. She was finally able to catch the end of his cape, and so followed him through the labyrinth of secret passageways. There was no gently leading arm or softly cautious gentleman to lead her now.
*Why is he so angry?* she thought despairingly. *Have I done something wrong?*
When they finally reached the house, Erik yanked is cape from her hands. *So he noticed,* she thought distantly. He turned away, presumably to go to his bedroom, but stopped when Michelle asked, "What is wrong?" He didn't turn around; he just stopped.
Michelle continued hurriedly. "Erik, are you mad at me? Have I done something wrong? Is it because I made you talk to Raoul? I know you don't like him, but if he said something that upset you-"
Erik's bark of laughter held no humor. "Oh, yes. He certainly said something, your ladyship." He turned and saw the shock on her face. "How did you know?" she whispered.
"Your dearly devoted brother told me," he sneered.
"Raoul?"
"Oh, I apologize," he said mockingly. "HALF-brother. Your mother was his father's whore, yes?"
Fury flashed through the hurt in her eyes. "Don't you ever call my mother that," she snarled fiercely.
Erik sniffed. "I don't even know your mother, so perhaps I shouldn't judge." He smiled cruelly. "You, on the other hand, I do know. Or thought I did. You must have had fun playing the peasant."
Michelle felt tears burning her eyes. "I was going to tell you," she said in a choked voice.
Erik laughed without humor again. "When? Right before you left?"
"Tonight," she said softly, praying she wouldn't cry in front of him. "Right before...before the mistletoe."
"Ah, yes. The mistletoe." He chuckled callously. "I must say, you'd have made a fine actress. I actually believed you enjoyed that kiss." Erik glowered at her, the anger burning his eyes camouflaging the pain and hurt of betrayal that twisted his gut.
Michelle felt as though he had slapped her. The tears that had threatened now came pouring out. Angry at her weakness, for letting Erik see how much h could hurt her, she struck out at him. "Just because one woman hurt you, you can't trust anyone!" she yelled. "If you don't want people to hate you for your face, maybe you should try looking a little deeper yourself." Covering her face with her hands, Michelle ran past Erik into her room and slammed the door. Leaning against the wall, she let her tears flow freely. The memory of the things he had said threatened to steal all her strength, so she threw herself across her bed before she could crumble into a heap and buried her head in a pillow allowing the sobs to wrack her body. She finally realized something she should have grasped before. She loved Erik. People had said much worse thing to and about her and it had never hurt. But it hurt this time, because she loved Erik. And he might never love her back.
