Tonight she got to meet The Duke. It was not exciting or thrilling,
and after seeing the man she felt repulsed by him. Oh well, she had
promised after all. Zidler stayed behind at the Moulin to tell everyone
else the news. Pearl had left to go to her room, and to get dressed. Marie
had left quite a wardrobe for her to choose from.
"Pearl. Pearl?" Christian's voice floated through a small crack in his partly open door. She could see one of his eyes peeking inquisitively at her, a small smile on his face.
"How'd it go?" He asked gently. The Duke was not his favorite person, and any excuse to hate the man more was good by him. As she started to speak, he widened the crack in his door so she could come in.
"Thanks." Pearl replied to his silent offer. Walking into his room, she glanced nervously around. Knowing very well that he did not often let people in his room, she tried to memorize as much of it as possible. Flopping onto a big couch, she started into the story.
At some point, Christian came over and sat next to her with a glass of absinthe in his hand. Pearl never stopped her talking until the ending when she was aware Christian was staring wide-eyed at her. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she thought she could see it in his eyes. Apprehension. Fear.
"What?" She finally managed to ask as he stared mutely at her. Christian blushed and looked down.
"Nothing.the plan sounds." He just trailed off and left Pearl to fill in the blank. He meant to say great, but he couldn't bring himself to.
"Familiar." He finally choked out, a wave of memories hitting him hard. Vision blurring from the tears that appeared in his eyes, Christian managed to brace himself for all of Pearls questions. First she echoed what he'd said, and he figured then would be good to tell her about everything.
"Satine was a dancer at the Moulin Rouge. THE dancer. Everyone adored her, but by chance we met one night. At first I thought she was strange. Beautiful, but she was very strange. And then I was singing, and she was dancing with me.and you could see it in her eyes that it was new to her. Love was not a concept she knew, and I gave it to her. And that bastard duke!" Christian suddenly stopped short as he watched Pearls eyes shoot up.
"Sorry. The Duke, him, the evil one you met, demanded she was to be his by contract. Our love made him jealous and the idiot; he tried to.hurt Satine. Of course it didn't matter because she died anyway." Christian added bitterly, forgetting the point he was trying to make.
"Anyway, you're not in love, so you won't have anything to be feeling guilty about. And I don't think he would do such a thing again. Pearl, Pearl, what's wrong?" Christian asked as he noticed tears in her eyes.
"Christian. I think I love Toulouse." Pearl admitted softly and blushed deeply as she watched Christian's eyes light up.
Christian's head began to spin (not literally, of course) at these words. Toulouse was loved! He needed to tell him right away! But then he realized he couldn't. The Duke had ruined it again! If he told Toulouse, Pearl would feel badly. She might accidentally slip in her performance and suffer Satine's fate. But if he didn't tell Toulouse he was breaking his rule.
But then again.his breaking of the rule would get his darling back her Moulin Rouge. And he wanted that for Satine. He wanted it for himself. Toulouse and Pearl's dilemma would have to wait.
Pearl saw Christian was deep in thought, and left to get dressed for her upcoming night with the man who would save the Moulin Rouge and the Boho's who needed it. Toulouse's excitement at getting back his precious theater made her giddy, and she didn't even mind the dress Marie left her.
Dark blue satin, with red windmills embedded along the edges. Very nice, she thought to herself sarcastically. Some dark blue shoes and make- up that she didn't know how to apply lay on top of the dress.
Minutes later she was ready when a light tapping at the door announced Toulouse's arrival. Pearl's heart jumped and she wondered if Christian had told him. Or if he said she had something to tell him. Or if Toulouse's ability to see people better than they could see themselves had been in effect.
She had to tell him. She knew it was love. The man was not amazingly handsome, but every other quality was what she wanted. And he knew her better than anyone had her whole life. He has this quality around him, and she was sure this was love. Everything was better when he was around, anyway, so it couldn't hurt.
A black top hat peeked in and Pearl rushed forward to hug Toulouse
"Toulouse, I love you!" She announced, when she realized she had hugged The Argentinean's legs. He gaped down at her, and she gaped up at him as Nini gaped at the two of them from the hall. A gapefest, Pearl managed to think as she slowly backed away.
"What's this I hear about me?" An adorable lisping voice asked from the hall. Pearl felt her skin redden as Nini and The Argentinean relayed her message for him. Toulouse then came stumbling wide-eyed into the room. Pearl closed her eyes and dove at the little dwarf, hugging him tight.
"Toulouse! I love you!"
"Pearl. Pearl?" Christian's voice floated through a small crack in his partly open door. She could see one of his eyes peeking inquisitively at her, a small smile on his face.
"How'd it go?" He asked gently. The Duke was not his favorite person, and any excuse to hate the man more was good by him. As she started to speak, he widened the crack in his door so she could come in.
"Thanks." Pearl replied to his silent offer. Walking into his room, she glanced nervously around. Knowing very well that he did not often let people in his room, she tried to memorize as much of it as possible. Flopping onto a big couch, she started into the story.
At some point, Christian came over and sat next to her with a glass of absinthe in his hand. Pearl never stopped her talking until the ending when she was aware Christian was staring wide-eyed at her. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she thought she could see it in his eyes. Apprehension. Fear.
"What?" She finally managed to ask as he stared mutely at her. Christian blushed and looked down.
"Nothing.the plan sounds." He just trailed off and left Pearl to fill in the blank. He meant to say great, but he couldn't bring himself to.
"Familiar." He finally choked out, a wave of memories hitting him hard. Vision blurring from the tears that appeared in his eyes, Christian managed to brace himself for all of Pearls questions. First she echoed what he'd said, and he figured then would be good to tell her about everything.
"Satine was a dancer at the Moulin Rouge. THE dancer. Everyone adored her, but by chance we met one night. At first I thought she was strange. Beautiful, but she was very strange. And then I was singing, and she was dancing with me.and you could see it in her eyes that it was new to her. Love was not a concept she knew, and I gave it to her. And that bastard duke!" Christian suddenly stopped short as he watched Pearls eyes shoot up.
"Sorry. The Duke, him, the evil one you met, demanded she was to be his by contract. Our love made him jealous and the idiot; he tried to.hurt Satine. Of course it didn't matter because she died anyway." Christian added bitterly, forgetting the point he was trying to make.
"Anyway, you're not in love, so you won't have anything to be feeling guilty about. And I don't think he would do such a thing again. Pearl, Pearl, what's wrong?" Christian asked as he noticed tears in her eyes.
"Christian. I think I love Toulouse." Pearl admitted softly and blushed deeply as she watched Christian's eyes light up.
Christian's head began to spin (not literally, of course) at these words. Toulouse was loved! He needed to tell him right away! But then he realized he couldn't. The Duke had ruined it again! If he told Toulouse, Pearl would feel badly. She might accidentally slip in her performance and suffer Satine's fate. But if he didn't tell Toulouse he was breaking his rule.
But then again.his breaking of the rule would get his darling back her Moulin Rouge. And he wanted that for Satine. He wanted it for himself. Toulouse and Pearl's dilemma would have to wait.
Pearl saw Christian was deep in thought, and left to get dressed for her upcoming night with the man who would save the Moulin Rouge and the Boho's who needed it. Toulouse's excitement at getting back his precious theater made her giddy, and she didn't even mind the dress Marie left her.
Dark blue satin, with red windmills embedded along the edges. Very nice, she thought to herself sarcastically. Some dark blue shoes and make- up that she didn't know how to apply lay on top of the dress.
Minutes later she was ready when a light tapping at the door announced Toulouse's arrival. Pearl's heart jumped and she wondered if Christian had told him. Or if he said she had something to tell him. Or if Toulouse's ability to see people better than they could see themselves had been in effect.
She had to tell him. She knew it was love. The man was not amazingly handsome, but every other quality was what she wanted. And he knew her better than anyone had her whole life. He has this quality around him, and she was sure this was love. Everything was better when he was around, anyway, so it couldn't hurt.
A black top hat peeked in and Pearl rushed forward to hug Toulouse
"Toulouse, I love you!" She announced, when she realized she had hugged The Argentinean's legs. He gaped down at her, and she gaped up at him as Nini gaped at the two of them from the hall. A gapefest, Pearl managed to think as she slowly backed away.
"What's this I hear about me?" An adorable lisping voice asked from the hall. Pearl felt her skin redden as Nini and The Argentinean relayed her message for him. Toulouse then came stumbling wide-eyed into the room. Pearl closed her eyes and dove at the little dwarf, hugging him tight.
"Toulouse! I love you!"