As I sat on my bed I'm sure I muttered sufficent curses to make a sailor get pale. Charles was so different to me today,I was scared I'd done something to upset him until he came up to my room. It was a small room,pastel pink in color,with scores of music,sketches,and the poems Charles had wrote over the years covering the walls. I didn't admit it to myself,but I felt more for Charles than friendship.
When I heard my door open once more and soft footsteps coming into my room,I looked up to see Charles and turned my head to the side slowly,questioningly. He came over to my bed and took my hands in his...those nice.....soft warm...hands...and pulled me to my feet. "Listen,Pearl,"He whispered,his tone much more serious than normal as he held on to me still. "I'm....going to do something very special...and I don't want you to run away,do you understand?" I blinked at him,confused,but nodded. His arms,which I had never noticed how warm they were,wrapped slowly around my body and I moved backward against them,eyeing him warily. I knew he wouldn't hurt me,but I wished my stomach would drop back to where it should be!
He drew me to his chest and slid one of his hands from my back to my chin,where it tilted my head up so I could see into those deep blue eyes of his. I was suddenly amazed. I had never noticed how beautiful his eyes were,I could see shades of blue which I had not known existed! Just as I was about to open my mouth to comment,I felt the hand settle on the back of my head and pull me slightly upward and forward.
Our lips met in,first, a very gentle,innocent kiss,but deepened slowly as my arms found their way around his neck and his rested around my waist,clutching me against him. I had no idea what I was doing,but Charles,of course,knew this. No matter how passionate the kiss became,he was careful with me. It took me a moment to realize his fingers were lightly caressing my back,though it only took me a second after that to understand..Charles loved me.
After a very long time,he broke away from me and stared into my honey colored eyes,"Pearl Barye.." He half whispered in that soft,sweet voice of his. "I love you as much as life itself..please..." His voice dropped into an almost nervous whisper as he placed a hand on his pocket and pulled out a small gold locket on a thin,but sturdy,gold chain,"Be mine..?" I couldn't help but stare,open mouthed,at the locket. It would have had to cost a fortune. I couldn't believe he would spend that sort of money on me..
I moved just an inch close with a timid smile and nodded,"Yours and yours alone,Charles." He blinked at me then laughed as tears of either relief..or joy slipped down his cheeks and he stepped behind me to fasten the neck lace around my throat. A very small topaz was placed in the center of the heart shaped locket flickered. I hadn't noticed that,and I blinked softly. I'd never expected anyone to remember my birthstone,ever.
His arms slipped about my waist from behind as he pulled us both down to sit on my bed. His legs locked lightly beneath his arms around me. I leaned my head back onto his shoulder with a soft smile as he whispered,"You're wonderful Pearl,my love. You're perfect...in everyway possible..." Very light kisses moved over my neck slowly and I leaned toward him,wanting more,but blushing,I was a bit of a prude,after all.
My mind turned into a haze,so much that I have trouble remembering what was said. We must have "explored" in such a manner for at least an hour.
Then I saw Annette at my door with Jeanette,both staring at our cuddling on my bed,mouths hanging open. I began to whisper urgently to Charles,but Annette cut me off as she squawked out,"You get away from my boy,you ugly little harlot!" Charles seemed to wake up at the last word and glared at his mother,his voice dropping into that dangerous tone I had only heard him use once before. That time when he had saved me when I was five..
"How dare you call my beloved such a word mother.. Leave us alone and take HER with you!" As he spoke he moved,almost as if to shield me from the two of them and at his last sentence fragment,he jerked his head toward Jeanette. Apparently,Jeanette was lacking in yet another thing Charles and I hadn't noticed,her hearing. She walked straight to me,shoved me off my own bed and snuggled against MY Charles!
"Oh Charles,love,we were supposed to plan for the wedding today,remember?" She purred lovingly into his ear,loudly enough so I could hear it easily. In much the same manner as she had just done to me,he threw her off his lap and rushed down to check on me. "I'm....fine...Charles.." I whispered softly to him. "What does she mean 'wedding'?" Annette moved over to me with a very wide smile,"She means that Charles will be proposing to her very soon and that you,girl,will be out of the picture at last!" Charles stared at her then looked at me,"Pearl,I swear,I know nothing about this....I'm not marrying Jeanette...ever. I want to marry -you-..."
Annette fainted,Jeanette screeched and I blinked,mumbling,"Really...? Are you sure...? I mean..we're so young.." Charles chuckled,ignoring the hysterical Jeanette,"It wasn't a proposal yet,Pearl Only a statement....I do want to marry you someday soon." Annette was still out cold on the floor when I answered him. "Then propose to me 'someday soon' and maybe I will." I grinned at him and he instantly returned it. He pulled us back up to the bed and leaned in to kiss me once more when I found myself slamming against my dresser. "Jeanette!" Charles bellowed in rage. "Get the hell away from her!" He shoved her to the side as he dropped won to check on me. She'd tackled me from his lap,and unfortunatly,I hit on my left side and as I sat up my arm gave a faint pop that sent agonizing pain from my fingertips to my shoulder. Charles turned white and picked me up as gently as he could manage,"Shh Pearl,it's alright my love...you'll be okay." He whispered in my ear as a tear or two ran down my cheek.
Jeanette seemed to have noticed Madame Lipote on the floor and had begun trying to wake her. Charles carried me to Father's examining room and laid me gently on the table,sighed,and held my right hand as I tried to be quiet about the horrendous pain still shooting through my arm. Melinda happened to come into the room ten minutes later or so,just as Charles was getting up to go find Etienne. He rapidly explained what had happened,from our first kiss,to his intensions of marrying me,to the incident in my room. My stepmother nodded and rushed out to find my father.
I was beginning to pass out from the pain,as I had before when I hurt my arm,when Father hurried in,his eyes blazing. Just before my own eyes slid shut,I heard Father snarl at poor Charles,who only told him it'd been Jeanette who hurt me.
****
I suddenly found myself at the house in Boscherville,9 years old once more,walking beside my father's wheelchair and still unhappy I couldn't bring Charles or my cello along. We arrived in the middle of the night when Madame Perrault wouldn't be there. Etienne gently kncoked on the door as I fidgeted around,sighing. I didn't want to be here,I wanted to be with Charles. The moment Madeleine opened the door,her eyes fell on me and she stared in silence for a long moment. "Pearl..?"She asked uncertainly. I looked straight into her eyes,smirking coldly,"Yes,Madame." As I answered her suddenly her hand hit my icy skin,knocking me off balance and forcing me to grab Father's chair to keep from falling.
"I don't like your tone,daughter. You'll call me 'mother' while you're here...whether you want to or not." She stated,rather not nicely. Father said nothing,he saw through her plans of getting rid of us so easily. "I will not lie,Madame!" I sobbed as I held my cheek and glared at her. "Hmph.." She hovered over me then whispered into my ear venomously,"You're as cold as your brother,and just as ugly,Pearl. You know,you are around the age he fled at. Just so I could have you as my next disappointment.." That did it alright. I screeched a note so terribly high I'm sure the glass of the windows shook and lunged at her. She flung me off,inside the house,right into a cabinet. Sketches and sheets of music showered me,Madeleine looked completely horrified. I reached out and picked up a sketch,turning the paper slowly over in my hands before I saw the four letters at the bottom,E-r-i-k. "This was my brother's..?" I whispered,looking up at Madeleine curiously. She glared at Father,who didn't seem bothered by it,and nodded,"Yes...they were his. You're never allowed in there,do you understand me?"
As she spoke,she dropped her hands and knees and began to pick up the papers as quickly as she cook. I shook my head slowly,"I want to see.." I whispered. "You want to see...you want to see,do you? Then by God you -shall- see!" She screamed at me,grabbed my tiny arm and dragged me off. "Madeleine!" Father yelled at from the bottom of the stairs she dragged me up. "I swear to God if you hurt her..." She ignored him and pulled me to a door with a bolt at the bottom and the top of it. She whipped open the room and the dust nearly choked me.
There was no light since the window had been boarded up but I could see a crib and what I thought was a dresser. I was shoved inside,and then locked in. I couldn't see an inch in front of my eyes and I repeatedly ran into things. Finally I gave up and curled up in a ball on the floor,shaking. "There..." Madeleine panted outside my door,leaning against it. "You want to see...you'll see....this was His room....you'll see..."
A very long time passed in the dream-memory,I knew I'd been in the dark a long time,but not this long! When light came into the room,I remembered realizing the wood was being sawed from the window and a man around sixty was staring in at me. "Come on,child,"He said in a soft voice. "I'll help you out of there,dear girl." I walked over to the window and saw my father on the ground,looking up at me worriedly. The man grabbed me but not tightly enough and I fell...and fell....and fell....
****
There was a weak throb in my arm as I came around in my room. I groaned softly adn tried to move it,but found it was in a cast. "Pearl,you're awake.."came a relieved voice from just a few feet right of my bed. "Charles..?" I mumbled weakly. "But I was in Boscherville...." "No...no.."He whispered as he walked over to take my uninjured arm's hand. "You've been here in Paris the whole time,Love." I sighed and tried to protest but he put a hand over my mouth,"Shh. Go back to sleep. It's midnight if not past,my father's been waiting for hours." Removing the offending,he leaned down and pecked my cheek ever so softly,whispering,"Good night." I nodded softl as he turned to leave,"Goodnight.." I turned over and fell back to sleep almost instantly.
When I awoke the next morning,instead of going to get breakfast as I normally did,I went to find my father. "Papa?"I called throughout the house curiously,where on earth could he be? I finally found my answer in the form of a note on the kitchen table. It said simply that Melinda had fainted and for some odd reason or other,Etienne didn't feel he could correctly judge what it was that had caused it. Well,if they could leave a note and run off,I certainly could.
I composed a two short letters,first one to Charles,then to my father and my step mother,telling both I was headed to visit Madeleine and that I would be home in no more than a week. I re-read both notes for any flaw,found none that I could see,took a little money from the savings I had gained from a few commissioned sketches and paints,and began to pack. I made sure to bring sufficent enough things in case I had to rent a room,after all,I was almost certain that Madeleine and I couldn't exist in the same house without killing one another.
When I was ready to go,I walked down to find a carriage to take me to Boscherville. Unfortunatly,I was to find out,my prescence was as welcomed in the outside world as much as Madeleine had said Erik's was....
A/n: ^_^ well you guys wanted longer,this is one of the biggest chapters so far. Pleaseeee review!
When I heard my door open once more and soft footsteps coming into my room,I looked up to see Charles and turned my head to the side slowly,questioningly. He came over to my bed and took my hands in his...those nice.....soft warm...hands...and pulled me to my feet. "Listen,Pearl,"He whispered,his tone much more serious than normal as he held on to me still. "I'm....going to do something very special...and I don't want you to run away,do you understand?" I blinked at him,confused,but nodded. His arms,which I had never noticed how warm they were,wrapped slowly around my body and I moved backward against them,eyeing him warily. I knew he wouldn't hurt me,but I wished my stomach would drop back to where it should be!
He drew me to his chest and slid one of his hands from my back to my chin,where it tilted my head up so I could see into those deep blue eyes of his. I was suddenly amazed. I had never noticed how beautiful his eyes were,I could see shades of blue which I had not known existed! Just as I was about to open my mouth to comment,I felt the hand settle on the back of my head and pull me slightly upward and forward.
Our lips met in,first, a very gentle,innocent kiss,but deepened slowly as my arms found their way around his neck and his rested around my waist,clutching me against him. I had no idea what I was doing,but Charles,of course,knew this. No matter how passionate the kiss became,he was careful with me. It took me a moment to realize his fingers were lightly caressing my back,though it only took me a second after that to understand..Charles loved me.
After a very long time,he broke away from me and stared into my honey colored eyes,"Pearl Barye.." He half whispered in that soft,sweet voice of his. "I love you as much as life itself..please..." His voice dropped into an almost nervous whisper as he placed a hand on his pocket and pulled out a small gold locket on a thin,but sturdy,gold chain,"Be mine..?" I couldn't help but stare,open mouthed,at the locket. It would have had to cost a fortune. I couldn't believe he would spend that sort of money on me..
I moved just an inch close with a timid smile and nodded,"Yours and yours alone,Charles." He blinked at me then laughed as tears of either relief..or joy slipped down his cheeks and he stepped behind me to fasten the neck lace around my throat. A very small topaz was placed in the center of the heart shaped locket flickered. I hadn't noticed that,and I blinked softly. I'd never expected anyone to remember my birthstone,ever.
His arms slipped about my waist from behind as he pulled us both down to sit on my bed. His legs locked lightly beneath his arms around me. I leaned my head back onto his shoulder with a soft smile as he whispered,"You're wonderful Pearl,my love. You're perfect...in everyway possible..." Very light kisses moved over my neck slowly and I leaned toward him,wanting more,but blushing,I was a bit of a prude,after all.
My mind turned into a haze,so much that I have trouble remembering what was said. We must have "explored" in such a manner for at least an hour.
Then I saw Annette at my door with Jeanette,both staring at our cuddling on my bed,mouths hanging open. I began to whisper urgently to Charles,but Annette cut me off as she squawked out,"You get away from my boy,you ugly little harlot!" Charles seemed to wake up at the last word and glared at his mother,his voice dropping into that dangerous tone I had only heard him use once before. That time when he had saved me when I was five..
"How dare you call my beloved such a word mother.. Leave us alone and take HER with you!" As he spoke he moved,almost as if to shield me from the two of them and at his last sentence fragment,he jerked his head toward Jeanette. Apparently,Jeanette was lacking in yet another thing Charles and I hadn't noticed,her hearing. She walked straight to me,shoved me off my own bed and snuggled against MY Charles!
"Oh Charles,love,we were supposed to plan for the wedding today,remember?" She purred lovingly into his ear,loudly enough so I could hear it easily. In much the same manner as she had just done to me,he threw her off his lap and rushed down to check on me. "I'm....fine...Charles.." I whispered softly to him. "What does she mean 'wedding'?" Annette moved over to me with a very wide smile,"She means that Charles will be proposing to her very soon and that you,girl,will be out of the picture at last!" Charles stared at her then looked at me,"Pearl,I swear,I know nothing about this....I'm not marrying Jeanette...ever. I want to marry -you-..."
Annette fainted,Jeanette screeched and I blinked,mumbling,"Really...? Are you sure...? I mean..we're so young.." Charles chuckled,ignoring the hysterical Jeanette,"It wasn't a proposal yet,Pearl Only a statement....I do want to marry you someday soon." Annette was still out cold on the floor when I answered him. "Then propose to me 'someday soon' and maybe I will." I grinned at him and he instantly returned it. He pulled us back up to the bed and leaned in to kiss me once more when I found myself slamming against my dresser. "Jeanette!" Charles bellowed in rage. "Get the hell away from her!" He shoved her to the side as he dropped won to check on me. She'd tackled me from his lap,and unfortunatly,I hit on my left side and as I sat up my arm gave a faint pop that sent agonizing pain from my fingertips to my shoulder. Charles turned white and picked me up as gently as he could manage,"Shh Pearl,it's alright my love...you'll be okay." He whispered in my ear as a tear or two ran down my cheek.
Jeanette seemed to have noticed Madame Lipote on the floor and had begun trying to wake her. Charles carried me to Father's examining room and laid me gently on the table,sighed,and held my right hand as I tried to be quiet about the horrendous pain still shooting through my arm. Melinda happened to come into the room ten minutes later or so,just as Charles was getting up to go find Etienne. He rapidly explained what had happened,from our first kiss,to his intensions of marrying me,to the incident in my room. My stepmother nodded and rushed out to find my father.
I was beginning to pass out from the pain,as I had before when I hurt my arm,when Father hurried in,his eyes blazing. Just before my own eyes slid shut,I heard Father snarl at poor Charles,who only told him it'd been Jeanette who hurt me.
****
I suddenly found myself at the house in Boscherville,9 years old once more,walking beside my father's wheelchair and still unhappy I couldn't bring Charles or my cello along. We arrived in the middle of the night when Madame Perrault wouldn't be there. Etienne gently kncoked on the door as I fidgeted around,sighing. I didn't want to be here,I wanted to be with Charles. The moment Madeleine opened the door,her eyes fell on me and she stared in silence for a long moment. "Pearl..?"She asked uncertainly. I looked straight into her eyes,smirking coldly,"Yes,Madame." As I answered her suddenly her hand hit my icy skin,knocking me off balance and forcing me to grab Father's chair to keep from falling.
"I don't like your tone,daughter. You'll call me 'mother' while you're here...whether you want to or not." She stated,rather not nicely. Father said nothing,he saw through her plans of getting rid of us so easily. "I will not lie,Madame!" I sobbed as I held my cheek and glared at her. "Hmph.." She hovered over me then whispered into my ear venomously,"You're as cold as your brother,and just as ugly,Pearl. You know,you are around the age he fled at. Just so I could have you as my next disappointment.." That did it alright. I screeched a note so terribly high I'm sure the glass of the windows shook and lunged at her. She flung me off,inside the house,right into a cabinet. Sketches and sheets of music showered me,Madeleine looked completely horrified. I reached out and picked up a sketch,turning the paper slowly over in my hands before I saw the four letters at the bottom,E-r-i-k. "This was my brother's..?" I whispered,looking up at Madeleine curiously. She glared at Father,who didn't seem bothered by it,and nodded,"Yes...they were his. You're never allowed in there,do you understand me?"
As she spoke,she dropped her hands and knees and began to pick up the papers as quickly as she cook. I shook my head slowly,"I want to see.." I whispered. "You want to see...you want to see,do you? Then by God you -shall- see!" She screamed at me,grabbed my tiny arm and dragged me off. "Madeleine!" Father yelled at from the bottom of the stairs she dragged me up. "I swear to God if you hurt her..." She ignored him and pulled me to a door with a bolt at the bottom and the top of it. She whipped open the room and the dust nearly choked me.
There was no light since the window had been boarded up but I could see a crib and what I thought was a dresser. I was shoved inside,and then locked in. I couldn't see an inch in front of my eyes and I repeatedly ran into things. Finally I gave up and curled up in a ball on the floor,shaking. "There..." Madeleine panted outside my door,leaning against it. "You want to see...you'll see....this was His room....you'll see..."
A very long time passed in the dream-memory,I knew I'd been in the dark a long time,but not this long! When light came into the room,I remembered realizing the wood was being sawed from the window and a man around sixty was staring in at me. "Come on,child,"He said in a soft voice. "I'll help you out of there,dear girl." I walked over to the window and saw my father on the ground,looking up at me worriedly. The man grabbed me but not tightly enough and I fell...and fell....and fell....
****
There was a weak throb in my arm as I came around in my room. I groaned softly adn tried to move it,but found it was in a cast. "Pearl,you're awake.."came a relieved voice from just a few feet right of my bed. "Charles..?" I mumbled weakly. "But I was in Boscherville...." "No...no.."He whispered as he walked over to take my uninjured arm's hand. "You've been here in Paris the whole time,Love." I sighed and tried to protest but he put a hand over my mouth,"Shh. Go back to sleep. It's midnight if not past,my father's been waiting for hours." Removing the offending,he leaned down and pecked my cheek ever so softly,whispering,"Good night." I nodded softl as he turned to leave,"Goodnight.." I turned over and fell back to sleep almost instantly.
When I awoke the next morning,instead of going to get breakfast as I normally did,I went to find my father. "Papa?"I called throughout the house curiously,where on earth could he be? I finally found my answer in the form of a note on the kitchen table. It said simply that Melinda had fainted and for some odd reason or other,Etienne didn't feel he could correctly judge what it was that had caused it. Well,if they could leave a note and run off,I certainly could.
I composed a two short letters,first one to Charles,then to my father and my step mother,telling both I was headed to visit Madeleine and that I would be home in no more than a week. I re-read both notes for any flaw,found none that I could see,took a little money from the savings I had gained from a few commissioned sketches and paints,and began to pack. I made sure to bring sufficent enough things in case I had to rent a room,after all,I was almost certain that Madeleine and I couldn't exist in the same house without killing one another.
When I was ready to go,I walked down to find a carriage to take me to Boscherville. Unfortunatly,I was to find out,my prescence was as welcomed in the outside world as much as Madeleine had said Erik's was....
A/n: ^_^ well you guys wanted longer,this is one of the biggest chapters so far. Pleaseeee review!