As we rode, I kept glancing over at Christine every few minutes. She
was staring out the window of the cab and I could tell she was thinking.
Her hand rested on the seat next to her and I covered it gently with mine.
"What troubles you my love?" I asked quietly. She looked down at our hands
and then up at my face. She was smiling yet I could see tears glistening on
her cheeks. "Christine." I whispered and wiped away the tears. "What is
it?"
She sighed. "It's just that...oh, Erik, I love you, and I always will, but am I doing the right thing? Leaving Raoul I mean. Is it the right thing for me to do?" she asked. I stared at her unable to speak. "Oh, Erik!" she sobbed and buried her face in her hands.
Finally finding my voice, I instructed the driver to stop. "Christine, I told you, do what you think is best for you. You know I would always take care of you, but if you think that being with me is not best for you...don't force yourself. I understand," I lifted her head up, "and I love you...now and forever." I kissed her on the forehead and she hugged me tightly. "Shall I take you back to your Patron?" I asked.
She nodded slowly. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, take me back."
I nodded and told the driver to go back. Back in my seat I sat stiffly, torn between pride for doing the right thing, and heartache for I was losing her again. "I hope you will be happy," I said quietly.
"Erik, I'm sorry," she told me.
"Don't be," I replied. "I want you to be happy. That's all that matters to me."
She leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I will be Erik. I'll be happy for you," she said.
I looked at her and smiled through my tears. "Good, I'm glad," I stated.
We arrived back at the chapel and I escorted Christine back inside. Many of the guests were still there and Raoul was deep in conversation with a few of the men. "I can't believe her, I mean-"he was saying.
I cleared my throat to cut him off. "Monsieur, you bride is here," I told him.
He turned in disbelief. "Christine?" She nodded. "Are you going to stay this time?" he asked bitterly.
"Oh, yes, Raoul," she answered and kissed him deeply. He smiled then glared at me.
"And what about him?" he questioned.
"I was invited to a wedding and I intend to see a wedding this time," I replied honestly.
"How can I trust you?"
"You have my word as a gentleman."
"You are not a gentleman."
"Then I suppose you can't trust me," I stated. "However, I would be willing to make you a deal that you will most likely not want to pass up."
"What sort of deal?" he inquired.
I pulled him off to a corner. "If I interfere in any way with the wedding this time, you may turn me over to the authorities and I will go without a struggle. If I should go back on that promise I expect you would simply tell them where I live and that will be that." I put out my hand. "Do we have a deal?"
He looked at me suspiciously then shook my hand. "We have a deal," he replied.
"Good," he started to walk away, "but I will know if you do not take care of her to the best of your ability and I will come for you. You can count on that," I vowed. He nodded and the wedding was announced to begin, again, in ten minutes.
She sighed. "It's just that...oh, Erik, I love you, and I always will, but am I doing the right thing? Leaving Raoul I mean. Is it the right thing for me to do?" she asked. I stared at her unable to speak. "Oh, Erik!" she sobbed and buried her face in her hands.
Finally finding my voice, I instructed the driver to stop. "Christine, I told you, do what you think is best for you. You know I would always take care of you, but if you think that being with me is not best for you...don't force yourself. I understand," I lifted her head up, "and I love you...now and forever." I kissed her on the forehead and she hugged me tightly. "Shall I take you back to your Patron?" I asked.
She nodded slowly. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, take me back."
I nodded and told the driver to go back. Back in my seat I sat stiffly, torn between pride for doing the right thing, and heartache for I was losing her again. "I hope you will be happy," I said quietly.
"Erik, I'm sorry," she told me.
"Don't be," I replied. "I want you to be happy. That's all that matters to me."
She leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I will be Erik. I'll be happy for you," she said.
I looked at her and smiled through my tears. "Good, I'm glad," I stated.
We arrived back at the chapel and I escorted Christine back inside. Many of the guests were still there and Raoul was deep in conversation with a few of the men. "I can't believe her, I mean-"he was saying.
I cleared my throat to cut him off. "Monsieur, you bride is here," I told him.
He turned in disbelief. "Christine?" She nodded. "Are you going to stay this time?" he asked bitterly.
"Oh, yes, Raoul," she answered and kissed him deeply. He smiled then glared at me.
"And what about him?" he questioned.
"I was invited to a wedding and I intend to see a wedding this time," I replied honestly.
"How can I trust you?"
"You have my word as a gentleman."
"You are not a gentleman."
"Then I suppose you can't trust me," I stated. "However, I would be willing to make you a deal that you will most likely not want to pass up."
"What sort of deal?" he inquired.
I pulled him off to a corner. "If I interfere in any way with the wedding this time, you may turn me over to the authorities and I will go without a struggle. If I should go back on that promise I expect you would simply tell them where I live and that will be that." I put out my hand. "Do we have a deal?"
He looked at me suspiciously then shook my hand. "We have a deal," he replied.
"Good," he started to walk away, "but I will know if you do not take care of her to the best of your ability and I will come for you. You can count on that," I vowed. He nodded and the wedding was announced to begin, again, in ten minutes.