Chapter 3-The Old Inn
Erik spotted an old inn on a street corner - warm firelight glowing through the shuttered panes. His body tensing with instinctive weariness at the prospect with communicating with other people – he guided the horse to stop before the old wooden building. He gently shook Christine, his mouth close to her ear.
"Christine...I found an inn - it looks like they still have room," he whispered softly. He dismounted, holding Christine in his arms. "Soon you shall be warm and dry.."
Christine woke up to Erik whispering her name. She yawned sleepily and stretched, nearly falling off the horse.
He led the horse (amazingly without the assist of a lead) through an archway and nearly ran into an older stable hand who saw their disarray and immediately offered to take the horse into the stable and bring their belongings inside.
Keeping the hood over his head and face, Erik nodded at the man and carried Christine into the warm building - allowing her to sit in a chair by the fireplace. He talked to the innkeeper in polite but clipped sentences - eager to get the conversation over with before questions were asked. He handed the innkeeper some franc notes for payment.
"You and the lady must be chilled", said the old man as he pocketed the money. "Take your hooded robe off and warm up by the fire, monsieur..."
"No!" Erik barked sharply - causing the man to flinch and back up a step with eyes wide. Noticing his mistake and trying to hide his apprehension Erik held up both hands in what he hoped was a calming gesture. "No.." He repeated softer. "We are cold and have been traveling a while...we just need to sleep in our room...forgive my outburst.." He added - hoping to fix his social blunder.
"Of course monsieur..." The old innkeeper nodded with an odd glance at the hooded man. He smiled at Christine as his wife entered from another room carrying Erik's large satchel.
Christine could barely keep her head up because of the exhaustion that was wracking her body. She hoped that Erik would hurry up and get them a room, so she could forget the night's events.
"Hello my dears...call me Annette...I'll take you both to your room oui?" The kindly old woman gestured to a stairwell with a smile.
Erik nodded at Annette as the pleasant older woman offered to take him and Christine to a room. He turned towards the seat near the fireplace where he had placed Christine and saw that she was quite tired. A few more minutes by the warm fire and surely she would be asleep. He approached her and helped her stand up. "Come Christine...Annette will take us to a room..." He said softly to her as he took her hand and led her after the innkeeper's wife.
The kind woman led them up old creaking wooden stairs - pausing only long enough to take an oil lamp to light the way in the dark hall. In the silence of the late evening - the thrumming rain was very audible on the top floor...a sound Erik wasn't used to hearing so used to living underground. But it was oddly soothing nonetheless.
Following Annette to their room, Christine looked around. It wasn't the best place and the wall was crumbling in places. The floor was swept but still had a grimy look to it. Christine instinctively picked up her skirts
Annette led them to a door at the end of the hall - and unlocked it, pushing it open. Erik followed her in with Christine in hand, looking around at the small but comfortable looking room. The furnishings were simple; a dresser along the wall with a large mirror above it, a closet, a bed in the corner opposite the dresser and a bedside table. A small window was visible behind white lace curtains on the wall alongside the bed.
"Is the room to your liking monsieur?" Annette asked while she bustled around lighting some candles on the dresser and another oil lamp on the bedside table. Now with the warm glow of candlelight, the small room seemed cozy. Erik nodded at the woman - taking his satchel from her.
"Yes, it's fine Madame..." He said as Annette smiled at both him and Christine as she headed for the door. It was indeed curious that this stranger refused to remove his hood and cloak - but no matter...the pretty girl with him looked horribly exhausted. "There are sleeping gowns in the closet for the lady if she wishes. They are nice and warm and she looks chilled." She added seeing the hooded man nod in acknowledgement.
Erik followed Annette into the hall long enough to leave instructions for the utmost privacy - and the nice woman nodded with a mischievous look and an understanding grin that made her seem younger than her years. "Of course monsieur. Good night.." She shuffled off down the hall - and Erik quickly ducked back into the room and bolted the door. It dawned on him just what the lady's look meant when he saw the single bed - big enough for two people in the corner. He had considered it.....and indeed - the idea of sharing a bed for the first time with a warm body even though it would be the innocence of sleep - caused his heart to pound with the desire for human closeness. It was a simple thing really - just the closeness of another and basic physical contact. It was a god-given right always denied him. Erik nearly shook with the need for it...but he all ready caused Christine enough grief for one evening...
With a ragged sigh, Erik finally took off his cloak. He faced the mirror - seeing his haggard and disheveled appearance. He was still wearing his Don Juan costume from earlier. Glaring at himself - and shuddering at his hideous reflection - Erik quickly draped his damp cloak over the mirror so he wouldn't have to see it. He placed his satchel on the top of the dresser and then skulked off to the darker side of the room in the shadows.
"Make yourself comfortable my dear..." He said to Christine wearily as he faced the wall at the foot of the bed. "You have no need to be wary of me during the night. I won't disturb you. If you require privacy to change into a nightgown, I shall wait in the hall," he added softer still.
"No, it's fine. If you could just avert your eyes, please..."
Erik's eyes widened in surprise when Christine said he didn't need to exit the room for her to change. At her request, Erik quickly turned to face the darkened corner, hearing the rustling of her clothes as she removed them to put on the nightgown. He tried not to think of her slender supple body with little to no clothing. He was trying to keep control of himself and those mental images were not helping any!
Erik turned his face away from Christine as she removed her cloak and damp dress. She quickly put on her nightdress then removed the corset from underneath. Folding her clothes nicely, Christine set them nicely on the dresser.
"Okay, you can look now. I'm all done," she told her love.
At Christine's words, saying that she was finished, Erik turned around and stared at her. She looked so small and delicate wearing the simple nightgown. The candlelight glowed against her soft looking skin and her dark curly hair tumbled about her shoulders and down her back. The nightgown went down to her knees and clung to her feminine curves. Erik swallowed hard and turned his head, grateful for the deep shadows where he was standing. Running a hand through his damp disheveled hair he tried not to think about the heat flushing his cheeks and elsewhere.
"You may take the bed...I'll be fine on the floor." He said finally, taking a spare blanket from the closet. He shivered slightly - still damp and cold from being outside. He didn't have a change of clothes to sleep in like Christine did. He sat on the wooden floor, wrapping the blanket about himself. He was tired yes....but his mind was too busy to attempt sleep.
"Good night....mon ange..." He said softly - glancing at her beautiful face briefly. She was so lovely in that moment that he almost couldn't bear to bring his monstrous face to look up at her. He felt as if he was defiling her somehow just by looking at her. He leaned himself into the shadowed dark corner away from the candlelight and huddled to try and get warm.