He was silent and knotted the bandage as if he had not heard her.

When he had finished, though, he shrugged her hand from his shoulder and rose. He tossed the jar carelessly onto the desk and walked down to the edge of the lake.

She saw that one hand was pressed to his face, covering the hard features of his mask.

Even from where she sat so helplessly, she could see his entire body shake with an barely suppressed sob.

"No," she heard him say in a voice with broke her own heart, "no, Christine…nooooooooooooooo!"

She wanted to rise and run to him, to twine her arms around him and comfort him. Yet she was sure he would not permit that. It was better to wait, to let him vent his grief.

"Noooooooooo," he screamed again, his voice echoing weirdly off the stone walls and cutting into her soul.

She rose, then, and leaning on the furniture, made her way to the steps. They were too steep for her to descend, even with assistance.

"Oh, Erik," she said, reaching out towards him, "Erik, I am sorry."

He looked up at her and she saw the absolute anguish in his eyes.

There were no tears as he reached up and took her hand.

"What do you know of these things, Comtessa?"

"Believe me, Erik, I know. My loss is not like yours…but I know…oh, mio Dio, I know."

He did not let go of her hand as he came up the steps to her.

"You should not try to walk on your ankle," he said in a suddenly calm voice.

As he lifted her into his arms once again, she felt the pounding of his heart and she pressed her forehead against his neck.

Don't ever let me go, Erik…don't let me go, please…

He did not bring her back to the divan, but carried her up to the swan bed and set her down there.

To her amazement, he sank down onto his knees before her and let his head rest on her lap.

"She was…she was so beautiful and innocent…I was her teacher…she believed that I was her Angel of Muisc. Until she knew…then she thought I was a monster…she didn't know that I would have given her whatever she asked…and, in the end, I did…I would have killed your brother…but I let him go…because I love her…and I didn't want to hurt her…"

There was nothing she could say to him, no words of hers would ease that sorrow.

Leaning over him, she kissed his forehead softly and embraced him. His arms were around her waist, clinging to her as if she were his last link to life and her hair fell over him, soft and tangled.

They remained like that, still and silent, for a long time.