A/N: Please let me know if my foreign phrases are wrong!! Welcome aboard to my new reviewers: HD I hope you are better now-Akhenaton rules! Hello to GerrysJackie, the phantom's cry, ilsa, Kat, Cecily Lune, and a big thanks to patiens-liberi.

Chapter Fourteen: Darlin'

As Erik was busy with the bill, Javier glanced quickly at Erik and back to Emily raising an eyebrow. She smiled and answered in kind.

"Madame," Erik said, "I have need of a favor."

Emily turned his direction, "Yes Monsieur?"

"I believe you have been asked by Madame Pinson, to demonstrate your Remington firearms again?"

"Yes, she is still doing stories about me for her column when she can."

"I would appreciate it if you were so disposed to do so for her, but with one stipulation, that she secures an invitation for you to meet with Jules Gaultier. It must be done in a social atmosphere, and appear to be something casual, not preplanned."

"Very well, I will see what she can do for us." It seemed that whatever he was about to ask was now forgotten. She bid them a good day and went on with her errands.

After she had left Erik told Javier "My best instincts tell me it is time to move on some of my findings thus far. I want you to move the Erebus to the nearest dock that can accessed from Emily's apartment. I believe the mooring at the Rue de Tanger is the closest."


Later that evening Erik made his way to where the Erebus now sat, quietly slewing with the current of the river. Entering he went to one of his storage drawers and took out a blank key, filing it into a copy of the main cabin key that he used. If things started to happen, Emily could use the boat as another location to come to safely.

Glancing at his pocket watch it was nearly ten o'clock, and deciding to make an early evening of it he packed up his tools in one of the cupboards. He took both keys with him and walked up the Rue de Tanger to the cross street which lead to the square where Emily's apartment was.

He had come so close to asking her today if she would consider getting married again. He had hoped it would have seemed a casual question, after she had mentioned the dances and the first kiss. Javier had told him he would have to talk to her; it seemed a way to address her reasons for being unavailable. If he understood her reasons, he could find a way around them.

Approaching the square he stopped and leaned against the side of one of the other large houses. Emily lived with Javier's sister Olivia and another girl named Perrine. Once she had decided to leave the hotel, it had been a stroke of luck that Olivia's last roommate had decided to marry and left them with a spot for Emily. She seemed happy there, and at least Javier could drop by and check on her when he needed him to.

He saw her door open and watched as a young girl came out of the door followed by Emily who carried a lamp. They seemed to be looking for something, and he heard Emily tell her to go back inside, she would keep looking.

Emily carried the lamp just ahead of her feet, and hoped none of the neighbors popped out wondering what the crazy American lady was up to now. She had almost been ready for bed when Maxine, her landladies' granddaughter had been sitting on the stairs crying. Emily went to her to find out what was wrong, and found that her kitten had gone missing. The little fur ball could have gone anywhere, but Maxine was not going to bed peacefully unless someone checked outside.

Emily turned back toward the house and walked up to the door, passing it to go to the next corner of the street, when she saw a man crossing the street towards her. She kept the lamp low, but turned her head in his direction to watch him approach. Although he was in a shirt without the worn coat, she recognized Monsieur De La Shaumette as she had seen him the night when she had gone to see Eustache Vaudry. Other than the clothes, his whole demeanor seemed changed. His walk was more of a saunter and his posture bordered on threatening. His disheveled hair partially covered the black material over the right eye area. Why would he hide his eye?

He drew closer, stopping just beyond the ring of light from the lamp, "Madame, what are you doing?" Even his voice sounded different, a bit rougher.

"I came out to get the cat, he's over there," she gestured with the lamp towards the other side of the square where a kitten sat in a doorway. She started across the street making little noises and calling to the kitten, which got up with its tail in the air and paraded a in a circle. "No, you're at the wrong door," she told it.

Erik watched her bend down to scoop the little creature up. Lamp in one hand and cat in the other now hugged to her, she looked up and smiled. The glow from the lamp lit her eyes and sketched golden threads through her hair as it rested on her shoulders. She was in her robe, and at its opening he glimpsed a bit of a silky fabric against her skin. He was silently thankful Emily was not the type of woman to be trussed up in a gown that covered her up to her chin.

The creature in question was purring, and had twisted around hooking its little claws in Emily's robe determined to crawl out of her hand. Knowing he might try to jump she hurried across the street, gesturing with the lamp, "Take this; he is going to get away." Erik took the lamp from her, keeping it to his left side and watched as she tried to dissuade the little creature from climbing up to her shoulder, at one point using both hands to try to get his claws out of the front of her robe.

"I need to get him inside the door so I can let him go, or let him let go of me." As she dislodged one set of claws another came into play. Erik watched her robe getting looser, the overlap was sliding away, and revealing the collar bone from her neck to her shoulder and the gently swelling slope of her breast as it disappeared under the soft material of her gown.

She made it to the door, opening it as the cat started to swat at her hair. "Here he is," she called to someone inside as she slid him across the threshold and closed the door. She realized her robe was askew, and felt her skin starting to heat up in a flush. Yes, the crazy American lady was now in the street half dressed in front of a man.

The French displayed an enthusiasm for clothing that meant to be civilized, was to be seen in high fashion. She could go wrapped in ribbons as long as she looked stylish, but her American upbringing was far more conservative. She quickly refolded the front of her robe closed, darting a glance at him under her hair. He gazed steadily at her. Emily knew what that look meant, it was how a man looked at a woman. It made her breath a little uneven.

In all the times they had been together in the study he had never given her a reason to believe he saw her as anything other than one of his business associations. Did that look mean that that was changing, or was that simply a man's reaction to a woman's body?

Standing together Erik was even more aware of the fact that her robe followed the contours of her soft gown under which she was definitely….

"What are you two doing out here?" Javier was coming up the street, glancing left to right like he expected to see other people in the square with them. "Emily," he said in a hushed tone. Drawing closer he smiled, "Querida, you are dressed for bed?"

Erik answered, "She was looking for the cat."

Javier looked at the ground and rubbed his chin. "Ah ha. 'Looking for the cat' well, I don't know how they do it in America Emily, but we usually require chaperones when two unmarried people talk to each other." He paused looking her up and down, "Especially if one of them is going to be nearly undressed."

"Cierre la boca, Javier," Erik growled. This was twice in one day he had stumbled across them when he had been prepared to talk with Emily.

Monsieur spoke Spanish? "I really did come out for the cat," she said slowly looking from Javier to Monsieur De La Shaumette who now looked like he was going to start breathing fire at any moment. Having been the recipient of his temper once, she thought it might be a good idea to go in before Javier had the chance to really get the man angry.

She reached for the lamp, "I really should go inside," she said. He surrendered the lamp to her with a nod. The expression on his face had shut down. He looked like a man who had been interrupted. In fact, Javier had appeared in the study when he was going to ask her something.

She felt herself smile, she brushed her hand from the back of his arm near his elbow down to his wrist and said, "Thanks for the help with the cat."

Erik had gone still when he saw her reach towards him. Her touch was light, but it sent a bolt of lightning coursing down to his bones. His hand took on a life of its own and ever so gently grasped hers as he felt her finger tips trail to his palm. Time stopped, all that existed was the exquisite feel of the soft pads of her fingers resting against his. His artist's hands picked up the pulse of blood beneath the skin, the deep rhythm of her heartbeat. She looked questioningly at him.

To Emily the disbelief on his face was that of a man who had managed to capture something he had not thought existed. "Darlin' you are just having a hard time of this aren't you?" she asked.

She pulled away, and Erik let her. "What is 'Dar-lenn'?"

She had started to turn towards the door, but the voice stopped her. It was that same masculine purr from the first night in his study. It was a bedroom voice, deep and promising. Like trailing fingers it moved over her flesh. She swallowed hard and replied, "I think that would be 'Mon Cher' to you. Good Night, Monsieur."

When he had found the reference to 'Darling' in his dictionary, he had gone back through every entry under the 'D' again to be sure he had found the correct word. He could hardly believe his eyes. It was a term of endearment, as she had just confirmed. He tempered his euphoria as he looked towards Javier who now had a smile on his face. "Spaniard, I should strangle you now while I have the chance."

Javier's smile melted, "What did I do?" He started following Erik, "Where are you off to now?"

"To find a prostitute," Erik said.

Javier spoke almost reverently, "Ah, it was the robe eh? The way a woman's body moves when it's free of corsets." He stopped when he saw Erik's quelling glance. "I know 'Shut your mouth, Javier!'"


He found her as she left a bar with one of the men. Her client was stumbling, with his arm draped around her, he steered her towards and alley. She was probably about sixteen, and a recent addition to the locals. He calmly followed them into the alley. He came up behind the man, grasping him under the chin and with a practiced snapping motion, deprived his brain of oxygen just long enough to rob him of consciousness.

The girl was against a wall, her mouth open in an intake of breath to scream when he leaned over her quickly and said, "Don't." Still shocked, she stood still, trembling as the scarred man looked down at her.

From the mouth of the alley came a shout, "Hey, Josephte," a man staggered up to them, "give me what you have so far." She rolled fearful eyes towards the man who offered her 'protection' for a cut of her earnings. As he got closer he recognized the man Charles Martin. Erik turned to him gathering up the girl's arm and pulling her away from the wall.

"Well Josephte, has he paid you yet?

Her teeth chattering in fear she began "He.."

"I haven't had her yet." The scarred man spat. "I don't like interruptions." He tossed a franc note at the man, "Go drown yourself in some wine."

The man scooped up the money as Erik dragged the girl around the corner, "Like 'em young?"

Erik glanced back, "They complain less."

He steered the stumbling girl roughly towards the Erebus. She didn't make any noise, but her breathing was quick. He got her into the boat and lit a lamp. Cowering by the door, she said a silent prayer to God that he would be quick and not hurt her.

Erik gestured toward a stool, "Sit down Mam'selle," he spoke gently.

She stammered, "Please, I'll do whatever you want, please don't hurt me."

"Do you know who I am?" Her head bobbed up and down. "Listen to me, I need some information." He held up a ten franc note. "I want to know who has been using the boats to smuggle for the last three months. I'll give one of these to the girl who gets me the information; you tell the other girls for me." He offered the money to her.

The girl looked at the note in his hand. She usually didn't get that much from the men, she started to pull down her blouse, but he stopped her hand, "No child, you get paid for information."

With shaking hands she pulled up the drawstring that drew the material over her, "Thank you, Monsieur." She took the money.

"If anyone asks," he said raising a finger, "you make up the vilest story you can think of."

She looked perplexed, "Why?"

He gave a short bark of laughter, "Because that is what everyone expects of me." He needed to waste some more time with her in the boat to be convincing. "How do I tell a woman I want to start courting her?"


Two days later a note came from Madame Griggs.

Monsieur,

Madame Pinson and I have come to terms.

I have an invitation to the theater where

M. Gaultier will be.

I also have two more signed contracts as you

asked for. I'll stop by tomorrow and drop them

off for you.

E.G.