darklady Thanks! You'll know more about Édmond soon... ;)
Enjoy chapters 20-25
Lovephantom83
She was walking along the park with firm yet careful steps, enjoying the small things that remembered her that springtime was nearer with everyday. The sun, the soft warmth of the breeze… but she knew that all those wonderful things could last too much. She was still scared of walking alone through the streets of Paris, she could still hear the shots and feel the fear.
She had been walking for a good while, for she noticed that she had come near a street that seemed too familiar. Christine could distinguish with perfect clarity Édmond's voice from that distance and he sounded furious. She quickened her pace little by little until she realized that he was probably speaking to Emma and Marie. She leant her small body on the outer wall of the façade, trying to conceal her presence but listening to the conversation.
'How dared you? You are nothing but a gang of despicable kidnappers! Criminals! Having a poor young woman in need in those conditions, for the love of God, is inhuman! These times are hard enough for everyone for you to scare away one of your helpless guests, a person that you seemed to take in at first so kindly'. He looked truly annoyed. 'She was just lucky that I had been around and could offer her a proper shelter. And no, I wouldn't think of bringing her back here. Please, and I hope you won't make a fuss about this, as I've come to take her belongings with the purpose of returning them to their rightful owner'.
She could not make out the replies of the two women but it sounded as if they had let him enter in her former bedroom. She leant once more on the wall, astonished. Was someone really going through so much trouble to provide her with safety? It seemed too good to be true. She had been watching him thoroughly trying to define what was it in his manners, his gaze and attitude towards her that made him so familiar. Maybe there was something in him her subconscious related to another person she had met. She couldn't guess who but she was sure that Édmond reminded her of someone of her past.
She waited for a couple of minutes, resting the weight of her body on her hidden place, her breathing rate increasing due to the anxiety of the possibility of being discovered. She preferred if Édmond got out of there without any more problems. She knew Emma and Marie could be worse than the devil himself.
He was sitting in his study, deeply engrossed in work. Aside from his plans there was only a half-empty glass of wine on the desk. He moved away the finished designs and took the glass in his hand. Soon he was lost in thoughts, thoughts of the previous night and Angeline. Things were going out of his hands. Every passing day he felt that the situation was beyond his control. Why did she have that damned way of startling him every time they met? That did not allow him to keep the situation under control and he absolutely disliked that feeling of uncertainty. He had achieved his goal, of course. There was no doubt that the girl's mind was still clouded by that silly romantic conception which made their relationship a passionate affaire. He could not understand her fascination yet but dreaded the moment everything went down and out of control… No, everything was already going on the wrong track and, somehow, he had to look for a way to calm down the obvious flame he seemed to have ignited in her.
He took a sip and left the glass again on the desk with a brusque hit. No, he would not allow that she went on playing. He would reset the rules of the game from now on. Smirking to himself, he turned to the papers that laid discarded in front of him. If she had ever thought, even in her wildest dreams, that her 'love' would replace Christine in his heart, she would learn her mistake the hard way. He hated her but loved her still with the same fierceness and he could not control those feelings either.
Xxx
'Mesdames, I have everything under control. You should not become alarmed…', Édmond was about to come out of the residence with a triumphant smile shinning on his lips.
'Naturally I can't see why we must play along with you in this stupid farce', sighed Emma. 'Those are all her things…'.
Édmond looked at her with visible amusement. 'The reason of this stupid farce, my dear Emma, is that you cannot trust anyone, and you know what they say, prevention is better than cure'.
He opened the main door, carrying the suitcase he had been given and which contained the few possessions Christine had left behind in her escape. He already knew she had followed him there, so she could not be too far. He gave a couple of long strides and found her terrified.Trying to hide, he guessed.
He smiled. 'See? I told you I'd help you with your little problem'.