Hello again! I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review this little fanfic of mine…and if you haven't reviewed, then thanks for at least taking the time to read it.
By the way, if anyone out there knows of a website where a person can have expressions in English translated into French, I would appreciate it if you could drop me an e-mail with a link!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Leroux, Kay, or ALW's Phantom of the Opera and am not receiving any financial compensation for the writing of this fan fiction. I do own my original characters and the story line, so please don't run off with them or I'll be forced to ask Erik to punjab your sorry butt……Have A Nice Day!
Chapter 5: Taking Care of Business, Phantom-Style…….
Even after the disturbing revelations of the night before, Juliette was surprised that she had fallen asleep quickly and had woken feeling remarkably refreshed. Rising from the bed, she strolled to the window and looked out to see that it was going to be a perfectly lovely fall day. Smiling, she went to the closet and pulled out her customary working clothes—short sleeved cotton shirt, well worn blue jeans and Doc Martins. She stopped in the bathroom doorway, glancing over her shoulder before speaking. "You said you'd respect my privacy, monsieur le phantom, and I expect you to keep your word." Feeling somewhat silly talking into the empty room, she entered the bathroom, the words her mysterious visitor had written resting foremost on her mind.
…………'I will make every effort to respect your privacy in the future; however, I must confess that the sight of your innocent repose would undoubtedly make Botticelli sigh with delight……I certainly did.'…………
Despite the heat of the shower, Juliette shivered at the thought of some unknown entity having watched her while she was naked…vulnerable. At the same time, she realized that whomever had left the note must have some gentlemanly qualities. By his writing he appears to be highly educated, he's polite, has excellent penmanship, and he admits to spying on me so he's honest……just the traits any girl would desire in a stalker! The silent internal commentary she was having with her self struck her as funny all of a sudden, and she couldn't help but giggle aloud. Shaking her head, she got a grip on herself and finished her shower quickly and emerged, dressed and ready to face the day.88888888888888888888888888
After breakfast, Juliette returned at last to the second floor sunroom, ready and eager to get to work. She started out with the least damaged and smallest works of art, a 10 x 12 oil pastoral landscape. She carefully removed the canvas from its tarnished gold frame and set it up on her smaller easel before gathering her solvents and getting started.
30 minutes into her work she found herself feeling antsy, and she realized that the room was way too quiet. Covering up her cleaning solution, she made a quick dash up to her room for her small compact disc player and her favorite CD's. Returning to her temporary studio, she plugged it in, inserted her Ace of Base cd and got back to work. She spent the next 4 ½ hours removing the fine layer of sooty residue and varnish from the piece, revealing the vivid colors beneath. She got so involved with her work that she was startled when she heard a voice speak from behind her.
"I am sure the Compte appreciates your dedication, M'mselle, but I'm positive that he wouldn't approve of you working through luncheon." Juliette turned to see Joseph Buquet standing in the open doorway, holding a domed silver tray. He grinned wickedly as he continued. "I knocked twice, but you must have been rather distracted by your work and did not hear me, no?" Motioning to her boom box, he smirked. "I am surprised by your taste in music, M'mselle…I figured you for more of the classical music type."
Juliette flushed but answered calmly, somewhat irritated by his impudence. My apologies, Monsieur Buquet. I have a tendency to zone in on my subject matter once it has caught my attention, sometimes to the point that I forget about mundane things like eating and sleeping."
"You are not the only one with that trait, M'mselle….We Frenchmen have a reputation for being tenacious in our pursuit of things that catch our interest." He turned from placing her tray on the table in the center of the room, but remained, leaning against the table and showing no signs of leaving. There was no mistaking the predatory look in his eyes as they swept her from top to bottom in an insolent manner. Juliette stiffened and shot him an icy glare that would have had a respectable man retreating with frostbite, but no one who truly knew the real man would ever classify Joseph Buquet as respectable.
He laughed at her look, crossing his arms and shaking his head in amusement. "Put away those icy daggers shooting from your eyes, ma cheri,…they won't find their way to my heart---my hide is tougher than that." Moving quickly, he unfolded himself from his casual leaning position and strolled toward her, smiling when she unwillingly took a step back, her body reacting instinctively to the threat he represented. Chuckling, he took her chin in his rough, callused hand and smiled at her gasp of outrage. "Let us be honest with one another, M'mselle….you are thousands of miles from your home in an isolated French chateau, with no one but myself, Mrs. Geery, the cook and a few housemaids for company. A vibrant young woman like you certainly has needs, and it is my fondest desire to meet those needs. I can assure you, ma cheri, I am very skilled in the art of pleasing a woman, and the nights here in the chateau can be very long and very cold without a man to keep you warm."
He had released her chin and his hand traveled across her cheek and down her neck as he spoke. She shivered with revulsion before catching his hand before it reached her breast, casting it away in disgust. He outweighed her by at least 100 lbs, but she managed to lock down her fear, meeting his hot gaze with a frosty one of her own. "My needs, Monsieur Buquet, are none of your concern, and you would be the last person I would turn to even if I was as randy as a cat in heat. As for the rest, I 'm from the Great Northwest and brought my flannel nightie along to keep me warm. I'm not interested in anything you have to offer, Monsieur, and I trust we won't need to have any further discussion about this. Now, if you don't mind, my lunch is getting cold. If you'll excuse me?"
Juliette made the mistake of turning her back on him, something she would never have the opportunity to do again. Buquet stood there for a moment, stunned; no woman had ever had the audacity to dismiss him in such a manner, and he wasn't about to stand for it. Blinded by fury, the rattlesnake struck out at its prey, grabbing her wrist and jerking her to him. One hand grasped both her delicate wrists and held them to his chest while the other grasped her backside, thrusting his pelvis against her as he forced his tongue into her mouth in a bruising kiss.
His actions stunned her into immobility, which lasted only for a moment as her brain began to function again. HOW DARE HE! was the only thought that screamed in her head before her self defense training took over. Her ardent attacker roared in pain as she bit his invading tongue as hard as she could. As he released her to clutch at his bloody mouth, she jabbed him in the solar plexus with an elbow, kicked him in the shin, stomped on his instep and finished up with the piece de resistance, a knee to the most tender part of his anatomy followed by a vicious karate chop to the back of the neck, at which he collapsed on the floor, wheezing in agony.
Juliette stepped back, spitting and wiping her bloody lips on her sleeve, the copper taste of his blood bitter on her tongue. She stared at the man who lay cursing and moaning at her feet for a moment before leaving the room. Just as she made it to the doorway, she turned and spoke, her icy voice full of fury.
"If you ever come near me again, you'll be walking away minus a few body parts, if you walk away at all. Please send my apologies to the cook for the wasted meal, but I've suddenly lost my appetite. Good day to you, Monsieur."
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Erik gritted his teeth, the look of absolute rage on his masked face only revealing a fraction of his inner fury. He hadn't interfered with Buquet's escapades with the maids in the Chateau, as they had appeared to welcome his pursuit of them, but he'd be damned if he would stand by and let an assault go unpunished. No, Joseph Buquet had been useful to have around, but even useful men could be replaced. He would not tolerate an attempted rapist remaining under his roof for another night---it was time for Joseph Buquet to disappear…..permanently.