Disclaimer: The usual: please see previous chapter. Thank you.

A/N: Sorry the last two chapters were pretty short. I can't say this one will be any longer, but I will see what I can do. Thanks for reading!

P.S. Lady Karol- Thanks for reviewing. I really appreciate it. And, I know it's annoying. But, think about it. If you were trying not to fall in love with someone and they were a good deal younger than you, wouldn't you want to stress the age difference? That's kind of what he's doing. So, I hope that helps explain it. Again, thanks for the nice review!

Chapter 10: Reuniting and Forgiveness

That one week of exile from him was horrible for me. I knew what I had done and the guilt weighed heavily on my heart. Christine's voice had been beautiful; he had taught her to sing. My humming, even though it wasn't really singing, had reminded him of her and all that he had lost. I should have known that. How many times had I imagined him broken hearted over his lose of her? More times than I could count. I knew what I had done was unforgivable. I couldn't even forgive myself.

The bruises were my physical reminder of what I had done. I woke up the next morning with my shoulders so sore, I could hardly move them. It was awful. Louise had to run to the doctor's to see if there was a pain medication he could prescribe for me. Unfortunately, there wasn't one, so I lived with the pain. Every movement was a reminder of my failure. I wondered constantly where he was. What he was doing. My heart was breaking at the thought of his heart breaking. I loved him and I could not deny it.

Louise took it all in strides. She knew Master and I had had an argument. About what, she could not even guess. She knew he hadn't beaten me, but had grabbed me. Choosing not to say anything about it, though, she tended to the bruises in the best way she could and tried to make my first few days of carrying them bearable. I appreciated her kindness. Lord knows I did not deserve it.

At about the fourth day, the pain had subsided to a more moderate level and I was again busy helping Louise with chores. Like the mother hen she was, she didn't let me carry anything or do something that could cause my shoulders to start hurting again. I told her it was fine and that I could handle it: pain in my shoulders was better than the pain in my heart. She still refused. I allowed her to have her way. She was fifty years old, what could I do?

The week went by slowly. I healed on the outside, but not truly on the inside. I don't think I could have until I knew he had forgiven me. Which I never expected him to do. But, he was Erik, meaning he was full of surprises.

I was dusting some shelves in the library (yes, he had a library; it was my favorite place in the whole house), when Louise came in. I asked her what was up and if she needed me to do something. She shook her head.

"Master desires to see you in the upstairs parlor." I dropped the feather duster. I looked at her like she had sprung two horns on the top of her head. Erik wanted to see me? I couldn't believe it.

"Are you sure?" I questioned, bending down to pick the duster back up. "I don't think he'd want to see me."

"Of course he'd want to see you, dear. He likes you, in his own little way. You are doing him good. Now, come along. He wants to see you now." I followed her out the door and up the stairs. My heart was heavy. What could he want with me? I was still surprised he hadn't turned me out. I probably would have done that to myself if I had been in his place. Louise left me at the door and went downstairs to finish the dusting I had to stop.

I entered the room slowly, my feet dragging across the floor. I didn't want to be there. The windows were both drawn closed; I had learned that Erik preferred the dark to the light. He was sitting at the piano bench looking at me sadly. I stopped right in front of the door. My feet wouldn't bulge another inch.

"So, you are afraid of me now. Is in it just as I told you would happen?" He laughed a sad laugh. I felt bad, but I just couldn't move. "Please, Elizabeth, come closer. Don't be afraid. I promise you I wouldn't hurt you."

"Do you promise on your honor?" I squeaked. A shudder ran through my body. Why was I scared? I didn't know. Maybe my previous experience in that room had lodged itself deeper in my mind than I had originally thought.

"What honor do I have? None that I could swear upon. You know that. You tasted some of it a week ago. But, please come here." He beckoned me with his hand. My heart won past my fear and my brain. I stepped toward him, my fear retreating into the background of my mind. He would do me no harm. I knew that.

"Thank you. It's good to know you trust me, at least a little bit." I was standing right in front of me. He reached out and took my hands in his. Ever seen a love sick girl before? Do you know what happens when her love interest touches her? She blushes to her roots and her eyes gleam with joy. I can tell you (and Erik would have agreed) that I was doing just that. I was a girl with a crush. The minute he took my hands into his, I was in heaven.

"Elizabeth, I've never been good at apologizing. I usually require others to do that." He sighed there. I think I knew what he was referring to, but kept it to myself. "But, I ask you. Would you please forgive me? It was never my intent to hurt you. You see, singing is very important to me. And, once, someone I loved deeply was a singer. It hurts to think about her. Can you understand that? So, singing is not one of those things I like to hear anymore." He looked at me expectantly.

"I can understand, but I wish you would have told me. I would never have started to hum. But, yes, I forgive you." I smiled shyly. "How could I not? You apologize very well." He laughed.

"I disagree with that, but it's good to know you think so." He looked intensely into my eyes. Releasing one of my hands, he touched my shoulder gently. I tried not to wince. They were still sore. "How are your shoulders? Louise told me about them being bruised."

"They're doing better. Thank you. Louise says the bruises should be gone by next week." He nodded and took his hand off my shoulder. His right hand still clasped my left hand. I hoped he'd never let go.

"Good. Now, one more question for you." He gazed into my eyes. I must admit, it was weird looking him in the eyes since one side of his face was covered with a white mask. It usually took a lot of effort to look at his eyes, not the mask. "Does the mask still bother you?" I wondered where that had come from. It was as if he had read my mind. Could he do that?

"It never bothered me, Erik. I just…" I stopped. He didn't want to hear where that thought was going. But, apparently his curiosity was aroused.

"You just what? Don't be shy. You can tell me."

"It's just that, you don't need to wear the mask around me. I don't know what you are hiding, but I wouldn't be scared." That sounded sort of stupid in my ears. I couldn't tell him that I'd seen him without the mask before, even though it was in a movie. Erik shook his head violently, his hair swaying due to the movement.

"You will never see what is under this mask. It is too horrible for a child like you. Don't even think such thoughts in your head." He released my hand, stood up, and patted me on the head in a good natured sort of way. "Come now. I think Louise told me she'd have dinner ready. And I'm starved."

I followed him as he led the way. Two thoughts were churning around inside my head. One of them was that I wished he'd stop calling me "child". I wasn't a child. I was eighteen and he knew it. I was an adult. The other was that he was treating me like a child. I was ready to scream. I was eighteen. Why must he treat me as a child? I'm too old for pats on the head. A kiss would have been better.

Then another thought flowed through my head. I saw that with Christine and my own young age he could never fall in love with me. And that hurt worse than the bruises.