Kerri looked at herself in the mirror. Her whole demeanor had changed. She was sitting up straight, and she looked serious.
"Well, I think you would make a beautiful nun." Erik commented, fastening a diamond necklace around her neck and kissing her cheek. She smiled, squeezing his hand. It amazed her how much the situation was depressing her; after all, it was only lunch. Technically, she didn't even have to talk to him. But still, it was two hours…
She took her ring off, placing it in a jewelry box to which you needed a key to open it. That hung around her neck also.
The afternoon was hot, almost stifling for it only being the middle of March. She sat facing the house, the lesser view by far. She didn't stand to greet him when the Duke arrived, and offered only basic answers to his questions, monosyllables when possible.
"They key to your heart?" He questioned, pointing to the necklace.
"My jewelry box." She sneered, taking a bite of her crab. She wasn't at all hungry, and she was fairly sure the food would come back and bite her later. Or maybe it was just the Dukes company.
"I have been thinking, Kerri. I think that we've started off on the wrong foot. If we're going to have a successful relationship…"
Kerri snorted, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.
"We should at least be civil with each other."
"Monsieur, my civility is reserved for gentlemen."
She watched as he turned a lovely shade red, and wondered if it was from anger or embarrassment.
"You will not speak to me in such a manner." He replied gruffly, reaching out for her hand.
"And you sir, will not touch me." She drew her hand back.
"I am allowed to touch my fiancée."
"I am not your fiancée Duke, and I have no intentions of rectifying that."
"Any other girl would be falling at my feet right now."
"So go marry one of them."
"I don't want to marry just anyone, Kerri. You have a fire in you, and I want to know what it feels like."
"She gripped the armrests of her chair, fighting the extreme temptation to take her mallet and crush his testicles.
"I doubt my brother would be thrilled to hear you speaking to me in such a manner."
"Isn't that one of the characteristics you value in a man? Frankness?"
"There is frankness, and then perversion."
"Would you know the difference?"
"I'm sure my brother would."
He sighed.
"You should hide behind Raoul too often, Kerri. One day, he won't be there to protect you from your attraction to me."
"The only attraction I'm feeling right now is to the thought of this mallet crushing any manhood you may have."
The Duke shot daggers at a nearby waiter when he coughed loudly to disguise laughter.
"I can give you everything. Security, stability, money…"
"Have you ever thought that maybe I don't want those things?"
"And what do you want? Adventure? Excitement? Frivolity? I will assure you that I can arise to any occasion."
Kerri sat in silence, looking at the balcony to her music room. In all of their yelling, she hadn't heard the violin. She smiled.
What sweet seduction lies before us?
The lyrics played out in her mind. The duke turned in his chair to see what she was looking at.
"Your bedroom?"
She scowled, trying hard not to look up again. Erik was staring at them from between the drape folds.
"You're not that fortunate."
He chuckled suddenly, hearing the tune being played by their violinist. It was different from Erik's; slow, optimistic, romantic. He thought she had smiled at it.
"Oh, I see. You want love." You want to be swept off your feet into some whirlwind romance."
He paused.
"Unfortunately, mon attrait, life is not a fairy tale. Love is a luxury none of us can afford."
"Well then, I suppose you are not as rich as you thought."
Kerri stood, and began to leave.
"You will marry me, Kerri de Chagny."
She stopped.
"Duke, I wouldn't marry you if I were dying and you were the cure."
"Kerri, you cannot speak to him like that!"
Her father cried.
"Did he even provide the contents of the whole conversation?"
"It doesn't matter! He is one of the richest men we know, and I will not have you be the reason this family falls from his good graces! He has power Kerri, don't you understand that?"
"So then his power gives him the right to talk to me like whore? Perhaps you should send me to Monmatre then; at least I'll make some money."
Her father actually had to sit down at that point.
"Kerri, don't say such things."
"Why not? It's the truth, isn't it? Money equals power, and the more powerful a man is, the lower I become on your list of importance."
"I only want the best for you."
"Do you? I am sorry, but when you punish your daughter for defending her honor, that says something else."
"You were never in any danger."
"It doesn't matter if the danger is clear or not. I know how I feel, and he just screams all the wrong words."
"Kerri, it is okay to be nervous."
"I wasn't nervous! When, in all of my life, have I ever been afraid to do something? If anything, my bravery is a flaw."
"Men can sometimes be intimidating…"
Kerri slammed her fist down on his desk.
"If men were intimidating, you would have a harder time finding me a husband."
"I thought it already was difficult. You chase them all away."
"Well if they weren't such pigs, maybe I wouldn't!"
"And what would you like me to do? Pick up some street urchin?"
"At least then I know he'd be well mannered."
"And that would be all he was. Kerri, unfortunately, life deals you a set of cards, and those are what you play with. There is no tossing in or going it alone. If you don't like the cards you're dealt, you have to pair up and hope for the best."
"Well, maybe if you could find me a suitable partner, I would play the game."
"I've found you plenty of partners Kerri!"
"Forgive me for having standards."
"Is that what you want, then? To be husbandless, childless for the rest of your life?"
"Daddy, I'm already childless, and it's not of my own doing or anyone else's. That was the card I was dealt."
The old man sighed.
"What do you want me to do? Hold auditions? Send out flyers?"
"No; I'm sure mother is doing that already."
"This is no time for sarcasm."
"I wasn't being sarcastic."
After a few moments of silence passed. Kerri waited for a response.
"You can go, Kerri. We're done here."