Kerri sat at the breakfast table the next morning, thoughts racing.
"Kerri, what's wrong?" Her father asked after he caught her staring.
"Oh, nothing." She looked away quickly. "I was just thinking about stuff."
"Like what?" He bit into a piece of toast as he read the paper.
"My future."
"And what about your future? Where do you see yourself?"
"I don't know; it's fuzzy." She shrugged.
"You know, the Duke wants to take you to another play on Thursday."
"Tell him I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request."
"What's wrong with seeing another play?"
"Nothing; but he talked through the whole thing last time. Besides, I am allowed to say no. And anyway, I'm doing something with Erik on Thursday. I'll see the Duke on Friday, at dinner."
"What are your plans with Erik?" Her mother inquired.
"Nothing final. Lunch, a walk in the park. Maybe pay a visit to Raoul and Christine."
"Well, you'll just have to reschedule; the Duke already has tickets. You can see Erik another time."
"The Duke will have to wait. Erik and I have had plans since last Monday."
"It's not polite to make a man wait." Her mother warned.
"You're right, it's not. And Erik and I have had plans for a week. If the Duke had wanted to take me out, he should have confronted me directly. I would have told him I was busy, and he wouldn't have wasted his money."
"Kerri, you are going to that play with Reynard!"
"No I'm not!"
"Yes you are. I am your mother; you will do as I say."
"Unless it isn't in my best interest." Kerri paused, collecting herself.
"I will not be going to the performance with the Duke. I have a date with Erik, give him my sincerest apologies."
Kerri left the table quietly. Her mother glared at her father from across the buffet.
"She gets it from you." She sneered.
Kerri was slowly packing her things into a suitcase. Not everything, just the important stuff, and not all at once. A few books here, a necklace there. They were also taking the violins. The thing she would miss the most was the piano. Erik assured her he had a piano at the house, but it wasn't the same. She had been playing that piano since she was eight years old.
Another part she was depressed about was not being able to say goodbye to Raoul. No matter how hard they fought, he was still her brother. At some point, she knew they would come back, but she didn't know when. She hated it.
"Is this all you're taking?" Erik asked, holding up a leather backpack.
"Pretty much. Why?"
"I just thought there would be more."
"Nothing else is really important to me." She paused. "But we are bringing Adonis."
"That thing hates me." Erik scoffed.
"He's bit you?"
"No."
"Then he doesn't hate you." She promised, throwing her paint set into the bag.
"Are you having second thoughts?" Erik sat down on the bed next to the bag.
"Do you want me to be having second thoughts?"
"No, but I could understand if you were."
"I am not having second thoughts."
Erik nodded. "Good. You're clear on the plan?"
"Yes."
"Wonderful." He looked at his watch.
"Oh no. Almost time for our date. I better go catch a cab." He kissed her cheek, and left the room quietly. Kerri finished packing, and put the bag under her bed. She grabbed her cloak and changed shoes.
As she was coming down the stairs, she saw that her mother had answered the door, and was trying to send Erik away. She tried to shut the door, but he put his hand out to stop her.
"She looks alright to me." He pointed, smiling. Kerri smiled back, taking the steps two at a time.
"Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon to you. Are we ready?" He held out his hand.
"Yes. Goodbye mother. I'll be back at four." She took Erik's hand and squeezed past Alayna, oblivious to the glare she was receiving. Erik helped her into the carriage, and they were off.
They went to a corner café, talking about the trip; where they would go, what they would do. They would start at Morocco, work their way across the northern half through Algeria and Egypt, then Persia, back down to Italy, across the Mediterranean to Spain, and then back up to France.
Then they went for a walk in the park, stopping at the hotel Erik was 'staying' at to see if he had any messages. He didn't. Their last stop was the ferry ticket booth. Erik bought four tickets for the last boat up the Seine the next night, and one ticket for four thirty that day so he could purchase their cruise tickets.
"I'll be back early tomorrow morning, so don't wait up for me. You'll need your energy."
Kerri nodded. This was actually going to happen. They took another cab back to the house.
Kerri and Erik stood in front of the carriage door. Her fingers were laced into his hair, and his hands were on her waist, pulling them together.
"Okay, you have to go." She giggled, breathless.
"No, I don't." He kissed her again.
"Yes you do. Go now, or you'll miss your ferry." He groaned, getting back into the carriage. Kerri ran into the house, unaware that her mother had seen the whole thing.
"Kerri, are you sure you want to do this?" Marie asked, sitting on the bed and watching her write a letter.
"Yes, I am. Why? Do you not want to go?"
"I do, but I'm wondering if you're running away for yourself or for Erik."
"I'm running away for both of us, Marie."
"Okay." She paused. "Who are you writing to?"
"My mother. I doubt she'll find it anytime soon, however."
"You're going to leave it here for her?"
"Yes. At least then she won't be able to say I didn't tell her."
Kerri laid awake for hours that night, thinking about the next day. She knew what she was going to say so she could leave the party, how she would get out, and what would happen once she did.
So why was she so nervous?