Chapter Six
His Past
"Madam?" Susannah said softly, not wanting to interrupt the mistress. Christine looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. It had been five days since the incident with Erik and they had spoken very little to each other. She was getting rather lonely and she did not like the feeling.
"Yes, Susannah?" she wondered. The woman came in and smiled at the young woman.
"Madam, the master sent me up here to get you ready," Susannah said. Christine frowned.
"Ready for what?" she asked. Susannah seemed surprised that Christine did not know. Although the servants had noticed that the two were barely speaking, which caused Susannah to cry. Too many couples were like this. Cold and unfeeling toward each other and only putting their differences aside in the marriage bed, and that only with the hope of conceiving a child. She wished they knew how precious marriage was and learned to care for one another. Susannah knew far to well that marriage was a wonderful thing, and when it was gone there was nothing you could do about it.
"The master is throwing a ball. Did he not tell you?" she asked. Christine's eyes flashed.
"No, he did not," she said, "What a surprise."
"Dozens of people are coming, it should be quite nice," Susannah said. Christine shook her head.
"I do not think I wish to go," she said. Erik had embarrassed her in front of her brother and Raoul, she could embarrass him in front of the whole of France, it made no difference to her. Every move that man made was beginning to annoy her. She hated his short temper!
"Madam...your family was invited," Susannah said, hoping to change the young woman's mind. She did not want the young couple to argue over something as trivial as a ball. Christine's face immediately lit up at the idea of her family come.
"Truly?" she whispered. Susannah nodded.
"Yes. The master invited them," she said. Christine was suddenly deep in thought. Why would Erik invite her family? Was he trying to get into her good graces so he could finish what they had started in the study? That idea caused a blush to stain her cheeks. She would not deny the fact that she had felt something when he had touched her that way but she pushed it away as being a surprise, that had to be what caused her to feel that way, it was just a surprise.
"Then I suppose I have to go!" she said, causing Susannah to smile.
xXx
Erik paced back and forth in the hallway outside of his rooms as he waited for Christine. Guests were arriving every minute and he could hear the commotion downstairs. She was taking ages to get ready! He had known that she might not come just to spite him and so had invited her family, knowing they were the one thing that would force her to come.
It had spread through France that Erik Desslar had been married and he knew there was great speculation. He did not care what other people thought but he liked surprising people and he was sure Christine was going to surprise many people downstairs. No one would have believed that he would marry such a beautiful woman. The idea made him smirk. Christine was beautiful, and it made him angry that he had yet to taste all she had to offer. He should be given an award for his restraint!
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Master," Susannah said, appearing at the door with Christine. He cursed every single God he knew in that moment for making the woman so damn gorgeous. How the hell was he supposed to keep his hands to himself when she looked like that? She wore a deep red dress with a corset beneath that pinched her waist in and pushed her breasts up so they nearly spilled over the top of her bodice. Her chocolate curls were all pined to her head, several tendrils lying against the pale skin of her neck. No woman had ever been more tempting then she was at that moment.
"About time," he growled, trying to hide his obvious arousal. Christine rolled her eyes and began walking down the hall ahead of Erik, not caring to wait for him. His long legs brought him to Christine quickly and he grabbed her wrist, turning her to face him. She sighed and said nothing, staring at him.
"Do not forget who you belong to!" he whispered dangerously. Christine smiled.
"How could I?" she asked, looking at his hand as she tried to prove a point.. His hand on her was reminding her of their little explosion in the study and she could almost feel his lips on her. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of such thoughts.
"And, if Monsieur de Chagny should arrive, I do not want you speaking with him," Erik said, interrupting her thoughts. This made Christine angry.
"He is one of my good friends, I have every right to talk to him!" she said.
"We have had this argument before!" Erik reminded her.
"And I am planning on having it again because you are so stubborn!" Christine cried.
"Stay away from him," Erik said, proving her right in the fact that he would not give in.
"Tell me why and perhaps I will consider it," she said. Instead of answering he took her arm quite forcefully and began dragging her down the hall, towards the ball. Christine sighed, she was not going to get anywhere with him!
xXx
"Erik! There you are!" a sing song voice cried. Both Erik and Christine turned to see a woman coming toward them. Erik groaned a curse under his breath and Christine studied the woman with interest. Golden locks were pined on her head in a similar fashion as Christine's. Her dress was a soft pink that hugged her generous bosom to almost shameful proportions. Slim arms wrapped around Erik in a tight hug and green eyes looked directly into Erik's as her full mouth pouted.
"I have been looking all over for you!" she cried. Erik disengaged himself from the woman, a frown on his face. Christine was curious to know who this woman was that seemed so friendly with him.
"I am entertaining, Natasha," he replied. She pouted again, something she seemed very good at. Christine rolled her eyes. She disliked women like this immensely, beauty but no brains.
"You could not steal away for a moment?" Natasha asked hopefully, a suggestive look in her eyes. Christine had to refrain from snorting. Of course Erik would want a woman like this. She would give him pleasure and not think anything about it. She probably never talked back to him either. Typical.
"Since you are occupied, Erik, I will leave the two of you alone," Christine said, hoping to take the opportunity to go and find her family. There were so many people that she had trouble getting through the room, and she had had to deal with being introduced to everyone there. Erik took her hand, stopping any means of escape.
"Natasha, I would like you to meet my wife, Christine, Christine this is Natasha Huntington," Erik said, giving Christine a look that said he would not let her escape that easily. Natasha's eyes grew wide at the word 'wife' and her eyes slowly moved over Christine. Christine felt like she was being measured to see whether or not she was good enough to be Erik's wife.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle," Christine murmured. Natasha said nothing. After a moment of awkwardness Erik excused them both. Natasha stared after them for a long time, not truly believing she had heard Erik correctly. Wife? He had a wife? Why had she not heard of this? Of course there had been rumors but they usually were not better then old wives tales.
But Erik Desslar was married. And not just married, but married to a beautiful woman! She was furious. How dare he replace her so soon! It had been almost two years since their relationship ended, although, Natasha thought with a smirk, it could not really be called a 'relationship' in all sense of the word. It had all been about the sex, great sex, she reminded herself.
When she was with him she did not care about his temper or the fact that he seemed to be so indifferent to the world, as long as he could please her in bed. And please her he did. She had never met a man like that who knew so much about the female body, it was amazing and made her shiver just remembering their steamy interludes.
But perhaps he would still like to spend a night with her. Married men had mistress's, it was a common thing, she would get Erik back if it was the last thing she did, and have fun in the process.
xXx
"Christine!" Gustave Daae said in relief when he saw her. Christine forgot the tension between them and hugged her father tightly, fighting back tears. Gustave did not let go for several long moments and Christine refused to do so either. Erik stood awkwardly behind Christine and when they pulled apart Gustave's eyes found Erik's.
Raoul, who stood beside Gustave, watched closely the expressions on both men's faces. He needed to know what had transpired between them and why Gustave had felt obligated to give Christine away.
"Monsieur Desslar, a pleasure to see you so well," Gustave said. Raoul's eyes widened with recognition at the name.
"Desslar? As in Erik Desslar?" he asked, interrupting. Christine gave him a questioning look but Erik simply nodded. Raoul said nothing as Gustave and Erik continued their conversation, although his thoughts were reeling. Christine Desslar? He could not believe it!
xXx
Christine had seen the recognition that dawned in Raoul's eyes at her husband's name and she wondered what he had just remembered. Did he know Erik somehow? And if so, from where? Her husband was a mystery to her and she was extremely curious to know anything about him. Smiling she went to Raoul and laced her arm through his, knowing Erik was going to give her hell for it.
"Raoul, walk with me, I would like to catch up," Christine said. Erik's eyes were boring into her and she smiled charmingly at him before walking off with the handsome Viscount.
"Where is Anthony?" Christine asked, not wishing to come straight to the point. Raoul shrugged and looked around.
"Probably found a beautiful woman to talk to," Raoul said, that was Anthony, always the ladies man. Christine smiled and nodded. She had no idea what she wanted to ask Raoul and just prayed that he would tell her something.
"Raoul...my husband...you recognize him?" she asked. Raoul sighed. So this was why she had wanted to spend some time with him.
"Christine, I….only a few people know about this, your brother does not even know. I found out because our fathers are so close Gustave told him, but it does not go beyond that," Raoul said. Now Christine was very curious.
"What is it that you know?" Christine asked. Raoul hesitated, extremely uncomfortable. If he told her this it would change nothing, she would still be married to Erik. But he cared about her to much to keep her uninformed.
"What, Raoul?" she pressed. Raoul sighed.
"He killed a man."