Author's Note - I hope that you will permit me this brief transition chapter. I am already at work on the next one. My muse is being benevolent.Thank you. - Scarlett Rose

Nadir:

Erik's convalescence was slow at best and he grew increasingly difficult with each passing day. At times, I lamented the afternoon that he had fully come out of his fever while Christine had been singing to him.

After my report of Erik's sardonic comment when he had briefly awakened, Christine became a new woman. Her eyes shone, she smiled more often and seemed to have renewed energy.

As was her custom, Christine sat at his bedside one afternoon and stroked his hair while holding his hand. Each day, she would sing something different as Erik lay unconscious. I happened to be in the drawing room reclining upon the divan so as to permit Christine time alone with her betrothed. Half listening to her beautiful voice singing softly and half asleep, my eyes were closed when I gradually became aware of an abrupt silence. Jumping up in alarm, I hurried to the doorway of the bedroom and saw Christine sobbing quietly in Erik's arms as he weakly held her. Glancing at me in the threshold, I believe that Erik smiled at me slightly. I closed the door to allow them the privacy of their reunion.

Now that Erik was recovering, Christine bustled about the house beyond the lake and felt comfortable leaving Erik in my care. Every day, she would scour the marketplace and bring home something different to entice his stubborn resistance to food. Oranges, sherbet, exotic dishes, anything and everything. One day while she was gone, I wryly mentioned that the least he could do was to pretend to eat for Christine's sake after all of her trouble. After that, Erik ate as dutifully as a child, much to Christine's apparent delight.

At Christine's insistence, Erik was moved into the drawing room during the daytime. "It will do you good not to stay cooped up in that room all the time, Angel." To his chagrin, Erik still did not have the strength to walk on his own. I would assist him in making his slow way to the divan where he would collapse gratefully while stoically attempting to appear as though he weren't collapsing.

One afternoon while Christine was out doing her errands, I had just finished making a fire when I heard a growl of coarse irritation behind me. Still on my knees, I turned to see the unmasked side of Erik's face glaring spitefully at me. Following his fever, he insisted upon wearing the mask whenever he was out of the bedroom regardless of my protests. Unperturbed by his glowering countenance, I waited patiently for his explanation since I knew that he would not confess anything were I to coerce him. Standing stiffly, I walked to one of the chairs flanking the divan and sat down with a sigh.

In a voice shaking with rage, he muttered, "I will go mad if I have to stay here like an invalid any longer. DAMN IT! I can't even WALK by myself." Seething with fury, Erik sat in the grip of a growing rampage at his inability. Irritated at his impotence, his fists clenched as he trembled indignantly at his helplessness. Waiting a few silent minutes, I calmly replied "Erik, you nearly died. The illness and fever following your wounds almost killed you. I believe only that Child's dogged determination that you would live is what saved you." His chest rising and falling with labored breaths, he stared across the room mutely with his jaw set. Risking his wrath, I leaned forward and placed a light hand on his shoulder which caused him to instantly stiffen. "Patience, my Friend." Patting his shoulder, I removed my hand and contemplated what would occupy his mind.

Looking around, my eyes fell on a dusty chessboard in the corner. Without asking him, I stood and retrieved the ivory and mahogany chess set. Blowing the dust off of it as I stepped back towards where Erik lay, I did not make any eye contact with him. Moving an end table in front of the divan, I determinedly placed the chess set on the top and stood to pour us both a brandy from the decanter on a sideboard. Settling down in my chair, I took a sip of brandy and handed him the other glass. Gazing down at the chess board, I stated blandly "Now, show me how to play this game."

As Erik took the brandy from my hand, I glanced up and saw that he was looking at me with a mixture of gratitude, frustration and amusement. In spite of himself, he unexpectedly laughed heartily, sipped the brandy and began instructing me in the intricacies of chess.