Chapter 20

Erik woke before Isabelle, and dressed quickly and went downstairs. He did not want to discuss anything with Isabelle yet. He decided to go into town and pick up some supplies. He told Gertie and went to the stables to saddle a horse.

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Isabelle woke up and found herself alone. She glanced at the vacant spot beside her and put her wrapped hand on the spot. It was still warm so Erik had slept in their bed, but left early. She felt awful, her head pounded unmercifully and her eyes she could tell were extremely swollen. Her hands and arms stung and hurt to move a lot.

She decided to get up and get dressed. She took off the bandages and just rewrapped her hands. She silently made her way to the kitchen. There she found Gertie cooking some breakfast. Gertie looked up and smiled.

"'Morning Isabelle," Gertie said cheerfully, "How are you feeling?"

"Good morning," Isabelle said hoarsely, "I'm extremely tired, but there is not much I can do." Isabelle sat down on the table and watched Gertie.

"Do you know if Erik is around?" Isabelle asked.

"No, he went into town this morning for supplies," Gertie answered, she had yelled at Erik before he left calling him several names ladies did not say.

"Oh." Isabelle said, sadly. Erik really does hate me she thought to herself.

"What did the two of you fight about?" Gertie asked.

"Children, Erik does not want any children at all," Isabelle told her sadly of their argument. Gertie gave her a friendly hug and said it will all work out. Isabelle excused herself to the music room, hoping Gertie's words were true.

She sat down at the piano bench and stared at the ivory keys sadly. She would not be able to play until her hands healed. She saw the music Erik had written her, and glared at it, it was mocking her she thought.

She heard a knock at the front door and heard Gertie walk by to answer it. She heard a shout and scream and what sounded like something heavy hitting the floor. Worried Isabelle opened the music room and walked down the hall. What she saw scared the breath right out of her.

Her uncle and some strange man stood in her home's entryway. They looked up at her and her uncle gave an evil grin. Isabelle ran the opposite way and tore through the house reaching the kitchen. As she reached the back door's handle her uncle's hand came around her mouth as her scream was muffled.

"Now my dear niece, is that a way to greet your uncle?" William asked with a sneer. He drug her away as Isabelle fought and struggled. They reached their carriage and Isabelle was thrown roughly into it. Her head hitting the other end with a sickening sound. Isabelle's surroundings slowly went black.

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On Erik's ride to town he thought about the argument he and Isabelle had. Erik thought about children, he had always handled them fine, but his main fear was his deformity. The more he thought about it the more he became nervous. What if the child did have his face? Erik would never forgive himself, he knew Isabelle would love the new babe the same as any child. Then he questioned, what if the deformity wasn't hereditary and he just denied Isabelle something she wanted out of life, and nearly destroyed her, for nothing?

Erik decided as he reached the town that he would discuss this with Isabelle and voice his concern. If she truly wanted children, he would agree. He went into the store and bought the pens and paper he needed and made his way home.

When Erik reached the manor he knew something was wrong. He felt it in the pit of his stomach. Jonathan, the groom, came running up to him.

"Master! Your wife is gone! She was kidnapped!" Jonathan said frantically. Erik immediately dismounted and ran into the house. He found Gertie sitting on the stairs, Maurice next to her with a wet cloth. A path of dried blood ran down Gertie's face, and she looked scared to death.

"Monsieur! They took Isabelle!" She cried.

"Who?" Erik demanded.

"Her uncle! The one who has been searching for her!" Gertie said frantically. "You must find her, they will surely kill her!"

Erik went quickly to his bedroom and pulled out his only weapon. His punjab lasso. He then went back outside and told Jonathan to quickly saddle another horse for himself. He would need help in getting his wife safely home.

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Isabelle was tied up in a bedroom in her uncles house. Her wrists were bound and they were tied to a post on the bed. They had already hurt her, and left her because they assumed she passed out. Her uncle had her whipped repeatedly saying it was her punishment for running away from him, and as his rightful place as her guardian it was his responsibility she would not do it again. They whipped her eight times before she blacked out from the pain. When she woke up she didn't know if they stopped after the blacked out or continued until they had felt her punishment complete for now.

She desperately wished they would not return. She thought of Erik briefly and choked back a sob. He had left for town without saying goodbye, the only memory he would have of their extremely short marriage was their argument. It ate away at her conscience. Isabelle never told him she loved him. She would hate herself forever for never saying those three words that meant so much to the both of them.

She prayed silently wishing away the pain, and praying for God to not blame Erik for any this situation. She heard footsteps. Her cry was muffled by the cloth in her mouth and she wished she was safe in her bed wrapped in her husbands arms. Her Erik's protective embrace.

A/N: Sorry for the cliffie, I'll update it tomorrow and then I probably won't update until late Wednesday night (finals you see). R/R please!