Disclaimer: Erik is still not mine, much to my dismay. Only original creations belong to me.
AN: Sorry to be late with the update, but I just started a Pirates of the Caribbean fic and it seems to not want our dear Erik to get his share of attention. Anyway, enjoy the chapter & review!
Chapter 13: Let the Games Begin:
Several days passed, and still Haleigh had no idea how to plan my elopement with Erik. I know that she tried her best, due to the dark circles forming under her eyes from staying up late, but I was growing terribly impatient. On the days where we met at her home, the two of us would put our heads together and go through every romantic story in her library, trying to see how elopements had been planned out by others. Some were rejected quickly, mostly those that involved faking my own death while I ran away with my fiancée. I couldn't bear the thought of breaking Mother and Father's heart that way, not to mention that Philip would be crushed at losing his older sister. Haleigh rather liked the idea of my claiming to visit her for a week when in fact I was running off with Erik, but I was against that idea. I knew that, very soon after it was discovered that I was missing, Haleigh would be the one in trouble with my family, and would likely be cast out of society for helping me do something so scandalous.
A week of searching through books yielded nothing, and the only thing that kept me sane was the fact that I could send messages to Erik though Haleigh and Jerry's servants. They were not long notes, but they were filled with words of love. I nearly wept every time one of the servants brought a reply, a small envelope with a piece of white paper inside stating how much Erik still loved me and that he awaited the day he could make me his wife. Once, he sent me a palm-sized drawing of himself, mask and all, which I could keep in my purse for me to stare at whenever I wished. He said that he had made many drawings of me, but "none could do justice in capturing the form of an angel." That particular message had made me cry, and I still kept it close to my heart.
At first, I thought that the numerous messages being sent to Erik might look suspicious. However, from what I could understand from the messenger servants (who heard about everything that was going on in a house from the chatter of other servants), many of the town gossips thought that it was Jerry attempting to become better friends with Erik. Apparently, most people felt that Jerry hadn't made enough of an effort to become acquainted with Mr. Erik Rousseau, and thought it was right that he attempt to do so now, since Erik was no longer occupied with courting me.
As a result, no one made the connection between my friendship with the Winters' and the now-constant stream of letters flowing to and from Erik's house. This was all the better for everyone involved in the little rebellion against my parents as we would be able to do many things without raising eyebrows. Thankfully, my parents did not notice anything other than gossip, and were all too ready to believe anything that could be explained away by said-gossipers.
"For a pair of relatively intelligent folks, your Mama and Papa aren't really very bright when it comes to figuring out what's right under their noses," said Haleigh as she handed me a small plate of lemon cookies.
I laughed and shook my head, accepting the plate while trying to keep it out of the reach of the baby girl sitting in my lap. Presently, I was visiting my friend for the sake of a casual tea and afternoon with her darling children. Today, I was happy to eat cookies with Lena snuggled in my lap. There would be no researching book plots today, and no throwing around ridiculous ideas on how to smuggle me out of my home while my parents weren't looking just so I could see Erik.
'Though I wouldn't mind actually seeing Erik instead of merely receiving a small note,' I thought wistfully as I put the plate down on a table near my elbow. 'I haven't seen him since that night at the ball! What if he's forgotten what I look like? What if he's lost interest in me?'
"Clara, I can almost read your thoughts again," Haleigh teased, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What's got your mind in knots today?"
I could feel myself turning red as I looked up at her, putting a cookie to my lips to hide my embarrassment. My red-headed friend only said that whenever she knew I was thinking about Erik, or something related to Erik.
"Well, I was just thinking about how much I would like to see him again," I said, sighing as I handed a fussing Lena the rest of my cookie to keep her quiet.
I couldn't help but smile as she instantly began teething on the treat, a smile on her face as she babbled around a mouth full of cookie crumbs. I swear that this baby grew cuter every time I saw her, and I couldn't help but think wistfully of the children Erik and I might have one day. Shaking my head to get the thought of my love out of my head, I turned my attention back to Haleigh, who was chewing her lip in thought.
"If there was a way I could get the two of you together sooner than later, I would make it happen," she said, releasing her lower lip. "Unfortunately, I can't simply invite Erik over here because everyone in town knows that you're here all the time; your parents would never allow you here again if they heard that Erik had visited."
What else could I do but nod in understanding? It really would look suspicious if Erik were suddenly invited over when the town knew that my parents had forbidden our courtship; they might be willing to accept it if only Jerry were trying to become acquainted with Erik, but a sudden visit would be too much, especially since Erik and Jerry had only met once in the past.
"Well, it looks like I'm going to have to have Jerry get further involved in this than he wants to be," Haleigh said, grinning like a cat who's just eaten both the goldfish and the canary.
"Oh, dear," I said, looking at her. I swear that I could feel my eyebrows lift off my head. "What scheme are you hatching now in that head of yours?"
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it," she replied as she took up her cup of tea. "I've got the whole thing all straightened out in my mind, and if I told you, you'd only mess it up. Just trust me on this."
That could not be a good sign, but all I could do was sigh and nod. As I had so frequently learned in the past, meddling in Haleigh's plans would only upset both her and her (usually) perfect plots. Instead, I picked up my tea cup and took a sip before offering some to Lena.
Jerald Winters was not happy about what his wife had proposed. In truth, he thought that his dear, clever wife could handle the entire elopement plotting all by herself without him becoming involved in any sort of way. Imagine his surprise when Haleigh came up to him after Clara had left, asking him to go and start a friendship with Erik Rousseau!
"Haleigh…"
"Don't you argue with me!" his fiery little wife said, glaring at him with blazing green eyes. "It all part of helping Clara! Once you're friends with Erik, it won't look that unusual as messages between our houses become more frequent. Then, after you two have known each other for a few weeks, Erik can approach us at parties where Clara will be with us, and where she and Erik can see each other without rousing suspicion!"
Reluctantly, Jerry had to admit that it would probably be a good idea if he were on good terms with his wife's friend's fiancée. After all, the Frenchman had to be a good person if he had managed to win over such a delightful girl like Clara, and he hated to see his friend so unhappy because of the foolish acts of her parents. If he was any kind of friend to Clara, he would do this for her and the man she loved.
So, the day after his wife had given him strict instructions on what to do, Jerry mounted his horse and headed straight for the mansion of Mr. Erik Rousseau. The ride was a fairly long, but pleasant one, and Jerry was in a good mood when he arrived at the house. An elderly butler let him in with a look of surprise on his face, almost as though he hadn't been expecting a visitor.
In all likelihood, he probably hadn't. This, in turn, caused Jerry to wonder if his wife had even sent a notice ahead of time to warn that he was coming! Judging from the rushing about of the servants to make the house more suitable for callers, they hadn't known that Jerry Winters was coming to visit their master, which likely meant that Mr. Rousseau wasn't expecting him, either!
'Haleigh, you and I are going to have a long talk when I get home,' Jerry thought to himself and to his wife, who was probably laughing at him at that very moment.
Finally, after waiting for several moments, the butler escorted him to a drawing room and asked to take a seat while he fetched Mr. Rousseau. Jerry nodded and looked around. The heavy curtains were drawn, closing off the hot Southern sunlight and keeping the room cool in the summer. A few lamps were lit and giving off a warm, golden glow that flickered off the dark mahogany wood walls where there was also an unlit fireplace carved into the wall farthest from the doorway. There was a desk with three leather chairs, two before it and one behind it, as well as a grand piano and several small tables and chairs scattered about the room. All together, the room was elegant and quite comfortable to be in no matter what time of year it was.
Suddenly, the door behind him opened, and in came a rather flustered Erik Rousseau still combing his fingers through his hair. Jerry bit back a grin and a chuckle as Erik cleared his throat.
"Welcome to my home, Monsieur Winters," the masked man greeted him, bowing slightly.
Jerry bowed back. "I apologize, Mr. Rousseau," he said, an apologetic smile on his lips. "I truly thought my wife had sent a message on ahead of me, and would not have come otherwise."
"Please, as the husband to one of Clara's friends, and since you are one of her friends as well, call me Erik."
"Then feel free to call me Jerry."
The two gentlemen shook hands and exchanged tentative smiles before Erik sent his butler, Marcus, off to fetch something for them to eat and drink. The two men then took a seat in a pair of fine black leather chairs as they waited for Marcus' return. Only when the tray of small sandwiches and the pitcher of lemonade were served, and the room clear of servant eavesdroppers, did they feel free to speak.
"Forgive me, but I'm afraid I have been put off of alcohol," Erik said with a wince. "I'm afraid I overly indulged after the "incident" with Clara's parents and I refuse to take part in the stuff here in my home."
Jerry chuckled. "That's perfectly alright," he replied, taking a sip of lemonade as he reached for a sandwich. "We no longer keep alcohol in our house, either. Well, except for cleaning wounds, of course." He saw the puzzlement in Erik's eyes. "We have three babies in the house, one of which is just starting to walk and getting into everything. Our eldest is just over 10 months and we have a pair of twin boys born just a few weeks ago."
"Mon Dieu, three babies?" Erik said, surprised. "Your wife must either love children or be mad."
"Well, it certainly wasn't planned on by either of us," Jerry said, looking slightly uncomfortable. "But that's not why I'm here."
A dark eyebrow rose, and though he couldn't see it through the white mask, Jerry was sure the other one had done the same. Funny how he hadn't really noticed the mask until just then…
"Then why are you here, Monsieur?"
"I'm here on behalf of my wife and Clara." Jerry watched with satisfaction as Erik sat straight up in his chair.
"Clara?" he whispered, gray-green eyes glazing over slightly.
The name sounded so soft and filled with emotion that Jerry knew the man before him was in love. Without delay, Jerry began to explain Haleigh's plan to form a friendship between him and Erik so that it wouldn't look suspicious if they were to all meet during some sort of social gathering. That way, the two lovers could see one another without Mr. and Mrs. Savoy suspecting that it was all a plot to help Clara meet with her secret fiancée; Haleigh and Jerry could merely claim that it was all due to Jerry wanting to get to know Erik better and to introduce the masked man to more people in society.
Once he was finished explaining the whole thing, Jerry sat back and waited to see what this man's reaction was the plan.
For a moment, Erik was thoughtful, though one side of his mouth was pulled up into a smirk. "Yes, I think it is a good idea," he said, polishing off his lemonade and refilling it from the pitcher. "Your wife is a clever woman, Jerry. Please give her my congratulations on creating such an idea."
Erik bit back a chuckle upon seeing his new friend preen. The man had every right to be proud of his young wife; the girl was smart, fiery, and had a good sense of humor, all qualities that Erik admired. However, he still preferred the soft gentleness that was his Clara. He sighed. Oh, how he missed her! Right now there was nothing he wanted more than to feel her in his arms as he kissed her soft lips, to feel her lush, dark hair as he combed his fingers through it. He missed the way her cheeks turned red after he complimented her, or the way she shyly smiled when he tucked her hand under his arm as he guided her through the gardens of the plantations…
"Erik?" called a voice.
Reluctantly, Erik pulled himself back to the present. "I'm sorry, I was somewhere else. What were you saying?"
Jerry merely smiled at him with understanding. "I was saying that, after I visit here a few more times, I'll be able to conveniently run into you in town…maybe even while I'm escorting my wife and Miss Savoy on a shopping trip, say, next Thursday afternoon?"
Erik smiled for the first time in days.
"Haleigh, are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked, looking at her over the book I was flipping through. "I mean, what if my parents are in town and we 'run into' Erik? They'll surely suspect something!"
"Clara, everyone knows that Jerry is quite possibly one of the friendliest men in town. They also know how rude and unusual it looked for him not to try and be friends with the new, mysterious masked man who had just arrived in Rockford," my friend huffed at me. Suddenly, her attitude softened. "First, there was our wedding to plan when Erik first arrived here. The guests were arriving, there were children running everywhere, not to mention that Mother was drinking a tad too much in order to calm down…"
"And then the babies arrived," I put in, smiling as a dreamy look appeared on Haleigh's face.
"Yes, the babies…" She then turned her attention back to her mending, fixing another tear in Lena's clothes. "I swear that that girl of mine rips her dresses and bonnets on purpose!"
I couldn't hold back my laughter. "Yes, she is a curious one, isn't she?" I asked, grinning as our conversation topic gurgled from inside the crib she had been placed in, currently located in the darkest corner of the room to keep her cool.
"That's because she's just like her father," said two voices in syncopation.
Haleigh gasped as Jerry entered the room and swept her up into a dramatic kiss. I laughed as my friend delivered a chiding remark to her husband, even though he wasn't even attempting to listen to her. Finally, Jerry released her and Haleigh let out another huff as she straightened her dress.
"So, what did you find out?" she asked as she sat down once more, picking up the mending that had fallen upon Jerry's playful attack.
"Well, let's just say that we should all plan on doing a bit of shopping next Thursday afternoon," he said, grinning broadly as I gaped at him.
"Erik will be there?" I asked, wanting to be sure of it.
"Yes, he will, if he knows what's good for him!" Haleigh snapped, slapping at her husband's hand as it drifted towards her arm. "And you had better be here Thursday morning so we can fix you right up before going into town."
I laughed and nodded. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away!"
"Forget about wild horses, I'm more worried about your parents!" Haleigh said, rolling her eyes at me. "Just be sure to convince them to let you come, though I don't think it'll be that hard to do so."
I nodded before turning back to my book.
At dinner that night, the Savoy family was, to all appearance, content. Mr. and Mrs. Savoy had spent the past few weeks worried that their daughter would not get over their forbidding her relationship with Mr. Rousseau. However, at the ball she had conducted herself exactly as any girl would have, dancing with many young men that, although taken by other girls, were her friends and willing to help her through her heartache. This pleased her mother very much, but her father was uneasy.
In the back of his mind, Mr. Savoy worried that Clara had put this aside too quickly. He knew that Mr. Rousseau had had every intention of marrying Clara, which meant that the two were in love. As a father, Richard Savoy felt that he knew the children he had raised, and he had this deep instinct that told him when something was wrong. Though he would never admit it, Clara was his favorite child, and he thought that she had gotten over her feelings for Erik Rousseau far too quickly for his own liking. Knowing her like he did, Clara should have still been knee-deep in tears, her eyes red and swollen from weeping and her throat raw from screaming and wailing her grief. This whole thing with visiting Haleigh Winters was all to the good, of course, as nothing helped a person heal than to be around friends to cheer them up. However, Clara still should have shed a few tears more than she already had, and it was beginning to worry her father tremendously.
"Papa?" called his daughter's voice.
He snapped back to the present. "Yes, Clara-sweetie?" he said, taking a sip of his wine before digging into his roast beef.
"Haleigh Winters invited me to go riding with her next Thursday," his daughter said, looking up at him with wide brown eyes. "May I go? Please, Papa?"
If there was one thing he couldn't refuse, it was Clara's pleading. Richard gave his consent, and after dinner, joined his wife for a quiet evening as Philip took his sister on a walk of the grounds.
"I heard that Jerald Winters is becoming friends with Mr. Rousseau," Camilla said, looking unhappy as she took a seat on a couch.
Richard bit back a sigh. His wife tended to see conspiracies and suspicious things around every corner. "Really, darling, Jerry Winters is the type of man who makes friends with every new person who moves into town," he said while sipping his brandy. "I honestly can't think of a single man who's come into Rockford and not become friends with him! Besides, with all of the plans for his wedding and the births of his children happening as it has, the man finally has a chance to meet the man that people are still talking about!" Richard held up his hand to stop any protests from his wife. "As much as we don't like Mr. Rousseau, we can't stop Jerald from making friends with him, and to deny Clara her friendship with the charming Haleigh would only destroy her. It is merely the way Jerry works, that's all. Let it go."
Camilla sighed and nodded her head. Perhaps her husband had a point. Jerry Winters was a sweet man, and he had been a very kind and friendly boy, so it was to be expected that he would attempt to become friends with every living thing. Yes, it was coincidence, that's all. The past year or so had been hectic on both Jerry and Haleigh, and with things finally calming down, it was only natural for them to try and get to know the mysterious Erik Rousseau. There was nothing to worry about at all.
Meanwhile, two lovers eagerly awaited their next meeting, each holding a drawing of the other as they stared into the starry night sky.
AN: The plot thickens! Now please review and let me know how I'm doing! Thanks!