Chapter 55 Trust

Erik opened his eyes to a twisted mass of hair. Pulling Jade to him, he brushed it from the back of her neck and slowly inhaled her scent.

Their previous night's coupling was still fresh in his mind. Covering her belly with his hands, he rubbed his hardness against her rump. Moaning softly, she briefly nestled against him, and then settled back into her dreams.

With a sigh he released her and left their bed.

Facing the mirror, he tied his cravat while coolly gazing at the mask. Then he glanced at the bundle of blankets on the bed, and hoped she would awaken and bid him good bye. Better yet, she might ask him to forget his morning business and stay with her. But that was unlikely since she never tried to sway him from his plans.

On the way out, Erik paused and appraised the front room. Since Jade had come, it had acquired a comfortable air of domesticity. Some of her possessions were scattered about—books she was reading, a new sketch pad lying on the table. Last night she'd sat there practicing her drawing, and using various objects as models. One was an exquisite, seventeenth century carved jade tiger that he had recently acquired. As she had sketched, he had watched her small hands effortlessly manage the charcoal with sure, quick movements. Later when they were in bed, he had kissed those hands over and over again while he slowly loved her.

As he paddled the boat across the lake, he considered what lay ahead. Yesterday, Jules had notified him that the report that he'd waited months for had arrived. They were to meet this morning and discuss the findings. Following that, he and Jade would travel to the provinces. Then tomorrow Jade would attend the wedding of her friend Marie Aubert, the sister of his former rival.

When she'd said she wanted to go, she'd given him a determined look. Her affection for that family was pronounced, and it was clear she'd already made up her mind. At the time, he'd considered the trouble that could follow if he refused. There had been only one disagreement between them, and he was of a mind to keep it that way.

Outside the cavern, Erik strode through the light rain to the Place de l'Opéra, and entered a two seated cab. The heavy, sour odor of previous passengers blended with the dank air, and assaulted his nostrils as he stared out the window. Bobbing black umbrellas cluttered the sidewalks with a backdrop of soot streaked shop windows. Then the zinc colored sky opened, and poured down its load, soaking wool trousers and sodden skirts as pedestrians scurried for shelter.

In the office, he tossed aside his cloak and faced Jules who sat behind the broad desk. Without a word Jules pushed a thick stack of papers towards him. Taking a seat, Erik stretched out his long legs, and rapidly flipped through the pages.

"There is nothing conclusive here," Erik said impatiently. Brusquely pushing the papers aside, he arched his eyebrow, and waited.

Jules nodded and replied, "At this point, it would probably be beneficial to hire an additional man. Several more sites need to be examined. When we find the right one, we'll have an extra man to assist with the operation."

If we find it, Erik mulled.The project was sorely testing his patience.

"Do it."

The rest of the morning they discussed their latest constructions in the department of the Seine. When they finished, Jules poured out their customary brandy, and the two men settled into comfortable leather chairs.

"Have you decided which of the two properties you will purchase first? There's already one bid on the Paris property," Jules remarked while sipping his drink.

Erik stared past him at a painting on the wall. It was a Eugène Delacroix that depicted a North African town of sand colored buildings capped by an intensely blue sky. His eyes lost their sharpness as he gazed at it. The bright, enticing colors reminded him of Mediterranean days when light winds blew off warm water and carried light into the chilly recesses of his mind. He blinked and returned to the present and the curious eyes of his companion.

Jade loved the rolling hill country that we picnicked in last month. However, a home in the city would be more convenient for us.

"Put a bid on the Paris property. The land values are stable in the countryside so that there is no need to rush on that one."

He downed the last of his brandy and rose. Jules' eyes followed him to the door. After donning his cloak, Erik briefly returned the younger man's gaze.

Yes Jules. I am at last happy.

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On the following day, Jade sat in the reception hall, and tapped her toe to the music. She'd been drinking throughout the day, and was feeling light hearted from it. The large room had plenty of others who were doing the same as they took advantage of the fine offerings from the Aubert estate. Next to her sat Pierre's sister-in-law, Therése Aubert, who'd spent the day dashing from home to church to the hall as she managed wedding affairs. At that moment, she was resting with a tight, alert expression while her youngest daughter sat on her lap.

In front of them, four couples were dancing the quadrille. As each couple took its turn, Jade studied their quick feet. The beauty of that dance was that individuals could improvise and add their own variation of steps as long as they completed the pattern. One couple, a man with slick black hair and a young woman in a blue dress, was particularly creative. Her own gown rustled as her legs moved beneath it while she matched their steps.

Thanks to Erik, she was blissfully free of her own music, and could fully appreciate that country tune.

Last night after they'd arrived at the inn from Paris, he'd suggested they take a walk along one of the dark roads. Upon coming to a field, Erik had veered off and pulled her along. Moments later he was pacing the ground as he searched for something. Under the thin moon, his black caped figure was barely discernible, and she'd strained to separate him from the darkness. Returning to her, he'd encircled her waist with his long fingers and with a low, musical voice had said, "You may dance here, my dear."

Beneath a cloudless, starry sky, she'd danced out her music while Erik stood guard,

Lazily, Jade looked past the plump figures of local matrons who wore their Sunday best, and found Pierre leaning against a glass paned door that led to the garden. The indirect light softened his handsome features. Their eyes locked for a minute until his brother Lucien pulled him away.

She shifted her attention, and found the tall, dark haired woman dressed in the latest Parisian fashion. Madeleine.

Madeleine's eyes were also roaming the hall and settled on Pierre whose back was to her.

It's bad enough that I'm here, but to have Madeleine as well! Jade pondered as she noted his stiff back.

No one had told her that Madeleine was related to the groom, and that she would be at the wedding. Jade had discovered it while sitting with Pierre in the church as they waited for the bride to arrive. The sudden stiffening of her friend had alerted her. Glancing at the groom's pews directly across the aisle from them, she'd seen Madeleine taking a seat. Immediately, she'd recognized Pierre's old love. Her eyes had darted to her companion who was staring at the altar ahead, and ignoring the two women who flanked him.

"Jade, have you seen the gifts?" Therése's clipped words pulled her from her thoughts. The auburn haired woman was flushed with pride. "Madeleine gave her enough furniture to furnish one of her rooms! She says that your gift is also splendid and she can't decide which pattern to choose."

Jade had brought Marie two samples of Baccarat crystal. Once Marie made her choice, she would have a handsome dinner set that would rival any in the province.

Marie was sitting across the room wrapped in luscious white satin that complimented her curves. She had a languorous look about her as if she wanted nothing more than to stretch out on a wool stuffed mattress. With a knowing look, Jade considered what would follow after the reception. The groom was a man in his late twenties with a serious air about him. For her friend's sake, she hoped that there was more to him than that quiet exterior.

Shutting her eyes, she daydreamed about her own wedding night.

There was a sound of a throat being cleared, and she opened her eyes to Michel Aubert who stood in front of her with an eager glint in his eye. As he pushed a dark forelock from his forehead, she glanced at his slender hips outfitted in wool trousers.

"I noticed that you haven't danced yet. Will you join me in the next one? It's a cotillion."

Smiling up at him, Jade took his hand. She recalled how lightly he had held her when they danced together at her wedding reception. He's perfect. She couldn't dance with Pierre because it might infuriate Erik, but Michel was safe.

Turning to Therése, she was surprised by a frozen smile and sharp eyes. The woman's sudden hostility caught her off guard. Why does it bother her if I dance with her son?

Michel escorted her to the dance floor as she mulled over her relationship with Pierre's family. They'd seemed to have forgiven her for not having married Pierre. Throughout the day, she'd been treated graciously as an honored guest. Were there hidden resentments?

The women around her were lifting their skirts, and exposing feet and petticoats in preparation for the cotillion. Shrugging off her concern, Jade threw back her shoulders and smiled boldly at her bright eyed companion. It was rare when she had the opportunity to dance with another. She intended to make the most of it.

Several dances later, Lucien stole her away from Michel for the quadrille. Unlike his son, he seemed preoccupied and indifferent to the music as he mechanically followed the pattern. When the music stopped he wasted no time guiding her back to her chair where he took a seat beside her. By then, Therèse had vanished.

"We've finished planting the vines. Would you care to see the vineyard tomorrow?" Lucien asked.

Will Pierre be there? A trip to the vineyard would be an excellent end to her brief visit. Tomorrow she would attend a breakfast with Pierre's family, and after that Erik and she would return home.

"I will ask M. Marsolais tonight if he is willing to delay our trip home."

"Of course. Please tell him that he is welcome to come as well," Lucien formally added. Bowing stiffly, he left. Jade watched his retreating form, and puzzled over his abrupt behavior.

A half hour later, she was walking the dim narrow corridor that ran from the powder room to the hall. The light from the hall was suddenly blocked, and she watched as the outline of a portly man approached. Half way down the hall, he stopped and leaned against the wall for support. His eyes were half closed, and he looked as if he was trying not to pass out. She couldn't remember seeing him earlier at the party.

Feeling a little muddle headed from the wine, she paused and waited for him to move. When he didn't, she tried to ease past him. The moment she was next to him, he swayed and crashed into her, pinning her against the wall.

"You dance a pretty step my girl," he said while lowering his face to hers. A chill ran through her as his hand moved from her waist to her breast.

Clenching her fists, she prepared to shove him off. Then the man jerked backwards. Staring past him, Jade saw Pierre gripping the man's shoulders as he spun him around.

"I think you've lost your way," Pierre said evenly as he hauled the fellow down the corridor to the reception hall.

Jade trailed behind, and watched Pierre firmly plant the unhappy man in a chair. Then he strode to his brother, and briefly spoke with him before returning to her side.

"Come with me," he said gently and took her arm.

He led her through the patio doors and down a graveled path bordered by rose bushes. The low sun splashed light onto the drab wings of sparrows that flitted through the greenery as they busily hunted their evening meal. Their chorus of high pitched, excited chirps pierced the calm until they took their arguments to a distant tree.

The path ended at a small stone fountain encased in bright rays. Next to it was a worn wooden bench. Sitting down, Jade faced the last burst of the day, as she leaned back on her palms, and peered up at Pierre. His face was hidden by the glare, and then he was seated beside her.

They watched the tiny stream spill from the dish and drop to the pool below. The silvery, repetitive sound cleared the fog from her mind.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Jade."

Sitting upright, she reached over and squeezed his hand. "No harm was done. You're always there when I need you," she replied sincerely.

He shrugged and tenderly looked down at her.

"You looked happy when you were dancing with Michel. Was it worth the long trip from Paris?" He rubbed his fingers against each other while he spoke, a nervous habit she hadn't seen before.

"It wasn't so long. I only wish we could stay for a few more days."

"Lucien told me that you might be visiting our vineyard tomorrow." His finger rubbing had stopped, and he was gazing at her intently. The light had softened to a rosy tint which covered his shoulders and hair.

She nodded and held his gaze. This was the first time they'd been alone since the day Erik had had his jealous outburst. Since then, she'd made a point to only visit with him when they were in the presence of mutual friends.

I've missed you dear friend. Had he adjusted to her marriage? Was there someone else he was now interested in? Back at the hall, she'd seen half a dozen women eagerly looking at him when the dancing began.

I wish I could tell you about my life with Erik. For the first time, I'm content. If it wasn't for your love, I would never have let him near. I owe you my happiness.

Then an idea came to her.

"Pierre, have you ever had your portrait painted?"

He leaned forward with a curious smile. "No. Do you need a model?"

She shook her head, and continued to stare. She was already sketching him in her mind.

"Jean says I can start working with a model next week. When I'm skilled enough, I'd like to paint you. You'll have to come to the studio. Then when I've finished, I'll give you the painting."

Shrugging good naturedly, he took her hand and affectionately squeezed it. "I would be honored. Let me know when you're ready. Would Saturdays be convenient?"

She nodded.

They smiled at each other, and waited for the light to completely vanish before returning to the hall.

0000

The carriage pulled up to the inn and Jade hopped out. It was still relatively early, just after nine in the evening. She was tired and looking forward to a soft bed and Erik's arms.

Unlocking the heavy door to their room, she pushed it open to find the fireplace lit and Erik seated next to it and reading. He looked up and tracked her with his eyes as she hung her cloak in the oak armoire. Crossing the room, Jade laid her hand on his shoulder.

"It was a lovely wedding, Erik." His tender look of the morning was gone, replaced with a distant, inscrutable expression. Please don't be jealous.

He rose, faced her, and pressed her shoulders between his large hands. "You look tired, my dear. Come." Leading her to the bed, he began to unbutton her dress. Jade sighed and shifted from one foot to the next as she gazed at the room. Next to the overstuffed chair were a pile of journals, and a sketch pad. On a small table sat a snifter and a bottle of brandy. The sweet fragrance of wood smoke laced with burning oil from the three lamps fanned out from the fireplace. Glancing at the drawn wine colored drapes, she wondered if Erik had spent the entire day in that cozy room.

When he finished with the buttons, Erik pulled the gown over her head and hung it in the armoire. Jade sat on the bed, and removed her stockings while she watched him unbutton his trousers. After shedding her petticoats, she crawled under the covers while he blew out the lamps.

It promised to be a cool, early May night. The outside's chill was still with her, and his warm nakedness was wonderful when he slid in beside her. His light chest hair tickled her breasts. It was exciting to be away from their home in a strange bed with the world just outside their window. A shifting patchwork of shadows covered Erik's face and the dusky scent of wood smoke in his black hair tickled her nose. When he kissed her, he tasted faintly of brandy.

"Did it go well at the reception?" he murmured into her hair.

Jade blinked. He was there.

Stiffening, she lay silently for a moment with her mind racing. Then she tentatively asked, "You saw Pierre and me in the garden?"

Erik's lips brushed her forehead.

"Tell me about the reception, my dear."

She sighed. "There was an incident in which a drunken guest fell against me, and pushed me into a wall. Pierre pulled him away, and escorted him back to his seat."

When he continued to gently stroke her with no further remarks, she began to relax. They fondled each other for awhile, getting reacquainted after the long day of separation. After several minutes of kissing, Jade propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him.

"Erik, there is something I wish to know." A day of mingling with strangers and imbibing a generous amount of wine had made her bold. "I've tried to guess this since the day I met you. How old are you?"

Erik kissed her brow. After a long moment, he answered with a deep, serious tone. "I am 32." Then his fingers, which were stroking her breasts, suddenly dived beneath her arms in a firm tickle. With a squeak, she tried to squirm out of his grasp but he held her tightly. Ending the attack, he kissed the top of her head.

"I will turn 33 at the end of May. How old did you think I was?" He finished with a low chuckle.

"Old," she replied. "But sometimes young. Like a magician."

Snorting, he playfully flipped her on her back, and she wriggled beneath him. Then she stopped and intently gazed up at him.

"If you ever wish to tell me about your past, I will listen," she calmly stated.

"Perhaps someday." His hands moved across her with a familiar rhythm, and she arched into them.

He suckled her earlobe and breathed into her ear, "Are you happy now?" The pace picked up as he massaged her thighs and breasts with a smooth intensity. His dark smile made her breathless. Tonight it will be a whirlwind. All his pent up restlessness needs expression.

"Jade, get on top of me," he coaxed as he firmly grasped her rump. It was a position they'd done before that she'd found very pleasurable.

Straddling him, she lowered herself onto his member and teased him with her wet cleft until he made a strangled sound. Then she pushed him inside of her and began a slow, rocking motion. After a minute, he moved his hips and strained to match her rhythm. His impatient thrusts stimulated and amused her. He seemed much younger as he lay beneath her, more like a boy than a powerful man. She loved that she was the one controlling their pleasure.

"Slowly," she whispered. She could do this all night—rocking the two of them with him inside of her. He wasn't wearing a sheath for protection and she was glad for that. It was time to move on and try again. She wanted a baby in her arms—a bright child that would grow to be a tall man with his father's eyes.

She bent over him, and her hair covered his chest as she kissed him deeply. His hands moved under that heavy veil and worked her breasts until she moaned into his mouth.

The heated room flushed their skin, and they became slick with sweat. Jade held Erik's face between her hands and kissed him hard while twisting her hips and thrusting down on his shaft. In her abandon, she inadvertently dug the leather mask into his face. A sharp hissing sound alerted her to his pain.

Her hands flew off, and she immediately slid off of him.

"I'm sorry! Oh, I shouldn't have touched it," she gasped.

"No. It is not your fault," he retorted as he caught her hand. After kissing it, he scooped her up and held her close for a moment. Then he placed her hand on his bare cheek.

"It was clumsy of me. I can see why you don't want me to touch you there."

Gently, he laid her hand on the mask. Covering her hand with his, Erik pressed it and said quietly, "It is fine here."

For the next few minutes with his guidance, Jade explored his masked face.

"Erik…" She stopped.

He was staring at her with an intensity that nearly wounded. Inhaling deeply, she continued. "Why do you still wear it? I've seen your face. If you remove it, I won't leave."

When he didn't reply she laid her head on his chest. He stroked her hair, and then tangling his fingers in it, he asked hoarsely, "Do you wish to sleep now?"

"No." Jade hugged him, and felt his erection inch up her thigh. Reaching for it, she tugged at him until he groaned.

"Wait," he said. He was out of bed and at the dresser searching for something. Returning, he sat on the bed's edge, and sheathed his shaft with a membrane.

"No," she said firmly.

With half closed eyes, Erik stared at her fingers as Jade peeled it off. Pulling him down on the bed, she stretched out next to him and stroked his erection. Hungrily, he fixed his eyes on hers.

"Are you certain about this?" he asked. Disbelief registered on his face along with a twisted look of hope.

"Yes." Her eyes deliberately traveled back and forth from the mask to his bare face, and stopped with a questioning look.

"I love you Erik. I will always love you," she quietly stated.

Tenderly, he cradled her head in his hands and kissed her. His hands were trembling but the kiss was steady and sure. When it was over, they held each other and listened to their breathing and heartbeats and the crackling fire on the hearth.

Erik reached between her legs and stroked her. Sighing, Jade opened them and rolled into his hardness. He obliged and entered her smoothly, and began the slow, thrusting stimulation. Her body hadn't cooled down from the previous joining, and she was soon close to a release. Under his steady attention the delicious tension stretched on. Shutting her eyes, Jade reveled in the fact that one of the barriers between them was finally gone.

Everything happens for a reason, she thought as her body flushed and shook. God took our child away because I wasn't ready to love him completely.

They lat on their sides and faced each other. Jade dug her fingers into his shoulder and goaded him on, as his face contorted from the intensity of their coupling.

Suddenly, Erik stopped. Taking Jade's hand, he laid it on the mask so that her fingers rested on its edge. With his hand over hers, he guided her fingers beneath the leather, curled them, and then slowly pulled. Together, they removed the mask.

Rough shadows cloaked crevices and bony tumors which turned livid red where the firelight struck. It was a demon's face.

As she stared at his disfigurement, a profound gratitude filled her. This is why he is mine. If he were perfect, he would never have loved me. He would be with his diva instead.

Pulling him to her, Jade kissed him. Erik hesitated for a moment, and then grasped her face with both hands as he plunged his tongue into her mouth.

Releasing her face, he ferociously thrust into her while gazing at her with a look of triumph.

Her release came, and Erik kept on—pushing inside, touching, kissing. He was molding her with pleasure and pain. The second release followed and her eyes sprung open. The red half of his face joined the white—a split image of devil and angel, straining to possess her. Closing her eyes, she listened to his voice that started softly and soon changed to raw intensity.

"You are mine, Jade. You will always be mine. I am in your blood. You will never leave me." His mouth covered hers in a crushing kiss.

She was beginning to feel battered—a sacrifice to his need to completely have her. This is where we become husband and wife, not that ceremony before the mayor and priest. Our marriage is sealed in trust and blood.

Through blurred eyes she watched as a great shudder ran through Erik. When he stiffened, she wrapped her arms about him, and with renewed vigor, thrust her hips to meet his. With quivering lips, he cried her name. Then he sank into the bed.

As she pressed against him, something slipped out from between them. In her mind's eye, Jade saw an eerie shadow briefly hover above them, and then glide out of the room. Immediately, she crossed herself and prayed, Dear God, let it not return. Let him remain whole.

Erik's breathing slowed while she stroked the back of his head, and murmured small, unintelligible sounds to him. A little later, he surrounded her with his arms and kissed her. The intensity had vanished, and Jade was finding it hard to keep her eyes open.

Snuggling close to him, she said, "I love you."

Darkness descended, and pulled her into sleep. As the shimmering edge of consciousness receded, a voice echoed back, "As I do you."

0000

The next morning, Jade awoke to warm sunlight streaming through the inn's windows. Blinking away the sleepy haze, she stared up at the ceiling. Then she blinked again with astonishment.

Above her on the beams were the soft fluttering wings of dozens of butterflies.

Pushing herself up against the headboard, she swiveled her head and took in the room that was dotted with yellow and white paper thin bodies.

"How?" she gasped.

Then she spied Erik who was seated in the stuffed chair by the fireplace and watching her. His mask was back in place and he was fully clothed. Rising, he glided to the bed and stared down at her with a sensuous smile.

"Good morning, my dear Jade. Welcome back." Sitting on the bed, he caressed her face and bent down to kiss her.

A/N: M rated material.

Dear readers, this was the chapter that refused to be born. Writers block, chaos at home, computer woes. So sorry, but hopefully it won't happen again. After a long wait, I hope you enjoy it.