Paladin53

Philippe admired Belmont Manor. Though dusty when he and Sophia had first arrived, the grounds had never been neglected, even when the original owner had died and left it to his disinterested daughter.

While his horse made a path through the snow, Philippe imagined what the estate would look like come spring, especially viewed from the main house. With orchards as far as the eye could see, Philippe knew it was something Sophia would enjoy. He only hoped that her vision would hold until spring.

It had been several months since Philippe had asked her about her vision, as he knew the subject was a sensitive one. She insisted that everything was fine, but all too often he caught her silently mouthing the number of steps she had taken across the room. He wondered if her vision was worse than she admitted or if she simply wanted to be prepared for the inevitable.

Philippe lead his horse down the hillside path and toward the abandoned overseer's house. Structurally, there was nothing wrong with the cottage, but Philippe knew well enough that Sophia hated it.

"There are no windows," she once complained.

With a look of disgust, Philippe shook his head. "There are windows. Plenty of windows."

"But they're small."

"They're still windows."

Tying the horse to the fence, Philippe retrieved the keys from his trouser pocket and unlocked the door. He was instantly met by the musty odor of an unused space and held his breath a moment as he waved his arms around and attempted to circulate air. Realizing that his attempts were in vain, he entered the dark house and carefully walked across the floor.

Once he reached the office in the back, he pulled open the drapes and allowed moonlight into the room. As his eyes adjusted, Philippe uncovered the desk, which was draped with a dusty sheet. He found a candle burned down to a stub, which he lit once he located matches in the top drawer. Leaving the chair covered, Philippe began searching through the drawers for the most recent financial records.

He had just found what he was looking for when he heard his horse whinny. Glancing up, Philippe heard the thunder of hooves slowly fading into the night. He cursed under his breath and rose to his feet, sprinting through the house until he reached the front door.

His horse was gone.

-o-

The house Sophia and Philippe shared was dark when Erik walked her home.

They took their time leaving, as Citrine had gone home for the evening. Fidelio wanted to accompany them outside, but Erik sternly told him to stay put and he did, sliding down onto his belly and listlessly resting his head on his front paws.

"He listens to you," Sophia said. "My brother and father never had luck with animals. It must be the sound of your voice."

"What do you mean?"

"It's very…commanding," she said.

Erik shrugged before placing her cape over her shoulders and then adding his. He no longer felt commanding. Christine had sapped everything from him: His self-confidence, his manhood, everything he thought he possessed she had taken from him…or proved never existed.

Sophia turned around in a circle to show Erik that his cloak was far too big. With a grin, she wriggled out of the garment. "We're not far from my door. I doubt I'll freeze."

"Very well," Erik replied, feeling foolish until Sophia placed her hand on his wrist.

"You're very thoughtful," she said.

Erik held Sophia close to him as they walked across the yard, keeping her warm while sating his own need to steal a few more moments.

"He must be asleep," Sophia said when they reached the front door and found the house dark.

Erik glanced down at the snow. "There are no tracks."

Sophia shrugged. "He may have entered through the kitchen."

Turning, Erik scanned the yard and saw no evidence that anyone had walked to or from the house in some time.

"Are you certain your brother was returning this evening?" he questioned.

Sophia nodded, though her hand twitched in Erik's grasp. "He said he was traveling to the overseer's house across the property." She sighed and her shoulders fell. "I will see if he's in his room and if he's not, I suppose I'll wait for him—or perhaps leave the door unlocked for him."

Erik watched her unlock the front door and felt a twinge of sadness. He released her arm and took a step back, feeling a chill run up his spine now that he no longer had her warmth beside him.

"Good night," he said quietly.

Sophia pushed the door open then turned to face Erik. She smiled and extended her hand. "Thank you," she said. "It was a lovely evening."

Erik took both of her hands and gently squeezed them. "Lock your door and wait for him to return," he suggested.

Sophia nodded. "That stern voice," she teased.

With one last tender kiss, Erik watched Sophia disappear into her home. His moment of melancholy was broken when he heard her give a little squeal of delight, which he assumed he wasn't meant to hear. A moment later she appeared in the window and waved one last time, poised and proper.

Erik was oblivious to the cold as he returned home and allowed Fidelio out for a moment. The dog quickly did his business before running back to the door and sliding into the foyer. Landing on his rump, Fidelio glanced around as though wondering who had pushed him.

"Dolt," Erik said under his breath. He patted his leg and the dog came running, pushing his master aside to bound up the stairs. Erik heard the bed creak and knew Fidelio had made himself at home.

"You have until the end of the week," Erik said sternly. "And then you shall sleep on the floor."

Fidelio's tail continued to wag as Erik dressed for bed. He glanced out the window one last time and saw that Sophia's light was still on. There was honey still on his lips, real or imagined he didn't know. It didn't matter. Erik knew he would dream of Sophia. Turning down the lamp, he nudged Fidelio and crawled beneath the covers.

Moments later, Fidelio jumped on his chest and licked his face. What would have grated on his nerves months ago brought a smile to Erik's lips in the darkness.

-o-

Philippe stalked outside and gritted his teeth. He had tied the horse to the fence. There was no mistaking that the beast was secure. The fence was still intact, so Philippe knew that the animal hadn't managed to break through a rotting piece of wood.

Cursing under his breath, Philippe paused several feet from the fence and exhaled hard. It wasn't that he couldn't walk his back to the Manor, as he had done it before, but it had been before the snowfall. It took his horse a half-hour to ride across the estate. On foot it would take him an hour, if not more. He was in no mood to walk home in the cold.

His only hope was that there was firewood in the abandoned cottage. He could tolerate the musty smell and dusty furniture for a night and then return home in the morning. If he was lucky, Gabe might even ride out to see what had kept him.

With his mood improving, Philippe turned to enter the cottage again. Sophia wouldn't be pleased with him, but she would be fine for one night. Chances were she was in bed already.

He shut the door again, oblivious to the pair of eyes watching him from the orchard.