"No, Christine, that is the salad fork. Try again."

"I still don't see why I have to know all of this."

"Even if you don't use it tonight, one day Erik will take you to a dinner that will require it."

Christine picked up the proper fork this time. She had known before but was in no mood to be cooperative. She didn't especially feel like going to be with Erik's boring friends. She had no interest to go with a man she barely knew to listen to topics that didn't concern her. "Sarah, do you think Erik will be upset that I got so many clothes today?"

"No. Maria knows what she is doing."

"Sarah leave us." Christine turned to see Erik appear out of nowhere, almost as if though he had walked out of a wall. "Now." Erik didn't sound the least bit pleased. Sarah turned and rushed out of the room.

Erik attempted to regain his calm as he approached Christine. He was tired after a long day that had no end in sight.

Christine was nervous that she had done something wrong. "I am sorry I didn't mean to spend so much this morning."

Erik took a seat next to Christine. "I am not worried about how much you spent. I told you to get a new wardrobe, did I not? Hmm?"

"Yes."

"What I am worried about is the fact that you didn't take your vitamins this morning."

"What?"

"Your vitamins. The ones that Sarah gives you every morning. You didn't take them this morning." Erik held up his hands to reveal two pills.

"I don't know what your talking about."

"Take them, Christine."

"No, I don't want to."

"Christine, take them or I take your phone."

"You can't do that." Christie slammed her fist against the table.

"Are you forgetting, Christine? You gave all your communication with the outside world to Erik. Erik gets to say whom you may talk to. Now, Erik will not ask nicely again." Christine was now intimidated and took the vitamins from Erik's hand. She grabbed her glass and swallowed them.

"Good girl. Now, if you are done playing with Sarah. I would like for you to rest. Tonight will most likely bore you, and I would prefer for you not to fall asleep at the table."

"All right, but first could, I ask you a couple of questions?"

"I won't promise to answer them."

"That's fine. Why do I have to take the vitamins?"

"You have not kept a proper diet. Therefore, needing them."

"When do I get to stop taking them?"

"That will depend on what Dr. Hartsfield says."

"Dr. Hartsfield?"

"Yes, he is making a house call to see you tomorrow. Don't bother arguing the subject. You are way over due for a check up, Christine."

"I am not four." Erik made no response to this and waited for Christine's next question. "May I go to my apartment tomorrow and get my things?"

"I can provide you with whatever you need, my dear."

"Some of those things are irreplaceable. Please? Erik, it would mean a lot to me."

"I will send some men over, then. Do you have any instructions?"

"I would rather go myself but don't break anything."

ECECECECECECECECECECECECECCECECECECECECECECECECECECEFCCECECE

Christine sat, listening to idle chatter of women while Erik spoke with their husbands. Every now and then, she would catch part of what Erik was saying. It sounded more like he was explaining a simple matter to children, who couldn't grasp the concept. However, each one of the men nodded their heads eagerly.

After three hours of this, Erik excused himself and Christine. David was waiting with the car at the door. Erik helped Christine in the car, climbing in after her. "Thank you for going with me, Christine."

"You're welcome."

The rest of the drive was spent in silence. Erik simply took this to mean that Christine was overly tired from the night's events. Christine was glad to finally be in silence.

When they arrived home, Erik helped Christine out of the car and walked her up to her room. "I hope tonight was not too boring for you, my dear."

"No, it wasn't boring. By much."

"I will let you retire now and see you in the morning. Goodnight, Christine." Erik kissed Christine's hand, bowed, and walked to his office.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Christine walked up to her room exhausted. The day had been long and awful. She was glad it was nearly over.

Erik had been in the kitchen waiting for her that morning. Once she sat down, he handed her her vitamins and watched as she stuck them in her mouth and took a drink. When she was finished, he took a step closer. "Open your mouth."

Christine opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. "See nothing there."

Erik frowned at her sarcasm. "I will see you this afternoon. Sarah has your schedule for the day." Erik took his leave and went to prepare for Christine's music lessons.

Dr. Hartsfield hadn't been so bad. In fact, other than Sarah, he had been the one friendly face that she had seen all day.

"Perfectly healthy as far as I can tell."

"Then will you tell Erik that I don't need vitamins?"

"Ah, the vitamin issue. I told him you most likely wouldn't need them, but Erik has made up his mind. I don't think he is going to change his mind anytime soon. Give him some time. He'll come around."

After that day, the day had gone downhill. First, the agency that Erik decided on sent the most horrid woman. She been forced to study for three hours while the woman just glared at her, occasionally hitting her with a ruler when she would get distracted. Erik seemed upset when he learned of this. He promised he would fix this, but Christine learned an important lesson this afternoon: Erik likes to be in control. For hours, he had dedicated where she stood, how she stood, and what she sang. It wasn't until Sarah came into the library saying that dinner was getting cold that Erik released her.

Christine opened her door to find boxes piled all over her room. She opened one of them up to find her belongings. How did it get here? She didn't give Erik a key to her apartment, and Elizabeth wouldn't have just let strange men in. Christine searched the room and found her purse abandoned in a corner. She dug through it and found no trace of her keys. She practically ran to Erik's office and began pounding on the door.

Erik turned off his televison, figuring Christine had ran down the hall to thank him. He didn't want her to know he recorded everything that had happened in his house, except her bedroom. He had decided that she deserved privacy at least there. "Come in."

Christine opened the door and began her attack. "How dare you?"

This was not what Erik expected. "How dare I do what, Christine?"

"What did you do with my keys, Erik? You had no right to go through my things. You didn't even bother asking for them. You just went snooping."

"I am sorry, my dear. I didn't think that you would mind. You were busy with your lessons. I didn't want to disturb you."

"That brings me to another point. I don't see why I have to go through with these lessons. They are absolutely pointless as well as those stupid vitamins you make me take. Your famed doctor even said so himself."

"Alright Christine, I will take what you said into consideration. I think it would be best for you to get your rest. I will see you in the morning." Once Christine left, Erik picked up one of her pictures and smiled. They had just had their first lover's quarrel.