"Christine…I believe I have someone with me who would like to see you." Roxana said as she walked into her friend's house. Christine looked up and her mouth dropped when she saw the tiny blonde girl standing beside Roxana.
"Meg." She said quietly and quickly as if she were afraid to utter the name. Meg nodded slightly, her face pale. "Where are your real friends, Marguerite?" Christine asked her snidely. She didn't care anymore. She was tired of going out of her way to be a good girl and make everyone happy.
"Christine I…" Meg managed to sputter out.
"You what?" Christine asked, irked. "You know…ever since before my wedding I have been going out of my way to include you and making sure that you were alright. I don't know where this idiotic jealousy of yours came from, but I am sick of it! I have never done anything to offend you or hurt you in any way and if you have the nerve to come here and think that you're…"
"Christine…if you would shut up for five seconds, I could tell you that I was sorry." Meg spat out finally. Christine shut up.
"You are." She said, and Meg nodded.
"I've been a real…well…I've been a real something." She said and Christine sighed.
"I believe brat would be an appropriate word. And have you even seen your mother lately? She looks like she's been to hell and back. She said you never see each other any more and when you do, that you're moody and rude." Meg gasped.
"She said that?" She asked in a whisper and Christine nodded.
"Yes Meg, she did." Was Christine's only reply. Meg sighed.
"I am horrid." She said softly and Christine stood.
"You aren't horrid Meg. You just need to start thinking about other people's feelings. You hurt the people who love you the most for selfish stupid reasons…but I forgive you." She said and Meg nodded.
"Thank you." She said.
"I hear you are engaged…" Christine said slowly, looking at Roxana. Meg nodded.
"Look I know you don't think much of him, but Christine…it's going to happen. I love him…and there is nothing you can tell me to make me think otherwise." She said and Christine could see there was no talking her out of it.
"Well…Meg…I will respect your decision…but you are responsible for your own actions." She warned. "I will not sympathize…" She said and Meg nodded.
"I understand…but it won't happen with me. He really loves me." She said and the look in her pure blue eyes was so heartbreaking Christine actually felt a lump come into her throat. She knew even Meg wasn't convinced, but it was not her place to correct her. Roxana placed her hand on the little ballerina's shoulder.
"Meg finally saw the true colors of her friends Jacqueline and Sissy." She said and Christine's eyes widened.
"I don't like that Jacqueline…she looks at me so strangely and Raoul too." She said and Roxana bit her lip.
"Surely Raoul has told you about the engagement?" She asked and Christine nodded.
"Yes…but he said they were never close." She replied.
"He was right, but ever since we were children, Jacqueline has been obsessed with Raoul." She said and took a breath. Her head had been bothering her all day and now the pain was getting a bit worse. Christine, noticing this, forgot about Jacqueline and Sissy.
"Are you alright Roxana?" She asked and Roxana nodded.
"Ever since I was little…I get…horrible headaches when it's hot outside. It hasn't happened in a long time…since before James was born." She said, putting her hands over her eyes.
"Vicomtess? There is an Andrew Westcliff here looking for his fiancée?" Therese said, coming into the room. Christine looked at Meg.
"Let him in." She said, moving to fetch a glass of water for Roxana as Andrew's handsome form came into the room. His mouth dropped open when he saw Roxana sitting with her head cradled in her arms.
"Meg?" He asked as the petite girl came to embrace him, but he was still watching Roxana, who noticed.
"May I help you?" She asked coldly and he shook his head.
"I am only here to fetch my fiancée." He said, careful to watch her reaction which was slim to none.
"Lovely…I'm having a migraine." She said, and got up to join Christine.
"I was worried Meg…" Andrew said, composing himself. "Jacqueline and Sissy said that you blew up at them and just left for no reason." He said, petting her silky blonde hair. Her blue eyes blazed.
"Actually dearest, I left because they said performers are disgusting and went on call me a ballet rat and my sister an opera tramp." She said and Andrew frowned.
"I see." He said, putting his arm around her shoulder and eyeing Christine. "You two have made up then?" He asked and Meg nodded. He smiled, but Meg couldn't help noticing it seemed forced. She also couldn't help noticing the way he kept glancing at Roxana. Meg had to admit, she was probably one of the most exotic beauties she'd ever seen. She was not perfect, as her features did have their flaws but she was rather enjoyable to look at. She bit her lip and said her goodbyes thanking Roxana and promising to meet Christine later this week.
"What the hell was he looking at?" Roxana asked aloud, adjusting her skirt. Christine shook her head uncomfortably, setting a cup of tea and a glass of water in front of her friend. Roxana laid her head on the cool table again. The smooth wood felt lovely against her flushed cheek. She was so relaxed, she barely heard the door open as Raoul and Erik walked in.
"You two are back early." Christine said, looking at the clock on the wall. They'd gone to the Reynolds' to pick up Alana and the Comtess, who had fought the entire way home about wedding details. Erik was at a point where he wanted to shoot himself in the foot if he had to hear about the difference between lilies and tulips again. Raoul pressed a quick kiss to Christine's lips as Erik eyed Roxana lying over the table.
"Is she…dead?" He asked jokingly, poking at her. She looked up moodily.
"I was having the best dream about the man of my dreams and…" She stopped, pretending to notice him finally, "Oh it's just you." She said dryly when she saw him sit beside her.
"Sorry pet." He said and she stuck her tongue out at him.
"I am not your pet." She grumbled and smacked at him. Raoul rolled his eyes.
"Look, are you two going to kill each other or make love or what…because we have things to do today." He teased as Erik raised an eyebrow. They had not told anyone that they'd been making love regularly and by the looks of it, they weren't ready to tell anyone.
"Very funny boy…" He muttered and took a sip of Roxana's tea.
"So what's wrong with you?" He asked her, "Besides having a horrible personality that is…" She picked her head up and he could see she was not feeling well.
"I'm married to the devil." She retorted and snatched her tea back.
"She's got a headache." Christine answered for her as Roxana gave her a look. She shrugged innocently turning to Raoul. "Meg was here. She apologized for everything. I guess she saw the true side of Jacqueline and Sissy." She said and Raoul winced.
"Speaking of…" He said, looking at Erik who scowled, remembering what had happened on the way to the Reynolds.
"That girl should be shot." Erik replied as Christine looked from him to Raoul.
"What happened?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Well, Erik and I walked into the inn to have a drink when all of a sudden I hear her shrill little voice…you know what I mean Roxana." He said looking at his friend who nodded, cringing in feigned pain.
"Don't remind me."
"Well, she comes up and puts her arm around me and asks if I want to get a room with her! Mind you, she has apparently had a drink or two…but still. I of course told her to get the hell away from me and she went on to jabber on about how I would rather sleep with a scrawny little tramp than her…like she ever had a chance anyway. Christine at least was a decent respectable girl and she is a…a…"
"Whore from Hell?" Erik offered and Raoul nodded. Roxana smirked as she looked at Christine whose little hands were balled into fists.
"Christine…seeing her only made me realize how much luckier I am to have you." Raoul said, kneeling beside her chair.
"Oh Raoul. I trust you…it's her I don't trust." She said and Raoul nodded, cupping her face with his hands.
"I know…" He said. "I don't trust her either and I don't want you going anywhere alone." He said and Erik elbowed Roxana, who glared at him.
"That goes for you too." He said and she snorted.
"Yes your Majesty." She said sarcastically and he nodded, smiling confidently.
"Good girl. As long as we have that clear." He said and moved out of the way before her hand could collide with his face. He put his arms back around her so she couldn't move and stood up with her.
"Well, I am going to get this wild beast out of here before she claws the skin off of my arms…we will see you both tomorrow?" He said and Christine nodded.
"Put me down you bastard!" Roxana cried as he practically carried her from the house. She winced when they stepped out into the sunlight, the light making her head hurt worse. The ride home was a bit better since the carriage had drapes but the throbbing remained.
"Are you alright?" Erik asked her. She nodded.
"I get really bad headaches when it's warm out." He sighed.
"You should get some rest. I know I haven't exactly been allowing you to sleep much." He said a bit embarrassed with himself. She nodded.
"Don't worry. I would have gotten this even if I had slept all night." She explained. "It used to scare my father to pieces when I was young." She said and Erik bit his lip.
"Roxana. How did he die?" He asked and she frowned.
"I…well…it's hard for me." She said, looking at her hands. "They said he killed himself, but I knew my father. He wouldn't have done that. Especially since he'd found out I was pregnant. He was so excited about being a grandfather. Then one day in my sixth month, Justin went over to show him the blanket his mother had knitted, Justin and my father were very close, and when he got there…Papa was…well shot to death with the gun in his hand." She stopped, biting her lip to keep it from trembling. "He wouldn't let me see him and the funeral was closed casket so I never got to say goodbye. The stress was so bad that I started bleeding and we were afraid I was going to lose Jamie, but the doctor told me to go on bedrest and three months later, out he came." She sighed heavily and Erik shook his head.
"So you lost your husband and your father all in a matter of months?" He asked and she nodded.
"No use dwelling on it. It won't change anything." She said and he frowned.
"No, but running from it won't change it either." He said and surprising her he pulled her into a pleasantly gently embrace. The kind that good friends give each other when they're hurting. "I used to wish someone would hug me like that Roxana…only one person ever did and that was my friend Annie. Madame Giry if you will…she was the first and the last person to hold me like that before Christine's last embrace she gave me when she left me."
"Thanks…" She said pulling back. She meant it. Ever since he and Christine had come into her life, she felt like the pieces were actually coming back together. They were the best friends she could ever have. Then of course there was Raoul. Her sweet, attentive little friend Raoul who was three months younger than her.
"You know…you should really get some sleep Roxana." He said. "I'll watch Jamie and put him to bed for you…" He offered and she nodded, nearly asleep against the window of the carriage. She kissed Jamie and went straight upstairs to lie down. As Erik watched her disappear, he noticed Jamie was looking at him with an almost knowing look.
"Don't get any ideas James…it's not like that with us…" He was sure it was his imagination but he could have sworn he'd seen the little boy raise his eyebrow the way he did when he was in doubt yet, the next time he looked, Jamie was contentedly rolling around with his stuffed bear. Erik looked back toward the stairs and sighed. Maybe this whole idiotic arrangement was a mistake.