"Kerri, I want to show you something before we leave." Erik blindfolded her.
"What is it?"
"Just follow me."
He pulled her through the house, which was now filled with crates and boxes of all sizes. Although they didn't have a house yet in Versailles, they had packed up everything, because it was likely that they would not return.
They were now walking on sand. The breeze was wet and chilly. Erik forced her to face what she thought might be north. But as she had told him before, her sense of direction was terrible.
When he removed the mask, she gasped.
The sun was setting, and it was the single most amazing thing she'd ever seen. The colors were vibrant and expressive. The ocean surface reflected it back, making the light doubly impressive.
"Why would you show me something like this and then ask me to leave?"
"So you'll want to come back." He murmured, pulling her back towards the carriage. They weren't taking much of anything, and Delia and Marie were staying behind to keep everything in order.
She realized that this would be the first time they had ever been alone together. Of course, they'd been alone before, that's how they had spent most of their days after meeting, but it had never been in complete solitude. Delia and Marie had always been wandering in and out of the rooms, or, as of recently, annoying maids tried to wait on her hand and foot. It wasn't that being alone scared her, it simply felt…different.
They would ride through the night, and hopefully make Paris by the following evening. It was a big undertaking, but Erik was always presumptuous.
It somehow was darker in the open air than in the forest, Kerri found out, and the strangeness of it perplexed her.
The night progressed slowly, and Kerri found herself lulled in to a stupor by the sound of the wheels and the movement of their vehicle. She was nestled in Erik's shoulder because he radiated warmth, and even though she was dressed warmly, Kerri still found herself shivering. She had already gained a good amount of weight although she wasn't vain enough to consider herself fat. She had no idea, however, why she would be seven pounds heavier and cold in the middle of June.
"Kerri, you're burning up." Erik commented, placing his hand on her forehead.
"Am I?" Because I feel cold."
He removed his coat, a light dinner jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"Are you sick?"
She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I'm just cold." Although, if she was sick, that would certainly explain the weird pineapple dreams she had been having. She was warmer now, but only a little. Erik looked worried.
"Erik, I'm fine. It's just chills." She assured him, but it wasn't very convincing."
"Forgive me if I'm concerned about the health of the woman carrying my child."
"Well stop looking so grim, at least. It's a fever, nothing more."
"People die all of the time from fevers."
"Yes, old people, and people with poor immune systems, and people who are homeless."
"That is not true. You are none of those, and the fever can still cook your brain."
Kerri groaned. "Just let me sleep. Sleep breaks fevers."
So Erik shut up and let her sleep. She suddenly seemed so tiny with her short hair around her ears and the jacket swallowing her shoulders. He thought this might have been what she looked like as a child, although something told him that the spirit she possessed had taken hold of her at an early age.
Erik had only closed his eyes for a moment. That's why it surprised him to see sunlight creeping in from beneath the window curtains. He hadn't remembered falling asleep, and wondered how long he had fallen asleep for. If Kerri had been awake, it had only been for a little while, because she was in the exact same position. Her fever had broken, and it seemed that she had stopped having whatever dreams plagued her.
When he finally managed to move her enough so that he could look out the window, he found himself starting at a typical small town layout. Houses spread apart to allow for farming and livestock, and ahead of them, a cluster of buildings that most likely served as its epicenter.
The carriage slowed and stopped in front of a bakery the scent of freshly baked bread wafting towards his nostrils.
"Sir, we're stopping to feed and water the horses. May I suggest that Kerri eat something?" The driver informed Erik through the now open window. Erik nodded, gently rousing her.
"Kerri…"He whispered, removing the jacket from around her. She stirred, but didn't wake up."
"Kerri, wake up. You need to eat."
"I'm not hungry." She mumbled, squinting her eyes shut. "And give me back that coat."
"You still need to eat something. I'm not asking for a five course meal."
"Can't we wait until e get to Paris?" Kerri was trying desperately to cling to sleep.
"How long until we reach Paris?" Erik asked the coachman.
"Six hours, maybe longer."
"No, we can't wait until Paris." He declared. She moaned, opening her eyes.
"Erik…"She whined.
"Kerri…" He returned. She scoffed, fixing her dress and sitting up.
"Fine. But if I turn into some heifer that can't play with her children, I'm placing the blame solely on you."
"Because a husband making his pregnant wife eat is such a heinous crime." He replied dryly as she got out of the carriage and walked into the bakery. Five minutes later, she emerged with a croissant glazed with honey, and a bag, which she handed to Erik.
"What's this?"
"Breakfast."
"I'm not hungry." He shrugged.
"Oh no. You're not getting off on that line. If I have to eat, so do you."
"I am not five months pregnant." He chided.
"You're right, but you're not going to die of malnutrition either, so eat."
He smiled at her opposition, and chose to eat the pastry versus argue more.
"Let's take a walk." Erik suggested. Kerri shook her head.
"No. I'm still tired."
"Oh, come on. It's a fairly straight road; not even you could get lost."
Kerri couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't like Erik to be blatantly funny; maybe he was just teasing her.
"Well, come on then." She started walking along the side of the road, letting Erik follow.
The town had a quiet murmur to it, like a beehive. You knew things were happening, even if you couldn't see them.
A gang of boys was playing ball in the street ahead, while a mother and daughter washed laundry. One of the boys kicked the ball for a goal, and missed, so that the ball was now headed straight for the couple. Erik caught it, and one of the boys ran over to retrieve it.
"Sorry, sir. May we have out ball back?"
"You're playing football?" Kerri asked. The boy nodded. He wasn't older than twelve.
"You're short a player."
"Well, my friend Marc is sick, so we had to forfeit our goal keeper."
"Why can't she play?" Kerri pointed to the little girl, who looked unhappy with washing clothes.
"She's a girl!"
"Who says girls can't play football?" Kerri put her hands on her hips.
"Everyone." The boy scoffed.
"Oh yeah?" Kerri raised her eyebrows and took the ball from Erik, placing it on the ground in front of her. She took a few steps back, and then kicked. The ball flew through the air, landing on the ground and rolling into the goal posts. Kerri smiled and continued on her way. As she passed, the little girl stared in amazement, while the mother scowled. Kerri winked at the girl, but ignored the older woman.
"So am I to understand that along with riding a horse like a man, sword fighting, and arguing better than most lawyers, you play football?" Erik asked once they had cleared the scene.
"I've never touched a ball in my life; that was a lucky kick."
"And what would have happened if you had not made a goal?"
"I would have proved him right and made an ass of myself."
Erik kissed her head, putting his arm around her shoulders.
"You are truly amazing."