I love you people, your reviews are encouraging, helpful and amusing. Thank you. Kudos to Amy the beautiful beta for her assistance too.
–Lesainthesky
Re-cap: Gabrielle says yes to Erik's proposal, they celebrate their respective birthdays.
Ch 41 Birthday Firsts
Dinner went smoothly, considering it was my first birthday in the 19th century and Erik's only birthday celebration—ever. Marie refused to allow me to serve our meal, taking it upon herself to wait on us. Henri caught us up on the latest goings on of his three offspring and I shared some of the details from our trip to London.
Erik remained quiet through most of the meal. Occasionally he would nod in agreement with a particular piece of conversation or interject a brief comment.
His primary focus tonight was gastronomical in nature, because he requested a second helping of the entree, a rare occurrence, for he was normally a most conservative eater.
"Dinner is superb as always, dear. Madame Roux, would you mind terribly fetching me another serving?" Erik asked.
"Delicious," Henri concurred.
"Thank you gentleman, now do eat up, I'd hate to see this hard work and fine food go to waste."
"In that case, another for me too, Mother."
Marie raised her eyebrows at Henri as if to suggest that he didn't need another serving. She rose to prepare another plate for Erik.
Henri blatantly ignored his wife's chiding, and turned toward Erik. "Will you be hiring a new cook when you and Madame Gabrielle are wed Monsieur DuPuis?"
"I suppose I should consider it."
"But why? I enjoy cooking for all of you. It's no bother really," I said addressing Erik.
"You would be hard pressed to find one to match her fine talents," Henri waved his fork toward me.
Marie swatted her husband for using his utensil as a pointer and begrudgingly set another helping of food in front of him.
"But Henri, Gabrielle will be the lady of this manor. It would not be proper for her to carry on her servitude."
Erik leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest, allowing Marie room to place the new dish of food in front of him.
"Excuse me...do I have a say in any of this?"
"Most certainly, darling."
"Erik, I see no reason to hire anyone else. You know how much I enjoy cooking for all of you. I think I would be bored with having nothing productive to do."
"My dear girl, you'll soon discover the role of wife and mother to be work enough," Marie counseled.
The word "mother" struck me like cold lightning. I hadn't had much time between yesterday's proposal and now to consider the possibility of motherhood.
Erik had never mentioned the desire to sire a child. It was a subject that needed broaching...soon.
I snuck a glance at Erik. His calm facade betrayed the surprise that shone in his eyes, evident to only me. Had he forgotten where babies come from? We would have a serious talk about the joys of parenthood.
Excusing myself from the table, I retreated to the kitchen for the birthday cake. I'd managed to scrounge up two small candles and had pushed them into the cake's thick icing. I lit them with a kitchen match and walked back into the dining room singing a snappy a cappella version of the Happy Birthday song.
At first Erik's face reflected dread, but when he heard me singing the silly little song, his expression morphed into one of bemusement.
I sat the cake within Erik's reach, then stood beside him and rested my hand on his shoulder lightly.
"One candle is for your birthday and the other one is for mine."
I addressed the Roux's, "It is my pleasure to share the anniversary of my birth with all of you; more importantly it is a privilege to be sharing Erik's first official birthday celebration with you."
"It is our supreme pleasure on both accounts, Madame," Henri bowed his head politely as Marie looked on smiling.
Erik eyeballed the cake with the burning candles, and then looked back up to me, "So...what do we do now? Those candles will melt and ruin your cake you know."
"Yes, they will, that is why you must make a wish and blow them out. I'll allow you the honor since I've celebrated my birthday every year for the past 29."
Erik cleared his throat and considered the cake. He shrugged his shoulders and leaned in to blow out the candles.
"Make a wish while you do it, Erik."
He regarded me with a look that communicated how absurd he considered all of this birthday nonsense.
"We can all use a little luck, right?" I grinned.
Erik gave a hearty blow to the candles, rendering them flameless.
"Very good, darling," I applauded.
He looked somewhat embarrassed
"Hey, at least I'm not insisting you wear a tiara," I whispered in his ear.
"Pardon me, a tiara?" said Marie. The woman had the ears of an elephant.
"Some nonsense of Gabrielle's," Erik waved his hand as if shooing away a bug.
"So, what did you wish for?"
"It is a secret," Erik whispered, his voice cloaked in mystery.
What would a man like Erik would wish for, I wondered. Something either lurid or macabre I was sure.
I tossed my head indifferently, "Fine, keep it to yourself then, see if I care."
The Roux's must have done some clandestine shopping that morning. Marie excused herself from the table, only to return in a moment with two smallish parcels in tow. They gifted Erik with a new set of fine nibs for his pens and a book for me.
Upon receiving the nibs, which were wrapped in colorful tissue paper, Erik uttered a polite thank you to the Roux's. It was hard for him to say much more as there were tears in his eyes.
I too offered gracious thanks to the couple for my book, The Bride's Guide to Proper Household Etiquette.
"Caron was given this book before she wed. She claims it has been invaluable to her as a new bride. I realize you have been married before, but I think you will find the tips useful," said Marie.
And you figured someone like me needs proper instruction, am I right?" I joked.
"Oh, no! I did not mean to insult you, dear. I thought you might find the book informative. It has been a few years since you were a married woman and now you are in a new country. We do things differently in France you know," Marie scrambled to justify her choice of reading material.
"No offense taken Marie, and thank you for your thoughtful gift, but I am curious; are there any books for men as well, you know for the new husband?"
By her blank expression, I knew there probably were not.
"That I do not know, but it is the woman's place to make a welcoming home for her husband, a task requiring special skills and attitude don't you think, dear?"
"Absolutely!" quipped Erik.
I shot him a look, which I hoped he interpreted correctly. "Behave or I'll not let you have any birthday cake."
"I challenge you to refuse me a piece."
I cut him a rather healthy slice of the chocolate dessert. "I would never be so cruel. Here my love, Happy Birthday."
Everyone enjoyed their cake and coffee and seemed pleasantly stuffed and ready for a nap or a walk, depending on which bodily proclivity was the most insistent.
Marie, bless her heart, shooed me off from kitchen duty. "It is your first birthday here at the manor, I want you to rest and enjoy it, so please retire to the salon, or music room with your fiancé and leave me to care for the cleaning, Gabrielle."
"Are you sure, Marie? I don't want to take advantage of you."
"Make no mistake; my wife is not one to let others take advantage of her. Run along dear. May you both have a Happy Birthday," Henri said shooing us away by closing the pocket doors from the dining room into the main hallway after us.
"Well, I get their message loud and clear," I laughed lightly, looking up at my betrothed.
Erik took my right hand in both of his, "Now, my love, what does one do on their birthday?"
"Well...we could take a pre-sunset walk in the garden to allow our food to digest, then you can beat me in a game of chess, or play music, or any other endeavor that a man and a woman would find pleasurable," I smiled innocently.
He peered down at me and questioned my inference by raising one dark brow, "Something that a man and a woman might find pleasurable? What do you suggest darling?"
"Let's take our little walk in the garden and ponder the answer while we stroll," I suggested.
The June evening was fair and warm with the exotic scent of newly bloomed night jasmine perfuming the air. We walked for a while, then sat down on one of the gardens iron benches and quietly enjoyed the setting sun.
The various shades of sunlight reflecting off the wisps of clouds mesmerized me with their ethereal beauty. An aura of gold kissed the treetops, morphing into purples, oranges and pinks, eventually blending into strips of aqua and lapis.
I sighed, "This is so peaceful here, as if nothing else existed in the world but God's beauty and the two of us."
"If only that were true, my love," Erik added wistfully, "Never again would we worry about trivial prejudices and unfair sorrows."
He hooked an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. I savored his touch...hell; I savored nearly everything about Erik, his stature and cool demeanor, his silky voice and way he looked at me with those incandescent jade eyes.
The man worked my last nerve.
The sun disappeared over the horizon revealing Venus in the eastern sky. With no street-lights around, the garden was pitch black. We decided to retire to the house, using the gas light from the sunroom windows as our guide.
I breached the easy silence between us, "Erik?"
"Yes love?"
"Have you ever wanted children?" That's good Gab; just blurt it out.
He paused to gather his thoughts, "Hum, well, I suppose not. Women do not usually mate with monsters."
I nudged him with my elbow, "Stop that, you are not a monster!"
"Gabrielle, most women who have seen my face either faint or run screaming. Rape never appealed to me so, the answer to your question is, no. Besides, what if I were to pass my hideous deformity on to an innocent babe? That would surely seal my fate to hell."
We'd reached the rear entrance to the sunroom. I stopped Erik before he could open the door and reached for both of his hands. "Sweetheart, I am not a doctor of genetic medicine, but I would wager your deformity is a result of something your mother ingested while you were in her womb. Visible birth defects are not typically genetic; you cannot pass it on to your offspring. While I do understand your fears, they are not mine."
Erik averted his eyes and stared at the door handle looking forlorn.
I placed my free hand on his chin and gently guided his head up so he had to meet my eyes.
"If and when you and I create a child together and if that child bears a disfigurement, I know beyond all doubt that our little one will be loved and taken care of like a little prince or princess. No, we are not perfect, as great as my own father was, or is, no parent is perfect. Erik, we will be amazing parents. We will instill within our child a keen sense of self worth, and no one will taunt them without facing a wrath of monumental proportions."
Erik stared into my eyes with a resolute intensity, "Without question."
I gave his hands a reassuring squeeze and nodded, "Without question."
His chin trembled ever so slightly and I could tell he was fighting back tears. "Gabrielle, I do love you so."
"Ditto, Erik." I smiled and hugged him as tightly as my arms were able.
After the past disasters in the relationship arena, I was wary of letting another man into my heart or my body, but Erik was—different. The image of our naked bodies sealed together in the act of making love encroached on my sleep nightly. My endless longing evolved past mere animalistic urges, they embodied a deep need to connect on every level with Erik.
He must feel the same or he would not have proposed to me, I reasoned.
I needed him, and I wanted him—now.
My nerves came alive with the fear of rejection. I felt a bit like a tart, wanting to bed him before we wed. But he and I were not like other couples. We were soul mates and I knew in my heart that there would never be another man for me.
I swallowed hard and stood on my toes to whisper in his ear.
"Erik, I want—I want to make love to you tonight. We're engaged now, we've waited long enough.
- O -
Hummmmmmm……
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–Leesa