Hello, everyone. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! So I am kind of going through AMH withdrawal since they didn't air an episode last week…

Anyway, I have finally written another chapter. Please continue to let me know what you think. This helps me to know what I'm doing right and wrong as I go.

This chapter is a lot of building up to the action at the end. It is probably important to pay attention to the tiny details.

And if you are curious about the dance Emily and Edward are doing, YouTube the name of it. I am picturing something much more classic than what pulls up on there, but you can get the idea. It's a neat little dance. The dance with Lewis should be there, as well. Enjoy!

Chapter 3 Schottische

Edward

Edward glimpsed at his hands in confusion, trying to piece together what had happened. He stared up at Emily Beth in horror when he realized what he had done. He'd frightened her.

"Emily…" He tried to reach out to her, longing to comfort her. He'd hurt her. But she bolted away before he could do anything else. He sprang out of bed and went to the flap of his tent.

"Emily Beth!" He felt his face crinkle with sorrow when she didn't stop. Then he leaned on a post supporting his tent and ran a hand over his eyes. Actually… He wouldn't blame her if she never spoke to him again.

But she had already gone. And he didn't dare go after her for fear he would only frighten her more. And…he was in his night garments. Edward slowly walked to the side of his bed and sat with his head buried in his hands, forced to listen as the demon told him what a monster he truly was over and over. He never slept again that night.

"You're a monster, Edward Mordrake. Always and forever a monster..."

…

Early that morning, Edward gradually made his way to the big tent to join the others. He ran a hand through his hair and down his face once more. No amount of washing his face took away the sleepiness that lingered in his eyes.

Edward heard a woman's laugh, probably Bertha's, and more talk as he approached. He hesitated before opening the flap to come through, seeing the terrified look on Emily's face from the night before once more. The young gentleman sighed and ducked inside.

Edward immediately looked for Emily this time, but she wasn't there. Lewis was sitting with his back leaning against the wall, yawning slowly. Otto was slumped over by Bertha, but twisted himself so that he was lying across her lap with his long limbs sprawled all over the place.

"I'm never drinking again!" he exclaimed in agony.

Bertha's only response was to pat his face. "That's what you said last time, dear."

"And when was last time, pray tell?" Edward interjected.

Otto turned his chin up to the ceiling so that he was looking at him upside down. "The other day," he finally answered.

"Ah." Edward cracked a smile as Lewis guffawed.

Bertha rolled her eyes and looked to the dwarves and staff. "Get up, Otto. They will have breakfast soon. Let me see if I can fetch Emily again."

Despite previous attempts to lighten the mood, Edward felt concern tugging at his heart as he watched Bertha leave. "Is Emily alright?" he asked Lewis.

He nodded. "Just don't want to wake up yet, I suppose. Happens to the best of us. Speaking of which, where did you get off to last night?"

Edward shook his head dismissively. "I was forced to retire to my tent; I suddenly felt quite exhausted."

"Well, it was quite a day yesterday," Otto yawned. Edward smiled knowingly as Otto struggled to get through his current state.

"That it was," Edward twisted his hat around in his hands, thinking of how the day had gone from a dream to a nightmare.

One of the dwarves (Edward still didn't know their names) walked over to their group. "And now we have to start all over with a new show. We'd like to borrow Emily Beth."

Edward glared at the dwarf, speaking about Emily as if she were an object, rather than the human being she was. And how directly the dwarf had dared to ask such a delicate question was…almost insulting. Edward had been raised to be a gentleman of his time, but he liked to think all men had a sense of common courtesy.

"That would be her decision," Lewis answered without bothering to look up.

"Who's decision?" Emily Beth parted the flaps of the tent, wearing a simple dress with a cape to protect her from the cold of the morning. Bertha followed her inside, having successfully fetched her. Edward couldn't tell if he'd done harm to her neck or throat, as she had it covered. But he couldn't help but smile a little, he was so relieved. Relieved she was up and about and well.

The dwarf removed his hat, much more politely than before. "We wondered if we might have you for a dance? For tomorrow night's show, my lady?"

Edward stared at the dwarf. A little better. At least he was decent about his manner of addressing her.

Emily opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the manager, who had heard their conversation as he entered the tent. "She will dance with who I say. And I say that, tomorrow night, she is with Mordrake."

Everyone hesitated a moment, then everyone except Emily and Edward applauded. The entire carnie circuit was simply in love with the beauty of the idea.

"Oooohhhh! It would be the performance of the season!" one of the lady dwarves boasted.

Lewis spread his hands, like an artist with vision. "The Prince and the Peasant Girl!"

Edward wasn't sure Otto was a man for many ideas, but it turned out he had many. "They could do the dance, and the piano… It wouldn't even be missed, it will be so lovely. Someone could beat a tribal drum of some sort and Bertha can play the most beautiful violin melody…"

Edward sat down the glass the cooking staff had given to him and folded his hands in his lap, as he had left his cane behind that morning. He lowered his eyes, so he wouldn't have to see the devastation in Emily Beth's. Or the relief when he said what he had to say.

"Dance isn't one of my…finer attainments," he said. Eventually, the room grew silent.

"How not? You were practically a lord, weren't you?" said the dwarf who had asked for Emily earlier.

"I would have been. But dance… 'Tis something you do with other people. Often at celebrations. I was never allowed," Edward said quietly.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. He could practically feel the hearts sinking around him. But at least he'd saved Emily from the fear she must have felt when the manager stated his previous conditions.

After a long moment of staring at his hands, he felt the gentle touch of a small hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, he found himself staring right into the sincere, grey-blue eyes of none other than Emily Beth. She wasn't smiling as she usually was, but she looked so kind it was bewildering.

"I'll show you," she said. "I think this is a wonderful idea, and…many of us know how it feels. To miss out all the joys of life simply because….we weren't allowed. But now we are. It would be my honor to have you as my partner tomorrow, Edward Mordrake."

She and Edward stared into each other's eyes for a moment. He was bewildered by her sincerity, after all that had happened the night before. Edward opened his mouth to say something, to thank her, but nothing came. All he could manage to offer was a one slow nod. Emily Beth offered him her usual smile then, comfortingly.

"Our time in the shadows is over, Mordrake. You prove that, with every show," said the manager.

Edward put his hand over his heart. "'T would be an honor to share a dance with this good woman. But dance moves my heart, and I know nothing of it. "

Lewis clapped his hands together. "Always an honor to share a dance with Emily Beth, and she will make sure you have it right by the show, believe me. And I'll be here to make sure all goes well. Manager, sir, tell me. Will some of the people who saw the last show return to see Mordrake once more?"

"Yes, I believe Edward is that much of an asset to our show," the manager replied.

Lewis was standing on all three legs now, excited. "Thank you. So we need a dance to show off his manners! His sophistication! Whether he has great technique or no, we need a dance that shows off how gentle he will be with Emily. Albeit, something with lots of turns for contrast...!"

The ideas went on and on, and around and around the tent. Turns?

Edward looked to Emily, who only smiled back at him to confirm she loved the idea.

Lewis pointed to them. "Schottische! Passion…simplicity…"

Emily ran to Lewis around threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, Lewis! It's perfect! Whatever would we do without you?"

"Nothing of course," Lewis answered. Everyone laughed and planned rehearsal until breakfast was prepared. Edward ate next to Bertha, who ate surprisingly little for one of her size. Otto, who ate everything, was on the other side of him. But he could not help but notice that Emily had little to nothing on her plate when she went to eat, even though there was plenty to spare.

Emily talked with the manager as she ate, who occasionally glanced at her plate and gave her stern looks as they talked. He noticed Otto looking up at the same time as he was. But, when he turned to Otto for answers, Otto looked away.

...

After breakfast, he and Emily decided to practice outside away from the chaos of the tent. It was still cold, but the sun had warmed the land a little. He and Emily walked through the tents in silence. Soon, he found himself at the back of the field where he had spotted her riding the night before.

Emily Beth stopped abruptly with her hands on her hips, taking a deep breath before walking back toward him and reaching out her hands. "Shall we begin?" she asked.

Instead of taking her hands, Edward slipped the bread he'd wrapped in a handkerchief and taken for her earlier after breakfast.

She gaped up at him in confusion, and held on to it, waiting for an explanation.

"Forgive me, dear Lady. But…you seem so pale, so exhausted. I would feel taking this dance, if you were to regain you strength."

Emily gently unwrapped the bread and sighed. "Thank you. Just…make sure no one sees?"

Edward nodded and stared in the direction of the tents as she ate. Why would he need to watch? Was she afraid of someone?

When she'd finished, he turned to face her. "Do you feel better?"

Emily Beth nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "Thank you."

They were silent for a moment. Neither of the two knew what to say, or where to start. They both just stared into the fields as the early morning fog receded into the tree line. One of the staff opened the doors to the small stalls where they kept the horses the carnies occasionally used for travel. They all ventured from their stalls at once, trotting around the field until they found a satisfactory place in the field to graze. The most beautiful animal out there was the horse he had seen Emily Beth ride the night before, its black fur and blonde mane glinting in the sunlight as it trotted around and around its own space that it had claimed for itself.

"Your horse, it is beautiful," Edward stated, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched the animal keep the other horses away from her space.

Emily managed a nervous laugh. "Oh, thank you. Her name is Lady."

"Lady," Edward trailed.

Emily nodded. "She was meant for someone else, but apparently she doesn't take well to men. Now I work with her, and thought it a fit name. She really is the perfect lady as long as no man tries to approach her."

Edward cracked a smile, then they both burst into laughter. Edward hung his cape over a post and cleared his throat. "I will be sure to keep that in mind and stay a fair distance from her. No horse takes well with me, nor any other animal."

Emily Beth's smile seemed unconvinced. "Why?"

Edward was at a loss for words then, and chose to be silent. He knew why, or at least he thought he did. Animals never acted out around him until the demon face began to whisper, then they would lash out at him, despite any attempt he made to show them he himself was no threat. Due to his family's status, Edward had limited exposure to animals in his life. But whenever he did, he was sure that they were the only other living creatures that could hear the voice of the fiend.

But how could he ever begin to tell Emily such a thing? The last time he had tried to convince someone, he was sent to Bedlam.

"Emily," he said suddenly, taking a step forward and staring at the ground. "What happened last night… I'm sorry."

His apology came as a whisper as he felt shame overcome him. Finally, his eyes met hers. "You must know that I would never harm you or anyone else in such a way by choice. I… I have the most horrible night terrors. Sometimes I am dangerous, even as I sleep. If I had known what was happening, I would never-"

"I know," Emily Beth replied. After a long pause, her expression softened. "Perhaps I am the one who owes the apology. I saw you tossing and… I shouldn't have startled you. I just thought you could use a blanket. It was freezing. I gave everyone else one as well. I..."

"Thank you for your kindness dear lady," Edward finished when she trailed off. "But, to ensure your safety, you may leave it just inside next time. I always wake during the night."

"Of course," she answered quietly. Edward glanced at her, unsure of whether or not she was still afraid of him. He really didn't know what else to say. After a moment of silence, her gaze met his once again. "You say you have night terrors?" she inquired.

Not exactly, but this description was as accurate as could be. "Yes," Edward whispered.

She nodded. But it seemed something else was on her mind. Finally, he couldn't help but ask the last question that bothered him the most. He reached up and lightly tapped her jawline with his forefinger. "Did I…"

Emily Beth understood. "Oh."

She untied her cape, revealing hardly any signs of bruising. Only a slight redness that would soon fade away. "No. I was able to tend to it. And I am not hurt, Edward. You needn't worry."

At long last, Edward sighed in relief. She reached out to him. "Shall we? Lewis will be out here within the hour expecting progress. If we don't hurry, we will have nothing to offer."

"I imagine that will make him most worrisome," Edward replied with a grin. He took her tiny hands in his and listened as she instructed him on basic s of posture and the correct sequence of steps. Once he learned the step, step, spin, side by side and step pattern of the Schottische, Edward progressed quickly. As his skills improved, he could feel the movements become more fluid and familiarized himself with the sound of his and Emily's feet stepping of the soft ground.

He and Emily had quite the time as they continued to rehearse their dance. They began to combine their own choreography with the Schottische. Emily laughed when he lifted her up by her waist in the most gentlemanly way he knew possible and whirled her around before setting her down to resume the dance.

"Splendid, Edward! Tell me, how can you dance so wonderfully with no experience?" Emily said breathlessly. "You truly are a prodigy, aren't you?"

"Some have named me thus, yes." She and Edward rested on the fence for a well-deserved break, as they still had some time before they were to meet Lewis and the others.

"Why are you here?" he asked her as they watched the sun rise to its full height in the sky. He paused when she just gave him a blank stare. "Pardon me, my lady. But… You are so talented in the art of dance. I can't help but think that…one like you…could live under much better conditions."

Emily Beth gaped at him for a moment. Eventually, she stared at the ground for lack of formulating a reply. Edward did not know how to react until he heard her sniffle. He then lifted her chin, almost by reflex, wanting nothing more than to comfort her.

"Em-Emily. Emily, I am sorry. In no way do I wish to hurt you."

She looked up at him then, still taken aback but no longer on the verge of tears. Edward put a hand on her shoulder. "Come, let us forget the past and join the others. We've kept them waiting."

He offered his arm as an escort. Emily cleared her throat to dismiss what was left of the tears threatening to come, raised her chin, and took his arm with a reassuring smile.

…

Later that day was chaos in the big tent. Everyone hustled and bustled about as they made last minute changes to their act. They were pushed for time, as the staff had demanded them to clear the tent in order to prepare for the next day's show an hour ago. Most of them were still passing leftovers from dinner around as they argued back and forth about the "finishing touches."

Edward and Emily Beth had rehearsed their Schottische so many times over that they had taken off as many layers of clothing as they could without being considered indecent in public. Emily was down to her simple, solid dress with no apron. Edward himself was down to the white shirt he usually kept concealed under his vest and suit. Even Lewis had done the same as Edward.

Edward was shuffling handwritten pages with music notes for the drums and violin around with Bertha and Otto. Edward made one last note and handed the page to Bertha. He had a vision, and wished to hear her understand and play it.

He pointed halfway down the page. "You will play…here. When you play this, Otto will beat the tribal drum the dwarves so kindly lent us. It will be the ultimate symphony!"

Bertha raised her arm, eying the notes one last time. Then she began to play. The woman had such a talent with the violin, as Edward had with the piano. Finally, she struck the note he'd made for her, the one he'd been listening for. Edward's smile broadened at the beautiful sound of it as Otto beat the drum just in time. The song he'd made for them had ended, and was a success. A beautiful, classic melody that could tell a story all on its own.

He briefly put his hands on both of Bertha's shoulders from sheer excitement. "Bertha! That is it, my good woman! Ingenious!"

Meanwhile, Lewis and Emily Beth were in a disagreement Lewis was going to win.

Lewis spread his hands at Emily, who shook her head with a teasing smile and placed her hands on her hips. "That's it!" Lewis exclaimed. "Right there! That last note! End of song. That's where he lifts you, and the two of you take the most graceful of bows as soon as he sets you on your feet. Beauty! Not just in the middle of the song, with no purpose!"

Emily spread her hands in surrender. "Fine, Master Lewis. We will do just as you say."

"Fantastic!" Lewis exclaimed, having gotten his way.

One of the dwarves dropped a plate of fruit on the table where Edward was finishing up the last few music notes. "More fruit!"

Everyone except Edward dove for it at once. Apparently, they were all after one specific fruit. Edward cringed, as he realized some of them were holding glasses as everyone reached around him.

"I want it!" Otto said.

"We work harder!" Lewis replied.

Suddenly, the faint sound of glass shattering made everyone freeze in place. Edward, whom Lewis had been reaching over, felt him cringe.

"Who just did that?" asked Bertha after a moment of silence. No one owned up to it. Emily said nothing. Otto cleared his throat and stood back. Lewis just walked away from the plate entirely and whistled a tune. Edward shuffled papers with a smirk, fairly certain he knew who had done it.

Edward clapped his hands in an attempt to save Lewis. "Shall we rehearse this perfect act, one last time before we disperse?"

And they did. All of them. Everyone did their part, and the music fit their Schottische perfectly; in fact, it made it even more powerful. Their act had finally come together. Edward was finally able to look at Emily Beth, rather than his feet. She smiled at him at the same time as he did, letting him know that this dance had reached its full potential. When Edward lifted her at the end of the song, it felt natural. He set her on her feet slowly, looking into her eyes for a brief moment. Finally, he held her hand as they took their bow. He'd decided that he needn't turn backwards to bow, as the audience would have so many opportunities to see what they were looking for with every turn.

Everyone immediately turned to laugh with each other as Bertha finished the last note, but the sound of slow clapping from the back of the tent caught their attention. They turned to see their dwarf manager grinning at them with pride.

"Excellent, my ingenious group! The best routine I've seen yet. Tell me, whose idea?"

"Everyone," Otto answered. "We worked together."

"Well, you've all done a marvelous job! Take the rest of the day off now. You need your rest. And no frolicking around after dark tonight, ladies and gents. The miners can be a particularly dangerous group at times. Ladies, especially, stay in your tents. Now, come. Let the crew clear this tent, all of you."

Their manager waved them out. Everyone slowly dispersed. Lewis decided he was going to take a nap. Emily Beth covered her mouth to suppress a yawn. "I think a nap would do wonders for me right now."

The manager beckoned Emily and Edward over. When they came to him, he leaned in and reminded them of his previous warning. "The two of you have done a marvelous job with the Schottische. But Edward, Emily Beth is to stay center stage. Not too close to the edge, do you understand? We had another dancer a long time ago, and the same group dragged her off the stage. Center stage."

Edward froze a moment. The very notion of such a thing happening to Emily Beth… Why was she even made to perform? But she just nodded, as if it were any other show. Edward slowly did the same. "As you wish, sir."

As he made sure Emily reached her tent for her nap, he heard the whisperings of the demon once more. It started off softly, like something coming at him from all directions. Then it got even louder. Edward grimaced and stumbled inside his tent.

…

"She deserves to be torn apart, Mordrake. You could push her, like the monster you are. She'll turn you away, as any other would do. You are a monster…"

"He is a conman, Edward. Only for the money. Starves his people for a dime. Not for your talent…"

"Man of lust…"

"You're a murderer…"

The whisperings never ceased. Edward couldn't remember precisely how he'd come to realize that he'd missed breakfast. He only remembered the mechanical movements necessary to get ready for the show. The demon had a way of making up for the time it didn't get to speak. His second face could make him doubt the only world he was sure he would be happy in within a matter of minutes.

Edward was lost in its hateful whisperings when he heard someone else calling his name.

Edward…

"Edward?"

His head snapped up. He was sitting on the edge of his bed with his hands over his ears and sweat dripping down his face. His blue eyes had the look of the crazed man he'd become at Bedlam. They focused on the figure that was Emily, standing in the entrance of the tent with a plate of food. She held out her hand to show she meant no harm.

Edward exhaled through his teeth and nodded to her that it was safe to enter. His first reaction to her was hatred, as the demon accused her of terrible things. Could they be true?

"You have to eat something before the show, Edward. You've missed breakfast, and…"

"Thank you. Just put it on the side table, Emily," Edward managed, still working to control his breathing. Emily did as he said, but didn't leave.

"Did you have night terrors again?" she asked, after a moment of examining his face. When he just held fast to the bedpost and said nothing, she stepped back. "Wait here."

She returned with a bowl of cool water and cloth. His first impulse was to pull away when she offered to press it to his face. But he hesitated as his own mind returned, and as he realized how refreshing the cool cloth was. He slowly leaned into the cloth she still held in her hand and briefly put his hand on hers as she dabbed at his face.

"Thank you."

Emily said nothing. When she was finished, she pressed the cloth into his hands and set the bowl of water on the side table. Instead of leaving as he expected her, she knelt in front of him and gently put her hands on both sides of his face so he would look at her. When he did, her expression was as serious as he had ever seen it.

"Edward, I just wanted to say… Let the audience do as they will. Don't worry about their reactions. Just think about the performance and how well you've done. You are talented. I just wanted you to know before the show."

He stared up at her, bewildered by the sincerity of her words. The demon was wrong about Emily; in no way could such things be true when she was willing to go out of her way for something like this. He would not believe it. He would not believe it about any of the others, either. He gave one of her hands a light squeeze and nodded to her. "Thank you."

After she left, he ignored the demon as if it weren't even speaking and continued to get ready for the show.

…

Later on, Edward escorted Emily on the stage. The light was somewhat dulled, but the audience was full of mysterious, shadowy figures. Edward had seen them all earlier, all men with sooty clothes just looking for a show. Every man seemed affected by the solemn air of the mines. He understood why the manager wished to take precautions.

He and Emily Beth heard slight murmurs as they took their positions of the stage. She and Edward immediately became lost in the fun of their dance as soon as the music started. The only thing Edward heard was the most disrespectful whistles at Emily, and the uproar of disbelief when the first turn revealed his demon half-face.

He regained confidence when he spun Emily Beth out of arm hold and saw her optimistic smile. Everything was going so perfectly.

But as Edward spun Emily away from him near the end of their dance, a floorboard beneath her cracked. Her hand slipped out of his, and she tripped backwards. Edward lunged for her when he realized that she'd fallen just on the edge of stage. As soon as she fell, one of the men from the audience rose out of his seat and grabbed her by the ankle.

"Emily!"