Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

"What do you think, Mother. Monsieur Erik has fallen for my sister?" asked Ricard when they got home.

"Yes, I can see that, but that fool doesn't respond back," she said. "I wanted to speak to him, but that Nadir didn't leave his side."

Ricard nodded. "There's always next time."

"I hope so. He'll be our salvation, but Annie has to be friendlier with him. She barely looked at him!"

"Oh, Camille, maybe she was just shy," said Charlotte.

"I don't care. She's going to have to use that tongue of hers because everything will go down hill if she doesn't play her cards right."

Erik sighed as he lay on his couch, remembering Anne. She looked shy, but at the same time sweet. It felt nice dancing with her. Her warm body pressed against his, his arm around her waist. It felt just right. He never really danced with anyone before, but it was perfect the way it ended. He hasn't felt this way nice Christine, maybe even more. "I like her a lot, Nadir," he whispered.

"Yes, she's very pretty, but she hardly noticed you," he said.

Erik shrugged. "Did you see how her mother was pushing her towards me? She practically wanted me to carry her in my arms," he laughed.

"What are you going to do?" asked Nadir.

Erik sat up and looked at him. "I'll speak to her father soon, but I want to court her. I don't want her to say yes because I'm rich. I want her to love me or at least have an affectionate care, but I won't accept any less. I've had very bad experience in that area."

Nadir nodded. "Are you sure she's the one, Erik? I mean you loved that other girl."

He nodded. "Christine was an obsession. She probably still is, but I need to move on. Maybe Annabelle can change it."

"And the deed to their house? What are you going to do with that?"

Erik smiled. "Me? Nothing. They're going have to think of something if they want it back."

"Sweetheart," said Camille as Stephan came back from their plantation. "I thought you'd show for the party like you promised."

"Father," Ricard said as he went to greet, but Stephan flinched away.

"I told you not to speak to me directly until you have a decent appearance," said Stephan. Ricard sighed and stepped away.

"H-How's the plantation, mon chere?" asked Camille.

"Bad, half of our crops were burned," he said.

Camille gasped. "How are we going to pay the tariffs?"

"We have no other choice but to sell the house," he said.

Ricard froze. "B-But, we won't have a roof over our heads, Stephan," protested Camille.

"Yes, but it's the land that's going to give us food," said Stephan, going up the stairs.

"There must be another solution!" cried Camille.

Stephan shook his head. "There isn't any."

Ricard grabbed his mother and pulled her to the drawing mom. "Mother, the deeds! They aren't in this house," he hissed.

"What?!"

"I-I put it as a guarantee to pay off my debts," he whispered.

Camille slapped him in the face. "How could you do that? Are you insane?" Camille let out a angrily huff. "Go on, get dressed. You're going to come with me and visit this man and get those deeds back."

Anne looked at herself in the mirror as she fixed herself. Maurice was coming today and she wanted to look extra special for him. Three months was too long with out him. "Annie, dear," said Charlotte, coming into Anne's room. Anne quickly sat down and began to read a book. "Are you going out today?"

"N-No," she said, pretending to read.

"Are you sure? I have to do an errand for your mother, but I can go with you if you're going out," Charlotte said.

"No, I'm not going anywhere."

Charlotte nodded. "Alright, then try to tend to your father. He came back more tiered than usual."

Anne sighed sadly. "Yes, I saw him already."

"Well, alright, I'll be right back, Annie. Don't go foolishing around."

"These jewels are sufficient enough to pay for my son's debts," said Camille, handing the bag over to Mason. "Now give me the deeds to the house."

"T-The d-deeds?" stuttered Mason. "It's just that I don't have them anymore."

Ricard and Camille looked at Mason in shock. "What do you mean you don't have the deeds to our house?" hissed Ricard.

"W-Well, Monsieur Levesque took them from me!"

Camille sighed as she grabbed her head. "Don't lie!" growled Ricard, shaking Mason. "Give them to me or if you know what's good for you!"

"I swear, Monsieur Durand. Monsieur Levesque took them in exchange for the money that he said I took," struggled Mason.

"Idiot! You swore to me that you'll keep them safe!" he said, trying to choke Mason.

"Stop it, Ricard!" said his mother. "Let's go. I have another idea."

Anne looked up from her sowing and saw Maurice jumping over the wall to her backyard gardens. She put her cloth down and ran towards him. He held his arms open and hugged her as she wrapped her arms around him. Anne sobbed softly as he felt his warm embrace. "I missed you so much, Maurice," she whispered.

Maurice smiled cupping her face. "I've missed you, too, Belle." He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a kiss. Anne kissed him back. She sighed happily as they pulled away, looking at each other. "I brought you something," he said, reaching in his pocket.

Anne smiled as he struggled to get the object out. She grinned as he pulled out a small locket shaped as a heart. She opened it and a small music piece began to play. She smiled and kissed him again. "Thank you."

"I know it's not much, but I thought of you when I saw it," he said, shyly.

Anne shook her head. "It's beautiful. The best gift anyone has given me." Maurice smiled and hugged her. She sighed in his arms, glad that he has returned to her. "You have to talk to them now, Maurice," she said, pulling away. "My family is in economical problems and my mother is convinced that only if I marry a rich husband will they get out of this situation."

"She's right," he whispered.

Anne pulled away from him. "What do you mean? That you're going to give up?"

"No, never, love," he said, taking her hands. "But I understand that she feels that way."

"But my father doesn't! He has never forced me to marry a man I didn't love. Every time a suitor has come for me, my father always consulted me. That means I can choose!" she said, smiling.

Maurice sighed. "I know, Belle, but to choose from men of your class. When your father finds out that I'm nothing, but a simple militia man, he's going to refuse."

"No, I don't think so."

"We live in a society that is very unfair, Belle. The men aren't judge for their intelligence or honorability, but are judge with how much money they have," he said.

Anne looked him sadly. "Then you're not even going to try?"

"Of course I am, Belle, even if I don't have a lot of chance, I'll fight for you," he said, cupping her face.

She stroked his face as her tears fell. "If they say no, I know I'll die, Maurice, I'll die."

Ricard mumbled to himself as he headed to Erik's home in Paris. He didn't know how his mother had convinced him to go. In all honesty, the man scared him. There was a cold, death stare whenever he looked at him. He barely spoke to him and he already hated him. He took a deep breath as he stood in front of his double doors. He knocked on the door and tried not to hyperventilate.

A small old man opened the door. "May I help you, Monsieur?" he asked.

Ricard nodded. "I'm here to speak with Monsieur Levesque, s'il vous plaît." The old man nodded and asked to wait in the main room. Ricard was about to sit down when Erik entered the room. He gulped profoundly. "Bonjour, Monsieur Levesque," he said, shaking his hand.

"Bonjour," welcomed Erik. "Ca va bien?"

"Oui, ca va," said Ricard nervously. "Everyone is speaking about your beautiful ball last night," he said.

Erik nodded. "Please be seated, Monsieur Ricard." He walked over to his liquor cabinet and pulled out to glasses pouring brandy in each glass. Ricard thanked him as he handed a glass over to him. "What can I do for you?" asked Erik, sounding uninterested.

"I-I'm here to speak to you about a problem I'm having now," he said, gulping down all of his drink. Erik just smirked and poured him more liquor into his glass. "I did something inexcusable and feel ashamed about it, but the circumstance in my situation pushed me into doing such a behavior. I like to gamble, but recently I've been on a loosing streak. I lost a lot of money and everyone knows that the debts of the games are debts of honor."

Erik smiled and leaned back on the couch across from Ricard. "And you asked Mason for money in exchange for the deeds to your house."

"Right," said Ricard, shifting in his seat. "And I know you have it."

"Yes, Mason has been stealing from for quiet some time, about ten thousand francs," explained Erik.

Ricard frowned. "He gave you the deeds for that amount of money, but only gave me two thousand for them." Erik just shrugged. "Please, Monsieur," he said, getting up. "I need those papers back. Look, my mother gave me her jewels to rescue the papers," he said, taking a pouch out. "It'll cover the two thousand francs."

"Your mother knows about this?" asked Erik, getting up himself.

"Of course! My family is on the verge of loosing everything and my father needs the deeds to the house to pay for the tariffs on our plantation," he said.

"I see that your family is going through a difficult situation," said Erik, pouring him more brandy.

"You have no idea. Please, accept the jewels and I'll see how I get the rest of the money… with time, of course," Ricard said. "What do you say?"

Erik nodded. "I don't really care about the jewels and as for the deed I can return it to you, but in exchange for money, but something more valuable."

Ricard smiled in relief. "Whatever you want. Just say it and it's yours," he said, taking a drinking.

"I like your sister."

Ricard froze and looked at him. "My sister?"

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