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No Easy Way	By : secretlysecretly Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 7568 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Warning: Any minors today? well... GET OUT NOW!

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Chapter 19

After having taken a hot bath which helped his tense muscles to relax somewhat, Erik dressed up and decided to go down to his gardens in order to walk and try to find some solace for his tortured mind. He had barely slept all through the night, trying to make sense of this new situation as it was evolving, his thoughts wandering back and forth between Marianne and Christine.

He couldn’t help but feel remorseful for the way in which he had abandoned Marianne the previous day. The young woman seemed to actually be concerned for his health; a sentiment he had never been a recipient of during his miserable existence. Anger, hatred, disgust, pity, fear –he could deal with all of these emotions that were an automatic response to his wretched appearance but… concern? Nobody he had ever encountered had been even slightly concerned in his well-being before and Erik just couldn’t understand how someone like Marianne would ever find herself remotely interested whether he lived or died.

Exiting the manor, Erik saw a carriage that was steadily approaching his property. Perhaps somebody had lost their way in the wilderness and they were trying to get back on track. However, soon he spotted the “Pinon” seal on the vehicle, although he couldn’t for the life of him imagine why her coachman had travelled the distance so early in the day, apparently with no passengers.

He stood his ground and waited for the coach to come to a halt before him. Shortly thereafter, the lad dismounted and came to stand in front of him, bowing in salute which Erik answered with a curt nod. In view of the man’s icy demeanour, the boy spoke hesitantly.

“Good morrow Sir. My lady, the Duchess Pinon, has sent me to inquire on Monsieur Destler’s health.”

When Erik did not respond, simply standing there as if he had been frozen to the spot, the boy tried again.

“The Duchess extends her best wishes for a quick recovery and sends word that she will be visiting later in the day if Monsieur Destler so wishes it.”

Erik, stunned at this turn of events was still trying to grasp the meaning of this last action of Marianne’s. He cleared his throat uneasily, trying to find his voice.

“Inform your Mistress that Monsieur Destler finds himself in excellent health and … wait! Did the Duchess send for you this very morning or was it last night?”

The lad looked at the strange man quizzically, as if trying to comprehend why such a triviality would be of consequence.

“Actually Sir, the Duchess instructed me on the matter less than an hour ago.”

Suddenly, the coachman’s eyes lit up, seemingly reminded of his mission again. “Well Sir, what information shall I transfer to my Mistress? Is Monsieur Destler in good health today?”

“There is no need to transfer any message to your Mistress boy.”

“But Sir … The Duchess …”

“Do not worry. I shall inform your Mistress on my condition myself.” Erik cut him short.

“M-m-m-monsieur Destler? I am so sorry Sir. I never realized that...” stuttered the young man, only to be interrupted by Erik again.

“No harm done my lad. Take me to the Duchess.”

A short while later, Erik was gazing at the view from a salon in Marianne’s estate, waiting for the Mistress of the house to make her appearance.

“Erik, it’s so good to see you! Are you feeling quite alright? I was worried for you.” he heard her sweet voice behind him. “You left in such a hurry yesterday…”

He turned around, feeling his spirits rise at the sight of her. He was astonished to find his ill disposition dissipating in Marianne’s presence. A few weeks ago he could never have imagined that anything or anyone would be able to take his mind off of Christine.

“I am so sorry my dear, I assure you that I am in perfect health as we speak. It must have been something I ate that didn’t agree with me.”

Marianne took a step forward, lifting an eyebrow playfully as she approached him. “I find it quite extraordinary that you would suffer food-poisoning one day and be up and about the next. Could it be that it wasn’t the food that did not agree with you but something I said?”

He shook his head in the negative but, studying her eyes, realized he would not be able to fool her so he decided to be honest with the woman before him.

“Actually Marianne, I have to admit that my ‘illness’ was due to our conversation but I assure you that it had nothing to do with you personally. In fact, I was surprised to hear you are a relative of the Viscount De Chagny and his wife, Christine Daae.”

“But Erik, what does Raoul have to do with anything? I don’t understand…”

“Please my dear, don’t press the matter any further. Let us just leave it at this; your cousin Raoul and his young wife are a bitter part of my past, and that is where I wish to keep them. In my past. I implore you; let us not speak of them anymore.”

“Erik, I am sorry to press the matter when I see it causes you such uneasiness, but Christine De Chagny is going to attend the grand ball of the Mayor as my guest in less than a week’s time. I don’t know what has transpired between the two of you but I feel you should be knowledgeable to the fact; especially since I am sure you have received an invitation.”

For a moment Marianne saw terror reflected in Erik’s eyes before he lowered his gaze to the ground and once more turned around to look out the window. A few seconds later she heard his deep voice.

“I really appreciate this piece of information my dear, but that is not the reason I came to see you today. I wanted to come myself to you in order to put your mind to rest regarding my health and take you out for a walk if that would please you as well.”

Feeling his uneasiness and wishing to dwell on the matter no longer, Marianne smiled at him and retorted. “Actually, I was thinking of doing some riding today. Would you care to join me?” she offered.

“I would be delighted but I have come here in your carriage. I am afraid it would take too long for me to go back to my estate to fetch my horse.”

“Come now Erik, do not ponder on such trivial matters. I will be more than happy to provide a steed for you from my stables.”

“Shall we then?” he offered his arm to her and the pair walked to the stables. An hour later they had stopped at a clearing in the woods and left their horses to rest under the shadow of an oak tree as they walked side by side in comfortable silence.

“Marianne, I should apologize for my odd behaviour. It is very hard for me to talk about my past. It is not a pleasant matter to discuss, believe me.” Erik stopped walking and looked away from her.

“I do not wish to dwell on the subject any longer, but Erik, try to understand me. Would it not seem strange to you if I had not reacted upon hearing of your acquaintance with Raoul and Christine? Of course, it was your reaction which left me feeling miserable. At the mere mention of Christine’s name you paled. You left like the devil was after you.” She took a few steps closer to him, yet still keeping the distance between them intact. “I thought you saw me as your friend. I thought you liked talking to me.”

“I do! Marianne, I do not want you to form a wrong idea about me. If only you could let me show you little by little who I really am. I have led an extremely difficult life. Yes, Christine was an important part of my past. It is not that I do not wish to confide in you; try to understand that it is very hard for me to even remember all this. To remember her…”

Marianne froze on the spot. She had not realized up to that moment just how great an effect that woman had on Erik! She felt dizzy and she didn’t even know why. Suddenly, she wished she had never visited her aunt. ‘Oh my goodness, it is his face! It has something to do with his face! Christine has something to do with it!’ At that moment, realization dawned on her: she was jealous! Jealous of Christine!

Trying to remain calm, she spoke as softly as she could muster. “Erik, I am sorry for bringing up this subject again, but as I mentioned earlier, Christine will be my guest in a few days time.” She approached him and carefully touched her hand to his arm. “Please, I am not prone to idle gossip, neither do I wish to pressure you; I am only trying to help you.”

He turned and their eyes met. Her sweet gaze made him feel extremely vulnerable. On the one hand he was upset with Christine’s reappearance in his life, not knowing what he was supposed to feel. On the other hand he didn’t want to hurt the woman before him; she had become so precious to him. He solemnly put his hands upon her shoulders.

“Marianne, you make me feel so lucky. I do not know what I have done in my life to deserve someone like you as a friend. I appreciate your offer of help, but you have to know that your presence and only that keeps me calm. Honestly, I would not like to speak about Christine at this moment. Please my dear, let us enjoy our walk.”

“All right Erik, if that is what you really want…” she condescended, giving him a sweet smile.

“You make me feel so serene. I am experiencing emotions I have never felt before and, to be frank, I don’t quite comprehend.” He cupped her face and caressed her cheek softly. Marianne couldn’t help but close her eyes, relishing his touch. When she opened them again, she heard him saying huskily. “I could lose myself in your eyes.”

Her cheeks became red once more. “You don’t have to lie to me Erik. I meant it when I told you I regard you as a friend and I want to be there for you. You don’t have to try to make me feel better.” She placed her small hand on top of his. “I am amazed at how a man could be so distant one moment and so tender the next. Erik, if you don’t really mean what you said, please tell me so. Don’t play with my heart…”

Erik was taken by surprise. He couldn’t believe that a woman like Marianne would speak such words to him. He had expected a rather conventional response on her part. She had not fled from him. She seemed to be indifferent to the fact that she had a man in front of her with half of his face covered by a white mask. He felt her small hand caressing his mask, but didn’t feel in peril. He felt the urge to bend down and kiss her lips, but Marianne kept him from achieving his goal…

“I am sorry Marianne; I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward…”

Marianne softly touched her index finger to his lips. “Don’t Erik. You don’t have to apologize. I just think that things are moving too fast between us. We are both confused. I am confused because I don’t really know what has transpired between you and Christine and now I feel like I am in the middle of all this. I think you are still hurt. I try to feel for you, but please understand that I do not wish to get hurt by bringing myself between you and her. You said before that you have never felt like this in your life. Well, I can admit the same for myself. Until this day, I used to view everything around me through the spectre of sensibility. Now, I cannot bring myself to think reasonably any more.”

He caught her hands in his. “Marianne, what I feel for you… it is not the same for what I once felt for Christine. I don’t even know if I still have feelings for her. I do not want to deny I had strong feelings for her. Yet, she repaid me by betraying me. The cut in my heart still runs too deep.” He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them tenderly. “Believe me when I say that what I feel for you is unique.”

“You cannot do this Erik! You cannot play with me like this! Things have happened between us. Things that should never have happened…” A single tear escaped the corner of her eye. “I don’t want to be your consolation prize.”

“You are a wonderful woman Marianne. You deserve so much from a man. I don’t deserve you. As you yourself gathered since the very first day of our acquaintance, the physiology of my face is not quite normal! This fact has influenced me and ruled my whole existence. I am not asking for anything more than your patience.” He pulled her in his arms and whispered “Help me.” in her hair.

He touched his lips to hers and she caressed the masked side of his face again. Their lips met without even realising what they were doing. Marianne kissed him back, losing herself in his embrace. She decided to move back and break the kiss, regarding him tenderly.

While walking, Marianne could not resist the urge of straying from her path to take in as much of the beauty around her as possible. Spotting a magnificent flower, she turned to Erik with a radiant smile on her face to show it to him but just then tripped over her skirts and fell before Erik had a chance to catch her.

He ran to her side but found that it was too late; her face was distorted in agony, tears running down her cheeks from the severe pain she was in. He shushed her, trying to remain calm in view of her distress and lifted her skirt in order to examine her leg. A few moments later he sighed in relief as he made sure her ankle wasn’t broken, merely swelling from a sprain.

“Erik, what is it? How bad did I hurt my leg?” came Marianne’s pained voice.

“Do not worry my dear. It is not as bad as it feels. You sprained your ankle but fortunately nothing is broken. You will be up and running in no time, I assure you.” he soothed her.

She tried to smile but soon cried out in frustration as she tried to move her leg.

“Oh Erik, I don’t think I will be able to walk. I am sorry for th-”

“Don’t be silly my dear. There is nothing to be sorry about. Just remain still while I fetch our horses, alright?”

She nodded her head in response trying to be brave and he stood, swiftly walking to the tree where they had tied their horses. Tying her horse to his saddle, he made his way to the spot where Marianne was lying, finding her rubbing her ankle, trying to ease the pain.

When she saw him again, she smiled weakly, quickly pulling her skirt to cover her leg again. “I am so sorry for this Erik, I was having such a lovely time with you and I ruined our afternoon with my stupidity.”

“Do not worry Marianne. There will be plenty of afternoons to share a walk in the woods for us. I just hope you are not in too much pain right now.” he replied gently.

“I can take it, don’t mind that. It seems I have a knack for foolish accidents such as this. It is not the first time I have sprained my ankle.” she tried to laugh it off.

He smiled sweetly at her and bent over to take her in his arms. “Now my dear, this might hurt you a bit but I will try to move you the least possible.”

Marianne nodded and clenched her teeth in pain as Erik lifted her from the ground and carried her over to sit her sideways upon his horse.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked before mounting the horse himself. When he settled in his seat behind her, for a few seconds he found himself lost in her scent. He pulled the reins of his stallion into his fingers as Marianne slowly eased back into his embrace. Erik felt her back resting against his chest and did his best to control himself from bringing his hand to rest on her midriff.

Trying to avert his mind from his daydreaming, he pushed his horse into an easy trot and murmured an apology in Marianne’s ear for any discomfort the movement brought her.

At the sound of his gruff voice, the young woman felt a shudder run through her and took a deep breath to clear her mind. However, feeling Erik’s warmth through her garments did not help much in keeping her calm and she started fidgeting in her spot to ease her vulnerable senses.

Disturbed out of his reveries by the commotion before him, Erik leaned closer to ask her once again whether she was in pain. She shook her head in the negative but when he persisted and inquired as to why she was moving around like she was in pain, she blushed and muttered under her breath that she was just trying to get more comfortable.

The rest of their ride was spent in silence as both lost themselves in their thoughts and soon they reached Erik’s house.

When Marianne realized where they were, she turned and looked at him quizzically. He smiled reassuringly and said that he wanted to take care of her ankle with a concoction he kept for such occasions. She nodded in response and tried to remain calm as he easily raised her body from the horse and carried her in his strong arms into the house.

Vincent rushed to his side to ask his master whether he could offer any form of assistance but Erik quickly brushed him off and told the butler that they were not to be disturbed.

A few minutes later Marianne was sitting uncomfortably on Erik’s bed, waiting for him to bring the emulsion he had mentioned earlier and some bandages. He returned with a glass jar in his hand, the visible side of his face as cold and expressionless as his mask.

“Marianne, will you please lift your skirt so I can examine your ankle again?”

She felt her face turn beet-red at his words and simply stared at him with her eyes wide open. Realizing that she wouldn’t move, Erik covered the distance between them in a few strides and knelt before her.

“Darling, I will have to care for your ankle now so that the pain will subside the soonest possible.” he offered, looking into her eyes. She nodded her head in response dumbly, not trusting her voice anymore.

Erik placed the small bundle he was holding by her feet and lifted her dress partially to reveal her ankle to him. He took her foot in his hand and gently took off her shoe to examine the sprain, gasping at the site of her swollen flesh. He could see that it wasn’t as bad as he had feared and would get much better soon but couldn’t help wincing at the pain he knew she must be feeling right now.

He realized that in order to care for the wound, he would have to take off her stocking and cast an apologetic glance her way as he lifted her skirt higher to reveal her leg to his gaze. For a few seconds he forgot all about her trauma as his attention was drawn to her long legs. He took a ragged breath to steady himself and tried to focus his attention on her injury rather than at the creamy expanse of skin that tantalized him.

He chanced a glance at her direction only to find she had closed her eyes, obviously too ashamed at the situation to look at him. He drew his attention back to the task at hand and started pulling her stocking southwards. However, no matter how hard he tried to keep their contact at a bare minimum, he couldn’t avoid grazing her leg with the back of his fingers.

The softness of her skin tantalized him and he couldn’t help himself from prolonging the contact as long as one would deem acceptable.

His fingers itched to roam her skin, to caress her until she would beg to be touched all over her body but he didn’t dare such a touch as it would be considered anything but therapeutic. Thus, he drowned his urges focusing on the task at hand, finally slipping the flimsy garment off of her leg and examining her ankle that now laid bare before him.

Meanwhile Marianne was holding her breath not daring to open her eyes and let Erik see the naked desire that burned within her. Her skin seemed to be scorched on the path that he had travelled with his calloused fingers. Nothing she had ever felt could ever prepare her for the longing which Erik had awakened in her with his indifferent touch. What would it possibly feel like if he deliberately touched her to promote passion between them? She could barely breathe as it was…

And then the fire that was shimmering in her intensified tenfold as she felt his fingers rubbing the pomade on her bare skin. A shudder run through her body and, frightened by her heated response to his touch, she instinctively pulled her foot out of his grasp and met his gaze with her own.

She could see the question forming in his eyes and something more; a naked sort of desire that matched her own feelings for him. She wanted to run, to flee this dangerous situation that was forming between them and yet she felt as if his burning gaze had frozen her to the spot unable to move a muscle, suddenly conscious of her breath coming out in gasps.

Sensing her discomfort, Erik averted his gaze and resumed his task, rubbing the ointment into her skin. When he was finished he replaced her foot upon the floor and wiped his hands with a wet towel he had brought with him to clean them from any residue. Finally, he took the bandages in his hands and used them to wrap her ankle tightly to keep her from hurting herself any further.

When he was satisfied with his handiwork, he put her foot down on the floor and looked back into her eyes. He would have laughed had he not felt the fire in his loins consuming his very being. Marianne was looking at him with a terrified look in her eyes, as if he had just announced to her that he would keep her prisoner in that very room for the rest of her life. Which was exactly what he wanted to do.

If it were in his power, he would spend his remaining days with Marianne by his side, sharing with her his thoughts, his fears and his desires. He had fantasized for so long, longed for the touch of another all through his life and now he had this lovely woman before him, just within his grasp. He wanted more than anything to reach out and touch her, to take what his retched face had denied him for so long but couldn’t.

He could never force himself on any woman, let alone one as beautiful and understanding as Marianne. He yearned for her to touch him but knew all too well that he wasn’t worthy of any type of caress from her. No matter how self-absorbed he could be at times, he knew all too well what he was capable of. Winning the attention of a woman as brilliant as Marianne wasn’t or would ever be within his reach.

Those thoughts running through his head, he chanced one last glance into her eyes and reached out with his hand to stroke her skin one last time. He covered her legs with her skirt once more and stood from his spot, leaning into her personal space to carry her back downstairs.

Alas, the moment her scent invaded his nostrils, he knew he was done for. His hands, instead of reaching out to pick her up, flew to her hair and pulled her to him. Mesmerized by their proximity he allowed himself to drown in her sweetness just for one second. That was all it took.

Erik had never felt anything quite like this before. He sensed a warm feeling coming from inside and couldn’t resist the urge to taste her sweetness. Without even realizing how he covered the distance between them, he captured her mouth with hungry urgency. Kissing was the one experience he had allowed himself to try previously, with Marianne’s consent… or rather partial consent at times, and now the sensation of her soft skin pressed against his mouth was breathtaking. His mouth instinctively opened and he slid his tongue between her parted lips as he began to lose himself in the feeling.

Marianne on the other hand felt like she had been saved from a suffering which she didn’t want to deal with. Salvation came from Erik’s part; it was as if he had guessed her inner fantasies of losing herself in his arms. For those brief moments nothing else mattered; the whole world seized to exist around them. She couldn’t help but moan under his plundering mouth. She couldn’t believe how much a simple kiss made her body and senses come alive with sensations she had never felt before. Her tongue slipped forward across their joined lips and into his mouth in response to his attack.

They parted momentarily and looked deep into each other’s eyes, fighting for oxygen only to continue the “assault” a few moments later, abandoning themselves to sensation. Another shudder rocked through his body at the contact, so arousing even through his clothes. Erik covered her body with his much larger frame, making her lie back on his bed. She whimpered in protest as his mouth abandoned hers and he began nuzzling her neck. Marianne was utterly ashamed with herself, but Erik’s actions made it impossible for her to resist any longer; she had been taken aback by the fact that her body responded so willingly to this tempestuous contact.

Marianne allowed herself to become lost in his arms, thinking she wanted to stay there for eternity. She did not care for anything in the world; her social position, Olivier, Christine... All that seemed to matter now was the fact that Erik was holding her in his strong arms and the feelings he aroused in her. She felt a strange sense of danger wash over her. Dark and mysterious as he was, he had a power over her that she couldn’t resist. There was something that was drawing her towards him, and she couldn’t do anything about it. She didn’t want to do anything about it.

Erik was in a curious state of mind as to whether he should seize his ministrations or not, when he felt her hands wander up his back and across his shoulders as if she were trying to pull him even closer to her. He reclaimed her mouth as his hands began travelling all over her body and back to her waist again. She gasped in surprise as Erik continued making her dizzy with his boldness.

Marianne’s hand found its way through his shirt and she began to caress his broad chest. She felt a wave of heat engulf her stomach at the mere contact of his flesh. The feeling of his skin under her fingers made her sense the strong, muscular planes of his chest. She wasn’t completely naive. She knew what she felt was desire but she didn’t know what to do to relieve herself of the fire that consumed her.

“Marianne...” he exhaled in a husky tone. He fought for control over himself, however somewhere deep in his mind something was telling him that he had to be with her, he belonged with her. He began to mark a trail of wet kisses down her neck and boldly made his way toward her ample bosom. He gently cupped a breast in each hand and continued raining feathery light kisses on top of her breasts eliciting needy moans from the woman in his arms.

Marianne felt like she was floating, her own hands trying to discover the secrets of his body. Her hands were now on his back, caressing the resilient muscles. “Erik...” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. She loved the feel of his muscles against her soft skin. Cupping his face in her hands, she gently caressed his mask. “Who are you?...”

He turned his gaze to her, and taking in her expression, became even more aroused. Marianne moved forward and touched her lips to his once more. He couldn’t help himself from whispering against her lips “You don’t know what you’re doing to me…”

He reclaimed her lips carrying her away in a long, drugging kiss. Her face flushed even more when she felt him on top of her once more, but this time she felt his arousal against her leg. She could feel his body turn rigid as he tried to stay in control. She wanted to trust him. He could never hurt her. That look in his eyes could not be false, could it?

Erik groaned at the feel of Marianne’s soft warm lips parting to allow him entrance into her waiting mouth. He had never imagined being so bold with Christine but Marianne made him feel like a man and as any man he had desires. His fingers trailed into her hair and he pulled her tighter against him, drinking sweet nectar from her lips. His hands passed over her breasts again and she gasped softly. They spanned her waist and gently he fitted himself between her suddenly spread thighs. Her breathing grew heavy as his hands once more began their exploration. Erik felt her shivering beneath him when he moved his hand underneath her skirt and trailed his fingers up her leg, stopping to caress her thigh.

For a moment he thought she was really frightened. His mind was screaming at him to stop and get away from her; yet he couldn’t help but be drawn to her. And his heart? His heart didn’t want him to leave her. Ever.

The panic that rose in him was put to ease instantly by Marianne’s response to his kisses and bold caresses. She continued her own experimentation, letting her senses take over. He felt her small hands travelling all over his body, timidly at first, exploring his chest and abdomen and then going over to his sides and thighs. Erik felt relieved by her actions, but knew very well that this was a route which would lead them past the point of no return. He had to stop their rolling down this disastrous path as long as he still had his wits about him.

“Marianne…” Erik managed to utter under his breath. This was so very difficult for him. He did not want to move away from her, yet he did not think to take advantage of her innocence for even a second. She had come to mean too much to him.

She had allowed him to move way too far; this couldn’t be mere lust. He knew that Marianne was a romantic, a believer in true love that conquers all and ends happily ever after. He knew that for her to allow him to touch her like this, she would have to trust him and he would never do anything to destroy that trust. Perhaps in the back of his mind he even hoped that she harboured some sort of feelings for him as well.

He had to respect her and take the situation in his hands. He had to take control of himself for both their sakes. Another moment would be a moment too late.

Marianne felt as if she were waking from a dream when she realized that Erik began to remove himself from her. However, that feeling soon transformed into a waking nightmare. Reality suddenly hit her and she became mortified with shame and disgust at herself. She didn’t know what to think. She felt ashamed for her boldness and her weakness to resist him; a shiver ran through her at the idea that she was actually being rejected and unwanted by the man who was now raising himself off of her with a pained look in his eyes.

She came back to her senses in an instant. It was shocking to her that she actually felt this way. The colour of her cheeks revealed her discomfort.

Sensing her uneasiness, Erik took her hands in his and helped her sit up on the edge of the bed again. Taking the hem of her skirt in his hands, he replaced it to cover her legs again and sat beside her. Immediately after that, he took her in his arms again and kissed her lips tenderly.

Marianne was too ashamed to look at him. She couldn’t lift her eyes from her hands that were wrinkling the dress she wore. He smiled and lifted her chin up so she would look at him in the eyes.

He caressed her face tenderly and took a deep breath before he spoke. “I only hope you will find it in yourself in your heart to forgive me Marianne. I was out of order; I should never have let things get so out of hand. This is my fault and mine only. Please say you will forgive me.”

He looked so adorable when he regarded her like this. His face held such a serene expression. This man was amazing. He could be tempestuous one moment and so calm and collected the next. However Marianne could not for the life of her utter a single word.

Sensing her distress, Erik blamed himself for making her feel like this. “Come, my dear. You need to worry no more. I will make sure that you get safely back to your home. In fact, I will escort you to your estate myself. I don’t want you to tire yourself any longer. You have to rest your ankle.”

He stood, taking her in his arms and proceeded to carry her out of his bedroom. Marianne felt so relieved by his words, yet still too ashamed to say anything. She hid her face in the crook of his neck and never saw the smile that was drawn on Erik’s lips at the contact.

A short while later, Erik was carefully placing Marianne upon her bed. He knelt beside her and took her hands in his. He tried to meet her eyes with his but she would not look back at him. Trying to remain calm, he caressed her hands softly. “Will you ever be able to forgive me?”

“There is nothing to forgive, Erik. I… I behaved like… oh my goodness, what must you think of me now?” Marianne hid her face in her hands. He shook his head and trying to make her understand pulled her hands away to reveal her beautiful face once more, kissed her palms and looked at her.

“Don’t you utter another word my sweet. Sleep now and get your rest. Tomorrow everything will be alright.” He brought his hand to her cheek, bent over and kissed her forehead tenderly. “Remember this Marianne. I will never do anything to hurt you.” he whispered in her ear.

Marianne was surprised and unable to react after the intense moments she had shared. Before she could open her mouth, she heard the door open and Louise came into the room. Erik rose to his full height again, took a step back from the bed and let the maid come close to assist her mistress.

“My lady, are you feeling quite alright? How may I be of help to you?” Louise said, standing before Marianne.

Marianne lifted herself up and turned her attention back to Erik. The only thing she managed to see was the door of her bedroom closing behind him.

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No Easy Way