"Tell me why and perhaps I will consider it," she said. Instead of answering he took her arm quite forcefully and began dragging her down the hall, towards the ball. Christine sighed, she was not going to get anywhere with him!
xXx
"Erik! There you are!" a sing song voice cried. Both Erik and Christine turned to see a woman coming toward them. Erik groaned a curse under his breath and Christine studied the woman with interest. Golden locks were pined on her head in a similar fashion as Christine's. Her dress was a soft pink that hugged her generous bosom to almost shameful proportions. Slim arms wrapped around Erik in a tight hug and green eyes looked directly into Erik's as her full mouth pouted.
"I have been looking all over for you!" she cried. Erik disengaged himself from the woman, a frown on his face. Christine was curious to know who this woman was that seemed so friendly with him.
"I am entertaining, Natasha," he replied. She pouted again, something she seemed very good at. Christine rolled her eyes. She disliked women like this immensely, beauty but no brains.
"You could not steal away for a moment?" Natasha asked hopefully, a suggestive look in her eyes. Christine had to refrain from snorting. Of course Erik would want a woman like this. She would give him pleasure and not think anything about it. She probably never talked back to him either. Typical.
"Since you are occupied, Erik, I will leave the two of you alone," Christine said, hoping to take the opportunity to go and find her family. There were so many people that she had trouble getting through the room, and she had had to deal with being introduced to everyone there. Erik took her hand, stopping any means of escape.
"Natasha, I would like you to meet my wife, Christine, Christine this is Natasha Huntington," Erik said, giving Christine a look that said he would not let her escape that easily. Natasha's eyes grew wide at the word 'wife' and her eyes slowly moved over Christine. Christine felt like she was being measured to see whether or not she was good enough to be Erik's wife.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle," Christine murmured. Natasha said nothing. After a moment of awkwardness Erik excused them both. Natasha stared after them for a long time, not truly believing she had heard Erik correctly. Wife? He had a wife? Why had she not heard of this? Of course there had been rumors but they usually were not better then old wives tales.
But Erik Desslar was married. And not just married, but married to a beautiful woman! She was furious. How dare he replace her so soon! It had been almost two years since their relationship ended, although, Natasha thought with a smirk, it could not really be called a 'relationship' in all sense of the word. It had all been about the sex, great sex, she reminded herself.
When she was with him she did not care about his temper or the fact that he seemed to be so indifferent to the world, as long as he could please her in bed. And please her he did. She had never met a man like that who knew so much about the female body, it was amazing and made her shiver just remembering their steamy interludes.
But perhaps he would still like to spend a night with her. Married men had mistress's, it was a common thing, she would get Erik back if it was the last thing she did, and have fun in the process.
xXx
"Christine!" Gustave Daae said in relief when he saw her. Christine forgot the tension between them and hugged her father tightly, fighting back tears. Gustave did not let go for several long moments and Christine refused to do so either. Erik stood awkwardly behind Christine and when they pulled apart Gustave's eyes found Erik's.
Raoul, who stood beside Gustave, watched closely the expressions on both men's faces. He needed to know what had transpired between them and why Gustave had felt obligated to give Christine away.
"Monsieur Desslar, a pleasure to see you so well," Gustave said. Raoul's eyes widened with recognition at the name.
"Desslar? As in Erik Desslar?" he asked, interrupting. Christine gave him a questioning look but Erik simply nodded. Raoul said nothing as Gustave and Erik continued their conversation, although his thoughts were reeling. Christine Desslar? He could not believe it!
xXx
Christine had seen the recognition that dawned in Raoul's eyes at her husband's name and she wondered what he had just remembered. Did he know Erik somehow? And if so, from where? Her husband was a mystery to her and she was extremely curious to know anything about him. Smiling she went to Raoul and laced her arm through his, knowing Erik was going to give her hell for it.
"Raoul, walk with me, I would like to catch up," Christine said. Erik's eyes were boring into her and she smiled charmingly at him before walking off with the handsome Viscount.
"Where is Anthony?" Christine asked, not wishing to come straight to the point. Raoul shrugged and looked around.
"Probably found a beautiful woman to talk to," Raoul said, that was Anthony, always the ladies man. Christine smiled and nodded. She had no idea what she wanted to ask Raoul and just prayed that he would tell her something.
"Raoul...my husband...you recognize him?" she asked. Raoul sighed. So this was why she had wanted to spend some time with him.
"Christine, I….only a few people know about this, your brother does not even know. I found out because our fathers are so close Gustave told him, but it does not go beyond that," Raoul said. Now Christine was very curious.
"What is it that you know?" Christine asked. Raoul hesitated, extremely uncomfortable. If he told her this it would change nothing, she would still be married to Erik. But he cared about her to much to keep her uninformed.
"What, Raoul?" she pressed. Raoul sighed.
"He killed a man."