"What?" Christine whispered. Raoul had to look away from the disbelieving look on her face. Taking her arm he pulled her to a secluded corner so they would not be overheard.
"I did not want to upset you-"
"How?" Christine interrupted. She felt cold somehow, as if she had been in ice. Her husband was a murderer...she shivered at the thought that she had been lying next to him every night. Her father knew about this and he had given her away to him? How could he do such a thing?
"It was many years ago. He says a man attacked him and he killed him in self-defense," Raoul said, his tone suggesting that he did not believe that at all. But Christine was not so sure. Maybe he had acted out of self-defense? She knew it was not likely but she desperately needed to convince herself that she was not chained to a monster.
"That is all my father will tell me although I believe there is more to it then that," Raoul said.
"Indeed," Erik growled. They both turned to look at him, Christine turning white and Raoul swallowing hard. Erik's eyes were flashing and his gaze was almost enough to make them want to flinch.
"I did not know you were a man for women's gossip, de Chagny," Erik said coldly.
"There is always a grain of truth to every story," Raoul replied.
"Perhaps, but are you willing to take that chance?" Erik asked. If Raoul believed that Erik had really murdered someone did he want to take the chance of making him angry? Raoul decide no and gave Christine an apologetic smile before walking away. Now it was just the two of them.
"You are a bastard," Christine declared, turning and walking from the room. Several people had heard this statement and they turned to look in Erik's direction. Erik was furious. First, Christine had the nerve to go with de Chagny when he had told her not to and then that spoiled little rich boy told Christine something he had no right to say? Well Christine was going to get it, that was for sure. Since he had married her he had had far too many arguments with her and it did not sit well with him.
"I do not think that is a good idea," Anthony warned when Erik stepped into the hall.
"Get out of my way, Daae," Erik warned. Anthony shook his head.
"I heard the whole thing, I do not want you anywhere near my sister," Anthony nearly hissed. He knew Erik could easily kill him but he cared about Christine far to much to worry about himself. If this man had done the thing Raoul accused him of then he did not even have a right to be in the same room with her.
"Life is full of injustice. She is my wife!" Erik growled, shoving Anthony out of the way and striding down the hall.
Erik was tired of everyone going against what he said, he would not have it any more. As he reached their rooms he could hear Susannah talking frantically to Christine and when he entered the room he did not like what he saw. Christine was at the wardrobe that held her clothing as she pulled dresses and undergarments out before putting them in the sack she had found God knew where.
"Madam! Please!" Susannah cried, trying to tell her mistress that this was not a good idea. When she saw Erik she turned white before bowing and hastily making her way out of the room. Erik grabbed Christine's bag and pulled it away from her grasp.
"Give it back," she demanded.
"No," he answered. Her eyes were flashing and her cheeks were flushed but Erik found it all very arousing, which angered him. Focus, Erik!
"I refuse to stay here any longer!" Christine said. Erik smirked.
"You do not have a choice," he answered.
"Raoul and Anthony are downstairs, if I scream they will both be in here to help me," she said confidently.
"And they would regret it," he growled. Christine stared at him directly in the eye.
"I hate you," she informed him, her voice low and quiet. Erik grabbed her arm.
"The thing about that, darling, I do not care," he hissed. Christine pulled away roughly but Erik blocked any means of escape. She did not know what to do.
"You are a murderer," Christine whispered, losing her voice as she said that. Erik stared at her with a dark scowl on his face, the white of his mask not helping to soften the look.
"Judge me if you wish, Christine. But you do not know the whole story," he said, indifferent.
"Then tell me," she said. If he would open up perhaps it would not be so hard for her to understand him.
"I will tell you nothing," he snapped. Christine swallowed the tears that threatened because she refused to show any weakness to this man.
"Until you do I am going home," she stated, turning to walk out of the room. Erik grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly back to him. She had never seen him this angry and she became scared.
"I think it is time someone teaches you a lesson," he growled.
"If anyone needs to learn anything it is you, you barbarian!" she retorted. Erik pushed her roughly upon the bed and Christine gasped as he towered over her, not liking the fact that she was suddenly so vulnerable to him. She had never known a man so powerful and dangerous in her life and she knew that was the reason she feared him. With most men she knew where she stood, Erik she had no idea. She was a very good judge of people's actions and it was easy to figure out what a person was going to do next. Erik always surprised her. She never knew what he was going to do next, like now for instance.