"Christine? Tell me about your husband," Sienna said. Christine looked up in surprise at the young woman she was quickly becoming to care about as a friend. They had been there for over a week and no one had come into the room since Leroy's last visit except for some men who came to bring them meals. Other than that they had each other to talk to and entertain. Why did she want to know about Erik? Christine had tried not thinking about him because she found it hurt. They had last seen each other the last time on such strained circumstances. She did not forgive him for hitting her and being so domineering but if anything happened to her she did not want the last time she saw him to be an angry memory for him.
She missed him. She hated herself and cursed feeling that way after what he had done to her but she could not help herself. She missed the way he yelled at her, the way his incredibly sexual voice could change when he was angry. Christine missed the way that he scowled at her when she said something completely preposterous or unexpected. Like when she had kissed him in the carriage. She had loved the way he had responded to her. To think that such a strong man could come undone at her touch was a great aphrodisiac that she wished she could feel again.
But most of all she missed the way he could be so gentle to her and make her feel needed, even if it was only for a short amount of time. Like when he had come to her in her room at Anthony's manor. She could hear how sorry he was for hurting her and the way he had held her while she slept was something she would never forget. Or the time he had come to her after she had been attacked in the ally after the opera. He had held her with such protective arms she had felt as if nothing would ever be able to hurt her.
Erik was capable of great gentleness and Christine wanted to explore that a little more closely. Perhaps her Black Knight might become a White Hero? She prayed that he would be able to help her if she was unable to find a way out of her soon. She knew she had to escape or they would kill him and she could not stand that. She knew she was smart enough to get away from a man like Leroy. She could easily outwit him. She just needed to figure out how.
"Um...what do you want to know?" Christine asked. Sienna smiled and shrugged. Not for the first time Christine realized that Sienna would have been a perfect woman for Erik to marry. She was sweet and docile and probably would never think of talking back to her husband. The perfect woman for a man who always wanted his every wish met.
"Everything," Sienna said.
"He is tall, dark black hair, lean body," Christine said, picturing him clearly in her mind.
"How did you two meet?"
"We didn't. It was an arranged marriage," Christine said flatly. Sienna seemed surprised but said nothing for a long moment.
"Will he worry about you after being kidnapped?" Sienna asked. Christine shrugged. Probably, but only because he did not like anything that was his being taken away from him. That was most likely the only reason. Sienna could only imagine what it must be like marrying someone she did not know and sharing her life with him. She admired Christine's courage and how she had stood up against Leroy even after what she was being told. She also wondered about this husband that Christine seemed so reluctant to talk about. Was he really that bad. But she was more interested in Christine's brother Anthony, who Christine never ceased to talk about. He seemed quite charming and Sienna wished she could meet him.
The fact that she was able to get along so well with Christine, even under the circumstances, was amazing to Sienna. Christine was obviously of nobility, it was in the way she talked and held herself and the way she had dressed when they had first been brought there. Sienna was from a poor merchant's family and had always thought that most noble looked down their noses at people like her, she liked that Christine was different.
"Sienna...if I find a way out of here, will you help?" Christine asked suddenly. The other woman looked at her in surprise.
"O-of course...I want out of here just as much as you do," Sienna said.
"If I do not get out of here they will kill my husband, I will not let that happen," Christine said fiercely. She had a protective note in her voice that Sienna thought was interesting after the things she had said about Monsieur Desslar. Perhaps there was more to this couple then met the eye.