Erik took Christine into his arms and slipped out of the carriage. He slipped the hood of his cloak over his head and slowly made his way down the street. Christine remained asleep in his arms and for the moment he preferred it that way. He knew she would not like where he was taking her. The women of the bordello looked with some interest as he brought Christine into the main room before quickly walking up the stairs. He threw open the door and Nadir stood up in surprise and dismay when he saw Christine. Erik said nothing as he set his wife on the bed and removed his cloak.
"Erik, what happened?" Nadir demanded, beginning to worry.
"I need your help. I need to take Christine and myself somewhere Delauney will not find us, and I need to go soon," Erik said, not going to explain anything. Nadir knew that Erik must have seriously did something to ruin the fragile compromise he had had with Michael Delauney. He would not lecture him and he would not question him.
He had been thinking of somewhere they could go for a while, no longer wanting to remain in the bordello. Nadir told him of an older woman he had known for many years that lived on the outside of the city. She was a widow and lived with her daughter, a woman around the same age as Christine, and they would help them. Erik knew that the woman's house was better than staying where they were. He nodded to Nadir.
"Erik...?" Both men turned to look at Christine as she slowly sat up, pushing her hair out of her face. Her nose wrinkled when the smell of the room filled her nose and her eyes found her husband. Knowing he was there she looked to Nadir and gave him a faint smile, he returned the gesture. Erik watched as she looked around the room, trying to figure out where they were. The room, though it looked like they had tried cleaning it, was dirty and the smell was almost unbearable.
"Where are we, my love?" Christine asked, still looking at her surroundings. Nadir glanced at his friend, wondering if he was going to tell his wife that he had taken his wife to a bordello, he could only imagine what her reaction would be.
"This is where I was staying while Nadir nursed me back to health," he said, not answering the question directly. Of course was much to smart for that and she raised a brow. He turned from her and found his white half mask, and put it on. When he turned Christine was at the door, opening it and peering into the hall. She gasped when she saw a man and a woman going into one of the rooms, doing something they had no right to do in public!
"Erik!" Christine gasped. Her husband was already pulling her back into the room and shutting the door. Christine hit him on the arm and pulled away from him. Where had he taken her
"Where are we?" she demanded. Nadir watched in interest as Erik looked at the floor, the wall, the window, everywhere but his wife while he uttered one word.
"Bordello." Christine's eyes went wide in surprise. A bordello? He had taken her to a house of pleasure to hide away? She would not stay here! It was indecent!
"Erik Charles Desslar!" she gasped. Erik looked at her in surprise. He had not known she even knew his middle name. He did not remember telling her. Perhaps his wife was a lot more keen then he had ever believed possible.
"We are not staying her, my love! Nadir knows of a woman who will help us!" he said, almost frantically. Nadir had to keep in his chuckle. It really felt good to want to laugh after so long. And these two made him feel light at heart with their antics. Christine pushed past both men and went to the window, opening it and letting the cold evening breeze come into the room, the smell was beginning to bother her.
"This was the closest place that I could bring Erik when he was wounded," Nadir said, hoping to make Christine calm down, she looked like she really wanted to hit her husband.
"I suppose this is the last place Michael would look for us," she said bitterly. She did not know why it upset her so much that they there, but it did. She did not feel comfortable. Nadir left the room, saying he was going to get a carriage ready to take them to the widow's house. Christine stayed at the window, looking out to the city, letting the cool breeze blow her hair from her eyes. She knew why it bothered her so much. It was not the fact that he had taken her there; it was what he could have done while she was not with him.
He had been away from her for a few weeks. There were women here that would give a man anything he needed for a price. What if Erik had been willing to pay to slake his needs? Christine knew how much he loved her, but a man had needs and being away from her for so long could have made him desperate. The thought of him touching another woman the way he touched her made her sick to her stomach. Erik simply looked at her, not saying anything because he could see that she was upset with him.
"The carriage is ready," Nadir said, coming into the room. Christine said nothing as she walked past Erik. He, however, grabbed her arm and stopped her. She went to pull it away but he simply put his cloak around her, she was only wearing her nightgown and he wanted her covered. She looked down at the floor.
What had she been thinking? Erik would never do anything to betray her trust like that. That was not the kind of man he was, and she hated herself for thinking it. He went to walk out the door and Christine took his hand, entwining their fingers. He smiled at her, relieved that she was not angry with him. Christine received several whistles and crude suggestions from some of the men who wished for a woman for the night, but one look at Erik, with his scowling face and white mask and they were quick to be quiet.
"Nadir, this woman, can we trust her?" Christine asked as they settled themselves into the seats of the carriage. Nadir nodded and assured her that they could. Christine allowed her thoughts to drift to her family and she prayed that they were alright, going somewhere where they would be safe.
"They are fine, love," Erik whispered, knowing that she had to be thinking about her family. She smiled and nodded, although she continued to worry. She did not want any harm to come to them because of things they had no control of. The carriage remained quiet as they made their way towards the woman who hopefully would not turn them away.