Chapter Seven �That would work!� Charles agreed with Erik enthusiastically as he joined them for the usual supper the Friday evening of that weekend. Although he had promised his sister to be home that weekend, he planned on leaving on the early train Saturday morning. He might have a shorter time with his real family, but at least that also meant less time arguing with his father before he left Sunday night. He simply did not like missing his dinner engagements with Allyriane and her family. �Monsieur Erik, that is an absolutely charming idea.� Allyriane smiled at them from her place at the table, holding a crystal wine glass filled with hot punch near her lips. When she took a sip, Charles� eyes were temporarily stuck on her face. He watched it as her upper lip curled over the brim of the cup, and as her head tilted down a bit. He watched her eyes close so that she could enjoy the taste of the punch, and then he watched the movement of her throat as she swallowed. She opened her eyes to look back up at him, and he laughed inwardly, narrowing his eyes just slightly to scold her for flirting with him like that, so shamelessly. �Don�t think it�s a sudden and original idea.� Isabelle said softly from her place across from her daughter. She laughed softly as she looked over at Charles. �My husband dressed as the Commendatore for a Masquerade Ball at the Paris Opera when Lyre was only a year old. He still has the costume buried in our wardrobe somewhere. It was so unique we just couldn�t part with it. My guess would be that he is going to offer it to you next.� Charles looked up at Erik, who had been watching the silent exchanges between his daughter and her beau very intently all night. He had his moods where he could be nearly jealous of his daughters� affections for any other gentleman. Yet of course it was only the possessive jealousy of all fathers, as they realize their dreams of keeping their daughters little girls forever are quite hopeless. Yet he was smiling, no matter how intently he watched the young couple. �My wife would be right.� He replied. �There isn�t a costume like it in the entire world. The shop I got it from burned down long ago. My wife also has one of their costumes. Eh . . .� He looked to Isabelle questioningly. �What did you dress up as, that year, Cherie? Was it a peahen? With all gold and blue and green? With the head mask?� �Oui.� She replied, nodding slowly. �It was that same year the place burned down too. Such a pity, because it had only recently opened, and everyone wanted their costumes.� They continued eating, and talking over the masquerade that Charles had been given attended to escort Allyriane to. Then, when the final course was served, Erik stood to go and find a brandy in the parlor. He�d taken a liking to the after-dinner habit from so many business dinners in Paris, and now here as well. Most of the time, when Charles wasn�t at their house for supper, Erik had to work late dining with new clients. �Come, my boy. I�ll show you the costume I�m talking about.� Allyriane touched Charles� wrist briefly as he moved past her into the parlor, and then began helping her mother to clear the table, and went into the kitchen to continue helping her with the cleaning up. Although Isabelle�s wrist was now free from its� cast, it would sometimes feel a little stiff and sore. The break had not been pretty, and Erik had mentioned several times how lucky she was that it had healed at all properly. �That is such a charming idea that your father came up with.� Isabelle told her in a soft voice. �You will be Aminta, and Charles the Commendatore. �Don Juan Triumphant� and �Don Giovanni� under one roof.� She smiled at her daughter quietly. �I still wish your father would let us hear that opera of his, for heavens� sake. Sometimes I think he made up the entire plot right off of the top of his head.� �Sometimes I think he stole the whole plot from Mozart.� She countered, giggling. �Think of it, Maman. Two men who have fun in seducing women only to drop them all flat, and then go on to the next conquest. You have to admit that does sound a bit too similar to be a completely original idea.� �No idea is totally original anymore, Cherie.� Isabelle scoffed. �There is no such thing.� �Ladies . . .� They both turned at the same time to see Erik holding the kitchen door to the parlor open. He motioned for them to come out into the parlor, although he�d heard their little remarks about his opera. Shrugging, they dried off their hands, and followed him into the room that was lit only by oil lamps. Their father always did seem to prefer firelight to the newer electric lights. Charles stood in the center of the room in the costume of the stone statue from �Don Giovanni�. He looked just like a living statue. He even had a mask rather like armor that went over his head. It concealed who he was entirely. No one in the entire place would recognize him. Allyriane almost squealed with delight. Charles may not have been as tall as her father, yet he certainly fit the costume well. The sleeves and such would need to be taken in, yet that would certainly be a very easy fix. �Papa! It�s wonderful!� Turning, she grasped her mothers� hand. �Mama! Let me see your costume! Please? Just so I can try it on for fun!� Isabelle glanced at Erik uncertainly, and then looked at Charles even more keenly. �My dear, I am afraid that it is not . . . suited for young ladies of your age. It is a bit too adult.� �Oh, then lets� see!� Charles prodded teasingly, pulling off the headpiece to the costume he wore. His face was flushed as though it were hot underneath what he�d been wearing. Moving over to him, Allyriane touched the material with her hands, and realized why it was so warm. It was pure velvet. �She can look at it when just the two of us are at home, some evening.� Isabelle promised softly. �Now is not a good time. Really, Charles, a gentleman like you should not encourage a young lady to act so wild.� She was smiling, though, just like everyone else. They were having such a wonderful little time, as they always did together. //////////////////////////////------------------/////////////////////////////////// Charles looked up at his roommate from behind a pile of textbooks as he sat at his desk, his back to the open dormitory door of the room. William was leaning back on his bed, laughing so hard that he had to hold his sides as though he thought they might split. �What may I ask, is so damn funny?� Charles demanded. �Wait a minute!� Slowly gaining control over himself, William sat up in bed so that his feet touched the floor, and he leaned over his knees. �You are the most lusted after young man in this entire school, and you�re going to wear a costume that covers your FACE?� It was more perfect than Elan could have hoped. To dress up in the same costume as Charles, to pose as him in the ballroom, was one thing. To have his face covered to better achieve his deceit to Allyriane was too good to be true! The only problem now would be replicating that costume, or getting a hold of the one Charles had without him coming after him for it. �Lyre�s father recommended it to me.� Charles stated. �She�ll be in costume as a character from one of his own operas�, and I will be the character from �Don Giovanni�. Our costumes will go together well, even if no one else realizes it. Her father is even going to give me the costume. It�s one of a kind.� William sobered inwardly at that. So he�d have to make sure he could steal the costume from Charles, AND keep Charles out of the masquerade while he went through with the dirty little deeds Elan had planned for him to do. That might prove a little difficult. Yet William was capable of thinking on his feet. It had kept him out of trouble far more than once. �Well, it will certainly be a good enough symbolism for how you�ve been acting towards the young ladies in the school.� He told Charles bluntly. �You can be as hard and as emotionless as stone behind that civility you�re always bleeding.� Charles shook his head in annoyance. William was a pretty decent fellow. Ye just kept with the wrong company too much. That was what had often gotten him into trouble. He�d go along with someone else�s rotten ideas, and then almost get in trouble for it. Still, William didn�t have any dangerous or mean bones in his body. If it weren�t for the people he hung out with, he wouldn�t even know how to have a biting tone like the one he�d just used. �What are your plans for that evening?� William encouraged after a few moments. �Are you going to walk in the courtyard with her? It�s going to be chaperoned this year. Too many young couples snuck out of the party last year.� �I have no intention of dishonoring Allyriane by dragging her into some seedy, shadowed corner.� Charles nearly rose to his feet that William would suggest such a thing. William knew him better than that. They�d both been raised to be better than that. Yet Charles would forgive him. Considering they were both young and robust men, he supposed it would be hard not to at least consider such things. �Don�t be so brash.� William chuckled. �I was only asking.� �Then don�t ask.� Charles said sourly. He looked back to his studies, studiously making it clear that the conversation was over. He was leaving for his family�s home the following morning, and he wanted to get the weekends studies done before he went to sleep. Rolling over in bed, William grinned as he faced the wall. In all the nights that Charles had prattled on about Allyriane, William had learned that Charles was her first suitor. He also knew that Charles was very careful to be very respectful of her, as he never wished to insult her, or betray her parents. Mademoiselle G�nie was still a virgin. How delightful to know he�d pluck two tender bleeding roses in one night. First he would have Allyriane, who was his conquest, and then his prize, Elan. /////////////////////---------------------////////////////////////// �Here. You�re going to have to give this to her in some punch before I arrive. It needs time to get through her system.� William handed Elan a small vial as they sat across from each other at their afternoon tea. �Be careful not to give her too much. Too much can be fatal.� �You mean I can�t pour the whole of the contents in?� Elan pouted. William grimaced. �You are so . . . demented.� He muttered. �Don�t even think about putting the whole vial in it! It was hard enough getting the morphine from my brother. I had to steal the laudanum. Besides, if we give it to her in a couple of smaller doses until it finally takes affect, then it will be safer for her. We aren�t trying to kill her, Elan. Remember? We want her alive to remember what happened?� �Yes. Yes.� Elan waved her hand dismissively, sounding quite bored. �What do you need the morphine for, anyway? You aren�t an addict.� �No.� William agreed. �We�ll both be expelled if either of us are caught with any of this, so be careful! I need the morphine to get Charles out of the way. His costume is one of a kind, and I need to wear his to the ballroom. If I just flat out take it, he�ll come looking for it, or for her, and we won�t achieve our little devious goal.� Elan looked across the small table at him uncertainly. �The morphine won�t hurt him, will it?� �Ah, now you care about what happens.� He muttered. �No, Charles won�t be hurt by the morphine. It�s only going to knock him unconscious for a couple of hours, all right? I�ll measure it out carefully.� �How are you going to get him to take it?� She challenged. �I�ll find out a way, Elan! Trust me, all right? I�m smarter than you give me credit for!� �If this doesn�t work, and you get caught, William, you are entirely on your own.� ////////////////////////////-------------------////////////////// �Charles, aren�t you going to get ready?� William stood in front of a mirror on the wall between their two beds. He was dressed smartly in all white, gold, and red, as the legendary Narcissus. He certainly managed to make himself look like a young Adonis for this evening, although he hadn�t changed a single thing about his own personal looks. Charles� glanced up from his studies, and sighed heavily as he realized the time. �Tell Lyre for me, that I�ll be down in a half hour. She should be there soon.� He told William. �I need to finish this chapter.� �Always studying.� William murmured, moving behind Charles and opening the door to their dorm as though to leave. Yet after stepping outside, he left the door open � per Charles� request. It was so hot in the room; they needed to let some air in. Then, he crept back into the room, and reached into his coat pocket for the needle he had already carefully prepared. He checked it one last time, making as little noise as possible, and then moved up behind Charles. He was leaned over his books, and his shoulders were so stooped, that there were more than enough places he could have rammed the needle. Yet he had to be careful, or else he would be seen before Charles became unconscious. So, he moved up fast behind him, and reached out to knock over the single oil lamp the young scholar worked by, listening as it smashed on the floor, and all light was extinguished in the room. It was already dark outside, so William knew Charles couldn�t recognize him as he turned, the small of his back being shoved down against the edge of the desk. Then, the needle stuck home in Charles� side. For a few moments longer, they struggled. Yet soon the drug started taking affect, and Charles dropped to the floor. �Stupid bastard.� William chuckled. The fight had made his blood pump faster, and therefore the drug had gone through his system faster. It had worked out much better than William could have hoped. Turning, he reached into Charles� closet, and pulled out the costume he�d been keeping there for the past three days, and threw it on over his other costume. /////////////////////////---------------------------///////////////////////////// �Lyre! Oh, I can�t believe it! You look beautiful!� Susan Rameka hurried up to Allyriane as she came into the ballroom dressed in a copper colored dress of satin, with black laces. It was a bit scandalously short, as it only went down to her ankles, but for a masquerade nearly anything was allowed. Susan herself only wore a dress that seemed to be straight out of the medieval ages, and her hair was pulled back into a braid, her hair weaved through with gold colored netting and ribbon. The two friends hugged each other enthusiastically, as Susan�s beau stood to the side dressed as Romeo. �Susan! You look quite astonishing yourself!� Allyriane smiled at her tenderly, a strip of black mask covering the top half of her face. It was still painfully easy for others to recognize her. She couldn�t believe how warm it was in the room. Already, she felt a bit flustered and red. �The two of you look wonderful.� �Where is your beau, Lyre?� Susan asked softly, looking around in the immediate area for Charles. �Didn�t he escort you?� �Oh, I came by carriage alone.� Allyriane confessed. �He was supposed to meet me when I climbed out, but William and Elan were there. Apparently Charles wants to finish his studies before coming down, so I am just going to wait for him.� �Ah, I hope he doesn�t take too long.� Susan giggled. �I promised to save him just one dance, if I could steal him away from you.� Shaking her head, Allyriane laughed, and walked towards the refreshment table. Her vocal teacher stood nearby as one of the chaperones, so she took up a few moments talking to him before Elan came up to her with two cups of cool punch in her hand. �Here, Lyre.� She offered. Allyriane glanced at her a bit awkwardly. Usually, Elan wasn�t even on speaking terms with her. Then she shrugged off her ill feelings. It was probably � hopefully � just the good mood of the party that had gotten to Elan�s rotten little heart. �It�s so hot in here. Best to keep cool before you let the heat get to you.� �Oh, thank you.� She smiled at her sincerely, and sipped at the punch eagerly. She really was rather thirsty. �I think you�re right about the heat. To think a month ago we were still buried in snow.� �Oh, but the weather isn�t really that different in Paris, is it?� She inquired. �No, no.� Allyriane assured her. �It just takes me by surprise every year; the changing of the seasons. I have a love of nature that I got from my father. Most of my qualities I got from him.� She laughed. �He often says he wishes that I�d inherited a bit more of my mother.� Elan laughed, actually being sincere about it for the moment. Yet she stilled watched eagerly as Allyriane finished off the first cup of punch, only to reach for another at the nearby table. Turning, Elan ended the conversation with the young beauty, and sashayed her way across the room towards the door. She could see William standing there, watching anxiously. �Did she drink it?� He finally whispered. When Elan did not stop by him, but did nod as she passed, he backed out of the room, presumably to put on his new costume. ////////////////////////--------------------////////////////////////// �Charles! There you are!� Allyriane smiled brilliantly as she finished her third cup of punch � the second which Elan had offered her. As the Commendatore from �Don Giovanni� approached her, it was hard not to be intimidated by such height. He really did appear to be carved out of stone. She assumed he must have spoken when he bowed to her in the old fashion, and then offered his hand to her to bring her out onto the dance floor. Yet the room was too loud with all of the chattering going on over the music of the rather large orchestra that had been hired for the evening. �Charles, you�re awfully quite this evening.� She noted after they had gone through two or three waltzes, and one jig. A dance known in America as the Virginia reel came up, and all of the questions running through her head were forgotten as the room began to spin. She thought that perhaps it was only the excitement and heat of the room. Yet when she almost fell against Charles, she realized she needed a spot of fresh air. From a distance, she heard him offer to take her outside, and then the next thing she remembered, she was not in the courtyard outside of the ballroom of the school, but on a bench behind the school building itself. �Charles . . . What are you doing?� She asked, worried when he loosened the laces to her bodice. �Really, I think I�m starting to feel better. This isn�t necessary. I can breathe perfectly fine now.� He still fumbled with the laces. �Charles � stop it! STOP!� |