Unmasqued

When he looked up, his face was wet with tears, and when she tried to roll away, he grasped her wrist, pulling himself up. 'Christine,' he said, 'tonight, when I return, you leave with me. You are mine. Do you understand?'

Tonight she would be gone, with Erik.

'Raoul,' she began, scrambling for something to say. The gentle boy was gone, completely gone. His fingers around her wrist hurt, enough that she wanted to gasp with it, but she saw that oddness in his eyes and dared not. She dared nothing but agree with him.

'I'll protect you from him, from all of them,' he said, sitting up next to her, still grasping her wrist. 'I'll make you forget what that monster did to you, and you'll be with me, Christine.'

Holding her wrist, he pushed his other hand under the bedclothes, far down beneath them to the juncture of her legs. Before she could move, he covered her with his palm, slid his fingers up and into the folds of her sex and began to stroke with long, easy movements.

She was more than ready for it, and the surprise of his sudden movement caught her off guard so that the pleasure consumed. Her world centered there, between her legs, and rose and fell. Christine gave herself up to it, let it go, and focused everything on the sleek rhythm of his hand.

She felt Raoul next to her, heard his raspy breathing and the strange low sobbing in the back of his throat. She knew he was the one touching her, bringing her to the body-wrenching shudder she knew would come.

But it was Erik she thought of. Erik she yearned for.

And Erik she wept for when at last she came, and her body convulsed in relieved tremors beneath the fingers of another man.

Tears leaked from the edges of her eyes as she prayed, prayed that her escape today would go as planned.

When she opened her eyes, after a long moment, it was to see Raoul standing there, his eyes focused on her. 'You'll marry me, Christine. You are one thing my brother will not keep from me.'

He left the room with a silent swish of the door.

Chapter Twenty-two

Two hours after Raoul left her, just after the midday dinner was being served below, Christine heard the shouts of alarm that portended the burning stable.

She was ready, and without hesitation, she left her chamber through the passageway in the closet.

Only moments later, after meeting no one, Christine emerged from the small servant door at the back of the chateau. The sunlight over the patches of snow was blinding, but the crisp winter air was refreshing and biting, tinged with smoke from the burning stable-but it was the air of freedom.

Though she wasn't free from the Chagny brothers yet, she was closer to Erik than she'd been for days. She knew he was out there, just beyond the trees past the low stone wall. And over that stone wall and beyond was true freedom with him.

Wrapped in a dark cloak, Christine moved away from the chateau. A shout in the distance caused her to freeze, her heart filling her throat. But after a moment of gaping around from behind a large oak, she realized it had come from the direction of the stable, on the other side of the chateau.

A glance up over the top of the house's square tower told her that whoever'd set the fire had done the job well. A tall spiral of dark gray smoke billowed up, and with a small gust of wind came a shower of ash over the peaked chateau roof and the stronger smell of burning wood.

Hoping none of the horses would be injured in the fire, Christine gave one last look at the cloud of smoke and hurried toward another tree. Madame Giry had Warned her to move quickly from tree to tree, ending at the clump of scrubby pines next to the wall. There would be a pile of stones there for her to use to climb over the wall, and Erik would be waiting for her just on the other side.

Erik.

Christine hurried her steps, the cloak flapping about her legs as she dodged toward another tree. Even though it was winter, the branches were thick enough, and the pines close enough, that anyone looking down from the upper windows of the chateau would be hard-pressed to see her.

There-she saw the trio of pines and, as she darted forward, the pile of rocks. The wall was no higher than her chest; the flat-topped stones that looked as though they might have been left over from the building of the wall or the chateau would give her enough of a boost to make climbing the wall simple, even in her heavy skirts.

Christine stepped up onto the pile of stones, holding the top of the wall, and swung her foot up and onto the ledge, looking for a sign of Erik. Beyond the wall, trees were scattered over low, rolling fields patched with snow, and in the distance, a line of trees curved around the edge of the estate. Far to the left, along the wall onto which she hoisted herself, were the massive iron gates to the lawn she'd just crossed, and beyond them was the dark curl of smoke from the burning stable.

At first, there was no sign of any life. All was silent and still. But then she saw him, near a cluster of trees.

'Erik,' she said softly, hardly daring to believe he was there, coming toward her on Cesar. His heavy dark coat flapped over the horse's dirty white haunches, his face shadowed by a wide-brimmed hat. He sat tall and strong in the saddle as he and the stallion followed the line of trees, out of sight of the chateau and its burning stable.

Bringing both of her feet to the other side of the wall, she launched herself over and ran toward him.

'My, what a welcome surprise.' He swept off his hat and Christine staggered back in shock. 'But I hope you are not leaving so soon.'

'No!' she cried, and turned to stumble away, but Philippe was too fast for her. He raced up on Cesar and swooped an arm down to snag her around the waist, lifting her to slam her belly onto the saddle in front of him. The wind knocked out of her, Christine gasped for breath as she tried to slip from under his grip.

'A case of mistaken identity, I presume, based on your reaction,' he said, his hand grasping the back of her neck and holding her in place as her stomach jounced painfully against the saddle. 'Forgive me for interrupting your plans, but I would not want you leaving the chateau so soon, my dear.'

She could not squeeze away from under his hand, but with the bit of breath she had left in her, Christine managed to say, 'Erik?' She knew something had befallen him. How else would Philippe be riding Cesar?

Philippe had wheeled the white horse back around and Christine was able to lift her head enough to see that they were going toward the gates at the back of the chateau.

'Your beloved Erik is unable to help you now.'

No.

Christine squeezed her eyes closed, blocking away the gloating in his voice, the satisfaction in his words. Philippe would have no qualms about it, none at all… but, no, no … she wouldn't believe it. Not yet. Not until she had proof.

They galloped to a halt near the same servant door through which Christine had emerged only moments before. Without loosening his grip on her neck, Philippe slid off Cesar and moved to clamp a stifling hand over her mouth as the other closed around her arm.

She fought and kicked, but he was taller and stronger than she by far, and he easily maneuvered her into the building. Once inside, he stopped in the narrow back hallway, and still gagging her with his hand and keeping her pulled up tightly against his body, he fumbled around with his other and produced a gleaming knife.

'Now,' he said, breathing heavily, 'you'll not make a sound, or I'll cut your pretty throat. I'd hate to damage such a lovely songbird, but as with Carlotta, I've no qualms about doing so if necessary. Walk this way.'

He released her mouth but held her upper arm with a grip so tight that her fingers tingled, and with the other hand, he held the tip of the knife to her throat. Christine walked as he directed, but when she thought to turn toward the chamber she'd occupied, he steered her in a different direction.

'No, my dear. I have much more comfortable accommodations available for you now where the walls are thick and padded. It is in my private quarters.'

Her stomach pitched and a wave of fear swept over her. He must have seen her wide eyes and panic-stricken