A New Beginning

Disclaimer: Please see the prologue

A New Beginning

Ch. 14

Laughter

During the next few weeks of the initial building Erik found himself seeking out Madison's company. She would turn around and suddenly find him at the other end of the stable, or be settling into the cracked leather arm chair in the library just to look up and see him walking through the doorway.

Her heart squeezed and her stomach filled with butterflies at these moments when she saw him watching her. His gaze slid to the unopened book in her lap, a slim leather tomes with the word "Candide" embossed in silver leaf on the cover. His eyes widened slightly as his gaze returned to her face.

"That is very heavy reading for a young woman," he said to Madison.

Her expression tightened in irritation, "do you think women incapable of understanding satire, monsieur?" she replied. She could see the look of shock and amusement flash across his face as he raised his hands in defense. "On the contrary mademoiselle" he said, "I believe that women are just as capable scholastically as men. I was merely pointing out that most young ladies would not enjoy such a dark piece of fiction and philosophy."

Madison relaxed at this and allowed her hand to stroke the supple spine of the book as she studied him. He had not moved further into the room than the doorway and the light from the lamp cast shadows across his face and the mask.

"I can understand your shock, but I am not like most young women my age. I can see things for their true value rather than what society dictates," she said as her gaze flashed to the white leather mask that he was never seen without.

Erik saw this and was rooted into place from shock. Had she really just suggested what he thought she did? His hand rose to his white linen shirt as he tried to smooth out the wrinkles. It was a habit of his to fidget with his clothing when he was nervous, and Madison's comment had suddenly made him very nervous. 'Don't be such a fool,' he thought to himself, 'you have faced drunken gypsies, angry eunuchs, and an insane sultana, but the thought of a suggestive comment from this slip of a girl is enough to send you into conniptions? Get a hold of yourself old fool!'

Madison smiled slightly, "do you enjoy Voltaire's work?" she asked him. The question brought Erik out of his inner monologue.

He replied, "I do enjoy some of his works, although 'Candide' is by far his best. His portrayal of the middle east is most accurate and the underlying philosophy is sound."

Her eyebrows rose in wonder, "do you mean that you have been to the middle east?" she asked in a breathy manner.

He nodded and moved further into the library. "I have traveled to several countries, and I spent many months in Persia. Does travel interest you?"

Madison's mouth hung open slightly before she returned to her senses and closed it. "I have always wanted to see some of the places and countries that I read about. Would you, if you do not mind of course, tell me about your adventures?"

And with that Erik sat in the chair beside her and began to tell her the more pleasant side of Persia and the palace. She listened, enraptured with the tale of his time spent designing buildings, of the crowded marketplace, and of the adventures of the spoiled royal cat.

Erik left out the gruesome details of the twisted Khanum, of the torture devices that he created, and of his narrow escape from the palace. He reveled in the way that her face was lit from within by excitement, and the knowledge that he had caused this.

Weeks passed and the timid friendship between Erik and Madison blossomed. There were still furtive glances between them, stolen moments where one silently appraised the other quickly. Instead of the tension lessening between them their juxtaposition seemed to heighten it.

In the time that passed quickly as the materials were gathered, the workers hired, and the foundation built, Madison slowly became aware of an ache that would not pass.

Madison understood a little of what was happening between them. A few stolen kisses when she was young and infatuated with the miller's son along with a few of the books in the library served as her education in the carnal matters of the world. But these feelings of intense desire paired with her anxiety of being found out by her father or Ummi seemed to make it only that much more delightful.

She saw him as an older and more-worldly man who could teach her things about the world that she could never learn by herself.

The question of the mask was still present in her mind but the months of seeing it had transformed it into just another part of him, like any other article of clothing until it was pushed down into her subconscious mind.

It happened one evening when Erik was telling Madison about the sightseeing one could do in Paris that her father interrupted them.

"Ah, there you are Mr. Durmand," Johnathan said to Erik, "I was hoping to have a word with you about the time line for the building phase."

Erik made to rise from the leather armchair but was waved back into his seat, "no need to move, I only wanted to make sure that the time line you gave me is correct?" Mr. Swift asked him.

Erik nodded his head in agreement, "yes, barring poor weather the construction should be finished by the end of October, beginning of November." he replied.

Johnathan Swift smiled enthusiastically and turned his attention to his daughter, "wonderful, I was hoping that that would be the case. I was going to wait until tonight but I might as well tell you now. I have decided that once the house was constructed and furnished that we should host a ball. We will invite some of the eligible young men from Raleigh and the neighboring towns and you may have your pick."

Madison's jaw dropped in surprise, "father, you can not be serious. That is not how courtship works!"

Johnathan smiled and cocked his head "and since when has my darling rebellious daughter been concerned with convention?" And on that note he turned and exited the library, leaving his dumbfounded daughter with the bemused architect.

Erik could not help himself, between the seriousness of her father and the surprised look on Madison's face he burst out laughing. Madison's surprise turned to mock anger as she threw the small book of poetry that she had been holding at the man beside her, who caught it swiftly.

"So you think that this is funny, the hot summer sun has finally driven my father mad and you are laughing!" But she couldn't keep her face straight and she joined his laughter. While his was genuine and deep hers was laced with a hint of melancholy.



Author's note: See, another chapter in about a week. Looks like I can keep a deadline after all. : ) Seriously though, you would have had it sooner but the first part was like pulling teeth! Nothing seemed to work and the words just wouldn't come. I had actually intended a lot more to happen in the chapter but I don't want the story to move too fast and forget about the little nuances that make it enjoyable. I am after all detail oriented. As a side not, I don't usually beg for reviews because you either will or you won't, but I can't grow as a writer if people don't point out what they like or don't like. I need to know if it's moving too fast, to slow, if I'm leaving out too many scenes, etc as well as typos and mistakes. Keep in mind that if you don't reply I will simply be forced the believe that you all think that I'm wonderful and should continue as I am. ; )

Off on another tangent I am especially proud of my little double entendre in this chapter. A cookie to whoever spots it first.

And yet another tangent, no Erik didn't tell her about what happened to him in Paris, just about touristy stuff like the Louvre and Notre Dame and such.