Ascent to Power

Jealousy

The day after her visit to the office Katherine was opening the mail when she came across a letter with elegant writing on the envelope. She held it to her nose. It smelled of some man's cologne. It was a spicy scent, not something a woman would wear, but a scent she would find pleasing on a man. A masculine scent, yes that how best to describe it.

Smiling in anticipation of perhaps a letter from Raoul, she slit the envelope open. She pulled out the paper. Unfolding it she read what was written in bold script. Clearly it was a man's handwriting, a man confident in his words being welcomed.

The letter was not from Raoul as she had expected. It was from Nadir, Nadir Khan to be exact. She finally knew what his last name was. He was thanking her for her thoughtful gift. He was also extending an invitation to Katherine to have lunch with him the day after tomorrow if she would be available.

He asked that she invite anyone along as chaperone if she felt the need. He all but pleaded with her to accept his invitation. Katherine was flattered. Smiling broadly she wiped her napkin across her lips then flew up the stairs to her room. Once there she lost no time writing out her acceptance. She told him she would be honored to have lunch with such a handsome, charming man. She gave a time she would arrive at the office.

Not giving herself time to change her mind, Katherine rang for one of the maids. When she came Katherine told her to have Martin take the letter to town directly. Once her mind was made up Katherine found she was excited about her date. Was it a date? She clasped her hands together in excitement. Her first real date with a man, well she had gone to lunch then shopping with Raoul. That was more of a rescue than a date.

When Martin arrived there was no one in the outer office. He tapped his hand on the little bell. A door down the hallway opened as a tall gentleman, wearing of all things a leather mask, came toward him.

"May I be of some service to you?" This had to be the man Katherine had told them was Mr. Montgomery's partner, or rather ex-partner now. Mr. de Chagny had told him of the man in aside, once he was going to be leaving Miss Katherine alone the day he had rescued her. He had warned Martin to watch her carefully if the man approached her. Martin drew himself up to his full height.

"I have a note from Miss Katherine for Mr. Khan. It is a reply to his letter she received this morning. Might the gentleman be around?"

Erik was not about to tell him Nadir had only stepped next door. The dirty bastard had written her a letter behind his back. Erik could think of no good reason right off hand why Nadir should not be free to write to anyone he wished. If he gave himself a moment he could think of something.

"You may leave the message here on Mr. Pendleton's desk. When he returns from lunch he will make sure Mr. Khan receives it without delay." Erik was thinking that it might get to Nadir, but not before he got to read it himself first. The backstabber deserved no privacy. Had Erik not warned him to stay away from Katherine, Miss Montgomery?

After Martin had left the note on Arthur's desk, Erik's conscience goaded him into leaving it lie on the desk untouched. He walked by that damn desk so many times he could estimate down to the second how long it took to walk from his office to that tempting white envelope.

When Nadir returned Erik followed him into his office. He wanted to be present when Arthur returned and gave Nadir the note. He knew Nadir would need some sort of explanation as to why he was in his office as Erik did not pay social calls during business hours. He hoped he could come up with some legitimate reason for being here.

Nadir turned in surprise as the door opened just seconds after he closed it. "Ah, Erik, what can I do for you? Is there something I need to be taking care of right now? If this is about those recent robberies Darius and I have not gone through all the paperwork yet. We should have a list compiled no later than tomorrow of all that is missing."

Erik was relieved to hear the knock on the door as it prevented him from racking his brain to come up with a reason he would need to speak urgently with Nadir. He had nothing available just at the moment. Arthur had saved him once again.

"Pardon me sirs, but this was on my desk when I returned from lunch. It is for Mr. Khan." Arthur crossed over and handed the note to Nadir. Erik wanted to snatch the note from his hand but he restrained himself. He sat down nonchalantly, as if he all the time in the world with no worries at present. Inside he was seething. Could Nadir possibly be any slower opening the damn envelope?

Nadir sat down behind his desk as he read what Katherine had written. He smiled in satisfaction then folded the note putting it in his pocket. He leaned back in his chair with his hands folded on his desk in front of him. He waited to see what Erik would say. He did not have long to wait.

"Well? What did she say?" Nadir's self-satisfied look did not set well with Erik. For the first time in their acquaintance Erik feared Nadir was in danger of being harmed by his hand knowingly. The time he was fevered and distraught after the disaster did not count.

It was all he could do to keep himself from reaching across the desk and pulling Nadir across the top of the mahogany desktop to land with a resounding thud on the floor at Erik's feet. Once that had been accomplished Erik would then dearly love to smash Nadir's handsome face with a well aimed blow from his fist. Where all this sudden violent reaction to his old friend was coming from Erik did not know. He only knew it was there.

"Erik did I not make it clear that I do not need to inform you when I am seeking the company of a woman? I do not need nor want your comments. Perhaps I shall take a page from your book and lure the woman to my bed foregoing all the tediousness of courtship."

Neither one could say who was the more surprised when the crystal paperweight suddenly went flying against the wall behind Nadir. Luckily Erik had aimed just to the side of the big glass window.

They stared at one another in silence for a few seconds. An unspoken message, a pleading in one man's eyes to the other passed silently from one to the other. Nothing further needed to be said. Nadir calmly sat down, took out pen, paper and an envelope as he calmly stated, "I do believe I shall have to rescind my offer of lunch with Miss Montgomery. I do seem to remember Darius mentioned needing to go over some new information with me."

"I will send Arthur for the janitor to clean up the mess. I did manage to kill that pesky fly on your wall though." Having satisfied his curiosity and also getting Nadir to see things his way, Erik left Nadir alone in his office. He left a little ashamed to have threatened his old friend, even if was only silently, well except for the glass globe. There had been a fly on the wall. Even if he had not intentionally aimed at it he had killed it all the same. Better the fly than Nadir.

Curiosity got the better of Nadir as soon as the door closed behind Erik. Standing up he pushed his chair away so he could go to look at the spot the glass globe had hit the wall. Sure enough, there were the remnants of what was once a fly.

Nadir sat down to write his apologies to Katherine. He was beginning to think he might never be properly introduced to that young woman. He thought it might be as well not to offer another time they might meet, although he did mention that perhaps Katherine might like to lunch with all her recent upper level management as a way to get to know everyone. They could have it catered as a special introduction to everyone. It could be held in the boardroom. If he and Erik were included, well that was most fortuitous.

Nadir mentally reminded himself he must be more careful when trying to test Erik's attractions for Miss Montgomery. Erik may deny his attractions for Katherine but he was a normal man with a normal man's reactions to a beautiful woman. He may not even be aware how deeply his emotions were involved as of yet. Nadir was beginning to suspect that Erik might have more than a passing attraction for this new young woman in his life.

Nadir could not see Erik coming to such instant and red hot anger over a passing attraction. He would simply move on to the next willing woman. He had no shortage of women waiting to win his favor.

Erik had returned to his office shutting the door softly behind him, in direct contrast to the anger he had thrown that glass globe against the wall. He sighed heavily, leaning back against the door. What was wrong with him?

He had never felt such anger toward Nadir, not even when Nadir was lecturing him or scolding him for his poor behavior. Not since Erik had been jealous of Raoul had he felt such an emotion as he felt when Nadir had made those comments about Katherine. Was he jealous? No, it was not possible. He wanted Christine and only Christine. He had not been jealous at all. It had only been anger that Nadir seemed to want to fraternize with his enemy. That was all it was. Nothing more, just anger at Nadir's traitorous offer of friendship to one of Erik's enemies. His mind baulked at the word enemy. His conscious was whispering in the back of his mind that he was lying to himself.

Katherine was a little hurt by the message Nadir sent. Shortly after the feelings of rejection her anger began to boil. She felt that horrible Mr. Fontaine had a hand in this. Nadir was not the kind of man to forget a business meeting. Perhaps Mr. Fontaine had invented one just so Nadir would have to cancel their lunch date.

Well she would not dwell on him and his petty behavior. She had to think about how to inform everyone about the new houseguests that would be arriving soon. She was putting it off hoping everything would soon settle down. Her father was a real fly in the oatmeal.

His disruptive influence was becoming wearing. Katherine was afraid one of his disparaging remarks made in Matthew's hearing would cause trouble. Matthew had a hatred for her father that he did not try to hide when in the presence of the man. The fact that Daniel could not cowl Matthew made Daniel dislike Matthew all the more.

Matthew's intervention into several altercations between Katherine and her father had been curtailed just before they could get out of hand. Katherine began to believe her father might physically attack her if Matthew or Martin were not always close at hand.

By luck or design Katherine never seemed to be alone when Daniel made any of his rare visits to the main house. He was trying to wear Katherine down. He always brought the papers he wanted her to sign, giving him full control of all her shares in the businesses and her shares in the theatre. Why he thought Katherine would do such a thing knowing how careless he had been before with her holdings she could not fathom.

Something would have to be done soon. This continual unrest was beginning to wear on everyone's nerves. Katherine resolved to speak with her father at the first opportunity. That opportunity would come sooner than she would have thought and in a way she would not have wished.

While Katherine worried about her father, Erik worried about his feelings for Katherine. When he went to bed he deliberately brought Christine's image to his mind. It took longer than he thought for his flesh to harden. Just a few months ago he could think of her and his manhood all but leapt from his trousers.

His hand massaged along his length as he thought of entering Katherine. How hot and moist she would be, how tight her virginal body would be. Erik's hand stilled, in mid stroke on his throbbing manhood from the shock of his thoughts. Katherine, virginal, where had those thoughts come from? He had been thinking of Christine.

Even as his mind searched for answers his libido seemed to know all it needed as his hand began to stroke the hard flesh he had his fingers wrapped around. Erik decided to let his mind have free reign. If he thought of Katherine instead of Christine it only meant he was attracted to her. Why would he not have fantasies about her? Any man would. God damned Nadir better stay away from her if he knew what was good for him.

Erik did not seem to mind that Raoul had been living with Christine even after she supposedly had separated from him, yet the mere thought of Katherine sharing an innocent meal with Nadir had him wanted to strangle his longtime friend with his bare hands.

Pushing all other thoughts away Erik fantasized about Katherine's cries of pleasure as he brought her to climax. Groaning with that thought and picture in his mind Erik came to his own pleasurable end. As he lay breathing heavily his mind wandered to what her creamy skin would like without clothing. What would it taste like, fell like? He knew how she smelled. Her scent was embedded in his memory.

Damn if his thoughts did not bring him to readiness for another bout of pleasure. That was a first. Never before had he lingered after he had pleasured himself with thoughts of the object of his temporary desire. He usually fell into a deep peaceful sleep after such an activity.

Ah well, who was he to rail against the gifts fate bestowed on him? He gave himself over to another round of Katherine's virginal delights. If this was the most erotic, satisfying self-pleasuring he had ever experienced he blocked his mind as to the reason why.