All I Ask of You

Chapter 15

Erik knew a doctor in the village who had been kind enough to allow us entry in the back door of his establishment, so as not to draw attention to the unusual masked man. We waited for the doctor to see Erik in chairs seated right next to one another. A strange force within me made me reach for Erik's hand. I took his ice cold hand in mine and held it, resting our hands on my thigh. He looked at me, and for a brief moment, he looked nervous, but then he gave a faint smile and continued staring at the wall. 

Moments later, the doctor came into the room and began to ask Erik a series of questions. After writing all of the information down, the doctor said, "Well, Monsieur Destler, it seems to me that you may have tuberculosis."

I let out a gasp.

"It's alright, Madame Destler. We've improved how we treat tuberculosis. I can give you some herbal remedies to try with him. Most importantly," he suddenly became much less formal, "Erik, I've known you a long time. I know how you like to live, but you need to leave. It will kill you. You need to be getting fresh air. I recommend finding a house on the beach and going to live there. 

The doctor looked toward me. Again, he addressed me as Erik's wife, "Madame Destler, you'll need to make sure he is well-nourished. I'll give you some of these herbs. You can dissolve them in hot tea. Make sure he gets plenty of fresh air. If he feels like it, be sure to take short walks outside."

He must have recognized the fear on my face. My eyes were brimming with tears, "Madame Destler, he will be alright. It will just take a little bit of work. He's been through worse. I can assure you of that," the doctor said looking at Erik.

I nodded, and I felt a familiar pair of cold fingers interlace with mine. I looked at Erik, and he gave my hand a squeeze.

After Erik paid the doctor for his time, we left and returned to the lair, hand in hand. Erik was slightly weak, though he wouldn't admit it, "My dear, please pack a few trunks for us. We leave tonight."

"Where are we going?" I asked. 

"I have a small house by the sea. I had bought it when I thought Christine and I could be together..." he trailed off, "That's neither here nor there. It is of necessity now. Christine was never there anyway."

I ran to him and threw my arms around him as I let out a sob that had been threatening to escape the whole day. He ran his hands up the sides of my corset before holding me at my waist, "Erik," I looked into his eyes, "You can't die... You just can't."

"At one time, I would have given anything to die and leave behind the pains of this world. Now, I can't bare the thought of letting you go, my Caroline." He held me as I let out a few cries. Then, he released me reluctantly, "I would hold onto you all day, my dear, but we must pack."

By the time we had packed up most of the lair, a carriage arrived to take us to our new home. We had several trunks: some with clothing, others with music, and some with food and cooking utensils. 

It was a long ride to our new home. I sat next to Erik and leaned against him. At some point, I fell asleep. When I woke, I saw Erik's head was laying on top of mine and his arm was wrapped protectively around my waist. He looked so peaceful in his state of sleep. The carriage came to a halt, and I lightly patted Erik's chest, "Darling, I think we're here."

He blinked and looked around, "Yes, I believe we are."

He got out of the carriage first and offered his hand for me to step down. Suddenly, the salty air hit my nostrils and I inhaled deeply. I spotted the beach near our home and smiled. 

The carriage driver and Erik then unloaded all of our trunks. Erik paid him, and then the driver wished us both well, addressing us as Monsieur and Madame Destler. 

Once we had settled in, Erik and I sat in the fully furnished sitting room. I sat down on a chair, and he sat down on the couch. After he was sitting, I moved to sit next to him, "I didn't know your last name was Destler," I said quietly as I rested my head on his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry everyone kept addressing you as my wife. They must have assumed..."

"It's quite alright," I whispered. I wanted to tell him that I would love to be his wife, but this was certainly not the time, "This is a beautiful home."

"Do you think you'd like to stay here with me?"

"I would love nothing more."

He started into a coughing fit, and I quickly went to fetch him water. He was just as stubborn as me and wouldn't lie in bed. So I convinced him to rest on the couch while I prepared a meal. 

When the meal was ready, I brought it to the dining room and Erik joined me at the table. "Oh damn it!" I exclaimed. 

"What?" he asked shocked by my sudden outburst.

"I packed all of your porcelain masks, but I don't think I remembered your cloth mask. Damn it! It'll take me a few days to make a new one," I held my head trying to think of where I could have possibly packed his cloth mask. I went to a trunk sitting in the hallway of the house and began rummaging through its contents furiously searching for his cloth mask. He walked over toward me and grabbed my wrist gently, forcing me to stop. 

"No, Caroline," he whispered, his voice heavy with emotion, "I think it's time I show you."