Yellow

Chapter Five

                                                                          Chapter Five

It's been four months since I got the last letter from monsieur Erik. Philippe has all but healed, it turns out that Philippe got into a drunken row at the pub and was taken to the hospital by a tall, thin man wearing a white mask.

  Monsieur Erik saved Philippe.

I couldn't believe my ears when I questioned the bartender about it, then again, monsieur Erik did say he didn't want to kill Philippe...only me. Ever since Philippe returned home from the hospital, however, he hasn't been feeling right, even now, four months after the incident! The doctors suppose he picked up a virus from the hospital, but the doctors don't know which one. Not yet, anyways. I was walking on the sidewalks, it was dusk and not many people roamed the streets, even in this part of Paris.

My hands were sunk into my pockets and as I walked on the sidewalk I kicked along a small rock, trying to distract my mind. These four months all I could think about was my golden eyed angel, Penny. I wondered how life in London was treating her, or if she had been in contact with monsieur Erik, whom I had coined the nickname 'Prince of Death' for. I yearned to see her face again, to smell her perfume as she waked by, or just catch a glance of her from a distance. I was becoming agitated, and very, very restless.

Poor, poor Philippe had done all he could for me. I could barely believe how many courtings I went on in those past four months, yet, I could only see the face of Penny flashing back in my mind as I dined with other women. "You must stop this sulking, Raoul" Philippe said one morning when he was feeling a bit better. "Sulking is not healthy, especially when you're looking for a wife"

"I'm not looking for a wife, Philippe, I've found her." I said solemnly, poking at my eggs.

"Oh?" Philippe said, sitting up happily and putting his paper down "Who is it? Oh, no, let me guess! Angelina? No, no, Margret...or...Sasha?

No...Elizabeth? No? Who then, dear brother?" Asked Philippe excitedly, hope shone brightly in his eyes.

"Penny" I said dreamily, smiling down at my cooling breakfast, Philippe sighed and rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair.

"Raoul, you must forget about her. She is monsieur Erik's and monsieur Erik's alone. And he will do anything and everything to keep it that way, Raoul. I can't stress enough that he will kill you!" Yelled Philippe, going into a coughing fit. I jumped up and gave him some water, he calmed down and sighed. "Raoul, I feel I don't have much time left on this earth--"

"Oh, Philippe!" I said standing back from him.

"Now, Raoul, just listen. Just...listen. If I do not make it through your and monsieur Erik's...'war' as you call it, I want you to do something for me, will you?" Asked my brother "you can call this my dying wish"

"Anything, Philippe" 

"If I am dead before this 'war' is over, I want you to let monsieur Erik and mademoiselle Penny marry, I want you to find a nice Viscountess or other woman of nobility and marry her, and I want you to have children. Never think of Penny again...do you understand?" Philippe asked, staring at me sternly, I bit my bottom lip.

"Philippe--"

"Promise me!" Cried Philippe, coughing again, I sighed and promised him I would fulfill his wish. "Good lad, thank you, Raoul. I am at ease now" finished Philippe, I nodded and we finished breakfast in silence.

Now, I was close to my home, the de Chagny mansion. I didn't want to go inside. Not now, between my ailing brother, mentally unstable father, and yearning for Penny growing stronger, that house was a sign of hell for me. Father had grown worse in his anger as the months passed on, he had taken to hurling objects at the servants and I, and, occasionally Philippe. Now we confined my father to his bedroom, so he may not harm anyone.