This Is Most Certianly Not Paris (Lenoir)

[Madeleine Fontaine]

Madeleine Fontaine was asleep. That was to be expected, for she had been that way for the last century or so. That was the way it most certainly seemed. She was lying on a dusty rug, which was most certainly unlike her, her head resting on something that looked quite soft which, on closer inspection, would prove to be the hat she had previously been wearing.

The entire room was dusty and looked as though no one had touched it for a good many years. This was one of the lesser used rooms of the manor. It contained an old piano, a violin, and desk upon desk filled with sheet music, sheet music that was not found in the library, very rare sheet music indeed. But of course, nobody knew this. The room had been meant as a present from Charles Dalimar to his Emily Ravenhearst, upon the rebuilding of the manor, but he had never had the chance to show it to her. Therefore, the room had stood empty and unused for nae on 117 years. The piano, never played, had cobwebs stretching over it, and the violin looked as though it might be housing a very happy family of spiders. The wallpaper was pealing in places and the cabinets of the desks had holes chewed through them, as though mice had been through them.

This was the place in which Madeleine awoke. Her eyes fluttered open slowly and she stretched a little, wondering that her bed seemed so uncomfortable, before she noticed that it was not her bed at all. With a gasp, she leapt from the floor, frantically brushing dust away from her dress. She gave a soft moan when she saw that her hat was all but crushed, an picked it up with all the tenderness one might bestow upon a bird with a broken wing. Her attention was fully taken by the hat for a moment, trying to see if it was fixable....Well, no matter, she thought. She had plenty others.

She lay the hat down on a nearby desk and looked around, her brow furrowed, her lips slightly parted. This was most certainly not a room in her own home...She knew the place like the back of her hand, having lived there for at least 10 years. Her brow creasing further, she took a few steps in the room, marveling at how her shoes seemed to sink in the thick amount of dust that had settled in the room. Where in the world was she...She racked her mind, trying to remember the last place that she had been. The last thing she could remember was locking herself in her room, so her father could not get in during the night, and settling down for bed...

Then how in the world had she gotten here? Absentmindedly, she trailed her fingers over the keys of the piano, bringing them back with a little squeak when she felt something scuttling across her hand. She smacked the spider away, staring about the room, completely bemused. Had her father taken her somewhere in the night? Or had it been someone else? Perhaps...Alexandre....? She pushed the thought away. He was married. It was ridiculous to think he might...But she didn't care. She could take very good care of herself.

Holding her head up a little higher, she began to look over the room again, searching for clues as to her being brought here.

[Erik Lenoir]

Erik was walking through the house again, as he did daily. Every day he found a new room or new area he had not seen before. He wondered if the house somehow was building rooms on its own. Of course that was ridiculous, but the thought ran through his mind in any case.

The weather had become warmer, so Erik left his fedora and opera cape at home whenever he went anywhere these days. Even so, he still dressed formally and wore his tailcoat and waistcoat at all times. He just couldn't see being less than formal in his dress.

Today, Erik found himself in a short corridor with a small carved wooden door at the end of it. He was sure he had not been her before and he had lived at the mansion for six months. Most of the larger rooms had double doors and larger than this, so he assumed that it was a small room.

He opened the door and beheld a young woman, darkhaired small and slim, and very pretty. She was standing in the middle of the room, brushing off her dress, and the dust could be seen flying in the sunlight which shone through the window.

"Oh, excuse me, Mademoiselle, I did not know anyone was in here." He made a move to back out and then noticed the violin and the piano. "Good lord, these are in terrible condition. " He went to the piano and played a few notes which were atrociously flat. "It needs a good tuning, Mademoiselle. I shall fetch my tools..." He looked at her and smiled. "That is, Mademoiselle, if you don't mind me doing so..."

[Madeleine Fontaine]

Madeleine's head jerked up when someone entered the room, and she stared in absolute bemusement, her lips parted, an eyebrow raised at the strange man who had barged in upon this room...Well, she supposed she really couldn't be angry at that. It wasn't her room, after all, though she had been brought there by someone...or something. Perhaps this man had been involved...

This thought in her head, she straightened up, pushing her hair back and giving a sort of sweet smile, though sweet was an adjective hardly ever used to describe the little vixen. She took a few steps towards him, clasping her hands in front of her stomach, telling herself inwardly to be cordial. He might well hold the key to her escape, which she desperately needed to find. Should her father find that she was gone...Unless he was involved in her kidnapping...In which case, her escape must occur even quicker.

"Forgive me, monsieur...I am not entirely certain where I am...Or who you are...Might you enlighten me...?"

This all came with a sort of forced sweetness as she analyzed the man, trying to get a reading on him. He was wearing a mask...Well, that hardly spoke towards his character, did it? Then perhaps he had been involved in her kidnapping...For surely, that was how she had arrived here. Then what did he what? Ransom money? That was most likely it. She and her father were quite wealthy, and she knew her father would pay handsomely for her return...Not that she would allow herself to be returned. Oh no. She was hardly going to go back to that pit of hell...

[Erik Lenoir]

The woman looked a bit bemused and perhaps puzzled when Erik had opened the door and entered. She smiled at him, and he found her a bit hard to read. The smile had something odd about it...

"So, you've just arrived? Forgive me Mademoiselle. I am Erik Lenoir, late of Paris." Here he bowed a bit dramatically. It looks as I have been placed in the position of tour guide once again, which in your case, I shall not disparage. However, before you even say it, I am not the master of this house. That person, is, I am afraid, unknown to me or to anyone else who lives here."

"Now as to the question of where you are, that is indeed a conundrum. Several people..." Here Erik paused for he had really only heard it from the ghosts and he wasn't sure if it was proper to refer to them as people... "seem to think we may be in England. I myself have been to the nearby village and they speak English there. So I suppose it could be true. The mansion speaks for itself....as you will see soon. Are you hungry? I can take you to the dining room. And I can return later to tune that piano which is is terrible voice today..."

Erik's smile faded a bit as he saw her eyes probing his mask. They always wondered what was under there and coupled with his heterochromia iridis and his thick, darkly coloured lips made him look strange indeed. Strange, but not hideous, as he indeed looked without the mask. This woman looked like someone who might be tempted to pull of the mask suddenly. He must watch her carefully.

He had conflicting thoughts at first about this woman. He didn't trust her and yet he liked her. It would be interesting to see which thought was correct.

[Madeleine Fontaine]

Madeleine had indeed been about to ask if he were the master of the house. Well, just because he said he was not did not mean she was about to throw her trust in him completely. That would have been foolhardy. But something in his eyes seemed to tell her that he was not lying. He didn't own the house...But that still did not excuse him from being a possible kidnapper. He certainly would have plenty of motive, considering the money her father would pay for her return.

For the moment, however, it did seem to be in her best interest to trust the man. After all, he seemed to want to do her no immediate harm, and she could take care of herself well enough if he did. She raised an eyebrow when he mentioned England, looking over to the window. England, was it...? And there were other people here? Curiouser and curiouser...

She turned back to him when he questioned her hunger. Well, she was hungry, she supposed...It had been a while since her last meal, though of course, how long she had been knocked out was a mystery to her. She looked over the man's face, furrowing her brow. He seemed to have a strange discoloration around the lips...Was he diseased? Perhaps she was in some sort of sanitarium?

A nearby village...That meant possible escape. If she could get there and question people as to where she was and when she could catch the next train back to Paris...Yes, that would be the best thing to do, she decided. She held her head up a little higher and graced him with another smile, though she could see his fading. First, a meal. "That would be most agreeable, monsieur..."

[Erik Lenoir]

She agreed to a meal. He knew they were always hungry. He had gone without food for days before he found the kitchen. So Erik tried to be polite and helpful when he found a new person. After all, they were all going to be his neighbours, whether he liked it or not. And it was better to have more friends than enemies.

"This way, Mademoiselle, the dining room is this way." Erik nodded with his head and held the door open for her and followed her out into the corridor. She was young, althought certainly past her teen years. She was not very tall, although her slimness made her appear taller. She had a long neck and elegant features, brown hair coifed beautifully and her hazel eyes had a strange sparkle to them which Erik found discomforting. But he did find her very attractive.

Erik's soft footfalls were barely audible, but the woman's high heels could be heard clearly on the stone floors. Erik was silent as they walked, hoping she would speak up and he might learn something of her. Finally after maneuvering several long hallways and a flight of stairs, and another several hallways, they arrived at the large carved doors of the dining room. Erik pushed one of them open and held it for her.

The dining room was all done in shades of green. The green marble fireplace was the centrepiece of the room. Before it sat two wing chairs with matching ottomans, done in a green brocade with gold threads winding through. A matching settee sat across from the chairs on the far wall. There was a small piano in the corner and a large table covered in a lace tablecloth which was large enough for a big family. The chandelier was electrified, and it lit immediately when Erik pushed hte switch. There were older gas lights with tulip glass shades all about the perimeter of the room. Several paintings which reflected the colour of the room hung on the walls. A great long case clock stood near the kitchen door and next to a china cabinet with various cut glass and oriental dishes displayed. Many other objects of delight found their home in the pleasant room.

Erik led the way to the kitchen door. "This is where you will go if you wish to find food. There is always fresh food here at any time and it is free for the taking. Don't question me on why; I have not discovered the answer to this yet."

He opened the large silver ice box, obviously run by electricity, and said, there is meat, cheese, soup, chicken, vegetables and fruit. I know how to make coffee in that contraption or tea. There is fruit juice or if you care for something else, perhaps later in the day, there is a liquor cabinet in the pantry. Dishes are kept in the pantry and the cabinets in the kitchen. " Erik turned and smiled. "So what is your pleasure, my dear?"

[Madeleine Fontaine]

Madeleine wondered for half a moment if agreeing to a meal with a man that she had just met was indeed the right choice to make. But she certainly wasn't about to back out on her decision. In any case, she could certainly take care of herself, if this man took it upon himself to be anything less than cordial.

She gave him a little nod when he opened the door and walked through, her head held high, revealing her long and pale neck. She had long ago learned (or, rather, been taught by her father) how to flaunt what she possessed. In all honestly, her looks were only slightly above average. But the way she carried herself and the elegance that was built into her every movement- one could believe her to be the most beautiful woman in a million years, certainly some kind of royalty. And with the amount of money she possessed, she was close enough to royalty.

Madeleine allowed this strange man to walk beside her only because she did not know her way in this strange new place. If she had known her way around, she would most certainly have been walking in front of him. As it was, she got a good look around the corridors. It was a beautiful home, almost rivaling her home in Paris. She could appreciate the architecture and the care that must have gone into the building of the home. Strange. Judging by the style, one would say it was quite new, built no more than 5 years previously. But the age that the house seemed to have...One would say that it had been around for a hundred years! Very strange...

The real shock came when they entered the kitchen and dining room. Immediately, she was overwhelmed. Electric lights, an ice box with no ice to keep things cold...How was this all possible?! She stayed in the doorway, her eyes wide and her lips parted, "What...What is all this?!"

[Erik Lenoir]

Erik walked with Madeleine to his left side so he could watch her out of his good eye. His right eye, on the deformed side, was somewhat lacking in vision. The woman held herself elegantly and showed off her long slim neck. She walked as if she were a queen. Erik smiled to himself. She was quite entrancing to watch.

Madeleine went through the door to the dining room when Erik held it for her. Then he led the way to the kitchen and explained all of the new and futuristic gadgets and contraptions in that room.

Erik smiled. "Welcome to the future, my dear. It appears that parts of this house have become further advanced than other parts...and this area seems to be quite a distance into the future." He paused and opened the icebox door and removed a pot of soup, placing it on the modernistic looking stove. "I shall join you if you don't mind. As long as I'm here, a bit of soup is all I need." He turned on the burner and a small flame appeared about the bottom of the pot. Erik found a spoon and stirred it. "I don't know who has been making the soup for us. I only did it once myself, but obviously someone else has been keeping up the tradition."

"Did you care for any coffee or tea? That small contraption in the corner with a glass coffee pot makes coffee. I am partial to tea." Erik brought out a small box that said "Earl Grey Tea". He put it on the table along with two cups and saucers. Then he went back to stirring the soup on the stove. "If there is something more that you wish to eat, please take it out and I shall fire the oven to warm it. And if you would be so kind, there are dishes in the cupboard; if you would set the table for two, I should be very grateful."

[Madeleine Fontaine]

((It won't let me delete this post while on mobile, I will when I get home))

[Madeleine Fontaine]

Madeleine continued to stare, gaping open mouthed at everything that was set in front of her. She had never seen anything like this before and it was honestly hurting her head to contemplate all of it. For a moment, she was completely baffled and had no idea how to comprehend it. Then it hit her. She was dreaming! It was all so beautifully obvious and it made such perfect sense! She was still asleep in her bed and she was dreaming! The thought brought a relieved smile to her face, and she looked back over at the man. Erik, he had called himself? A strange name for her to dream up...Well, as long as she was in this dream world, she might as well enjoy herself...

"Tea would be divine...." She murmured softly, giving him a demure smile and moving forward in her same, elegant fashion. Good lord, but her imagination was fabulous! The whole room seemed to be an automatic paradise, where everything was done for you! How lovely it would be if it were reality. She really didn't like being told to do anything by anyone, but as long as it was a dream, she supposed there was harm in helping out just a little.

She searched through the cupboards until she found the dishes that he had spoken of. She took two sets of dishes out and walked over to the table, placing them there at two seats across from one another. She then sat down at the table, her posture incredible and her silhouette impeccable. She sat in wait for him to bring the food and drink to her, as that was what she was used to at home.

[Erik Lenoir]

Erik watched Madeleine. She looked at everything as if she didn't believe the strange futuristic contraptions in the kitchen. She did go to find some dishes as Erik had asked, but then she sat down at the table as if she were a queen, waiting for a servant to bring her everything she wanted. Her attitude was just slightly beginning to irritate him.

Bringing the soup to the table, Erik dished out a bit of it. He opened the little tea box and put one bag in each cup. He poured boiling water over the bags. "Did you wish anything else?" he said with a hint of sarcasm. "If you'd like bread or anything else with our soup, they are in the pantry." Erik looked pointedly at her. "You do know that the next time you wish to eat something here, you will be on your own. There are no servants here that I know about and if there were, they would belong to someone. There are no general servants. I would advise you to remember that. "

Erik normally was gracious and helped the new guests of the manor as much as he could, but Madeleine was beginning to annoy him. She would have to do a bit of a turnabout for him to stop being chafed by her attitude.

One of the Megs thought there were servants here too, but after Erik set her straight, it seemed as nothing to her. She was getting along find, as far as Erik could tell. He wonderred how Madeleine would do at the mansion...

[Madeleine Fontaine]

Madeleine never meant to come across as needy or stuck up. She was simply used to being tended to. Her father (once he had noticed that she could be of use to him) had seen to it that she never had to lift a finger to help herself. She was certainly capable, as she had lived practically on her own during her childhood. But her recent life had been filled with luxury, and she was rather expected it to continue.

She therefore looked a little take aback when Lenoir chastised her on her behavior. She was bewildered for a moment, until it occurred to her that maybe she had come across as though she thought she were above him. She most likely was, in her mind, but no need to make him feel lesser than. He hadn't done her any wrong as of yet. Though, if this was a dream, it didn't really matter how she treated him. Still, she felt a little gentleness and kindness was due to him.

"I apologize, monsieur...I...I didn't realize I had offended you..." This was sincere enough and she bit her lip a little, looking down at her soup with a slightly furrowed brow. She had never really been called out on her haughty behavior. No one in Paris dared to, not when they knew the amount of money her father held...the horrid man. She picked up her soup spoon and spooned some into her mouth. For a dream, it was very good tasting soup...

After a moment, she set her spoon down, pressing her lips together, reaching up a hand to brush back a strand of hair from her face. She wished she could have stopped in a mirror and fixed her face and hair...She must have looked a mess... "I do apologize for my appearance...I did not know I would be dining with anyone..."

[Erik Lenoir]

When Madeleine apologised, Erik smiled. "It's all right, Mademoiselle, I am sure you had no way of knowing. But just so you know, you are on your own, as we all are. Unless you can find someone here." Erik looked thoughtful. "I expect that is the wish of most of us here."

Erik finished his soup. "One thing we don't have to do is wash dishes. If we just rinse them and leave them beside the sink, someone will come to wash them. Who it is, I could not say. As I mentined before, the same or perhaps a different someone makes soup and other dishes that are always ready here for the taking. So if you wish anything, come and find it here and take what you wish."

When she apologised for her appearance, Erik smiled. She may look a bit of a mess, but that hardly took away from her beauty. She was quite lovely, expecially now that she had apologised to Erik for being a bit of a snip. Perhaps she really was nice, it was just her way of speaking. "Please don't be concerned about your appearance when you are near me. You are quite entrancing. Your hair could use a bit of combing," he said, a twinkle in his eye. I am sure there will be a comb and brush in your living quarters."

"On the subject of living quarters. I expect you don't know about that yet...I can help you find you find yous..."

[Madeleine Fontaine]

Madeleine nodded a little when he accepted her apology, a small smile on her face, and flushed when he commented upon her being entrancing. Her smile became a little more prideful- she took great pride in her appearence, and was very happy when people noticed it. She gave an elegant little acknowledging nod for his compliment, smiling demurly, "Thank you, monsieur..."

She turned her attention back to her soup, sipping it quietly and elegantly, thinking. The more that she was in this manor and the more that she around this man, the more she began to think that this was not a dream at all. It felt far too real, honestly, to be just a dream. But how could it then be reality? All the strange devices that seemed to work of their own accord...They didn't seem to run on steam or anything of the sort. They were all connected to the walls with wires...And what was she doing here, in any case?! Had someone really kidnapped her and brought her here? If that was so, why was this man being so kind to her...? He did not seem to be lying and she was normally very good at detecting liars...She finished her soup while thinking about this and looked up when he spoke again, an eyebrow raised.

"Living quarters...? Am I meant to be staying here?" She furrowed her brow, looking him over, "There must be some sort of mistake...I don't live here, I...I live with my father in Paris...I must return or..." She didn't want to think about what her father would do if she didn't return to him.

[Erik Lenoir]

Erik thought, when he gave Madeleine the compliment and the way she acted, she is vain... Erik ddin't mind that. He himself was very vain..in spite of his ugly face, the mask hid only some of it...his heterochromatic eyes and his thick puffy, discoloured lips were still all too obvious... But still Erik took great care with his clothing. He always wore the most expensive clothing made of the best materials and those little touches...the diamond cufflinks, pearl buttons on his shirt and the onyx and marcasite beading on his dramatic opera cape...Erik wore only the best...and why not? He could afford it. It gave him a respect that he might not have otherwise...

The woman looked at Erik in surprise when he said he would show her to her living quarters. "I am afraid, Mademoiselle, that you will be staying here, yes. I fear you are as much a prisoner as any of us. We are, however, free to roam anywhere on the grounds, in the house, and indeed journey to the village. However, there seems to be no way to leave. Our captors have done much to make us comfortable, save letting us leave. I imagine you will be happy with your living quarters. It will most likely be a large suite, and furnished in the fashion to which you are accustomed."

Erik gave her a sympathetic glance. "I too, am from Paris. I have been in this place since January last and have not as yet found the way to leave. I have become accustomed to the place, for my suite suits me well, however, I will not stop continuing to look for a way to leave. I do not even know who has us in captivity, although I have been given a few hints."

Erik sat down again in the chair across from Madeleine. He leaned over the table a bit toward her. "Mademoiselle, I assure you that if you want for anything at all, please contact me and I shall do my best to procure it for you." Then Erik said, with a twinkle in his eye, "Of course, that is anything within reason..." He smiled, trying to put her at ease. He rather liked her, when she didn't act like a princess...