Porcelain

30

"Your sister," Erik spoke evenly, below him walking in the aisle Eleanor jumped to a stop. A startled look flitted onto her face and she looked around trying to find him. If her younger sister couldn't find him when they first met, there wasn't much hope for Eleanor on finding him.

"Leave her alone." Eleanor spoke in a serious tone.

Rolling his eyes, Erik leaned against the railing in his private box. It was hard, nearly impossible, not to retort to those words. But when he quickly thought over it, what Eleanor didn't know, wouldn't hurt her, right? Erik was rather sure Eleanor wouldn't want to know, or particularly care that her younger sister had actually pulled him out of a lonely lifestyle and also how she has become a permanent fixture in his life. Pulling himself from his thoughts, Erik looked back down at the aisle. Eleanor still stood, cross armed and with a serious expression on her face. "I have no business with a dancer." Erik lied, lying would be his best shot at getting Eleanor to not be so on edge. Although he honestly didn't blame her about being on edge. Most people when confronted with him talking acted the same way.

"What do you want then?" Eleanor asked bluntly, Erik shook his head, Eleanor's bluntness and Fleurette's were too alike, it was clear where the youngest inherited it from. "Or should I say what has she done now?"

"Your sister hasn't done anything."

"Brilliant, then I think I shall be going now."

"Foolish woman, can't you see what you're doing to her? Even to someone who is impartial can see how much you swanning off every five minutes is destroying the poor girl."

"You've been watching her?" Eleanor looked utterly disgusted.

Erik slapped a hand to his forehead and slowly ran it down his face. It seemed like Eleanor was missing the bigger picture here. Although what she had said was truthful, yet again, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. "She is feeling left out."

"How can she? She's involved with more or less everything which Felix and I are planning. I am sorry, Monsieur, but honestly, it is none of your business."

"It is when I have a depressed dancer dragging herself around my stage." Erik put a good amount of emphasis on the word 'my' just to get the point across.

Eleanor sighed heavily and her tensed up shoulders seemed to loosen, only slightly. "She's been exploring again?"

Yet again Erik looked at the elder Bousquet dumbly. "Eleanor, you should spend some time with Fleurette. Perhaps you shouldn't mention anything about weddings, wedding plans, or what dresses you perhaps think would look good." Erik honestly didn't want to be blunt on the topic but Eleanor really wasn't making this conversation easy. "In fact, go out for a day. Yes, you have permission from me to have a day off, make sure to tell Madame Giry tomorrow. Go out, have fun, spend some nice sister time together." Erik leaned against the wall and watched as Eleanor was about to contradict him. "She's feeling like you're abandoning her. But I think she's too proud to admit to that, using that exact word." There was a moments silence, "You can leave now." Erik said and raised an eyebrow at Eleanor.

She rolled her eyes, shook her head briefly and pottered down the rest of the aisle. A few minutes passed and he didn't move, soon appearing on the stage and sitting down was Fleurette. He pulled a face as she took to bashing her pointe shoes against the stage.

"I honestly do not see how that can help. Are you sure you are not venting?" He posed the question simply, the reason why he asked was the slightly determined yet annoyed expression on Fleurette's face. He had no intention whatsoever to tell her of the conversation he had with Eleanor just minutes before she appeared. Using the same analogy as the last two times, what Fleurette didn't know about his little interfering moment honestly wouldn't hurt her.