Cecile awoke to a shaking. When she opened her eyes she saw Armand standing over her. She rubbed her eyes, which had been puffy from all the tears,and blinked in surprise.

"Armand, what do you want?" She asked in an irritated voice.

"Cecile, it's been two days and no one has seen hide nor hair of Firmin!" He said in a more concerned attitude. Cecile rolled over in bed to what would have been Firmin's side and stroked the sheets, hoping he'd return.

"I'm really concerned with this behavoir, it's not like him to just disappear for a couple of days." She turned back to Armand. "Whenever he'd get upset, he would simple go for a walk and be back in about an hour, but this prolonged departure for days really has me concerned!" She would have shouted had she not burst into tears. Armand sat down on the bed and lovingly stroked her shoulders. Cecile sat up and hugged him, crying into his shirt. "Oh, Armand, I don't know what I'll do." He pulled her back, and was going to say the words 'You'll always have me!' but he decided against it. In the past few days Armand had realized that pursuing Cecile was hopeless. Even if he would shower her with diamonds and jewels, she would never leave Firmin. Armand was distraught that someone who had a woman as beautiful as Cecile, could just leave her without a trace, but then he remembered the was Firmin acted once he realized that Armand and Cecile hadn't been together. The shame and embarrasement on his face was enough to have him never return again, but Armand knew that Firmin was a tough man and that he'd bounce back soon.

"Excuse me, Monsieur..." Lisette apologized as she entered the room. "...I don't mean to interupt, but I have the mail." She said while holding the tray in her left hand. Armand looked at her in irritation.

"Yes, thank you Lisette, just leave it in the dinning room. I'll get to it later." With that said, he waived her away.

"But, Monsieur, there is a letter here from M. Richard." At that Cecile sprang from the bed and grabbed the letter, tearing it open. She read it with feverent eyes and finally sank back down to the bed with a heaved sigh of relief. Armand waited with anxious eyes.

"Well?" He asked as she began to cry again. "What's the matter?"

"He's okay, he just went to his parents house in the country. He must of walked all the way there. He also sends his deepest apology for not trusting you, Armand." She sat there with the note in her hand, just staring at it. "He also mentioned that he doesn't know when he'll be back, but I could bet that it won't be soon. We have to go find him!" Armand stood back in surprise.

"What? Do you mean right now? Cecile I have to work, and besides, how could I change his mind?" Cecile looked up at Armand with the gravest of glances.

"Because, Armand, the letter I received from the Opera House, detailed that if Firmin could not return within the week, he would be fired." Armand's eyes widened. As Cecile closed her eyes and began to cry again.

"Take my carriage and go find him!" Armand demanded as he shouted for his servants to make the arrangements.

Firmin awoke with the light in his eyes. He heaved a sigh and stretched in the bed. He sat staring out of the window to the rolling hills of the countryside. His legs still ached from the amount of walking he did. He sat remembering that night that he walked to this place. He shook his head trying not to think of how much of a fool he must have looked. There was Armand, his old friend from University, whom he bluntly accused of commiting adultry with his wife. And then to find out that Armand was true to their trust, and was only sleeping with the housemaid. Firmin blushed just thinking of how much of an embarrasement he was. Especially to his dear friend who was kind enough to treat him and his wife to a couple of weeks in his grand chateau, and also to a ball where everyone who is anyone will be there, and this is how he is repaid, with distrust. A chill ran through Firmin's body as tears came to his eyes. How could he accuse Armand of such an act? And how could he not trust his wife? He dressed for the day and was working outside when Armand's carriage showed up. Firmin approached it with caution. As he neared the carriage, Cecile came running out to greet him. She flung her arms around him and kissed him firmly on the lips. Firmin returned the kiss and smiled.

"Oh, Firmin, I don't know where to start!" Cecile screamed, still kissing him wildly.

"Then, please allow me...." Firmin said while embracing her. "I am truly sorry that I didn't trust you Cecile. I'll never distrust you again." He noticed that she just stood there in tears. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"Firmin....you were fired." Firmin stood back and glared at her, thinking that she was just telling him a cruel joke. "A letter came for you a couple of days ago that said you needed to be back by today or else you would be fired." She spoke in her most gentle tone, but could still see the confusion and frustration on Firmin's face "I'm sorry, but we didn't know where you were." Firmin leaned against the brick house for balance as he swayed ready to faint.

"Will you leave me now?" He asked with a pathetic look on his face. Cecile walked to him and kissed him gently.

"Of course not, Firmin, for richer for poorer!" She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Yes, but Cecile, it's only been poorer for us. You've never said anything before, but I know that you want the good life, and although I do appriciate you tolerating our life for so long, I know you've grown annoyed with our living conditions and I will understand if you decide to go with Armand." He lowered his gaze as Cecile placed her head against his chest. She swallowed a deep knot in her throat.

"Firmin, there is something you must know about Armand and I..."

Firmin was silent on the way home. He spoke of nothing to no one. He was meditating on all of his problems. He thought of finacial needs, how he was going to find a job, and most of all what his wife had just confessed to him. He ran his fingers through his mustache mechanically as if it was calming him from hysterics.

"What's the matter with you? Don't you realize how important this gala is to me?" The noble shouted as Armand stood there with his arms full of china that he was helping take to the kitchen. He couldn't speak as the noble's face turned red with anger."This will be your last time here! How dare you take off work at the most important moment of my life without my permission!" The noble then stormed off to oversee the decorations. Armand continued on his way to the kitchen. He was still in shock. Armand had never been fired, so it came as quiet a surprise. The ball was to be his last duty, and then he was free of this place. Armand's face turned from shock to a happy grin. He now was free, but then his smile faltered as he realized that he had no means to support the lifestyle he had become accustomed to. He sought out the noble and made an austere apology. After receiving a horendous oral lashing, Armand was allowed to continue his work at the castle.

Armand entered his home and went to the parlor where he found both Firmin and Cecile sitting with a meloncholy look on their faces.

"Well, hello." was all that Armand could say. Firmin looked up and gave a small smile at his friend.

"Armand, I would like to first apologize for my behavior the other day. I'm sorry. I would also like to speak to you about something." Armand nodded and glanced at Cecile who had a tear in her eye. "Cecile, could you please leave us both alone." She looked up at him with a worried look on her face.

"Please, Firmin, don't do this!" She cried to him, but he just looked at her cooly.

"Cecile, that will be all...thank you." She left, or rather stormed out of the room shutting the door with a bang. "Armand, please take a seat." Armand sat down in a chair that sat directly across from Firmin. The only thing that separated them was a small coffee table. Armand sat back in the chair, matching the cool air that Firmin had about him, but as Firmin started speaking, he became uncomfortable with the tension in the air, and so he sat forward, lacing his fingers together while resting his elbows on his knees. He stared at Firmin with a straight, blank face. "For some time now," Firmin began, "I have known about your affections towards my wife. I have noticed the subtle glances, the tight embraces, and the roaming hands when you're near her, but until this time I had never thought that you truly were trying to take her from me." Armand's eyebrows arched, but he still said nothing and allowed Firmin to continue. "I suppose it's partially my fault that I just assumed that you were playing old childish games and that nothing would become of it, but now I know better. Cecile has confessed to me what you have done to her, and what she has done to you." Armand just sat still as Firmin rest his forhead on his hand. "It all becomes so clear, and I wonder why I never saw it before. The flowers, the ring, all of this special treatment. You were always such a selfish man that it made wonder. I thought that at first you had changed, but now I realize that it was nothing more that a ploy to win my wife from me." Armand had enough and he stood with a disgusted sigh.

"That's enough of this. If you think that my kindness is nothing more than trickery then you may just leave my home!" Armand demanded while pointing his finger to the door. Firmin sat as cooly as ever and looked up with only his eyes.

"Come tomorrow, I have a boat booked for Paris. I will be out of your hair..." Armand sat back down seeing that Firmin had actually thought this through. "...but I wanted to say this first..." Firmin leaned in towards Armand, who leaned closer to him. "...You've won Armand. You may have my wife. It appears as though you've always loved her...so much more than me. Her heart belongs to you and I don't want to be keeping her from you. I realize that it was very noble of you to lend me your girlfriend just so that I'd feel better about myself, but you shouldn't have done that, because I took her away that summer believing that she loved me, when really she just said I do because she thought that you didn't love her anymore, so she did it out of spite." At this point Armand's eyes had filled with tears as he realized that he was losing his best friend over the woman who both hated and loved him. Firmin's face was so nonchalant that Armand had to wonder if this was even real or if he was playing some cruel practical joke. "Take Cecile to the ball." Armand shook his head.

"No, Firmin, this is ridiculous, I can't take your wife from you. You love her!" Armand pleaded as Firmin stood.

"Armand I'm not asking you I'm telling you...I don't love her." He said with difficulty as he swallowed his tears. "Now go on! You'll be late!" Firmin said as he marched from the room. Armand just sat there in shock as he stared down the hall, calling after him.

"Firmin, no!" Armand shouted and finally burried his head in his hands. "What have I done?"

To Be Continued...