Chapter 1.
London England, April 10, 1904
Olivia Montgomery looked at her father gleefully. "Thank you so much for doing this for me. I know that these sort of social functions bore you a great deal, but the mere fact that I, the daughter of a French émigré, who has spent most of her life in seclusion in Shropshire will be presented to the King and then have my first debut cotillion is so unbelievable. I was sure that you would make me remain buried in the country forever and yet here we are, in London, the very heart of the Empire."
"Why are you so surprised darling? Your mother was the daughter of an Earl, and your brother is the heir to my baronetcy. Great Britain has been very kind to me, ever since I landed on its shores more than twenty-two years ago. The late Queen and I were at one point very involved with one another in a business arrangement. It was I who solved the problem of the unstable turret at Balmoral Castle; no other architect would dare touch it for fear of making matters worse. Yet I solved it with almost no forethought, setting up a very cozy working relationship with the royal family ever since. It is only natural that her son Edward honored you by inviting you to be presented to him at court. Although you have both the right blood and the proper connections, his decision to invite you to be presented was not a forgone conclusion. Your mother would have been so happy to see you today." Her father told her wistfully.
"I wish that mother were here to see my day. She would have loved to do so had she lived." Olivia mused mournfully. "She used to speak to me about her own presentation before the Queen, and how grandiose everything was that day, Grandma as well. Both of them were so nervous, just like me. You don't think that I will trip or fall when I am presented. That would be so awkward. "
Her father laughed at her fear, "You will represent this family honorably. We all miss your mother, darling; while she lived, she was the heart of this family. She owned my own heart body and soul. But without a doubt she is watching over us right now and smiling down on you. At least Aunt Lucretia will be here to present you. She knows all of the right manners for a proper young lady to present herself at court and has done an admirable job of teaching you." Her father told her.
"We hardly need her. No one is better mannered than you. Everyone always remarks at how elegant that you always appear to be. I wish that I had inherited even half of your sense of beauty and fashion." She told him.
"You have inherited all of it and then some. I have worked hard to educate you in everything that will make you successful in life. You are a beautiful young woman, you look just like your mother did when I met her and we fell in love so long ago. Thankfully you have not inherited my looks." He told her self-depreciatively.
"I hate it when you say that father. You are a very handsome man, and very well sought after. You must know that. On the rare occasions that you do come out, the eligible ladies come up and vie with one another to get your attention. Even some of younger ladies, who are young enough to be your daughter, bat their eyes at you and blush in your presence. You just never pay them any sort of heed. No one ever even speaks about the mask that you wear over the deformed part of your face. It simply adds to both your mystery and your appeal. We English love nothing better than a dark, melancholy and mysterious figure such as you. It is why Byron's works are so popular even though it has been almost a hundred years since his death." She told him.
"Yet they have never seen what is behind the mask, and I am far from being a young man any more. I am fifty-four years old and far past my prime. I am concentrating on finding you a husband, and your brother a wife, not finding me a second wife. After losing your mother, there is no other woman for me. She was the only one ever to look past my mask and not cry out in either disgust or terror, or even pity me. From the moment that she saw me as I was, and yet still desired me, I was hers to command. Love like that only comes but once in most people's lives, and definitely so for man who is as hideous as myself." Her father told her.
"Sir Erik Montgomery, I have seen you unmasked many times and you are not hideous, you simply have 'character' on that side of your face. I do not want to ever hear such foolishness come out of your mouth. You know that Mother's last words to you were to find another love. I know for a fact that she meant it too. Remember I was there that day, when we were in Italy and our train was derailed. I heard what she said to you. My goodness father, it has been five years since the accident. Don't you think that it is time for you to move on?" Olivia questioned. "Maybe, as I celebrate my first Season, you could use the opportunity to court a new woman. I wouldn't mind you know I am not that selfish."
"But your mother was the only woman that I ever loved, that I ever could love, darling. Honestly it was all that I ever wanted was to be loved. Even though she is gone, her love lives on through you and your brother. Your happiness and Bertie's is all that I need to keep me happy." Erik insisted.
"But Father, we both know that what you just said is not the truth. You have loved before. What about your first love? The one that spurned you? The opera singer? What was her name, I have quite forgotten?" She asked.
"That is ancient history, and as you said she spurned me. From this distance of time, I could hardly even describe my emotions as love; it was more like obsession. For me, I believed her to be someone that she wasn't. I thought that she and I shared a bond through our music, and our long shared history. Although yes I admit, I could have loved her back then. But I was a fool to believe that she could love me. She was only a foolish child, and I allowed my own ridiculous fantasies to take hold of me."
Olivia smiled triumphantly "Well there you have it, you did love before, and yet when that did not work out you found another. That proves that you can do so again."
Erik retorted, "You don't understand what happened back then. At that time, I did not know much about love. I had never experienced it before. I admit that, if she had been who I thought her to be, I would have given her the same sort of love and devotion that I eventually gave to your mother. I wanted to find a connection with another soul. I was starved for any sort of affection. Yet sadly, I did not yet understand the difference between gratitude and true affection. In the end I did not earn even her gratitude for all that I had done for her over the years, only her fear and loathing. To her, I was simply a hideous monster that wanted to devour her like some sort of beast. She never saw me as a man, she saw me as anything but a man. First she believed that I was an angel, and then a demon. I was anyone but who I really was, a terribly hideous and lonely man trapped in a meaningless and loveless life. I would have given her the world. To my shame, she proved to be nothing but a heartless and shallow creature. I am sure that she married her handsome Vicomte, who was everything that I was not, and they are likely deliriously happy." Erik told his daughter sarcastically, his voice was laced with a bitterness that had barely dimmed over the long years.
"You say that it is ancient history father, and yet you are still so bitter about it." Olivia pointed out. "It is not like you to have so much venom in your voice, not my kind and gentle father."
"You know my girl, that I was not always the man that your mother shaped me to be. There was a time that I was very embittered and twisted, and quite angry at the world. My younger years were full of horrors that I both inflicted and endured. On the rare occasions that I think of that girl now, the pain and anger of those times comes back to me. For me she symbolizes the very reason that I became as terrible as I was back then. I gave her my music, and cared for her and nurtured her, just as I later did for you and your brother. When she had no one in the world that was willing to help her, I was moved by her pleas, and came out of my solitude to place her under my protection. When she had her debut on stage, I was there to encourage her not to falter; not that boy that she chose over me. I had never before put myself out in such a way, to help any other aspiring actor or actress, and yet I did for her sake. Then I committed the mortal sin of falling in love with my own creation. I admit that I too acted badly towards her, especially in the end, but it was only because she betrayed me at every turn, and plotted with her boy to have me hunted down and killed, like the monster that she believed me to be. She always believed the worst about me, when I had shown her only my best side. Yet despite how it sounds, I don't hate her. It was not her fault that I deceived myself into believing her to be something more than what she was. But I want nothing to do with her, or any woman like her. I was lucky that I eventually did find true love, but it is not likely to happen twice. I would never risk making another such mistake with my heart, when I once possessed the real thing. I have already had the perfect bride for me. It is the reason that I do not look for another woman to love. There was no other woman for me but your mother, and she is gone."
"But I am a woman father, and I would never, like that girl, choose a man based on just his looks, money and pedigree. You and mother raised me to look beyond a person's surface and into his heart. If I exist and my mother existed as well, there must be another woman out there who would feel as we do and see the good man that you are behind your mask. Perhaps you will still surprise yourself and meet someone at the ball tonight. It was so nice of Aunt Lucretia to throw me a ball, and at her London residence." Olivia told him.
Erik smirked "Who do you suppose is footing the bill for doing so? Aunt Lucretia has been trying to convince me to loan her the money to renovate the town house for the past ten years. As a compromise, I myself drew up the plans for the renovation and even allowed her the use of my normally very expensive firm to complete both her renovations and redecoration, all at my own time and expense and not as a loan. But I have to admit that it did come out great. Tonight she will repay us in kind. The fact that she is an Earl's daughter has opened some doors that the daughter of a mere newly created Baronet simply could not normally enter, even if you are the granddaughter of an Earl. You will be invited to all of the most exclusive functions of the London season this year, plus we will be able to stay here in London at her home with all of the modern luxury that we are accustomed to. I put in a telephone, and of course more electric lights than she had before. The old bag was very grateful to me for doing all of it for her."
Olivia giggled, "She is not an old bag. Aunt Lucretia is a sweet older widow and you know it. She was instrumental in getting grandfather to allow you and mother to marry despite your background. Without her, you may never have been married and had your two loving children. You might have stayed being that lonely bitter man that you claim that you used to be. You might have remained despondent over that singer, or Vicomtesse, that we just spoke of, whatever she was. What was her name anyhow, you have never revealed it to me before?"
"Christine Daae." Erik spat as if it merely saying it were a disease.
"That is not a French name is it?" Olivia asked curiously.
"She was Swedish. Her father brought her from Sweden to France as a young girl, and then, to my later misfortune, had the gall to die and leave her there alone. My old friend, Antoinette Giry, felt sorry for the girl and brought her to the opera house to train as a ballerina. Given how the future played out, I should have had her tossed unto the street back then. It would have prevented a lot of misery, or better yet spent my money wisely by purchasing her a one-way ticket to Stockholm. I am sure that she might have had someone up there that would have suffered her presence. She appeared to be such a sweet child, until I learned better about what truly lurked underneath her innocent doe-eyed surface. " Erik informed Olivia bitterly.
A liveried servant entered the room "Sir, Lady Marlingham requests that you join her in the foyer, James is bringing the carriage around so that we might arrive at the Palace at half past 9. Lady Marlingham does not want you to be late."
Erik agreed, "Naturally not, tell her to come in to see us. Our little Livy looks quite smashing." The servant looked at Olivia and smiled. It was easy to see that he agreed with Erik's assessment. When he left the room Erik turned to Olivia and mused, whimsically, "It is not every day that my baby girl, gets to be presented to the King of the most powerful empire on earth. I have no doubt that you will acquit yourself admirably. Your noble blood and kind nature are quite apparent to all that know you."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box, which was clearly a jewelry box and then smiled at his daughter. Olivia's eyes twinkled with delight.
"What is this father?" she asked.
"What do you think it is? I have taken a sapphire and several other exquisite stones for you, some of which I brought back to Europe from Persia with me years ago, and had them set in a necklace and earrings for you to wear before the King. I could hardly have a child of mine face her sovereign lord looking like a common beggar's daughter could I? Even if I am both a Frenchman and a newly created lowly baronet."
Olivia smiled and then laughed "Hardly." She opened the box, which revealed a large blue sapphire, surrounded by a halo of diamonds, and matching earrings and exclaimed, squealing with delight and then showering his face with grateful kisses. "Oh father, this is so beautiful! How will I ever find a husband who will be as kind, loving and giving as you?"
Erik teased "Perhaps that is my wicked scheme, to keep you with me forever. I will miss my little girl when she flies away from me."
"You could always come and live with me or near me, or perhaps I will meet a Shropshire lad and we will be close to one another anyway." She offered.
"I would never want to stand in the way of your happiness, darling. Perhaps I can pay you some visits if your husband could abide me. But either way I will adjust. Fortunately, I am no stranger to loneliness." Erik told her more soberly.
"I would never fall in love with a boy who would not be kind to you, and learn to love you as much as I do. If someone wishes to marry me, you come along as part of the package. I will never permit you to live alone and unloved again." Olivia told him fervently.
"You are only seventeen years old child, you may be surprised who your heart might tempt you to choose. Look at what happened to my own heart when I became obsessed with Christine. I was in my early thirties when I acted so foolishly. As a man who was only introduced to love later in life, I will never permit you to marry for anything less than love. Should the object of your love not abide me, I will never stand in your way. I will recede into the background as long as I believe that he will love you truly for yourself, and not because you have a wealthy father or some noble blood. I want you to enjoy the deep and soulful love that your mother and I shared until her unfortunate and premature death."
"And that is exactly why I will never leave you alone father, because my happiness is tied to your own. I have never known a person who loved as unselfishly as you. You would die before you ever caused me unhappiness. Besides you have never been like most fathers that I know. You have always been warm, kind and understanding even when we did something that you did not approve of. You taught me and my brother so much, and spoiled us, but you never let us forget that there were others out there less fortunate than we were." She told him proudly.
Just then, Lucretia interrupted them. Olivia's aunt was, from all appearances, a time worn old battleax by looks and manner, but inside she had large and loving heart, as Erik well knew from experience. She looked at both of them and smiled in approbation, "You both look acceptable for the Presentation before His Highness. I remember my own before the late Queen like it was yesterday and not sixty years ago." She glanced at Olivia and wiped a tear from her eye "You look just like your mother did long ago for hers, you have her same honeyed hair, and expressive blue eyes and proud regal bearing. She would be so proud of you today." She then looked at Erik "Thank God she doesn't look anything like you. You, my boy, look as ferocious as ever, I fear for the life of any poor boy who might look at your precious and beautiful daughter in the wrong way."
Erik smiled at her lightly barbed compliment. There was a time long ago that he would have taken it as an insult but he knew Lucretia quite well and knew that she was merely teasing him.
"You would not want a low born rogue, particularly a foreigner to latch on to her and try to take her innocence would you?" Erik teased, recalling her initial assessment of him.
She smiled brightly "Of course not, while every family could use an infusion of common blood now and then, with you mixed in, we already have had more than our allotment. I trust that you will make sure that no fortune hunters target our sweet and trusting Livy."
"You know better than that Lucretia, but I will also have to watch over you." Erik gave her a slight bow and offered her his arm to steady her.
"You really are such a dear sweet man, why couldn't you have chosen me?" she whispered under her breath.
Erik heard it and acknowledged it, "Because at the time you were both married and twenty years older than me." He replied softly, adding more seriously "Do you think that she would approve of the job that I did in raising them after she was so cruelly taken away from us?"
"Of course our Emma would approve, even my brother came around. You did a marvelous job my boy. The proof is in both of your children's excellent natures and in their happy demeanors. I admit that, at first, I was inclined to agree with my brother, that he and Isabelle might be the better choice for caring for the two of them. Few fathers, even when raised in a loving family, could have taken on the job of handling two pre-pubescent children on their own as you did. You, who never had a family, and was raised among circus freaks and gypsies, should have even been less able to do so. But you proved us all wrong. Have you forgiven me yet not allying with you in the beginning?" Lucretia mused.
"I never held it against any of you but you were both a little off base. I was a gentlemen's son, and while I was unwanted, I was raised to behave in a proper manner, until I ran away at a tender age. It is precisely because of that that I could not allow my own flesh and blood to be taken from me, when they were my only family. I treasured them even more because of my past. Thank goodness they were both adamant in that they wanted to remain in my care, and therefore eventually we all came to an acceptable accommodation." Erik replied. "Besides, as I told you at the time I was capable of nurturing a child, I nurtured her, until I made the foolish mistake of falling in love with her."
As the words left his mouth Erik cringed internally. It was the second time that morning that he had been reminded of her. It was a topic that he rarely thought of since he turned his back on his dark past more than twenty years before. He rarely thought of anyone from those days before he came to live in England. There was nothing about his earlier life that was worth recalling, especially not either his time in Persia or at the Opera House. As far as he was concerned, his real life began after the fire at the Opera House burned his old life away. Gone were the dark memories of obsessive love and terrible betrayal, of deep and oppressive loneliness, encroaching madness, and yes, killing. Those demons had all been expunged and replaced by the man that he was today, a proud and loving father, a respected architect and baronet, who live quietly among his friends and family in an obscure corner of England.
Now, not a single door in the county was closed to him, as it was universally acknowledged that he was a man of good character, humor and intelligence. If he were not, a vaunted woman such as Lady Emma Montgomery, daughter of the tenth Earl of Mercia, Randolph Montgomery, never would have accepted his hand in marriage. Upon their marriage Erik had adopted her surname, as a final repudiation of his old life back in France. Duvalier had been his surname back then, but no one had cared to know that name there, just as no one there had ever bothered to learn his real given name. To the denizens of Paris, a monster did not need to bear a name only a hideous moniker to match his face. He had been only referred to as the Phantom of the Opera.