Chapter I – Derailment
Christine was vaguely aware that it was past the socially acceptable time to still be in bed. She was even more aware of the fact that she didn't care. In fact, she was feeling rather rebellious, and was lingering in the large ocean of goose-feather filled blankets on purpose. She rolled from her back to her side, staring at the window, disappointed that she couldn't see outside due to the drawn curtains.
I hate that shade of green. She thought as she stared at the deep velvet. In fact, there was very little she did like in regards to her bedroom. It was decorated impeccably, from the lush cream colored carpet, to the foresty green wallpaper with its delicate vine pattern, adorned with real gold flecks. The furniture was all top of the line as well, although Christine could care less that it was made from young cedar cut just at the right time of year and stained white just as the right time. It was all wrong. She shouldn't be sleeping in this bed. She shouldn't be anywhere near this bed.
She groaned and rubbed some sleep from her eyes, catching the heavy stone ring on her third finger. Had there been a time she used to look at it and hold such hope as to what it would bring? She could remember when it felt more like a blessing instead of a prison sentence. Had it really been two years since her life had changed so dramatically?
She sighed. Two years to the day since her whole world shifted. Since she had exposed her former Angel in front of half of Paris' richest and most elite, since she had been forced to deal with the worst deceit she could remember, then perform her own act to rival it.
A light knock at the door pulled Christine from her memories, and not a moment too soon. "Yes?"
The door opened slowly and a servant whose name Christine had long forgotten stepped in. "Mademoiselle Daae, the Viscount de Chagny is here to see you."
Christine sighed. Of course he was. They always had breakfast together. Usually she was up long before he called though. "Please tell him I will be down shortly." As soon as the girl left her room, Christine dragged herself out of bed and made her way over to her wardrobe. In the beginning, she had let the help assist her in her dressing, but she found it awkward and strange, and finally did away with it. She was not a noble woman, she had grown up dressing herself, and she intended to continue to do so. Since she was in such a foul mood, Christine picked up a dark purple dress with long sleeves and minimal lace. It was January, so the color was not all together out of fashion, although it was a bit heavy for breakfast. Christine decided she didn't care.
Raoul de Chagny paced a little impatiently in the waiting room, much to the amusement of the middle aged woman sitting comfortably on a tan leather settee. "Oh honestly, you are not such the puppy dog you appear to be?"
Raoul stopped pacing and turned to look at the woman, his blue eyes finding nearly identical ones. "Patricia, you are my favorite sister, but please, do not tease me this morning..."
"Then do not be so easy to tease..." She chided as she smoothed some of her blonde hair back away from her face and studied her younger brother. It was nearly sad. His fiance was five minutes late coming down the stairs and he assumed the worst. Would there ever be a day when they felt confident in each other's loyalty?
The whole engagement was rather unsettling, she did have to admit. It had been two years now since Raoul had showed up with a scared Christine clinging to his arm. He explained the situation; how he had planned to capture the 'Phantom' with some elaborate plan involving Christine, but it had backfired and not only had they not captured this man, but many people had been injured, a handful killed, and the Opera Populaire had been ruined, leaving Christine petrified and homeless. Society demanded that Christine could not live with Raoul, a single man, and since Patricia's husband had left her a childless widow years ago, would she mind taking Christine in until they were married? Of course she had said she would happily take Christine in, Raoul was her baby brother, and the girl was in a horrible state. How was she to know that their engagement would last two years? Patricia was nearing forty, she was long past the silly games that lovers played, and she could see signs that her naive brother seemed to disregard.
"Ah, there is my sleepy Lotte!" Raoul's happy greeting brought Patricia back to the present and she placed a warm smile on her face and rose to greet Christine as well.
"Good morning! I believe you have slept through what most consider breakfast, so I will go let Cook now to prepare you both a light brunch." Patricia said as she walked over and kissed both of Christine's cheeks, silently noticing the somber colored dress the girl was wearing, and exited the room.
Christine felt a little blush rise to her cheeks, had she really stalled in bed so late? She glanced up at the mantle clock, it was nearing eleven...
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting..." Christine murmured as soon as Patricia had left the room.
Raoul shook his head and came to embrace his fiance, "Think nothing of it. Did you have trouble sleeping or were you just feeling lazy?"
Christine wrapped her arms around Raoul's solid middle and rested her head gently across his chest, "I slept well, for the most part." There were no notable nightmares, like there had been for so long, but she would hardly consider her sleep restful.
"Hopefully soon I will be there to languish in bed with you then mon chéri endormi." Raoul whispered as he placed a chaste kiss on top of her curls.
Christine pretended not to hear his statement. She knew the long engagement was starting to test Raoul's seemingly endless patience, but when she thought of marrying him, a cold fist of fear grabbed at her heart and made her stomach clench. She took that as a bad sign. "Come let us sit and eat, I'm sure you are starving."
Brunch was going very smoothly. Raoul chatted on amiably about business, and going ons on his side of town, asking Christine for her thoughts and opinions every now and then. It was as they were sitting there sipping their tea when Christine noticed something different. Normally they would chat, eat, and then she would drink tea, Raoul would read the morning news, and they would discuss any note worthy items. Yet today, there was no paper.
"Raoul, where is your paper?" Christine asked, setting down the fine china cup to look better at the man seated across from her. She noticed his Adam's apple bob nervously
"Oh, I'm sorry Christine, I read it already. I didn't even realize." He avoided her eyes.
Christine knew he was lying. Raoul was nothing if not predictable. Instead of saying anything she simply nodded, "Oh. Well, was there anything interesting?"
Raoul shook his head, "No, not really. Just another day."
The tension hung heavy in the air. They both knew it was not just another day. Christine felt a sadness tear at her heart as she thought back to that night when so much changed.
"Christine, you know I love you more than anything, don't you?" Raoul broke the heavy silence, his hand making its way across the table to find hers.
Now it was she who avoided his eyes, "Yes, of course. You always have." Christine didn't have to fake her smile. Ever since childhood, she knew of Raoul's adoration for her. She felt his fingers run over the diamonds in her ring and she suddenly felt the urge to cry.
"And yet, you resist me..." Was it a question, or a statement? Christine couldn't be sure, but she brought her eyes up to meet the crystal blue of her fiance's.
"Oh Raoul, that's not true..." She started to argue, but she stopped. There was no point. She stood up and walked over to his side and behind his chair so she could wrap her arms around his neck, her mouth close to his ear, "You will always be the boy that rescued my scarf." And she knew she meant the reassurance she whispered, she sealed it with a small kiss to his temple.
Raoul's eyes closed as he felt the intimate contact. It had become so rare now for Christine to show him any real affection. He felt her slipping away from him, and yet he was unsure of how to reel her back in. He was no fool, he knew that she was stalling on the wedding. Without the pressure of being dragged away underground, there was no grand hurry for her to marry him. She did not need to be whisked off and rescued anymore.
"I'm going to go sit in the observatory, please come join me." Christine whispered as she released her grip and walked out. Although not as routine as reading the paper together, they would often sit in the garden when it was warm out, or the observatory when it was colder. Since it was January, it was the latter.
"I'll be in momentarily Lotte." Raoul called after her, although she already knew he would follow.
When Raoul entered the room, he knew things were not well. Christine sat facing him, her dark eyes smoldering. On the small table to her right, sat to morning paper. Raoul felt his heart sink.
"Christine-" He started, but she quickly cut him off.
"Don't. You lied. How stupid do you believe me to be? How could you think I would not find out?" She never raised her voice, but her tone reflected her pure anger.
"I didn't want to upset you..." He tried once again to explain, but Christine's humorless laugh stopped him.
"Oh, well since you had such noble intentions I suppose I should just forget and forgive." Christine shook her head as she stood up, grabbing the newspaper in a death grip. She stalked over to her fiance and shoved it in to his chest. "I will be ready at seven o'clock. We are going to that gala. Think of the gossip if we were to miss it..." She didn't wait for any argument. She didn't say goodbye to her fiance. She simply left the room and went back to her own to start preparing herself for the upcoming evening.
It wasn't every day that an opera house re-opened.
AN: Hello! I have been absent for such a long time, I know. But I have updated Glass Castle and finally started on this story, which has been in my mind for so very long now. Hopefully you all enjoy it, and for my readers from G.C you can forgive my much too long departure!