A/N: Sort of a filler chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own POTO or Elisabeth.
Chapter Two
A Visit to Mamma Valerius
When Raoul left the room, Christine fearfully thought over her position. Erik was totally in control, and nothing she could do could stop him from doing anything. In her state of helplessness, Christine tried to come up with a solution, and the best thing that she could do was marry Raoul right away.
The next morning, she confronted him at the breakfast table. Delicately placing her croissant on her plate, Christine declared, "Raoul, we ought to get married."
Raoul swallowed his coffee and replied, "I thought you wanted to wait for the monster to die first-"
"I know that I said that, Raoul, but it's been three weeks. He's not going to die anytime soon."
Raoul wasintrigued by the idea. It was promising, and it was good to know that his fiancée cared more about him than keeping her promise to the infamous Phantom of the Opera. "You're right, Christine. We need to get away from here. I'll have to make arrangements, buy the train tickets…. We should be ready to leave in about a week."
"No! Tomorrow!"
Raoul became increasingly excited and rejoined, "You're right! Why wait? I'll set the servants to packing right away. We'll get married tomorrow morning and be on the train by noon."
"We'll be taking Mamma Valerius with us?"
"Of course."
"I'll go notify her," Christine said, rising. She quickly fetched her cloak and went out to the stables. "Jacques! Jacques!" she called.
The elderly coachman turned around, "Yes, Mademoiselle?"
"Could you please take me to Mamma Valerius' flat?"
"Of course." Jacques hitched up the horses, and then helped Christine climb into the elegant open-carriage. Christine wished that she didn't have to leave her elderly benefactress in the care of a nurse nowadays, but Raoul's family wouldn't have the lady in the mansion and Raoul didn't want Christine living without his constant protection while Erik still lived. Despite her many pleas, the situation remained the same. Christine was quite surprised at how Raoul's sisters and aunts controlled him so.
"Are you ready, Mademoiselle?" Jacques asked,climbing up into hisseat.
"Yes. Go ahead." Jacques jerked the reins and the two snow-white horses trotted out of the stables and out onto the main Paris roads. As the carriage drove past the Opera Garnier, stared straight ahead of her.
Finally the carriage reached the little flat.
"What time should I return, Mademoiselle?" Jacques asked as he helped Christine down.
"About an hour," Christine replied as she headed into the building. She knocked lightly on the door and called, "Mamma… Mamma…"
From the other side of the door came the sound of the old lady's yet vigorous voice, "Rosa, do you not hear Christine's voice, open the door!"
"Oui, Madame." Soon the door opened and there stood Rosa, Mamma Valerius' nurse.
"Thank you, Rosa," Christine said, walking into the modest flat.
"Christine! Christine!" Mamma Valerius cried from her wheelchair set in the middle of the room. Christine immediately hurried over to her and placed a light kiss on her wrinkled forehead.
"You didn't come yesterday," Mamma Valerius continued. "I was so worried."
"It's all right Mamma, I'm here now." Sometimes Mamma Valerius tended to act like a child, and it was Christine's job to comfort her. She didn't mind it, for she hadn't been more than eight when she had first met the Valeriuses. Besides, it was the least she could do for the woman who had taken such good care of her, especially after her father died.
"Good. Please sit." Christine complied. "Would you like some tea?"
"Yes. That sounds wonderful."
"Rosa, would you fetch some tea for us?"
"Oui, Madame." She curtseyed and scurried off into the kitchen. A quarter of an hour later she returned with the silver tea service. She placed it on the coffee table in front of Mamma Valerius' wheel chair and took a few steps back. Mamma Valerius, playing the role of hostess, picked up a teacup in her feeble hand and asked Christine whether she wanted sugar or milk.
"Milk, please." Mamma Valerius poured a little bit of milk into the tea, stirred it, and handed it to her. "Thank you."
After fixing herself a cup of tea, Christine's benefactress leaned closer to her and asked, "Now tell me, Christine, how are things going with Raoul?"
"Wonderful. Tomorrow we're going to marry and go off to Sweden."
"Oh, sweet Scandinavia! You wouldn't leave me behind, would you?"
"Of course not. That's one of the reasons why I came. You have to pack."
"Oh yes, of course!" The old lady lunged out of her wheelchair. She would've fallen had Christine not been there to support her.
Christine gently lowered her back into the wheelchair and said, "Mamma, calm down. I shall pack for you."
"No. I shall have Rosa pack for me."
"All right." As if on cue, Rosa scampered into the bedroom and began packing whatever clothes and personal items Mamma Valerius had into an old brass bound trunk.
"How has your angel been, Christine?" Mamma Valerius asked casually. The poor old lady knew nothing of the affairs at the opera, let alone anything concerning Erik.
Christine uneasily shifted in her seat and rejoined, "Pardon?"
"Why, the Angel of Music! How has he been? How are your lessons going?"
"Mamma, I believe I told you once that there was no such thing as the Angel of Music," she said gravely. She had been through this with her benefactress before, but she never had quite been able to get it through to Mamma Valerius.
"But surely, Christine, that is not true!"
"It is."
"Don't tell me that your poor father never sent him to you! Surely it is not true, Christine. Don't jest."
"It is as true as true can be, Mamma. There is no such thing as the Angel of Music."
"But you heard him! He gave you lessons for three months."
"The Angel of Music was merely a figure of my imagination."
"Can it be?"
"It can. I've heard scientists talk of such things- illusions of the mind."
"Do you believe that?"
"Yes."
"Oh." The old grandfather clock on the wall chimed twelve noon.
Christine jumped from her seat and cried, "It's noon all ready? I really must be going, Mamma. Jacques will be waiting for me. Au revoir."
"Au revoir, Christine. What time shall you send a carriage for me?
"I'd say around ten o'clock in the morning, maybe."
"All right. I'll be ready by nine."
"Au revoir."
"Au revoir." As Christine had suspected, Jacques was there waiting to take her back to the de Chagny mansion.
A/N: Please R&R!
