Chapter 4

It was late when Erik returned, but he found Gustave jumping up and down excitedly. He immediately started telling Erik everything that he and his mother had seen and heard throughout their day.

"First we bought funnel cakes, and then we rode the giant slide, and then we rode the ferris wheel, and then we went and saw the show, and then we rode the roller coaster and all of the pins in Mother's hair came out, and she had to put it back up. We had the best time in the world, Papa!" exclaimed Gustave.

Erik picked his son up and started spinning him around, "I'm so glad that you did, my boy!"

Christine stood and kissed Erik gently on the lips, "I've been trying to get him to sleep, but he's all so worked up."

"I think that I might have the solution," said Erik. "I need to unwind anyway." With that, Erik cracked his knuckles and sat down at the piano. His hands delicately drifted across the piano as he played "Moonlight Sonata." It wasn't long before Gustave's eyes grew heavy, and he fell asleep on the couch next to his mother. When Erik saw that the boy was asleep, he scooped him up and carried him to bed.

"I think I know what this is about," said Erik.

"What is what about?" asked Christine.

"You said that you needed to talk to me about something."

The smile that was spread across Christine's face suddenly disappeared. "Gustave has been asking a lot of questions about you and me."

"What kind of questions?"

"Like why we are not married and why is he your son and not Raoul's."

"Ah, I see. Well, why aren't we married?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I love you, Christine. I'm not going to lie. It's been taking all that I have to keep my hands off of you, but I have to be careful. You're an unmarried woman now. It isn't right to think those thoughts."

"I love you too, Erik," was all Christine could say. She kissed him, and he melted into her. He suddenly realized what he was doing.

"That's what I mean, Christine. I try to have a little self-control. The last time I kept all of it bottled up inside, I shattered a chandelier and killed people. Christine, I lost months of sleep over that. I can't let my rage for you control me. I love you too much."

Christine was hurt at his reply. What did he mean that he loved her too much? Was it possible to love somebody too much? "What do you propose we do then?"

"Let's get married. I'll get down on one knee and ask you right now if that's what you want."

Christine laughed at his enthusiasm. "I want whatever you want," she said lightheartedly.

He kissed her nose. "I want you."

Christine giggled like a little school girl, "Then you can have me whenever you decide that you want me."

"I'll take you up on that offer sometime soon I assure you. I'm exhausted right now though. It's been a tiring day." With that, he went off to bed, and Christine followed him. She respected his two foot radius this time since she know how he felt.

Erik woke during the night and started thinking in his head what the perfect wedding would be like for him and Christine. He had it completely planned out before the morning came. He had cooked up the perfect scheme, but he was going to need some help to accomplish it. He woke up early. He woke up Gustave and told him to get dressed. He wrote a quick note for his sleeping Christine. He grabbed Gustave, and he headed for Madame Giry's house just on the outskirts of the park.

He patted a quick knock on the door and made his way inside. Madame Giry was cooking breakfast.

"Good morning, Erik," said Madame Giry, "How nice to see you. You too, Gustave."

"Good morning," he replied back to her.

"It's nice to see you up and about this early. What brings you here?"

"I need your help."

Erik suddenly had Madame Giry's attention, "With what?"

"I need you to help me set something up for tomorrow evening, and I want you to cancel the evening's performance."

"Why?"

"I'm getting married."

Gustave suddenly beamed at his father with pride, "Oh, you and Mother are planning a wedding?"

"No, Gustave," replied Erik, "I am planning a wedding for your mother. We're going to surprise her. Do you think that you can keep a secret?"

Gustave motioned to show that his lips were sealed.

"Congratulations," replied Madame Giry, "What can I do to help?"

"I'm going to be spending the time that I'm not working sewing a wedding dress for Christine. It would be wonderful if you can go out and buy several arrangements of dark red roses. They're Christine's favorite, and I want the wedding to be on the stage in my music hall. If you could just make it look pretty tomorrow night, I would highly appreciate it. You can get Gangle, Squelch, and Fleck to do it if you want, but just please be sure that they don't ruin anything."

"I would be delighted to do that for you, Erik," Madame Giry replied, and she pulled Erik into a hug.

Suddenly he felt Gustave tugging at the hem of his jacket, "What can I do, Papa?"

Erik picked him up and set him down on top of the Girys' table. "If I gave you some money, could you run to the baker's and ask him to make a wedding cake that you think your mother would like?"

Gustave nodded excitedly with a big smile across his face.

"Now, I have an even more important thing that I want you to do for me."

"What's that?"

"Do you know how to play the wedding and bridal marches on the piano?"

Gustave shook his head.

"That's alright," replied Erik, "They aren't difficult. You can probably learn them today. The music is backstage somewhere. Just ask the musical director. He'll know where it is. You can practice on the piano in the theatre so your mother won't hear. If she asks where you've been, you've been at work with me."

Gustave nodded.

"Now, run along and practice," said Erik.

Gustave did as he was told and left Madame Giry and Erik to themselves.

"Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" asked Madame Giry.

"I know it seems all of the sudden, but I really do want to marry her. I always have. I need to do it now, or I could lose her again."

"I know you're old enough to make your own decisions, but I practically raised you both. I worry about you."

Erik hugged her, "I know you worry, but I need to do this. We need to do this."

"I know." Madame Giry started to cry, but she quickly wiped the tears away and returned to being her motherly self. "Now, you better go finish your work, or you'll never finish her wedding dress. Gustave can stay the night with me tomorrow night, so you two can be alone."

"Thank you, Madame Giry." Erik politely kissed the back of her hand and went off to do his work. The day seemed to last longer than usual. He paid his bills and did his management, but seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. He sewed on the wedding dress until Gustave came to his office to tell him that it was getting late. Erik held out the dress and looked at it. He had tried to stitch the gown to fit her body like a second skin. He wanted it to fit her perfectly. He made it out of perfect white satin. He had just started to sew on silk roses when Gustave decided that he was tired and wanted to go home. Erik put down his work and took his son's hand.

"Papa," Gustave asked as they were walking, "Isn't it strange that you're sewing a dress?"

"What do you mean, Gustave?"

"It's just that I have never seen a man sew. It's always a woman."

"Gustave," said Erik, "Men and women are not separated by what they can and can't do."

Gustave, once again, took his father's advice gratefully. As they walked through the door, Christine was sitting on the couch needlepointing a golden y into a pillow case.

"You two missed dinner," said Christine in a frustrated tone.

Erik went over and kissed her gently on the cheek, "I'm sorry, my angel. I promise that I will make it up to you tomorrow." Christine smiled at Erik's reply. She knew that he kept his promises.

Gustave went and hugged his mother.

"Did you have fun at work with Papa?" asked Christine.

"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Gustave.

"What did you two do?"

Gustave looked at Erik nervously, "Um… I learned some pieces on the piano, and Papa taught me several lessons."

"Did he?"

Gustave nodded.

"What did he teach you?"

"Um… He said that, 'Men and women aren't separated by what he can and can't do.'"

"Well, that is some very wise advice." Christine kissed Gustave on the head.

Gustave and Erik immediately went to their rooms to go to sleep, but Christine wasn't tired. She continued her needlepointing, and after a couple of hours, she dozed off on the couch. She woke to another note at her side tied to a red rose: My dear Angel, I'm sorry that I had to be off so early again. I promise that I will make it up to you (doubly) tonight. Gustave wanted to go to work with me again. We'll be back tonight. There's some money on the counter. Go treat yourself. I love you. –Erik

Christine sighed. Why was he being so distant? She didn't take the money with her, but she did go out. She decided that she needed fresh air and a place to think. She asked Madame Giry to go with her, but she was busy with business. Christine spent the day alone. She was thinking. Raoul always did this too. He would shower her with expensive gifts but not his presence. Would her angel turn into the stereotypical businessman that her previous husband had been? Could her nerves handle it if he did? As she saw the sun set, she decided that it was time to head back home. She turned and hung her hat and coat on the coat stand. Then something white caught her eye. The wedding veil that Christine had left behind from that night at the Opera Populaire was draped across the back of the large chair. Then she noticed two white gloves strewn on the kitchen chair. Then there was a pair of white heels outside the bedroom door. That's when she saw it. The most gorgeous dress that she had ever seen in her life was spread out across the bed. There was the red rose that she had grown accustomed to. The note red: My dear Angel, Please put this dress on and meet me in the theatre at 8:30 sharp.- Erik. Christine looked at the time. It was already 8:00. She quickly did her hair and put on some red lipstick. She slid on the dress and looked in the mirror. It fit her perfectly. It hugged her curves in all of the right places, and the silk roses made the puffy skirt stand out even more. She immediately knew who crafted the perfect gown. Only Erik knew her that well. She slid on the white shoes and gloves, and she held the veil in her hands. She looked in the mirror once more. She tucked a curl behind her ear and adjusted one of her white flower hair pins.

As she looked at the veil, what was happening became fully clear. She looked at herself once more from head to toe and muttered to herself in disbelief, "I'm getting married." Then she pulled the veil over her face and headed for the theatre.