AN: I appreciate the reviews, I hope you all like this story. Keep them coming.
In the weeks since they had been married Erik and Manon fell into their role as husband and wife more easily. As Erik got to know Manon better he found her to be very well read and clever, she was unafraid to speak her mind, she was stern when need be. For the most part she was very kind and warm, and yet lacked the silliness and naivety that some young woman of her status might have possessed.
As time went by they became a bit more comfortable with each other. Erik was in his office one windy morning, he decided to stretch his legs and walk around the Manor a bit, as he approached the sitting room he could here the sound of a piano being played, he walked in and found Manon playing the piano beautifully, like a professional. The next day when the sun had come out he saw her outside once again pruning her rose bush's, it was then that he made a decision.
"May I join you?"
Manon looked up in surprise when she saw Erik standing over her.
"Of course." she said and with that Erik sat down on the stone bench next to the bush. And watched as she continued to prune them.
"I'm surprised you pay so much attention to these bush's in the winter." said Erik trying to make conversation.
"Many people have said that to me." said Manon laughing. " You'll see, come springtime we'll have the loveliest garden in town."
"It must be hard to work out here in the cold though?" asked Erik.
"Yes, but I can tell were going to have snow soon, I wanted to make sure I got this done before that." she said before getting up and brushing off her dress.
"What made you come out today?" she asked.
"I just needed some air." he said" I enjoy working in that office very much. I saw you on the piano yesterday."
"Did you?" She asked laughing "What did you think of my playing?"
"You play beautifully." he answered.
"Thank you, I need to escape sometimes and relieved some stress so playing the piano really helps." She answered.
Erik nodded in understanding, he of all people knew what that was like, to need to escape a bit into your music, to pretend the rest of the world did not exist. Yes, he found himself liking Manon more and more as time went by.
Erik and Manon had been married for over two month's when Manon's aunt finally found the time to visit.
The day she was to arrive the house was in in utter panic to get things ready. The servants were cleaning up the guest room as best they could. Manon had busied herself beating the dust out of the carpets.
"What can I say." said Manon as Erik helped her take the Carpet down from the line. "She means well but can be a bit critical."
"Then why put up with her?" asked Erik.
"Well, like I said she means well and she and Jean are all the family I have. I have learned not to let it bother me." She said "Manon really, how are you going to find a husband like that." said Manon impersonating her aunt as they headed into the house, when they put he carpet down and she lifted herself up, Erik noticed she looked a bit pale suddenly.
"Are you feeling unwell?" he asked.
"No I'm fine." She said reassuringly "I must have beat the rugs harder then I thought." she said collecting herself."Well lets continue getting ready she'll be here soon."
"And you had told her about me?" asked Erik cautiously.
"I told her the same thing that I told the servants; you were born with a disfigurement and you feel uncomfortable around others without your mask."
"Thank you." Erik answered.
At nearly four o'clock a carriage pulled in front of the manor. And the servants alerted their master and mistress of her aunts arrival. As they went down the large staircase, Manon straitened Erik's jacket, and Erik realized how wifely this act was.
When the servants opened the door Erik saw coming up the steps a finely dressed women in her mid-forties, though she was much older, Erik could still see a resemblance to Jean.
"Aunt Mathilde." said Manon holding her hand out in greeting.
"My dear Manon." said the woman warmly, taking the girls hand and kissing her on both cheeks. "Let me look at you. A married woman, your simply glowing."
"This is my husband Erik." said Manon gesturing to him.
"Madame." said Erik Bowing to her.
"Pleasure. Remember Manon said you were a musician?" she asked.
"Yes Madame, And I'm sure Manon mentioned the fact that I was born with a deformity forcing me to wear this mask at all time's." Now Erik could only hope she would walk in on him without his mask, and see the half skeleton that was his face." I trust it does not bother you that your niece married a man with such a deformity."
"Truthfully I am simply relieved my niece married at all. And I understand my son was the witness to you wedding?"
"That is correct." Erik answered.
"We haven't spoken in sometime, I swear I don't know what he was thinking, I was furious at your father for giving him that tuition money, when he could afford not to have a profession."
"Jean simply wanted to make use of his life aunt, he wanted to help people who needed him." said Manon indicating they had had this argument many times before."
"I know you've said this before but.."
"Aunt perhaps you'd like to get settled in?" said Manon changing the subject.
"Yes, well you ladies get settled and talk I have someone I need to see today, and I shall return tonight." said Erik, and wishing them farewell took off as the carriage he had ordered came.
An hour later Manon and her Aunt were having tea before dinner.
"It's nice to see that you have finally settled down." said Mathilde. "This place needed a man's touch."
"I don't know what you mean Aunt, I don't believe I've settled in anyway, I'm still running my father's business and we make the household decisions together. He may be my husband but he has never acted as though I must always obey him."
"Strange." said her aunt, when she first saw Manon's new husband she remembered finding he had an aura of some sort of secrecy, and now she wondered if he had his own reason's for marrying her niece, besides wanting a wife. But decided not to press it further for now.
"But I do see a glow about you that is different, and when I saw you today I must admit you looked a little pale."
"Yes I've been feeling a bit ill lately." said Manon sipping her tea.
"Perhaps you pregnant?"
And with that Manon nearly choked on her tea.
"Aunt please..." said Manon.
"Well my dear you have been married for over two month's now. Are the two of you having relations?"
"Yes?" stuttered Manon.
"And you've been feeling ill lately."
And with that Manon put her hand to her mouth and looked up at her aunt.
"Do you really think...?"
"Well there's only one way to be sure, call for a midwife to come up to the manor before you husband comes home, no need getting him all worked up for no reason."
An hour later a midwife left the house and Manon sat in her bedroom a shocked look across her face , she was going to have a baby a baby. She couldn't believe it.
"Well my dear I told you I was right." said Mathilde. "Wait until you tell your husband, he will be very pleased with you."
And then Manon's face dropped, and she felt worried. She wasn't sure if her Erik had wanted to have children. She remembered the when she had asked him about his family, she remembered he became tense and he changed the subject, he didn't say it but she could tell he any memories he had of them were painful. Undoubtedly his deformity was to blame for it and she got the feeling he didn't want to pass it on to any children.
"Aunt may I asked you not to mention this to anyone just yet I would liked to find the right way to tell people."
Meanwhile Erik had arrived at his destination at the edge of Paris, and stepped from his the carriage and told the driver to wait until he was done. He then went up the steps of the small flat that he had arrived at. It was dark so no one would see him clearly. He knocked hard on the door, and a few moments later heard the slop from the peep hole open, he then heard a distinct gasp and a few seconds later the Persian Nadir opened the door.
"Great Allah, ERIK!" he said stunned.
"Good evening Doraga, please excuse my intrusion." responded Erik.
A few moments later both men sat in front of the fireplace, as Nadir poured them glasses of brandy.
"Where have you been, the last I heard you had been shot by the police while trying to escape, but you managed to disappear. I couldn't be sure if you were alive or not."
"I have been hiding outside of the city, I needed to make sure the search for me had died down before I came to see you." Said Erik " And from what have told me they probably believe me to have bled to death in some sewer somewhere."
Nadir nodded his head in agreement.
"But still where have you been? What have you been doing all these weeks?" asked Nadir still stunned at seeing his old friend sitting here in his living room.
"I got married." said Erik
And with that Nadir very nearly dropped his glass. "YOU GOT MARRIED?"
"I believe saying it once would make it clear." said Erik dryly.
"But how, when did this happen?"
"After I escaped the Opera House, I ran into the street's, but I didn't count on the number of people who would be searching for me outside. An officer spotted me and the next thing I knew I was shot, I ran down an alleyway and went for the first door I spotted and hid inside, as it turned out it was a church. I thought I was alone, but as it turns out she was also in the church and saw me come in, when I saw her I tried to stand but I ended up passing out from blood loss, as I did I saw her take off and I was sure she was going to fetch the police. When I awoke I was in a room at an inn. As it turned out she did not fetch the police but her cousin, who was a doctor, he helped get me back to the inn and stitched my wound. She came into the room soon after I awoke. We talked for a bit and she inquired as to where I might go, I told her I had nowhere to go to." Said Erik then giving a look that suggested he was remembering his own surprise "And she suggested we get married."
"She just asked you to marry her?" said Nadir sounding incredulous.
"Yes, she stood to lose a large inheritance if she did not marry in the next few days. Her Father owned a shipping company, and he was afraid she would never marry so he put in his will that she would lose everything if she did not marry within four months of his death. I suppose she saw the opportunity and took it. I suppose we were both a bit desperate at the time."
"What is her name?" asked Nadir, wondering about the woman who was willing to marry the Phantom of the Opera to save her inheritance.
"Manon, Manon LeSeul, now since that is the surname I chose for myself." said Erik and he saw a smirk on the Persians face. "Her maiden name was Molyneux."
Nadir stared up at Erik stunned.
"Molyneux, as in Gaspard Molyneux, the owner of the Molyneux Shipping company?"
"Yes." said Erik.
"You married the heiress to Molyneux Shipping?"
"The sole heiress." said Erik teasing his friend into more shock.
"I don't believe this." Said Nadir laughing, then stopped "What does she look like?"
Erik reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a miniature he had done of Manon. "She doesn't know I did this of her when she wasn't looking.
Nadir took the small portrait and stared at it for a moment, it was picture of an auburn haired young woman in a blue gown. "Is a good likeness."
"Of course, I did it myself after all." said Erik.
"She's very pretty." said Nadir. "What is she like?"
"Kind, intelligent, and a will of iron." he said and they both laughed at this.
"Sounds like that is what you needed." Then they were quiet for a moment. "I don't know if you heard but Christine and the Vicomte, have both left for London."
Erik looked up "I assumed as much." was all he said.
"You seem surprisingly calm about this. Does this new woman, your wife, make you so happy?"
Erik thought for a moment.
"She does."
AN:There you go. I hope you liked it. Please Review.