Chapter Four

Le Mécène

12 May 1892

Tonight Angel will look for Katarina in the Audience. And when he does, what will I face?

'Another full house, Monsieur. Magic appears to be le dernier cri.' He was looking grim, as usual, but she thought that she would get in first.

He bowed. 'As you say, but there is one box that has remained conspicuously empty, despite the return to Paris of its occupants.'

'Oh, erm ... yes.'

'Why?'

'That slight misunderstanding I told you about? It was with the comte.'

'You had words with the comte? Oh, the diva ... of course! So, he was the one who set the police onto me? At her instigation, no doubt.' He suddenly appeared very much amused. 'Don't tell me ... he absolutely adores her voice?'

'Unfortunately, yes.'

'Hmm. Perhaps I should have — But, no, I could not support her.'

'There is one more thing you have not thought of. He has been quite offended by the idea of a magician in an opera house.'

'Indeed? I do not think such snobbery will outlive the knowledge that the duc de Belvoir is quite flatteringly impressed by it. The comte will bow to fashion, without doubt. And even if he withdraws his patronage, we do not need him. But it is more than that. I know you, Madame! It is your straight talking that has offended him. You had best make your peace with him.'

'I intend to, mon cher, but not just yet.'

'Why "not just yet"?'

'I shall let him stew a little. Perhaps he will not then be so quick to try to manage my life.'

'I would not be surprised if you had offended him deliberately, so that they would stay away from here.'

'That is a good idea. I am sorry I did not think of it for myself. May I ask why you are so interested in their attendance?'

'No, you may not.'

'I think I have that right.'

'Undoubtedly.'

'And?'

'And ... what?'

She did not speak.

'Oh, no you don't! Take that look off your face.' He made a sweeping gesture. 'You are not going to browbeat me with that reproachful stare―the way you did the comte—I'll be bound. Yes, you have every right to the question. And I have every right to keep my counsel. Now, go and make your peace with the comte!'

'I am afraid ...'

'"Brave Madame Dupont"? Afraid? Surely not?'

'Please, do not mock me.'

'Why not? Is it better that I lose my temper?'

'No.'

'Then: do as I say.'

She stared at the wall; her face set.

'You are strangely silent, Madame,' he remarked, studying his hands. 'One might even say ... recklessly so.'

Her eyes encountered his. 'Very well, Monsieur. I shall write to him today.'

19 May 1892

Even though I tried to resist Angel, I felt Compelled to obey the Master. I tremble at the Thought of what may come of it.

The comte de Villefontaine, dressed to perfection as usual, bowed unsmilingly over the hand of Madame Dupont. Katarina hugged her warmly.

'You are well, Child? Bien. I am very glad to see you both.' Her eyes asked a question of Katarina, to be met by a slight negative. So she still had not told the comte of her petit paquet.

'Thank you for inviting us, Madame,' he said. 'As you can see, we are here. I am sorry about the other ... matter.'

'De rien, mon fils, de rien. I know you meant it for the best. And it would have been a coup―would it not?—to have secured such a famous diva for us. I apologise, too, for the way in which I spoke to you.'

A slight smile softened the rigidity of his mien. 'I do not blame you, Madame, after what I had to endure from the Signora. Indeed, I am becoming quite accustomed to your plain speaking. Katarina has made me see that being your patron does not give me the right to meddle with the running of your house. And as for your magician, whom Captain Moreau assures me is of impeccable character, with no more to be said about it ... well, he would seem to be a high favourite with both the duc de Belvoir and the marquise du Melande.'

'And so you have come to judge for yourself, hein? That is the best way. Come, I shall show you to your box.'

Following her with Katarina on his arm, the comte added, 'It is a feather in your cap, Madame, to have impressed both of these most exacting critics. Your magician is obviously not just in the common style.'

'Most certainly not, my dear, anything but—je vous assure. I have no doubt that you and Katarina will also be impressed,' she replied, stopping before a gilded door.

'This is ours, hein? Very baroque, Madame.'

'Indeed.' She flung it open and stepped back, motioning them to enter.

'But, how beautiful! Thank you, ma mère. This box is divine. Such exquisite decor,' exclaimed Katarina, glancing all about her. 'Look, Xavier ... our chairs.'

'Excellent, yes, excellent. You have been most generous to us, Madame. This box, also, is not just in the common style.'

'It has been decorated especially for Katarina's taste.'

'Yes, they are my colours. You see how well they match my gown?'

'Yes, indeed.' The decor of cream and dusty-rose pink with touches of olive and gold did enhance her gown of palest blush pink with cream lace trim. 'That is a beautiful gown, my dear. It becomes you, delightfully.'

'I chose it in Italy,' said the comte, a possessive arm about her. 'Pure silk.'

'You have done well, Monsieur. Katarina is in great beauty tonight. And now, I must leave you as I see the ballet is about to begin. You are comfortable, yes?'

'Indeed.'

'Merci, ma mère.'

Leaving them sitting in their richly upholstered chairs, she entered her box, pleased that they seemed so settled together, yet unable to still a slight apprehension about the effect on Katarina of the Master's voice in his two arias programmed to follow the ballet. Slight? Her hands clenched her chair arms. She had to admit that her apprehension was way more than slight, so much so that the ballet had ended before she had even properly thought about it: an unheard of event. From her box, she could just see the de Villefontaines in theirs.

The Master came on stage to vast applause, raised his eyes to Madame Dupont, bowed unmistakably to the comtesse de Villefontaine and began to sing.

At the sound of his voice, Katarina sat bolt upright, gripping her fan in her lap, silent until the end of the aria. 'Ange,' she whispered.

Xavier bent towards her. 'What was that, my love? I did not quite catch it over the applause.'

'Nothing ...'

'I thought I ... Did I hear you say "Angel"?'

'I said "aux anges", because of the beauty of the aria. This music makes one aux anges, do you not think?'

He looked uneasily into the softly glowing eyes. 'Oh, indeed, ma chère, indeed. It is a most excellent performance.'

'Shh, he is about to sing hisencore.'

The comte glanced even more uneasily at the mesmerised countenance, the sweetly smiling lips, before resuming his scrutiny of the tenor.

Observing these effects from her box, Madame Dupont was completely unsurprised when, a few days later, she received a visit from him.

23 May 1892

It is Entirely as I thought! And of course, I had to Prevaricate. It may be wrong to do so, but it is better than what will happen if the Truth comes out.

Inviting Xavier into her salon, she listened sympathetically until he told her that since their evening at the Opéra Magique, Katarina had begun to walk in her sleep again.

'Katarina is sleepwalking, you say?'

'Yes.'

'She only does that when she is agitated in the extreme. What have you been doing to her?'

'What have I been doing?' He went over to lay his forehead against the wall, tears squeezing out from under his lashes. 'Nothing, believe me. I only wish to cherish her. But, at night, she ... she calls out in her sleep. She calls to Angel—always. Why is it to him? Why not to me? But it is to him—always to him, even after —'

'Ah, mon pauvre. Come, sit down. But what did you expect, mon fils? You knew that she was in love with Angel, yet you forced a sweet, biddable girl to honour a promise she made to you as a child —'

'I did not force her, Madame,' he spluttered, 'I would not behave like that.'

'No? You knew that she loved you as a friend and did not want to hurt you, and you used it to the hilt. Eh bien, the result of your manipulation is that you are the one who has her to wife, and you should be satisfied with that.'

'I do not know what you mean ...'

'I am speaking plainly, mon fils, so take note of it. As her husband, you may command her conscious thoughts; but no man may command the unconscious. No, no, her private soul: that you may not touch! And this is the result. So, my advice to you is: be satisfied with what you have.'

'But ... You allowed it ... Yours was the say.'

'Yes, I did.' To my eternal regret. 'But had I fully understood the circumstances, you may be sure that I would have attended more carefully to the not-very-lucidly-expressed wishes of Katarina.'

He jumped up, striding about in agitation. 'I will not allow you to say that Katarina did not wish to marry me. Of course, she wished it.'

'Of course, my son, make yourself easy. I have no desire to argue with you.'

Making an effort to be calm, he said, 'I have come to ask you about your magician. Madame, who is he?'

'He is a friend of Madame Aranova. Madame has a great regard for him.' That, at least, was true. 'As you know, I have engaged him to provide a magic show as a part of each night's entertainment. And of course, he has a magnificent tenor voice. He is all the rage—I assure you—very popular. In fact, he is le dernier cri.'

'Oh, indeed, I am aware. He is vastly entertaining, performing incredible feats. I have noticed it myself. But you have not answered my original question. Who is he?'

'But I thought ... Was not Captain Moreau satisfied with his credentials?'

'Yes, but he was very mysterious, refusing, also, to tell me who he is. But I need to know, Madame, so I have come to ask it of you.'

She took a deep breath. 'He is performing incognito, Xavier. I know him only as the Master of Illusion.'

'Incognito? Why? He could be anybody!' As he stared at her, aghast, she watched his eyes harden and suspicion begin to form in his features.

'Perhaps he is someone who would not normally engage in theatre,' she suggested. 'Some of the nobility use an alias when they do something out of their social strata, you know. Think about Rockman.'

'Who? Oh, Rockman ... The great Shakespearean actor? You mean the comte de Chantilly? Yes, I see. Some of his relatives would not like to think of a member of their noble house treading the boards. It could be so.' He stroked his chin thoughtfully, then, just as she relaxed, turned on her, shouting, 'Why then, does Katarina believe him to be this accursed Angel?'

'Does she? She has said nothing to me. And you do not need to shout.'

'No, I beg your pardon. She ... she did not want to tell me, either; but I got it out of her.'

'I see. You browbeat her, after all?'

'No, no, of course not! Have I not already told you? You know that is not my way.'

She raised her eyebrows, merely, and he frowned.

'Well, Madame? What do you have to say about it?'

Without flinching, she played her last card. 'I do not know, Monsieur. This man, Angel: You have seen his face? You remember what he looks like?'

'Yes, Madame.' He stood stiffly.

She waited a little, studying him. 'And the Master? You have seen his face?'

Xavier was silent.

'Well?' The silence seemed to go on forever. Resounding. Terrifying.

'Madame, you are right.' The belligerent stance evaporated. 'That face could not be disguised so well in the light of centrestage, and I have seen him close.' His expression both relieved and rueful, he added, 'You are right: it cannot be. Katarina is prey to odd humours ... imagining him everywhere ...' His voice trailed away.

Hiding her relief, Madame Dupont was content to allow Katarina to take the blame in this instance; although, deep down, she felt a pang of guilt. Suppressing it, she reminded herself: Our very lives depend on him believing this.

Even to herself, she would not call it a lie; but she remained deep in thought long after he left.

24 May 1892

I think I have averted Suspicion for the present. Poor Katarina, it is a scandal. But at the same time, I fear very much for the future; for I realise the Master has just as much Power over her as before, and he is not less dangerous now that he has been healed of his Affliction. Indeed, I begin to see that he is becoming more dangerous than ever with the emerging strength of his Occult Powers.

But even Madame Dupont did not know the extent of her prophecy, and when she found out just how far he was prepared to go, she was tout à fait bouleversé—to say the least.