Temper, Torture and Peignoirs
The carpenter was more than a little puzzled at this bizarre delivery location, but a jovial Nadir appeared to take the carpenter into his confidence by informing him of the joke to be played on the groom, that night before his wedding and another group of the groom's friends would move the bed to its correct location tomorrow. The carpenter shook his head, stag night jokes; but he was being paid so there was no complaint, and at least he did not have to move the bed again after it was delivered. Once the whole bed was delivered to the three waiting men, the carpenter drove off and Erik appeared, it was hard work but eventually all the parts that made up the new bed were placed in Erik's bedroom ready for putting together.
"A drink to celebrate!" Erik stated, as he went to the liquor cabinet and brought out a bottle of cognac and four brandy balloons.
Meanwhile up in Madame Giry's the ladies were sitting down to a light lunch before looking at the gowns and other boxes that had been delivered.
"My last day as a Mademoiselle," Christine remarked as she placed her knife and fork down on finishing her lunch,
"Your last day as a vir…" Meg started.
"MEG!" Madame Giry shouted interrupting her daughter, "I was only going to say…" Meg tried to continue,
"I am sure that we all know what you were going to say," Madame Giry told her. Christine giggled, Meg smiled and Madame Giry sighed, finishing her lunch.
After the lunch things were washed up, the ladies sat and chatted for a while then proceeded back to the parlour, there were three large boxes and several smaller boxes scattered around,
"Meg," Madame Giry said, "This is your gown," Meg walked up to the box her mother had indicated and opened it, the beautiful burgundy gown she had tried on sat there complete with matching corset and hair decorations, another smaller box beside it contained matching boots and a new pair of stockings. Before Meg could say anything, Christine walked up to her and handed her a tiny box, opening it Meg found a small gold pendent in the shape of a treble clef with a rose set in rubies in the centre hanging from a delicate chain.
"The necklace is a gift from Erik, to say thank you for helping him and being the closest thing, I have to a sister." Christine told her,
"Oh Christine, everything is beautiful!" Meg exclaimed as she hugged her. Madame Giry went to another box, opening it she gasped,
"I told you that this dress was too expensive," She informed Christine,
"Erik told me to spare no expense," Christine replied, as Madame Giry pulled a black silk and taffeta dress from the box the beading and pleats alone spoke expensive, matching boots and a small veiled hat were also in the box. Christine then handed Madame Giry another tiny box, Madame Giry opened it inside was a gold brooch set with diamonds, in the shape of a treble clef linked to a quaver also set with diamonds a fine gold chain joined the two. Madame Giry stood there her mouth slightly open,
"That is from Erik and I to thank you for all you have done for us." Christine was nearly in tears, as she spoke, "If you had not made me see sense, then I could have lost the greatest love I would ever have known, I would have lost Erik." With that Christine started to cry. Meg came over and hugged Christine as Madame Giry gave her a handkerchief,
"Now, stop your tears, you have not lost him, this time tomorrow he will be your husband. I think you should look at your gown,"
"I know what my gown looks like," Christine told her,
"That gown has long since gone, Erik insisted on a new gown for a new life," Madame Giry informed her.
Christine dried her tears and opened the box, inside sat a beautiful white silk gown, as Christine lifted the gown out of the box she could see it was covered in a layer of fine white lace, the leg of mutton sleeves, finished from the elbow in just pure lace with pearls as buttons and all the lace was dotted with tiny seed pearls which glimmered in the light. The dress had lace split paniers and a silk and lace bustle that finished in a long train, all dotted with seed pearls. Underneath the gown was a short veil made of the same lace and seed pearls, a comb was stitched to the veil to fasten it to her hair and a tiara of silver and pearls was with it.
"That is breath taking," Gasped Meg as Christine placed the tiara back in the box with the gown and veil. "What is in the other boxes?" she continued as Christine opened the next box, it was long and thin and held a beautiful lace and silk corset, chemise and matching bloomers.
"Erik has taste I have to admit," Madame Giry mused as Christine moved onto another box which contained the matching boots to her bridal gown, white silk stockings and two blue silk and lace garters, a final box was done up with a ribbon and had a note with it. Christine removed the note and read it. Then she tucked the note in her dress blushing furiously as Meg tried to grab the note.
"What did that note say Christine?" Meg asked, "you are blushing like a sunset."
"It was a private note from Erik to me," Christine said trying to recover her demeanour, and opening the box she gasped.
"Oh, good lord!" Madame Giry exclaimed, as Christine lifted the black silk and lace peignoir, yards of black silk trailed from the box, the peignoir although more voluminous was a black version of the dressing robe Christine wore when Erik had taken her down to his house that first night after the gala, a matching chemise sat underneath it.
"Oh, Christine," Meg gushed, "That is stunning, I hope one day I shall have such a beautiful nightgown, though I doubt it will stay on you for long." Meg finished with a wink.
"Meg Giry, I am sometimes hard pressed to believe you are my daughter," Madame Giry sighed, "You can be so crass at times,"
"Sorry maman," Meg replied.
Christine sighed, "I am missing my Erik already,"
"I think an early supper and night is called for, we will have much to do tomorrow to get us all ready for your wedding, I shall ensure that your peignoir trousseau is back at the lake house for your wedding night," Madame Giry told Christine. As the three ladies laughed and set out to sort out supper, baths and early bed.
Down in the lake house after much cussing mostly by Erik and in Persian, with Italian and Russian thrown in, and Erik throwing several tools across the room in temper barely missing Nadir with a screw driver at one point, the marital bed was complete. Darius had vanished into the kitchen as Erik's temper flared and was cooking supper for the men, when Jean joined him,
"I see what Meg meant about Erik's temper!" Jean exclaimed as he poured himself a coffee from the pot on the stove.
"Master Erik's temper has calmed compared to what it once was," Darius observed as he took a tray with bread rolls on it out of the oven and placed them on the kitchen table,
"Calmed?" Jean questioned,
"Yes once upon a time he would have either killed you immediately or thrown you in a torture chamber for taking the screwdriver he was about to use," Darius informed him calmly.
"Erik has a torture chamber?" Jean asked Darius, fascinatedly.
Erik gave an eerie laugh behind Jean, followed by the more welcome but scolding voice of Nadir, "Erik, tell me you have not put a torture chamber in this house?"
"Erm, yes?" Erik replied suddenly sounding like a child caught stealing biscuits from the jar, what was it about Nadir scolding him in recent days that made Erik feel silly? Once upon a time Erik would have lost his temper and had done with it, no explanations just scream at the Daroga to shut up, was this what it was to have a conscience, if so it was more trouble than it was worth.
Nadir sighed, "Where is it?"
"Umm, behind the back wall of the music room," Erik explained sheepishly,
"Oh, my, this I have got to see!" Jean exclaimed excitedly.
"This way," Erik explained trying hard not to look at Nadir's disapproval.
Pressing a panel by the door of the music room another door opened up to a small room, the room he and Christine had hidden in the night of the mob, it was lit by the same gas lamps that illuminated the rest of the house, Erik switched on the gas and lit the lamp with a pop, and then walked into the small room, Jean followed eyes wide,
"This is the control room," Erik told him as Jean took the wide panel of switches and buttons in the room no bigger than a broom closet, if you go back into the sitting room there is a viewing panel. Erik hit a button on the panel and as Jean walked back into the sitting room and a large part of the wall of the sitting room seemed to vanish, to be replaced with a window, into blackness, Erik hit another button and the dark room became illuminated, seven walls of mirrors the same size as the window they looked in from with an iron tree to one side. Jean stared,
"Erik this is a work of art!" he exclaimed, as he took in the details.
"That is a death trap!" Nadir stated, "Erik you promised me, no more tortures,"
"I have kept my word, Daroga!" Erik replied getting annoyed, "This chamber has never been used,"
"So what did you do the Vicomte a week ago?" Nadir asked suspiciously;
Erik sighed and reached over into the control room bringing back a large red noosed rope, the end furthest away from the noose was burnt,
"I merely rigged this rope to hang from the ceiling in the sitting room, designed to scare but not to kill, I threw the noose over the fop's neck and he tightened it himself trying to reach Christine, when I realised how much I loved Christine and that I only wanted her to be happy, I burnt through the rope, with a candle flame to release the fop." Erik informed Nadir and Jean.
"Yet she loved you all along it seems, she came back to you," Nadir said as he stood beside Erik looking guilty. "I am sorry my friend for ever doubting your promise,"
"I do not promise things often but when I do I mean them, you of all people should know that Nadir," Erik replied.
"Goodness, we are getting soppy you are calling me Nadir!" Nadir exclaimed,
"Excuse me, but why do you call Nadir Daroga?" Jean asked,
Erik looked at his friend and smiled, "It is a long story, one I might tell you one day, but suffice to say that Nadir was once a chief of police in Persia, who was given the onerous job of keeping an eye on me when I lived there, I used to delight in driving him insane. Daroga means chief of police in Persian."
"I still keep an eye on him here in Paris and he still drives me insane at times," Nadir said shaking his head. Jean looked at the two friends and hoped that he would have a friendship so strong one day.
At that moment Darius appeared and looking at the torture chamber shuddered "Supper is ready Gentlemen," he said.
Erik took the rope from Nadir threw it back in the small room switched off the lights in the torture chamber, closed the window so it looked like a normal wall, turned off the light in the control room closed the door and with his friends for the first time probably ever went to enjoy his supper.