I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter.
Chapter 7
The party resumed after Christine and Annette left, Erik was forced to explain that Christine had screamed because she had seen a mouse. It was quite embarrassing to state that they had a rodent in the house, but the alternative was even worse. Still it cast a pall over the rest of an evening, which was supposed to be a triumph. It gave Erik yet one more reason to despise Christine Daae. Albert remained at the event on the strict orders of his father, but he sulked about like he used to when he was a teenager. Erik admitted to himself that Christine had looked magnificent in her sapphire gown. If anything she had grown more beautiful over the years, although he could see the lines of bitterness etched into her eyes and mouth, as if it took her a great effort to smile.
He had been surprised that while she had been married to a Comte that she was not married to the boy. What happened there? He wondered. Did even the foolish boy see that she had a heart made out of stone? He did not want to dwell upon the one woman who had once held his heart in the palm of her hand and crushed it to pieces, as if he were something disgusting like a spider or a cockroach. She gave him the same look after she screamed. It was same mixture of hate and disgust that she had all of those years ago in the lair. In that one look everything that he had built to insulate himself from his former low opinion of himself came tumbling down and left him vulnerable once again. Not that he had any attraction left for his old student, but he was once again left to feel as if the world saw him on display as he once had been, as a hideous monster undeserving of the title of human. He was once again that unloved, starved and beaten child whose own parents could not abide him. Not that self assured and successful man that Emma had slowly molded him to be. Never more than at that moment did he wish for his wife to still be alive and standing beside him than when he had faced the girl who had betrayed him in his old life. He would have liked her to see that a woman had come to love the man behind the mask, and did not let his face get between them as she did.
"You didn't mother. Please be to God tell me that you didn't go to the Police this morning while I was sleeping." Annette asked her.
"I did and I had to. It was my duty. It was the only way that I could think of to keep us safe from him. You heard him threaten me and you do not know what he is capable of. You were not there back then. He is a cold-blooded murderer. Wasn't it you who told me that he should have been executed? Perhaps they can extradite him and bring him back to France to face trial for his crimes." Christine insisted.
"But he is Bertie's Father and Bertie is warm and kind. He has told me much about his father and he sounds like a good man. Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances." Annette stated desperately. She knew what Christine had told her before and never questioned it but this was Bertie's father. She desperately wanted her stepmother to be wrong.
"There were no extenuating circumstances. You forget that I was there in the middle of everything. It was a horror for everyone, and it was all his fault. He ruined my life and I was one of the luckier ones, at least I am not dead," Christine insisted.
"But even so did you have to go to the police? He appears to have led a decent life since then. He was even given a baronetcy by the late Queen. They would have no doubt investigated him before awarding him such a title don't you think? Did you really have to stir up a cauldron?" Annette asked.
"He is good at deception. Remember he pretended to be both an angel and a ghost for many years. He is a psychopath, a monster of the worst sort. You saw how crazy he looked last night. His eyes looked murderous just as they did long ago when he tried to kill Raoul." Christine told her.
"To be honest, he looked very angry, and clearly he hates you but I did not get the sense that he wanted to harm us. If he had I am sure that he would have found such a way to do so. He had a wife, and still has a family, and they seem to really love and respect him perhaps he has changed." Annette told her.
"Well we are getting out of here anyways. I do not want to be anywhere near him when he is arrested. We must be out of here by midday." Christine told her.
Annette sighed, "I was hoping that Albert would find a way at least to come over and say good bye. I have fallen in love with him, and I don't want to forget him. You complain that this man destroyed your happiness but now you are destroying mine. I think that Bertie was planning on proposing to me here in London, before our return to Paris. We were in front of a Jewelry store and he was asking me which styles of ring that I liked. We were so happy, and now I might never see him again."
"I forbid you to see him anyhow. If he is his son, he might kidnap you straight up like his father did me, and dispense with marriage and just take advantage of you. Perhaps that was how he was able to ensnare his wife, perhaps she killed herself to get away from him and that face." Christine told her hysterically.
"Bertie told me that she died in a train accident, and that his parents were madly in love with one another from the moment that they met. It was just like us, Bertie and I. You know that is what happened. He told you the same story right in front of me." She said clearly exasperated with her stepmother. Couldn't you have given him the benefit of the doubt?"
Christine replied "Perhaps that is what they told him or what he wanted you to believe, but like the father, perhaps the son is good at deception as well."
"This is not like you at all Maman, to make such wild accusations. You have always been so kind to everyone and compassionate. Why are you so different here? You are wrong about Bertie. Perhaps not about his father, I do not know him, but you are wrong about Bertie. I know it." Annette began to cry. She could feel her heart breaking. How could such a terrible thing happen to destroy her chance at happiness? It was so unfair. Suddenly she knew that she had to see Bertie one last time to see if he had any idea of how to overcome this situation. Surely there had to be a way to that they could be together. Perhaps if she warned him that her mother went to the police that he would see that she was not intent on harming his father. She thought desperately. But how to escape for an hour or two? She decided to just tell her mother that she wanted to go for a walk to clear her head. Christine offered to join her but she of course said no. She told her that it was important for her to do so alone. Christine gave her a suspicious glance but in the end she could not stop her. Annette was an adult.
In the meantime there was a knock on the door of the townhouse. A plain-clothes detective was there as well as a uniformed bobby. When the butler answered the door the inspector handed him his card "We are here to see Sir Erik Montgomery can you tell him that Inspector Smyth of the Metropolitan police is here?"
The butler showed them to the drawing room. The master is having breakfast with his family. I will tell him that you are here."
"Thank you." The policeman replied. The two men sat down and awaited Erik. Fifteen minutes later Erik entered the room and looked at both men affably.
"I am Sir Erik Montgomery. How may I help you gentlemen?" Erik asked.
The detective looked at him "We have come to take you into custody. We have been told that you threatened a woman last night, and that you are most likely wanted by the gendarmerie in France for several murders and possibly arson, that you are an escaped criminal known by the pseudonym the Phantom of the Opera."
Erik looked at them calmly "I assure you gentleman that I am not wanted by the French authorities. You may contact one Inspecteur Raymond Clousseau of the Surete in Paris, if you do not wish to take my word for it. He will explain my past dealings with the French police."
The detective replied "The problem is that the Comtesse de Bourges has come down to our station and entered in a request that you be taken into custody. Apparently you threatened her life last night and she is most anxious to press charges against you. She claimed that she was in danger from you, and told us that you had kidnapped her in the past. Is that true?"
Erik sighed "That is true, but I assure you that I have no motive to kidnap her now. I would like to see her leave Great Britain and return to France but aside from that I have absolutely no interest in the Comtesse."
"Perhaps so sir, but nonetheless we must investigate her complaint. As much as I would like to ignore it, I cannot. I have to take you into custody until it can be resolved. The Countess is leveling some rather serious accusations at you and we cannot afford to let you go free until we ascertain the facts. We do not want to cause an international row between France and Great Britain, surely a man of your intelligence can understand that." The detective told him.
Suddenly like an avenging angel Livy burst in "What is going on here Father? Jeeves has said that these officers are here to see you."
"They are not just here to see me, that blasted woman has asked them to arrest me and they are going to do it." Erik told her angrily.
"Why would you do such a thing? My father is innocent. We are very well connected, we will have your jobs if you continue this farce." Livy told them.
"Look girl you do not want to threaten a police officer do you? You don't want to join your father in jail. I can see that you are emotional about this." The policeman told her calmly.
"I am not a 'girl'. My name is Miss Olivia Montgomery, and my grandfather is an Earl, and my father here is a baronet…" Livy started to say.
"Stay calm Livy. I have no choice but to let them take me for now. Call my barrister and explain what is happening here. Don't get yourself arrested over me." Erik told her.
Just then Bertie came in and offered "Annette just came by to warn us, but I can see that it is too late. I'm sorry Father that you have to go through this ordeal. I would like to accompany Annette back to her hotel to talk some sense into her stepmother." Albert told him. "I just came in to tell you that I intend to do so. Annette understands that it is just a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? That sounds so innocuous. We do not need her help to deal with her stepmother. Leave it be and it will be fine." Erik growled "We have had too much contact with her family as it is. Surely now you must understand why your relationship must be cut short and ended. I am sorry son."
Annette stepped into the room behind Bertie and made her appearance known "Please sir, I have already tried to talk her out of her action. She simply fears you because of the past but ever since I met Bertie he has told me how wonderful that you are. I am sure that she will see that you are not the same man that you were long ago."
Erik sneered "You would aid the murdering monster over your own stepmother?"
"Is that what you are?" she asked fearfully.
The sound of her fear made Erik feel chastened, after all she did come to warn them and offered her services as an intermediary, despite his continuing objection to his son maintaining a relationship with Christine Daae's stepdaughter, it was unfair to the girl to treat her ungraciously. After all both she and Bertie were causalities of their terrible past. Despite Christine's distorted view of Erik, he was first and foremost a gentleman, and would comport himself in such a way. He could feel a sudden warmth, as he knew what Emma would have wanted him to say and do. He looked at the two policemen and asked "Could you step outside for a moment or two gentlemen while I speak with Miss de Bourges and my children alone for a moment."
They looked reluctant but agreed, "A few minutes only sir, we will need to go. You seem a fine gentleman so we will allow it."
Erik looked into Annette's eyes and met her gaze and mouthed firmly "To answer your question, No. Oh don't get me wrong, I am more than capable of killing, and my face is hideous, and my temper dark, but at no time either now or before have either you or your stepmother been under any threat from me. Nor will you be. I have no interest in resurrecting the past. I have not even taken pause to find out what happened to her, or anyone connected to her in more than two decades. I freed her from my influence long ago, and I intend on maintaining that distance indefinitely. Any feeling otherwise burned away in the fire of the Paris Opera house long ago. If it pleases you to do so, you may extend that sentiment to her, and then the two of you are free to leave and return across the channel back to France, unhindered." He looked at both Bertie and her and told them both quite reasonably "You can see why your continued relationship with one another must end here and now before you reach the point of no return. No matter how strongly you might feel about one another, the estrangement between Christine and I will eternally stand in your way, and would eventually poison your love. You might think that it might survive, but you would be unfairly forced to make a choice between us."
Annette looked at him woefully "But sir, surely you and she could perhaps be reconciled. I know that from what she told me of you that you and she once cared about one another. Perhaps if she could be made aware that you are no danger to her you could learn to forgive one another and be friends."
Erik laughed bitterly while looking at the door where the policemen were standing just outside "Friends? Impossible. Almost twenty-three years since that time and yet nothing has changed between us Mademoiselle. The police have been called and are still waiting to arrest me for the various crimes to she has deemed me guilty of from the beginning. For us to be friends she would have to undergo a complete transformation of how she views me, and admit to my humanity in her own mind. She has always lacked the ability to see me rationally Mademoiselle and I ran out of the desire for her to do so long ago."
There was a knock on the door, and then the two policemen came in.
"We are out of time sir. We must get you to the station and process you."
Livy looked at them coldly "This is a disgrace, my father has done nothing wrong."
The Inspector replied, "We are only doing our jobs. Perhaps once we verify that the French do not want him, and if the girl here can convince her mother to drop her accusations then your father can be released quickly, but in the meantime we must take him in."
The detective looked at Erik and brought out handcuffs.
"Is that really necessary Inspector? I give you my word as a gentleman that I will not try to escape." Erik offered.
The man shook his head. "Sorry but the complaintant has stated that you might be a murderer those are serious charges. Also, we are going to have to ask you to remove your mask. It is against regulations for an inmate to wear any adornments. I am sorry once again."
"This is outrageous. My can't you at least treat my father with a little bit of dignity? His mask is needed to hide a deformity." Albert insisted.
The Inspector ignored him "I am sorry again sir but no. You must come to the station with a naked face. Please remove your mask."
Erik smiled grimly "I assure you gentleman that if you ask me to remove my mask, you will be more disgusted than I am. It is every bit as much for your own good as it is for mine. May I at least wear it into the police vehicle?"
The inspector looked at his companion "Alright, I guess that we can let you do that but you must take it off when we reach the station. I am afraid that we will have to insist on your cooperation."
Erik bowed "Thank you for that at least gentleman." Erik looked at Albert. "Please make sure that our barrister contacts MacKay who was formerly at Scotland Yard, just in case that these officers are unable to get ahold of Inspecteur Clousseau in France. He is the only one in Britain who had full access to my file from France. I did a splendid job of burying the past to keep this information from falling into the wrong hands. In the meantime contact your grandfather as well and inform him of what has happened. Erik ordered."
"I promise that we will have you out by noon Father." Albert vowed.
Erik looked at his son wryly "Never promise what you cannot fulfill son. It is a Sunday and the very people that we might need to contact might not be available today. I may have to spend a night or two in that blasted place." He looked at Annette and back to Bertie" In the meantime make sure that your friend here is escorted safely back to France, oh but after that I expect you to keep your promise not to contact them." He looked again at Annette "I am sorry young lady, you do not seem to be a bad person but it is how it must be."
Once in the police wagon, Erik thought about Christine and silently cursed her "Why does that woman have to disrupt my life after all of these years and wreak havoc on it?"
