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Chapter 9 A new mask
Erik and Meg had spent their weekend enjoying places of Florence they hadn't visited yet. Together they went to Piazza Michelangelo, which was on hill on the south bank of the Arno River, just east of the center of Florence, and offered a stunning view of the city. There was an area where all the artisan shops were, all their creations displayed in the windows. Meg felt drawn to a special little shop, and walking faster than Erik, she came closer to a store which read "Mascherari".
"Mask makers" Erik whispered with a smile as he stood behind Meg.
Her eyes widened at the colorful display of every kind of mask. She had only seen pictures of the Italian masks in books, but to see them so close was a totally different experience. She gazed up to Erik, his eyes darting from one corner of the window to another.
"They look so beautiful" Meg mumbled excitedly as she pressed her face to the glass. There were all kind of masks: the traditional ones, the ones that resembled mythological creatures, animals...Meg tried to choose one that would suit her, the Masquerade Ball was really close and she still didn't have any idea what she was supposed to wear.
"They are" Erik nodded, tearing his gaze away from the window to look down at Meg "Which one do you like?"
"I'm not sure, they are all so beautiful but none of them would suit me" said Meg sadly "The mask I wore as an angel was smaller. Probably this time I need something that reflects more my personality"
The image of Meg dressed as an angel appeared again in Erik's head. Did she have any idea how appropriate that costume was? It would not have suited anyone better, not even Christine. Although Meg was still mumbling some of her costume options, an idea formed in Erik's mind about her mask. He could picture clearly how she would look like…but would she let him do it?
"I think we should go inside" suggested Meg as she turned in the direction of the door.
Before she could open the door, Erik's hand grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her. She looked up confused at him.
"Better not" said Erik with a playful smile.
"Why not?" Meg asked as Erik let go of her wrist "The Masquerade is in three days and I don't have my costume! Neither do you!"
His lips curved toward a smile "Let me choose your mask"
Meg looked up at him stunned "What?"
"I will choose the mask, you only have to choose the dress" explained Erik with a chuckle.
"But…" Meg stared at him wide eyed with her brows furrowed in confusion "But how will I manage to choose a dress which fits the mask?"
Erik laughed calmly and leaned down to speak next to her ear "I will manage"
And with that he walked to the next store, leaving a stunned Meg behind. How was she supposed to choose a gown if she didn't knew what she was supposed to be at the Masquerade? The mischievous look Erik had given her just made her feel even more nervous. Of course he would choose a beautiful mask; he wouldn't let her make a fool of herself. And he had excellent taste as far as masks were concerned.
Somehow Erik had managed to surprise her, when the next day Arabelle arrived at their villa with the purpose of taking Meg to buy her dress. Meg was utterly surprised when Erik just smiled and gave her an enormous amount of money. She tried to protest, but Erik and Arabelle managed to convince Meg. Obviously Erik had no idea of the relationship of women with clothes.
"Do you need anything?" asked Meg as Erik pushed her gently to the door "Wait! My shawl!"
But before she could return to the living room, Erik was already placing the soft material over her shoulders.
"Now go and get your dress" urged Erik laughing at her surprised expression.
Erik was amused by the fact that Meg was actually confused. She had surprised him plenty of times since they had left Paris, but now it was his opportunity to surprise her. When Meg and Arabelle had parted, he took his jacket and walked out of the villa. He had asked Arabelle to help Meg choosing her gown, revealing to the older woman the idea he had for her costume. Of course Arabelle had agreed without hesitation, and now it was Erik's opportunity to go to Piazza Michelangelo and buy their masks. After walking for a long time, Erik arrived to the Piazza.
But before he could arrive at the masks shop, Erik stopped abruptly, recognizing the store Fabrizio had talked about. Should he go in? Would it be the right decision? Making one final choice, Erik walked hurriedly into the store.
Meg hadn't been shopping for clothes since the week before the Masquerade at the Populaire, and the fact that her mother wasn't with her to give her approval made her feel extremely nervous. Luckily she had Arabelle, who had always been like a second mother to her. Meg had no idea of what Erik's plans were about her costume, so practically, she was buying a dress blindly.
Arabelle had promised that she would make her look even more beautiful than she already was. She took Meg to a new store where most of the dresses were made for women of the high society. But the owner of the store was a friend of Arabelle's, so she assured Meg that the dress wouldn't be so expensive.
Meg was lost when it came to picking elegant gowns, not being accustomed to wearing them. She was used to wearing her ballet clothes or something comfortable, never before having the need of dressing the way high society women did.
She was standing in front of a full-length mirror looking at the third dress she tried on. They were all different, the skirts longer or with a tighter bodice. The only detail that didn't changed was the color. It had always been white. This one was a mixture between white and a soft cream, but the other ones were of different shades of white. Meg had tried to persuade Arabelle on telling her what was Erik's idea, but Arabelle just smiled and said that she had given him her word of remaining silent until the day of the Masquerade.
She couldn't choose! All the dresses were beautiful, and soon she had tried on at least seven gowns. She loved all the dresses, but still if she had any idea of what she was supposed to be at the Masquerade it would have been an easy task to decide for one! She should have forced Erik to come; somehow she knew he would have known exactly what would look right.
"Meg?" called Arabelle from the other side of the curtain.
"Oh Arabelle, I can't decide!" protested Meg with frustration as she came in front of the old woman. She twirled in an attempt to make the dress float "Erik should be here to say which one is the most appropriate!"
Slowly, Arabelle stood up and approached Meg. She took her hand and made her sit by her side.
"You are not his protégée are you…of Erik?" Arabelle leaned her head to one side and raised an eyebrow.
Meg looked up stunned and stood up, walking towards the window "What are you talking about?"
"The way you look at each other, how you speak of him and he of you" suggested Arabelle with a warm voice "Perhaps there is more than friendship there?"
Meg turned around abruptly "Of course not!"
Arabelle sighed with a smile "Ma Cherie, I know you too well. I can recognize when you lie"
"I'm…No, we just…" mumbled Meg nervously "He's just-"
"Marguerite tell me what happened in Paris" asked the old woman "What actually made you come here?"
Should she tell? Arabelle was a great woman, and she knew that she would not say a word. Her mother would definitely trust the old seamstress. Had they been that obvious?
"It's not that simple…you'll see Erik is…"Meg said quietly "He's the Phantom of the Opera"
Arabelle didn't say anything, but her eyes grew wide.
After a moment she asked "The Phantom of the Opera?"
Meg nodded "Yes. Let me explain. A year after you left, one evening before the premiere, Carlotta threw a tantrum and left the production without a lead singer. That's when Christine Daae came in, she sang with a heavenly voice and left us all stunned"
"Christine Daae?" asked Arabelle "your friend?"
"Yes, but Christine had a secret, a secret which she had kept from me," stated Meg. "She had an angel of music, who had taught her to sing. But actually Erik was that supposed angel, always hiding from everyone"
Meg returned to Arabelle's side and sat down as the older woman grabbed her hand gently.
"Erik was in love with Christine, but she didn't love him back," Meg explained carefully. "She was in love with Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. Despite Erik's efforts to win Christine's affection, her heart had already chosen. To accept the fact that he had lost her was very difficult for Erik, so he continued to terrify and threaten them. When Erik discovered that they were engaged he wrote an opera in which Christine had the lead role"
She took a deep breath and looked into Arabelle's eyes "At some point during the performance, Erik took the place of the male lead role and sang with Christine. Neither of us had any idea how she would react. While he confessed his love, Christine took off his mask, revealing his face to everyone. He kidnapped Christine and took her to his home under the Opera, but to escape he made the chandelier fall and soon the stage was on fire. In the end he realized that he was fighting a lost battle and let her go along with Raoul"
Maman told me to take him away from Paris, and somehow we ended up here." Meg smiled sadly and softly squeezed her hand.
Somehow Meg felt relieved that she would no longer have to lie to Arabelle. To know that there was someone who supported her brought her a great happiness, she felt that now she could trust Arabelle completely.
"From the moment I saw him, I knew he was a very special man," said Arabelle quietly with a sad smile. "Poor man, he didn't deserved all that suffering"
"I know!" exclaimed Meg "But, Arabelle, he has changed so much!"
"No doubt of it, dear" Arabelle replied sweetly "And mostly thanks to you"
Arabelle's big warm eyes were full of kindness. Had Erik changed because of her? Definitely he was a different man, no longer hiding but accepting his face. But still, maybe it wasn't just because of her; Florence had helped a lot and also the classes at the studio. Meg had just treated him like a normal man, because he really was. He just needed someone to remind him of that.
"Not me, it's just…Florence itself" answered Meg thoughtfully "I realize how much he really loves this place"
"Well then, if he's here trying to mend a broken heart let's continue with our labor and choose the perfect dress, one which he will love" exclaimed Arabelle standing up and taking Meg with her behind the curtain with a spark of mischief in her eyes.
In the end, only two dresses were left. Observing them carefully Meg tilted her head trying to envision herself wearing each one. Meg listened attentively to Arabelle, who had a superior knowledge about fashion than she had.
"You will look absolutely gorgeous in this one" squeaked Arabelle taking in her hands the dress that had been her favorite since the very beginning.
Little did Meg know that Arabelle had one purpose in her mind. She would make her young friend look stunning, she had a natural beauty that many woman envied, and with a little help she would look perfect. She knew that Meg would be breathtaking in the end and every man in Florence would agree to that, especially one in particular. If the man had a broken heart, what perfect way to mend it than having the company of such a beautiful lady? It would be a very difficult task to take his eyes off the young beauty.
"I trust in your knowledge" Meg answered excitedly "This one is the dress"
Meg and Arabelle returned to La Medicea before sunset. After thanking her wholeheartedly, Meg made her way towards their villa. The lights were on, so that meant Erik was home. She thought he would be out during her time shopping with Arabelle, but apparently he hadn't. As silent as she could, she entered through the door of the kitchen. This was the opportunity she needed: finally she would be able to scare him! Erik had the habit of sneaking into a room quietly and scaring her. He had stated that it was only meant to tease her, but now Meg had the opportunity of scaring the Phantom of the Opera.
Smiling to herself, she gripped tightly the box in which her dress was and walked into the kitchen, putting the box on the table, and turned towards the entrance of the living room. She could hear the cracking of the fire as she approached. Peeking her head inside, she observed astonished to the view in front of her. Erik was sitting on the large couch with his long legs stretched before him resting at the table as he held a book between his hands. He had the most pacific expression Meg had ever seen, his lips curved with the beginning of a smile.
Erik had no idea of the effect that his rare smiles caused on Meg. Suddenly, he looked up straight at her. Meg gasped surprised and watched as his lips curved to a proper smile. Soon the smile became a smirk and he began laughing quietly. Suddenly infuriated by his mockery, she stepped out of the kitchen and walked with long steps to stand in front of him.
"But how?" Meg protested stamping slightly her foot "Why are you laughing? How did you know I was here?"
Erik's gaze dragged down to his book as he chuckled and closed it. Somehow he was surprised at the reaction he had on her. Erik had seen it too many times to not know what was happening now: she was blushing! But why? He hadn't even said a single word! But her cheeks had definitely adopted that red tint he had become fond of. Did she have any idea how ridiculous and yet lovely she looked when she stamped her foot like a little girl? He couldn't help but to laugh in return when she reacted like that. Sometimes it was inevitable to not tease her.
"I heard you" Erik answered while he stood up and walked to stand in front of her.
"You couldn't!" she protested again "I didn't make any sound!"
His eyes sparkled mischievously and Meg fell quiet when she realized that she had just betrayed herself.
"So you were trying to scare me?"
She raised her chin defiantly and crossed her arms "Maybe, maybe not"
"Then why are you blushing?" he asked innocently raising an eyebrow, still not believing the ability he had to make her blush
"I'm not-"Meg began to say, but stopped as Erik raised his hand and softly caressed her burning cheek with his fingertips.
He smiled to himself as he felt the hot skin under his fingers, dragging his gaze from her lips to her eyes
"Why do you blush?"
He continued to caress softly her heated cheek while Meg tried to form a coherent answer. His touch felt cold compared to the heat of her own skin. She was trying so hard not to blush, but his gaze had her completely hypnotized. She was aware that he was staring at her lips, but as if it was something forbidden, he looked again into her warm eyes, his own sparkling with something Meg couldn't identify.
Erik laughed quietly and spoke once again "There's no need to be shy"
"It's not because I'm shy "she protested again, just that this time her tone was softer "You confuse me"
"I didn't do anything" he replied, dropping his hand to his side.
She tilted her head to one side "Then you have a very impressive ear, Monsieur"
"Why, thank you, Mademoiselle" he chuckled.
Taking a step back he watched as Meg walked to the kitchen and returned carrying a large box. He approached and took the box from her arms.
"I suppose this is the dress" he stated with a grin. Erik was opening the box when suddenly Meg took a step forward and slapped the box closed again.
"It's going to be a surprise" she giggled "so do not try to see the dress"
"All right" Erik laughed putting the box on the table and raising his hands "I won't"
Meg gave him a satisfied smile. "So are we going to the Duomo tonight?"
"If you are not too tired after a very interesting evening..." Erik answered with an innocent smile playing on his lips.
She playfully slapped him on the arm "You set me up!"
After a few minutes of Meg complaining about her long journey of suffering, as she was willing to call her evening, Erik took his jacket and together they walked out of the villa toward the city once again.
As it was almost closing time, the place was almost deserted. They were both amazed, standing silently in front of the impressive Duomo, Florence's cathedral. The building stood tall over the city with its magnificent Renaissance dome, the exterior covered in a decorative mix of pink, white and green marble. Walking inside, Meg caught her breath at the the interiors of the place. There was barely a soul about, so the view was even more impressive. Mosaics covered almost the whole floor, the strong scent of candles and frankincense overwhelming her.
Erik felt stunned. What he had read about this place was nothing compared to actually being here. He watched as Meg's eyes grew wide with amazement as she tried to absorb every single detail. Taking advantage of her dazzled state, he walked to the opposite side in search of the stairs which lead to the balcony. She walked to the center and looked up, letting out a little gasp when she observed the beautiful painting that covered almost the entire dome. It was certainly high.
"The Last Judgment" whispered Erik answering to her unasked question "Painted by Giorgio Vasari"
"It's so high" murmured Meg.
Erik laughed quietly "I found the stairs"
Meg dragged her gaze down and looked into the direction Erik was pointing. Behind a pillar was the entrance to the stairs to the dome, and even from where they were standing, Meg noticed that inside it was unlit.
"Definitely not!" protested Meg as quietly as she could "It's dark inside, I will likely fall and break my leg"
While she kept complaining and finding excuses to not go up, Erik had already dragged her to the entrance of the doorway. She stood there with her arms folded and a look of dare in her face.
"You are not going up alone, ma petite" Erik chuckled while Meg gave one final horrified glance at the stairs before sighing and stepping forward.
Erik smiled triumphantly and walked in front of her, placing one foot on the first step. He glanced behind and stretched a hand out to Meg, who took it nervously. Her fingers were unusually cold and Erik squeezed her hand encouragingly. She had no option but to follow him as they made their way up. Her free hand had been touching slightly the cold wall, trying to not lose balance. They walked slowly, and Meg knew that Erik would have walked faster, but because of her he was trying to make their journey as gently as possible.
Meg felt lightheaded as she mumbled nervously "How do you do this? I can't see anything! How do you know where is the next step?"
Erick chuckled quietly and gently caressed her hand with his thumb. "We are close"
She was shaking with fear; he could feel her cold hand shaking and not to mention the fact that she was barely inches from his back. Without a warning, Erik felt her hand on his shoulder, holding him with an iron grip. Even though he was trying not to, he could still feel her cold hand through his shirt and jacket.
After what seemed hours, a breeze hit both their faces. Erik stopped at the double door and opened it as Meg stood closely behind him. The balcony was much more than either of them could've expected. It was large with a marble floor. Meg relaxed visibly and sighed with surprise. Still holding Meg's hand, Erik led her to the edge of the balcony.
Meg's confidence seemed to return the moment she was able to see the magnificent view they had before them. Florence shined, the lights of the city sparkling with different colors. Meg approached slowly to the edge and laid her hands atop the cold stone, marveling at the sensation of being able to watch the city from a new perspective. Erik was behind her, watching as her face lost all trace of fear and returned to its normal color. Her eyes reflected the colors of the lights as her hair danced behind her with the breeze.
As if sensing something was missing, Meg blinked a few times to clear her mind and turned around. When she spotted Erik a few steps behind her she smiled, stretching her hand towards him as he had down in the doorway. Stepping forward he smiled and took her hand, which had grown warmer again. As soon as he was by her side, he let go of her hand and encircled her tiny waist with his arm, resting his hand at her hip.
Meg shivered, partly by the cold breeze and partly because of his nearness.
"It was worth it" Meg whispered quietly, leaning her head against his shoulder.
The silence surrounded them. Neither of them dared to speak, too afraid of breaking the magic of the moment. At last Meg spoke, her husky voice unbalancing Erik momentarily.
"Are you going to tell me what am I supposed to be at the Masquerade?" she murmured, slowly beeing hypnotized by his scent, the smell of roses, wax candle and that scent that was uniquely his.
He laughed "Not now"
"Well then…" Meg began saying as she raised her head to look him straight to the eye "It better not be a rabbit"
Their laughs echoed through the night of Florence.
