Chapter Fourteen
As promised, Erik arrived early the next day for auditions. He selected a seat far in the back of the theater so as to be as unobtrusive as possible. He was joined by Sarah who had run into him that morning and was interested in seeing the auditions herself. At least that was what she had told Erik. She hadn't had much of a chance to hear his side of things since the party the previous week and was curious to hear what had transpired since then.
Keeping her voice low while auditions for smaller parts took place, Sarah asked, "So….I understand you took a trip to Coney Island."
Erik looked at her raising one eyebrow. "I did." He left the question unspoken.
"Robert told me. He said you'd run into Christine there. Care to share what happened?" Sarah clarified.
Erik had spoken to Robert about his concerns but knew he wouldn't have shared that information with Sarah. He had listened to Robert's advice and had collected several books on the subject which he had been pouring over in the evenings. While that was helpful in the physical aspect, perhaps Sarah could shed light on the mental and emotional questions he had.
"I took your advice and put myself in a position where she could choose to come to me."
"And did she?"
He couldn't help but allow a very small smile. "She did."
Sarah's eyes lit up. "I knew it! I knew she would! What happened?"
"She asked me who Genevieve is."
Sarah laughed and then quickly covered her mouth, hoping she hadn't disturbed auditions. "She's jealous! I told you, the quickest way to a woman's heart is to make her see what she's missing. How did you react?"
"I saw little Meg waiting for her at the end of the pier so I went to leave. I think she believed I was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes and raised her head to me as I walked by."
Sarah stifled a giggle. "Oh, no! That had to be humiliating for her."
"I find it increasingly difficult to stay away from her. I knew she'd stay late last night to work on her audition piece and so I stayed back as well. She made a mess of the piece and I couldn't resist correcting her. However, I came to realize that she did it on purpose in order to draw me out. I think….I think she was playing the coquette with me," Erik stumbled over the words. "She has only ever been afraid of me and even refused me the touch of her hand without shivering in disgust. Last night, she placed her head on my shoulder."
Sarah took a moment to process everything he'd said. "You say she used to shiver in disgust; are you sure?"
He looked at her. "Of course. Why else would she react like that?"
"Oh, Erik! When she touched you last night, how did you react?"
"I would rather not speak of that with you, Sarah. I have too much respect for you," he answered, clearly uncomfortable.
She nodded. "Exactly. Erik, you do realize that men aren't the only ones who feel things like that, right? I believe what you mistakenly took for disgust was actually desire. She's young; she herself probably didn't understand what she was experiencing. But it appears she does now if what you say about last night is true. But that's just it; she's young and inexperienced. You told me she lost her mother when she was just a child and was raised by her father. She would not have learned of love and desire from him. She needed to sort all of that out for herself, just as you did."
Erik pondered this for a moment. "Do you honestly think so? I find myself at such a loss as to understanding any of this. It's maddening!"
Sarah rested her hand on his arm, offering him support. "Oh, Erik. You are as much a virgin as she. Do you think you could handle your heart being broken again if she changes her mind?"
Before he could respond, Christine's name was called for her turn at auditioning. She took her place on stage and, while waiting for her intro to conclude, she could be seen scanning the theater. Her eyes alighted on Erik's figure in the back and she moved all the way downstage in order to be as close as possible to him. Her eyes locked with his and she poured every ounce of her soul into the song she sang. There was no doubt in Meg's, Sarah's, or Erik's minds that she sang only for him. Where others had been cut short after a few measures, the musical director allowed Christine to finish the piece. As Juliette took the potion at the end of the song and Christine's voice faded away, there was silence in the theater for several seconds except for quite a few gasps as though people had forgotten to breathe while she sang.
In that timeless moment before everyone erupted in applause, cheers, and whistles, Erik felt stripped of every doubt as she stared in his direction, a beautiful vision in the lights of the stage. His heart constricted at both her beauty and the beauty of her voice and he, too, gasped. As everyone surrounded her and she was lost from sight in congratulatory hugs, Sarah wiped tears from her eyes and took Erik's arm, offering a hug of sorts. "Go to her this evening."
He nodded in agreement.
Rehearsals for the day had wrapped up when Meg finally found Christine wandering alone on stage. She was scanning the theater and looked ready to head down amongst the seats before she spotted Meg.
"Christine! I've been looking all over for you! Are you ready to go? I thought maybe we could buy sandwiches and sit in the park for a little while. It's really a perfect evening for it: not too sticky with a light breeze. Who knows how many more days of…." Here Meg trailed off, realizing Christine wasn't listening. "Christine!" She exclaimed in frustration.
She turned and looked at Meg. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. Meg, he has to come to me this evening. I'm sure he's here somewhere!" At this, Christine went to the other end of the stage, looking out to the darkest corners of the theater.
"Christine," Meg began, taking her friend by the hand. "I'm sure he's pleased with your audition and will come find you when he's ready. Don't you think he knows where you are….where you always are? Why stay here when we can go to the park? He doesn't haunt the theater. He has rooms somewhere."
Christine stopped and looked at her friend. "You're right. I'm so stupid sometimes. Of course he doesn't live here. I'll get my things and we can go." She and Meg turned to go backstage but a voice from the side of the theater halted them both.
"Christine!"
She spun around and Meg gasped, stepping back. He came up on stage in one leap from the pit area and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
"My God! I've been worried nearly out of my mind searching for you!" Raoul exclaimed, holding her at arm's length after kissing her, failing to see her squirm. "Why, Christine? Why did you run away?"
Christine's eyes were wide as she tried to extricate herself from his arms. "Raoul! I….how did you find me?"
"It wasn't easy. I had to pay several people off at the docks before I discovered you'd indeed set sail away from France. But America, Christine? And New York? Of all the godless places on this earth…," he began.
"Raoul, you shouldn't have followed. I left because I couldn't marry you," Christine began, but quickly became aware of the small audience of cleaners and stage crew that were doing their best to look like they weren't listening to the drama playing out directly in front of them in real life.
"Don't be ridiculous! It's just wedding jitters. Every bride has them," Raoul said, reaching for her hand. "You're my fiancee!"
Christine took the opportunity to pull him farther backstage and out of the hearing of everyone if not exactly out of sight.
Meg swallowed hard as she watched their exchange grow heated and then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement in the first row. Looking out, she saw him come from the shadows to stand at the steps leading up to the stage, his eyes glued on the couple backstage. The white of his mask caught the stage light for a moment as he turned briefly to meet Meg's gaze. It lasted only a moment as Raoul suddenly went down on his knees in front of Christine as she took his hands in hers. His back was turned to them, but they both saw the flash of a diamond ring as he put it in her hands. Christine said something neither could hear and then Raoul stood back up and took her into his embrace.
The strangled sound that reached Meg's ears made her turn and look out into the audience. Helplessly, she watched as he grabbed onto the back of a seat and gasped, then spun around and disappeared through the side entrance. Her first impulse was to follow and do something, but her loyalty lie with Christine. She turned back to the scene unfolding on stage in time to see Roul chastely kiss Christine on the cheek and, looking miserable, turn and leave. Meg frowned in confusion as she watched him leave, then turned to her friend as she approached.
"That was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do," Christine said quietly, wiping the few tears away at the corner of her eyes.
"I don't understand," Meg said simply. "I saw him give you the ring and you kept it."
"I told him I didn't feel right keeping it but he said I should sell it to help me financially."
"What did you tell him?"
Christine sighed deeply. "The truth. I told him that we weren't the same people we were as children….that we didn't know each other any more. I can't give up my singing and as Vicomtesse, I would never be allowed to perform. It's scandalous enough that he wanted to marry an opera singer. And….and I told him I couldn't love him the way he wanted me to."
Meg's mouth hung open. "Oh, Christine! It didn't look that way from here at all! It looked like you'd accepted his ring again in marriage!"
Christine smiled sadly. "Looks can be deceiving. I assure you, Meg; we're through."
Meg shook her head urgently. "But he doesn't know that!"
Christine frowned. "Yes, he does. I told him myself."
"No! Not Raoul! The Phan-Erik!" Meg caught herself.
"What are you talking about, Meg?" Christine asked, beginning to become alarmed.
"He was here! After you pulled Raoul backstage for privacy, he came to the stage. He must have been in the theater like you said. We watched you two talking but we couldn't hear anything you said. When you took the ring and Raoul embraced you, it looked like you were getting back together. He thought the same thing because he looked like someone had just punched him and he left!" Meg tried to explain.
"No….," Christine whispered. "No! Not after everything I've tried to do! Erik!" Christine had turned white and ran across the stage and down and out into the theater, calling his name now though she had never once spoken it to him. She felt like she was in a horrible whirlwind of a dream. She ran calling his name over and over, from the theater, out into the lobby, and even outside: to no avail. Her throat began to constrict and tears began welling up into her eyes. She was devastated. How could she begin to rectify this when she could barely get him to come her? She didn't even know where to find him. She collapsed on the steps of the opera, crying uncontrollably.
And that was where Sabine and Meg found her a few minutes later. Sabine had been speaking with the choreographer when she heard Christine calling Erik's name. She rushed down from the offices to see Meg hurrying behind Christine and together they had come looking for her. Now, they sat on the ground on either side of Christine and Sabine pulled her into an embrace.
"There, there. Shhh, Christine. Take deep breaths." Sabine rocked her like a child, getting her to calm down.
"He doesn't understand!" Christine stuttered, still crying. "He thinks I love Raoul but it's not true! How am I going to find him?"
Sabine frowned her question over Christine's head at her daughter.
"The Vicomte showed up here a little while ago. He was making a scene so Christine led him backstage for some privacy. From where I stood, it looked like he had given her the engagement ring back and she accepted it. The Phantom was there, too, and saw what I had seen. He definitely thought the same thing I did because when Raoul hugged her, he turned and left immediately," Meg filled in for Christine.
Sabine nodded. "I see. And what actually happened?"
Christine pulled herself away, using the handkerchief Sabine gave her to dry her eyes. "I told Raoul I didn't love him and couldn't marry him. He insisted I take the ring and sell it. Then he gave me a hug good-bye."
"Then do not worry, chere. I will find Erik. It's a misunderstanding that can be easily corrected."
"But what if he leaves?" Christine worried.
Sabine smiled. "He won't leave. He is as connected to you as you are to him. I will find where he's staying. It won't be hard. And I will get through to him." She looked up at Meg. "Why don't you both go to the park? I know how much Christine loves the little lake there. I'll find you there." She gave Christine a peck on the cheek and smiled at her. "Everything will be alright."
Christine swallowed and nodded and the three women stood up, brushing their dresses off. Sabine watched as the two young women walked slowly away and then she took a breath. "Right. Now, for the hard part."