Chapter Twenty One
Every room in the de Chagny manner was flooded with golden illumination! There were at least twenty posh carriages awaiting to be used at the end of the night and there were even more posh people getting out of them! I held tighter to Erik's arm as the carriage came to a halt, he smiled and climbed out, lifting up his hands and helping me out of the carriage. I took back up his arm as quickly as I could and smiled to him, he kissed my cheek and pulled down my golden mask, veiling my face. The four of us walked to the large doors to the de Chagny manner and we were instantly greeted by Beckett, the butler.
Wordless, he let us in, and wordless we passed by him, into the chaos known as 'La partie de Mascarade de Chagny'. It was like a rainbow inside of the de Chagny manner! People were dressed in an assortment of vibrant, happy colors! Steaming reds, bright greens, stunning yellows, hot pinks, powder blues, lilac purples, eggshell whites, and starlit blacks. Then, there was the select few who dressed in other colors (such as Robinete and I), the gold's, the silvers, the bronzes, and the coppers! Some were even dressed as characters!
I spotted a joker, a harlequin, a king and queen, five swans, three doves, two cats, a monkey, two skeletons, and a man with golden horns on his head!
I stuck like glue to Erik, I didn't want to be separated from him, I had been lost in a party once before without him and a horrible thing happened.
No.
I was not going to leave his side, not at all.
Around his people drank, chatted, and laughed merrily. How can they have a good time? All they're doing is intoxicating themselves to the point where they won't remember anything...how is that fun? Besides, I couldn't drink anything if I wanted to, Erik banned me from drinking anything, and even if I wanted water he would have to taste it first. Erik and I walked to a quiet, little corner of the room where the gramophone wasn't blasting and people weren't as loudly having social intercourse.
"You may go speak with other women, my dandelion. I'll be here." Erik whispered into my ear, I shook my head quickly.
"I'm not going to leave you. I-I want to stay with you." I said, tightening my grip on his arm, he smiled and kissed my temple, letting me squeeze his arm however tightly I wanted to. In this moment the gramophone was turned off and a familiar voice penetrated the drunken merriness.
"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! I am the Count Philippe de Chagny and this is my brother, the Viscount Raoul de Chagny. Are we all enjoying ourselves to-night?" Asked Philippe, in unison the people before Erik and I screamed 'yes!' The Count Philippe chuckled. The Count Philippe wasn't dressed specially for the masquerade, he wore a dark green, velvet evening suit and a dark green domino whilst the Viscount Raoul wore a half white and half black evening suit and a black domino. "Well, then this night will only get better! We have exquisite entertainment to-night! First will be 'Ces Beaux Galans, Ces Jeunes Gens' from the opera 'Le Trompeur Trompé' orchestrated by Jacques Luc. Second, to-night is several songs from Claudio Monteverdi's 'L'Orfeo' and last but not least we shall hear a song or two from monsieur Erik's opera 'Don Juan Triumphant'."
Finished the Count Philippe, Erik sighed and everyone clapped, Count Philippe dismissed everyone, I turned to Erik. "Are you really going to play some of your 'Don Juan Triumphant'?" I asked quietly,
Erik chuckled.
"Sweet, sweet dove, if my song did what it did to you, what do you think it would do to a room packed full of ladies?" Erik asked, still smiling, my cheeks blushed and Erik chuckled again, kissing my cheeks many more times than once.
"Well, what are you going to play?"
"'The Overture'" Erik answered off-handedly, his lips moving down to my neck.
"The overture to what?" I asked in a whisper, closing my eyes and enjoying the warmth of his lips. His lips lifted into a smile and his breath tickled the skin on my neck.
"'The Phantom of the Opera'" He whispered in my ear, kissing my earlobe. My eyes opened, how did he know of my song? I never showed it to him! He noticed my confusion and smiled again, he lifted his head from me and stood to his full height, pulling me to his chest. "You left your song book open on the table, and by the way, the managers agreed to putting it in the latest opera that I have created" Erik finished, my eyes grew wide.
"What opera?" I cried excitedly.
"I named it 'The Phantom of the Opera', clever, don't you think? Your songs 'Think of Me' and 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again' are also in it, along with ones I have thought up, I'll let you read it when we arrive back to the Paris Opera House...you are Christine...after all." He said with a devilish grin, I didn't understand what he meant at the time...who is this 'Christine' that I will be portraying? I figured she must be important, by the way he smiled to me. Erik took a deep breath and stared at me for a moment, he wanted to say something, it was written all over his face, but, for some odd reason, he wouldn't say it...not yet.
I smiled and hugged him, he sighed and kissed the top of my head. In my brain I began formulating what he was going to say to me, was he going to say he wanted to marry me? Did he want me to live with him? Did he want to leave the party? I wouldn't know until later, for; at the de Chagny party, he never wore that indecisive expression I so rarely saw painted upon his face. With every passing song I became more agitated, I knew my love would have to leave me, and that idea chilled me to the bone.
I knew not to drink or eat anything, but, what if someone bigger and stronger than me came along and tried to hurt me? I didn't stand a chance, I was (and still am) very, very weak (and I have my big, strong Erik protect me). I asked Erik about this during the last song that was played in 'L'Orfeo', he smiled; "Penny, darling, you have a pair of very strong, very shrill lungs bestowed upon you, that is why you are a soprano. Use those lungs if that happens, and if it does, I will most definitely hear you." He answered, I smiled and nodded, I hadn't even thought of my voice before!
The crowd and I alike cheered as Erik sat down at an organ that took up the entire wall space! A conductor before a professional orchestra held a copy of 'The Overture' (as well as the orchestra members) and tapped his music stand, hushing the audience and gaining the attention of the orchestra. After a tense, but short, silence Erik slammed his fingers down upon the keys, making the pipes scream, releasing beautiful music notes into the air! Then, in came the orchestra! Erik's long, bony fingers flew over the white and black keys as the orchestra kept pace with the song.
I was mesmerized, I had never heard such a...a...there is not even a word for how beautifully astounding that song was! The crowd and I hooted and cheered wildly after the song was finished, Erik bowed and opened his hand to me, giggling, I ran to him and gave him several kisses. "Sing" Erik whispered into my ear.
"What?" I said, confused, why did he want me to sing?
"Sing! Sing 'Think of Me', go on, we have an entire orchestra now...show them your voice, my dandelion!" Erik encouraged, there seemed to be stars captured in his eyes that night. I smiled and nodded. Erik cleared his throat, silencing everyone.
"There is a slight change in to-night's entertainment, ladies and gentleman, Miss. Penny is going to sing her rising song named 'Think of Me'" Erik paused and screams came from the audience, I smiled and nodded. Erik turned to the conductor and walked back to the organ. I turned to the conductor.
"Whenever you are ready, Margarita" said he with a smile, the conductor was an older Englishman, he was amiable all the same.
"Maestro" I said softly, Erik started to play and something welled up inside me, something warm and fuzzy. My fingertips froze but my heart thundered, my lips curled into a smile and I opened my lips and sang my soul out of my body; a bit of my melting heart dripping into every verse. I felt my energy dropping with every word, and yet...and yet! I still had energy to spare! I had never sang that beautifully, or with all of the enthusiasm that I had, before!
On the last line, I hit the highest note that I had only just learnt to conquer, but this time, this time I not only hit it, my voice flew higher into the air than ever before! Surpassing the high note by far, and still, floating into my ears and sounding utterly dazzling! As my lips closed for the final time I became a bit lightheaded and my breath escaped me, I turned to Erik and stumbled to him, he jumped from his seat and caught me, pulling me to his chest and cradling me. "I.." I whispered, turning my face up to him "I...I sang...I sang for you to-night...my...my lovely, Erik" I breathed. Several 'oohs' and 'awes' resonated from the audience as Erik kissed me.
After Erik reluctantly released my lips from his, I turned to the crowd to find a mortified expression all over the Viscount's face, his eyes were glassy and even from my distance, I felt his heart of glass shatter and fall to shining pieces on the floor, only to be danced on by his guests. In this moment I realized what a Viscount would want to do with an opera singer.
Love her.
The Viscount Raoul de Chagny loved me, and I, unknowingly, destroyed him. My hand flew to my mouth and I felt my own eyes grow watery. I mouthed the only two words I could offer at a time like this 'I'm sorry'.
I didn't want to stay any longer, I wanted to go back to the Paris Opera House. I yearned to feel safe on my little island of warmth and paradise wrapped inside of Erik's arms, I needed to see my sweet sister's smile again and feel her small arms encased tightly around my waist or her small, dozing head laying on my bosom. I wanted to smell the Persian's cigarette smoke and Mama V's hands slipped in mine, I wanted to go home.
*It seemed like moments later, Erik and I were back in our quiet, little corner when all of the candles and illuminating objects were put out...all at once! Women screamed, and I clung tighter to my Erik. Erik pulled me into his arms and wrapped his cloak around me, he was hiding me, which, I was absolutely fine with. Then, through his cloak, I saw the illumination return, but I wasn't in the same room. No, Erik walked me to a different destination, that's when I remembered, Erik never wore a cloak that night.