Chapter thirty-four: The trial

Erik's hand gripped mine under the table as the charges were read to me. It had been a week when the case was finally brought to trial. Meg and Raoul had postponed their honeymoon and had retired to his room officially for the week. "Mrs. Christine de Chagney." The judge said tiredly. "You are charged with attempted murder. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." I said.

"Your honor, members of the jury," Mr. Robinson, Bartlett's attorney spoke. "The prosecution intends to prove without a measure of doubt that this woman, cold bloodily in a fit of anger did attempt to kill Mr. Bartlett."

"Just a moment, Mrs. Chagney I see no sign of your counsel."

"No your honor," Erik stood up, "that is because I will be defending my wife myself."

Whispers in the court grew and the judge pounded his gavel. "It's your wife's head on the block. Carry on."

"Your honor." Erik said. "I assure you, that my wife has agreed to my defending her and as her husband I made a vow to protect her and I intend to do so. I'm adequately prepared and unless you or Mr. Robinson have objections, speak so."

Both men stared at Erik in shock before shaking their heads. "So let us begin." The judge said. "The chair calls Gerald Butler to the stand."

Erik sat on the edge of the table and held some papers. Gerald's cold eyes glared at me and he smirked triumphantly at Erik. The prosecutor, Mr. Robinson asked for his account and Gerald was cruel a vicious in stretching the truth.

"My men found Mrs. Chagney lurking around on my property. So naturally they brought her to me."

"I see. What happened?"

"Well," he smirked. "Mrs. Chagney used to be my whore."

My face went red as the whole room gasped in horror.

"Objection!" Erik shouted as he jumped. "I demand that be stricken from the record for I alone took my wife's virginity and no one else. This is a clear attempt to smear my wife's good name."

"Sustained." The judge said. "Choose your words carefully."

He dipped his head and rubbed his patched eye. "I mean, we were quite involved together. I owned her."

Erik growled and I squeezed his hand. "Easy." I said quietly.

"How so?"

"Her father sold her." he said triumphantly. "He owed me 10,000 francs. He couldn't pay, so he gave her to me in servitude. As you all know, legally she was mine."

"True." Mr. Robinson said. "Tell me, how did she get to be in the possession of Erik Chagney?"

"Erik?" he laughed. "That monster, I don't know."

Erik snapped an ink pen in his hand and the ink gushed over his hand. But he didn't get angry and I was proud of him. "Objection." He said. "Name calling is not acceptable."

"Sustained. Kindly refrain from insulting the prosecutor."

He nodded. "Well, Raoul de Chagney, paid me almost 3,000 francs to make love to her that night." I flushed red. He was making me come across as a whore. "Erik, came to get his brother and I we went to Christine's quarters. We found her, bleeding, bruised and properly ravished." I buried my face in my hands. "Well, Erik struck me and insisted on taking her to the doctor. I had no objections whatsoever. But I found her at the Chagney's, all dolled up as if she were their own daughter. I went to reclaim my property and she fell against the mirror and fell through it."

His scowl darkened. "And Erik, did something to her. I saw her head bleeding and I could have sworn she was dead. She had no pulse and her heart wasn't beating. Erik tricked me into signing her papers over to him."

"How come?"

"He claimed he wanted to bury her." he shrugged. "I'm a reasonable man. So I signed the papers. No sooner had he given me the money did she sit up and retch all over his shoes."

"Sorry about that love." I whispered to Erik. He squeezed my hand and fingered my wedding ring.

"So, he unfairly cheated you out of your property?"

"Yes."

"So, what happened in the tower?"

"Well," he smirked. "Thing's got quite…. cozy for a while. Then she just snapped! Started shrieking, crying, hysterically. She stabbed me in the neck with her hat pin, I looked up and that's when she stabbed me in the eye!" For good effect he flipped off his patch, revealing a black hole where his eye used to be. Women screamed and men groaned. He flipped the patch over his eye, "How am I to live now?"

Mr. Robinson turned to the judge. "No further questions."

The judge looked at Erik who shook his head. "No questions at the moment."

"The chair calls Mrs. Christine de Chagney."

My heart was pounding as I swore to tell the truth and Erik approached me. "Now, Mrs. Chagney." I frowned at him. "Will you tell the court your side of the story?"

"Yes Erik." The courtroom laughed. "Well, we were there trying to rescue a friend. I was watching in the woods when three men grabbed me from behind, and dragged me upstairs."

"Will you please tell the court of your condition at that time?"

I nodded, "I was two months pregnant, with my husbands child." The court murmured quietly as I continued. "I was thrown to the floor and locked in the room I used to reside in. there was nothing to defend myself with except a chair." my gaze grew dark as I remembered the moment. "He came up, smelling of drink and began removing his coat and drink. He bragged about cutting Erik's face." tears filled my eyes. "He asked me how I could love my husband after he shredded his face."

"Objection! She is clearly trying to smear his face."

I placed my hand on the nearby bible, "I swear that Mr. Bartlett admitted to shredding my husbands face!"

Everyone stared at me. The judge studied me for a moment before turning to Mr. Robinson. "Denied. Continue."

I kept my hand on the bible as I spoke. "I admit I was furious for my husband is a gentle, kind, loving, tender and misunderstood man by many men." Erik blinked back tears. "I love my husband very dearly and if he died, I wouldn't want to go on living anymore."

"Please," the judge said. "Stick to the fact."

"Yes your honor, but you will see that it is a fact and will have a great bearing on this trial." I cleared my throat. "Well, I took the chair and hit him in the arm! I broke his left arm; he used his right hand and ripped my bodice off me! He was furious and I fought him!" my voice grew louder with emotions and I felt my eyes grow bigger. "He grabbed me by the throat, pushed me on to the floor and got ontop of me. I tried to get him off me, but couldn't. I turned my head and remember my hatpin I was wearing. I took it off and stabbed him in the neck. I then stabbed him in the eye. He got off me and went downstairs." Erik squeezed my hand and I inhaled. "I-I was able to grab a knife he kept in his right boot and I shredded the bed sheets and used them to lower myself out of the window."

"And were you able to escape?"

"Several of his men gave chase, but I did escape. At great cost, for I almost miscarried and would have lost my baby."

"Tell me," Erik said. "How Mr. Bartlett treated you in his ownership? Was he kind and gentle towards you?"

I shook my head, "No. He took pleasure in hitting me and undressing me." I dropped my gaze but kept my hand on the bible. "He'd pick dresses that I consider immodest and force me to wear them. If I refused, he dressed me himself." By now all the women in the courtroom were outraged. "He'd forcibly kiss me and touch me against my protests."

"Now," Erik said. "He claimed that Raoul de Chagney had abused and ravished you. Would you be so kind as to straighten this out?"

I nodded, "Raoul, did pay for me," everyone gasped. "But only because he wanted to talk to me. He….was very smitten with me and I admit I was, temporarily attracted to him. We talked and Mr. Chagney didn't make love to me. I swear it."

"Kindly explain the blood that Mr. Bartlett mentioned."

"Well, my husband is in the theatre business and he taught Raoul a few tricks like how to make temporary bruises also how to cut people without leaving scars."

"Tell the court what happened when rm. Bartlett returned to claim you."

"He threatened me and I refused to go with him. He threw me against a mirror and I fell back through it. It was a special mirror by my husband fortunately the glass didn't break." I frowned. "The last thing I remember was you giving me a shot before I passed out. Incidentally, Erik, what was that?"

Erik put his hand on the bible, "An invention of my own including a plant known as the scorpions thorn. It's a rare plant and it has the ability to paralyze a small animal temporarily. However the poison does wear off quickly. I had a vial of fake blood on me so I doused Christine's hair with it."

"So when I awoke, I officially belonged to my husband."

I thought I saw the judge smirk, but I wasn't sure. Erik squeezed my hand and drew back and turned to Mr. Robinson. "No further questions."

Mr. Robinson stood up and walked close to me. "Interesting theory, Mrs. Chagney." He drew a handkerchief from his pocket. "Do you recognize this?"

I nodded. "It's mine."

"Be sure."

"I'm sure."

"Really? Because we found this handkerchief in the tower which you described as your room, on the bed, in the sheets."

I frowned, "I wasn't wrestled on the bed and I'm sure if you check the testimony you'll note I said on the floor."

"Tell me this Mrs. Chagney?" he smirked. "How is it a woman in your position finds yourself the center of attention with three men. Mr. Bartlett desires you; Raoul and Erik Chagney desire you. Wouldn't you say that you enjoy making men chase after you?"

"Objection!" Erik shouted.

"Denied!" the judge, said.

I held my head straight. "I never encouraged Mr. Bartlett. I was being courted by Raoul. Erik, you see was estranged from his family and I was trying to repair his relationship. We argued, screamed, cried, sang and made up for the most of our courtship. I almost married Raoul because I didn't want to hurt him. But when I got to the altar I couldn't say I do because I realized I loved Erik way more than I would ever love any man."

Mr. Robinson had the audacity to continue on the subject. "There were rumors that you were pregnant when you married your husband. Are they true?"

I glanced at Erik as he jumped up again. "Objection. Defamation of character!"

"Sustained."

I cleared my throat, "If you're inquiring if my husband took my virginity over Bartlett, I assure you I am carrying my husband's child."

Robinson glowered, "Thanks."

"Mind your tongue." Erik warned him.

I smiled and shook my head at him. "He's fine."

"Tell me, does your husband have a temper?"

I knew what he was doing, trying to turn Erik into a monster. But I had to answer him. "Yes. He's very passionate about things."

"Possessive?"

"Yes, but most husbands are about their wives." I leaned forward. "I was the only woman my husband kissed and I was the only woman he made love to. I was the only woman to give him love. So if you ask if he's possessive? Yes he is!" I smiled at him. "I am his greatest treasure, according to him And I happen to love that characteristic about him."

"Has he ever struck you?"

"Never!" I said. "He's never laid a hand on me in anger!"

"Be sure!"

I tossed my head, "I'm sure!"

"You claim Mr. Bartlett made advances to you, right?" I nodded. "Did your husband make any advances towards you during your courtship?"

"Objection!" Erik shouted. "Mr. Bartlett is on trial here. My wife and our relationship has nothing to do with this!"

"On the contrary, your honor." Robinson said. "I'm trying to see if there was anything that would psychologically draw her to my client."

"Your client is scum!" I said. Everyone gasped at my choice of words. "He was horrible, abusive and if he lays one finger on me my flesh crawls! I endured his disgusting touch, starvation and his threats of rape for days! There is nothing that would attract him to me! Damn you for even thinking that there's any comparison between Erik and him! I would rather kill myself than have to submit myself to his brutality again!"

"Mrs. de Chagney," the judge said. "Compose yourself."

I inhaled and fought to get my breathing under control. Spots blurred before my eyes and I felt Erik's hands on my shoulders. "Christine?" he shook me and pulled me up from the chair. "Breathe." I obeyed shakily as buzzing filled my ears. "Christine?"

Suddenly, a hand struck my face, hard! I screamed as my face stung in pain. I looked up to see Bartlett and I realized he'd struck me. Erik's arms picked me up and he set me in a chair. Erik gripped Bartlett by the throat, pulling him up from the ground. I sat up and stared as Erik drew back his arm and belted Bartlett in the jaw!

I heard a crack and I knew Erik had broken it. I stood up and managed to grab Erik's arm before he hit him again. "Erik!"

He released Bartlett who fell choking on his blood. Erik turned and picked me up and set me on the desk. "Christine?" he gently touched my cheek and I winced. Erik took off his coat and ripped the sleeve off it.

"Erik." I protested.

"Shh," he said as he dipped it in a pitcher of ice water and placed it on my face. I hissed, the water was so cold. "I'm sorry."

I took his hand and saw the he'd broken the skin on it. "Erik, your hand."

He shrugged it off, "Christine."

When I ran my finger over his knuckle he winced. I gasped as I ran my finger over his knuckles. "Erik!" I cried. "You broke them!"

Suddenly, Erik's mask was ripped off his face! He spun around as Bartlett threw the mask to the ground, shattering it! Everyone screamed at the sight of his face. I jumped up holding onto his neck and pressed my cheek against his face.

"Order!" the judge bellowed. "Order in the court." The cries settled down but I refused to release Erik. "Mrs. Chagney."

I shook my head, "No. I will not expose my husband to the cruelty of this world! My husband gives this world beautiful music and what does he get? Cries of horror! Damn every person in the room who can't look at the beauty underneath. It's not every day a man can write an operetta and their first one be a success."

"That's what I was going to ask." The judge said. "It just dawned on me. Is your husband by any chance the Erik who wrote phantom of the opera?"

"Yes, he is." I said. "I played opposite him opening night."

"I thought so." He said. "It took a little while. I apologize." He turned to Bartlett then me. "Typically, I don't allow violence to go unpunished. But I don't approve of any man striking a woman, especially a pregnant woman. So I'm going to let it go unpunished."

"I- knw I'd get…no jstice." Bartlett slurred holding his jaw. "The rich…lwys get away wit crime." He pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. Erik stood and moved protectively in front of me. "Horrble mnster." His hand shook. "Never did nottin to you. Why my whore?" I noticed Raoul creeping up behind Bartlett, who yelled as best he could with his broken jaw. "nvr had no woman like er and you take er! Well, no ons gonna ave er!"

Raoul jumped him from behind and the gun went off just as Erik lunged at him! There was a loud thud as all three bodies hit the floor.