Thank you to all who sent me reviews of support. I especially enjoyed the fact that my story got to travel to Erik's homeland from London, and that it kept someone up reading it. When I like a book I have problems putting it down too. Also I will be changing the name soon. I agree that it is weak but I just wanted to start writing and thought about Erik rising out of the ashes of the fire and his previous life but it is not the most exciting title. I will not stop writing this because even if the reviews are scarce they are very encouraging. I have read a couple of these that I really liked and the author's walked away never to return. I don't like that so I will go on but I still would like more reviews. . Erik will be on break for this chapter as well but so many of you like Severine that I wanted to follow her home. FYI I have a friend from France named Severine she is not Norman but Breton. She now lives near the Swiss border.

Chapter 37

Earlier that day:

Raoul was rather curious to see the house where his nemesis had grown up. He somehow imagined that it would be some cave in the woods outside of town where he would come out looking for victims to eat, or at least something gloomy and Gothic. He also relished the thought of the half hour ride alone with Severine. Erik's sister was surprisingly attractive. Even though he was still nursing his broken heart that still ached from Christine's defection, he couldn't help but admire Severine. He was surprised that Erik's sister could be so beautiful when Erik was so hideous, yet as with everything else involving Erik surface appearances were deceiving. He wanted to know this ravishing creature better, despite the fact that she was Erik's sister and that she was not of the same rank as he was, but France was now staunchly a republic, the Empire had fallen when Raoul was a still a child. Severine was of higher social status than Christine had been; at least she was not a singer, and she did claim to have some noble blood.

Severine broke the silence between them "Did someone steal your tongue, Vicomte, I have looked everywhere in this carriage and have not seen it?"

Raoul looked at her and smiled "No to tell the truth I was wondering about your background. In the time that I have known Erik I never thought about where he came from."

Severine laughed "You mean you thought that he was born in some bat ridden cave?" she teased.

He smiled "You read my mind exactly."

She mused "It must have been hard to lose your fiancé to your greatest enemy. Now that I know who Erik really is I know that you were the noble suitor that was determined to bring the Phantom to justice."

He tipped his hat to her "At your service Mademoiselle."

She smiled and he couldn't help noticing how radiant that it was. She had perfect pearly white teeth and a perfect nose, and lascivious lips. He felt the urge to kiss them but did not dare to try, she was after all Erik's sister, and she was likely to geld him if he made any unwelcome advances. Still they were irresistible and drew him like a warm fire on a cold winter's day.

She interrupted his thoughts. "You have gone silent again, Monsieur le Vicomte, did I offend you with my question?"

Raoul blushed and stammered "Not at all Mademoiselle, but didn't I tell you that you may dispense with my title, please call me Raoul. To answer your question it was hard very hard but Christine has been my friend since we were children. I want only to see her happy and if your brother makes her so then I can and must accept it."

She teased "You are truly noble in all senses of the word. If I were you and someone stole my fiancé from me he would be moldering in his grave, or at least he would be hoping to be."

Raoul laughed harshly "That seems to be a family trait; your brother did not take my attentions to Christine very well at all. He almost killed me for them."

Severine smiled "I would imagine that he would and yet you helped him to escape justice. Why?"

Raoul replied "Christine made me do it. I had every intention of letting the mob take care of him but she thought to help him. Later on that evening, we were beset by murdering highwaymen and he had the opportunity to let someone kill me and he saved me." He added "I have never seen anyone kill as coldly and efficiently as your brother."

Severine laughed "It would seem that my brother is good at whatever he tries. My mother told me that he sings like an angel. I did not believe it, but he really does, and his composition was divine."

Raoul admitted "Yes, he and Christine captivated the audience when they sang together in Paris. Even I was enthralled by it." He continued sadly "It is one of the reasons that I gave up. I have truly never seen two voices so perfectly entwined. It is as if they became one person. I could not offer Christine that same sort of love, I would have loved her in my own way but I could not love her as he does. Their connection was too deep."

Severine put a sympathetic hand on his arm. "It is alright you will find the right girl for you who will accept your sort of love. I think that everyone has a soul mate out there somewhere waiting for them. Even my hideous brother found one."

Raoul had another urge to pull her to him and kiss her. He turned to her "Perhaps we are soul mates." He whispered huskily.

Severine looked at Raoul and could see the raw desire for her in his ravishing blue eyes. She was at a loss for words.

Raoul gave her a pleading smile "Can I kiss you?" he breathed.

She nodded her head wordlessly and he switched over to her side and pulled her to him. Her lips touched his, ever so softly. He had never felt such soft welcoming lips not even when he kissed Christine. He wanted to stay locked in the kiss until the end of time but the carriage stopped and they pulled apart. Raoul quickly went back to the other seat not wanting the driver to know that they had kissed. The door opened and he chivalrously climbed out and held his hand out to help her to the ground. The house was surprisingly sunny and beautiful from the outside. It was built in an elegant Baroque style, very pleasing to the eye, merchant class or even gentry, not at all what he pictured.

"Would you like to come in?" she offered. "I know that you are curious."

He shook his head no but reluctantly. "I can do so briefly but, I have to get back to the Chateau; my brother will be expecting me back quickly. Would you be interested in a ride in the park tomorrow afternoon? I would like to get to know you better." He promised.

"Yes of course that would be lovely." Severine sighed. "Would you at least meet my mother so that she will know who you are when you come to call tomorrow?"

He agreed. She opened the door and he took a few steps inside. He looked around and could see that the furnishings were very fine and distinguished. They echoed a refined and elegant taste, not as lavish as the furnishings in the Chateau or in the Paris estate but still beautiful sort of like Severine herself. He should not have been surprised though, he had seen Erik's furnishings and attire and they were always in good taste and refined as well. He had always had trouble reconciling the monster with his surroundings but then recently he had come to realize that Erik was not really a monster at all. This house only reinforced that view. Severine returned with a middle aged woman who looked rather careworn but still beautiful. She possessed the same green eyes that both Erik and Severine inherited from her. Hers were sadder more like her son's eyes had been. He remembered Christine's description of Erik's eyes on the rooftop how they "held all the sadness of the world." This woman's eyes spoke of suffering. Severine introduced them.

Raoul gave her a courteous bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you Madame Barye. I have met all of your children and now you."

She gave him a sad smile "Yes, I understand that you are a friend of Erik's."

He did not want to explain their real relationship, of course in the past few weeks they had behaved more as friends than foes but would he characterize that as a "friendship?" he wasn't sure that that was the proper title. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Yes I have known your son for a while, and now I have asked your daughter if she would care to take a ride with me in the park tomorrow. Would that be acceptable to you?" He added.

She replied graciously "Why of course, it would be an honor, Monsieur le Vicomte."

Raoul insisted "You may call me Raoul, Madame, I have already asked your son and daughter to do the same."

"Thank you, Raoul" she tested the name on her list. "I knew your father well. He was a most amiable and generous man. My first husband Charles, Erik's father, was the mason who attempted to repair the Chateau many years ago. He died from an accident there when I was expecting Erik."

Raoul replied sympathetically "I am sorry for your loss Madame, Erik is following in his father's footsteps he has drawn up some plans to restore our Chateau. My brother has shown them to some much respected architects in Paris who have all confirmed the ingeniousness of his design, but of course he did design the famous palace in Mazenderan for the Shah in Persia."

"Did he?" she questioned "I have heard of that place but never would have suspected that Erik traveled so far from home. He showed great promise as a child. His tutor was an architect and thought so highly of his work that he had thought about bringing him to Paris to teach him." She wiped a tear from his face. "Perhaps he should have then he never would have, run away."

Raoul couldn't help but to think bitterly that history would have been different. Erik never would have become the Phantom of the Opera, and never would have stolen Christine. Of course by events taking the course that they did Erik did become Christine's teacher and it was her voice that was responsible for their reunion. Even alternative history scenarios involving Erik are complicated. Raoul realized that it was getting late and he had to go, he looked at Severine's beautiful face and looked forward to their ride tomorrow. Perhaps she could help him get over his sorrow. He certainly hoped so.