A/N: Thanks so much for reading this and thanks to those (especially guests who I can't reply to) who have commented - please, please leave a comment if you are enjoying this so far - it really does make my day x
Even in the cemetery where death was ever present, new life found its way. The first signs of Spring were starting to make an appearance - snowdrops peeked out hopefully between gravestones and the sound of birdsong was in the air: tentative and new, the sharp trills punctuated the fresh, crisp morning.
Christine laid a simple posy at her father's headstone and then walked cautiously towards a secluded grove of trees, where a dark figure sat waiting for her. He rose to embrace her as she approached.
Erik leaned down, lifting her veil to kiss her warmly as soon as they were within the privacy of the enclosing trees, before guiding her to sit with him on the wooden bench. As usual Erik omitted small talk, which he found irritating and pointless, and spoke directly. "Have you practised the music I gave you, Christine? I must attend to some business tomorrow but perhaps I can find a way to visit you soon – I am very anxious to begin your lessons again." He frowned and absently ran his long fingers through the small curls at the nape of Christine's neck as he spoke, mentally running through the music he had given her, eager to return her voice to its former glory.
"Yes, I have. I do need more help with the upper notes – I am struggling still with the ending of 'Ah fors'è lui'. I will need your guidance with it, Maestro." She looked up at him, hopefully. "While we are speaking of tutoring… I have a request. I would very much like you to meet Charles. He has been learning to play the piano with me but I think he needs a more experienced teacher. I was wondering… if perhaps you might be able to guide him..."
Erik frowned. "How old is the boy? Five? I should think that you should be able to give him a good enough grounding in the basics, my dear. Presumably you have taught him how to practice scales and arpeggios. I can find you some suitable beginner pieces to work on with him if you would like?"
Christine smiled patiently. "Yes, I have, but Charles is… progressing rather well. I do think you should meet him and see for yourself." A thought began to form in her mind. "I wonder if I might find a way to employ a music tutor at the house, Erik? A music tutor would be able to come and go regularly without suspicion and could instruct Charles and myself. Might that be a solution?"
Erik looked into her eyes, his expression serious. "It is… possible, yes, but potentially dangerous. Spending any amount of time together here in Paris is fraught with risk, Christine. Even meeting here - if someone notices you with me, if I am seen… this mask - this face speaks for itself - the gossips will not take long to put together the idea of Christine Daae and a masked man…to rekindle the old tales of the opera house scandal."
They fell silent as they considered what they both knew to be true. There were few opportunities for them to legitimately spend time together. As a recent widow still in full mourning Christine was expected to forgo all social engagements and certainly could not meet with gentlemen outside of her family without scandal, her position as Vicomtesse made her highly visible and a target for prying eyes and vicious rumours.
Even with Erik now having a reputable name and profession - an identity to 'prove' himself different from the deformed opera ghost - it would hardly matter. the shocking events at the Opera Populaire six years ago were still well remembered. Raoul's death and the sudden appearance of a masked stranger in Christine's life would certainly be noticed and remarked upon and might well lead to further investigation into things which would be better off left alone.
Erik continued. "You know that the Comte will certainly make the connection, Christine. If the past is to stay dead, if we are to make a future together then we must be extremely careful. Drawing attention to my presence now will make it much harder to get away when the moment comes."
Christine acknowledged his comments with a nod, her thoughts returning to her earlier request. She searched for the right words to express herself. "I do appreciate the need to be careful. You should understand, though, Erik… Charles has been the centre of my life, my saving grace these past five years. It is important to me that you get to know him."
Erik sighed pensively; he was uncertain of how to respond. He had to admit to having a niggling curiosity about the child. Having met Charles briefly at the child's birthday party he could appreciate that the boy was bright and certainly seemed to take after his mother. But… a part of him felt deeply uncomfortable with the idea that he must now share Christine's precious affections with this unknown child, the fop's progeny. Children were not something he had much experience with, other than having been one himself for a short while. His own childhood was not, perhaps, a particularly good point of reference in any case, he thought, bitterly.
Still, he resigned himself to the fact that if it pleased Christine, he would meet the child. He did not relish how the boy might react to his strange appearance, however. His heart sank further at the thought of a tearful, screaming infant coming between him and Christine… As if reading his thoughts Christine took his face in her hands and looked lovingly into his eyes.
"Charles will like you very much. He loves music - you have one thing in common already."
"He loves music and he loves you. So that is two things." Erik replied quietly, raising his eyebrow with a small, strained smile.
Comte Phillipe sipped at his tea politely. He had called in to speak with Christine on a few outstanding matters relating to Raoul's estate on his way to his club, where he was hoping to have a quiet luncheon and enjoy a cigar and a sherry with some friends. It was some weeks since he had received the strange letter from Monsieur Gravier, but it was clearly still playing on his mind. He rubbed his beard thoughtfully as he pondered on it.
"Heaven knows what possessed Gravier to renounce that infernal debt - 'A mark of friendship' indeed. After all those blasted threatening letters! Well, perhaps we will never know his true reason, but it is a mercy all the same. At least there is no rush to sell the house now, although in truth it would make good sense to do so anyway. As you know, I have had to settle a lot of other debts and expenses."
He shifted in his chair and braced himself to begin a line of conversation which he knew would be met with resistance.
"Christine, I have to say I am still of the opinion that you would be best off relinquishing this house and coming to live at the manor. It would be far easier for you and Charles, I will ensure you have everything you need and are well cared for. You will see little of Paris while you are in mourning, you know. It is what Raoul would have wanted, I am certain."
As usual, what Christine wanted was not even mentioned… She forced a smile and replied as firmly as she could. "That is very thoughtful of you, Phillipe, I do appreciate your kindness. However, I do not wish to abandon our home here in Paris just yet. Raoul loved this house and I think it would be far too upsetting for Charles to leave at present, but perhaps we will reconsider your offer at a later point, if you will allow it?"
Phillipe frowned. He was irritated by Christine's determination to stay at the Paris townhouse despite his advice to the contrary. She had been such a timid little thing when Raoul had first met her! Over the years she seemed to have developed a decidedly obstinate streak.
"I wish you would see sense on this Christine, but I will not force the issue at this time. I realise it is still early days for you. However, in a few months we will discuss this again, I do not like the idea of you and Charles being alone here. It would be far more appropriate for you to join us where we can support you."
Phillipe looked at Christine expectantly across the sitting room. She was an attractive woman, he thought, and would find no difficulty in remarrying once her time in mourning was completed. Her status as Vicomtesse would certainly help her to make a good match and he could think of several gentlemen who might well prove suitable candidates when the time came. Meanwhile, he would do his duty as Raoul's brother to ensure she was properly guided and protected. She was still part of the de Chagny family, the mother of a young Vicomte and as such her behaviour and reputation reflected on them all.
Sighing, Christine found it easier to simply agree rather than waste her breath in futile argument - for the moment. "Very well, Phillipe. We can review matters at a later point." Inwardly she baulked at the thought of being beholden to her brother in law, him having the final say on every aspect of her life. Hopefully, Erik would find a way to circumvent matters sooner rather than later.
"While you are here Phillipe, there is another matter I would like to speak with you about. I was wondering if you could perhaps arrange for funds to be available for me to employ a proper music tutor for Charles. He is progressing well with his piano lessons and it would be such a benefit for him - it would help him with his grief, I think. I heard of some excellent teachers during my time at the Opera-"
Phillipe nodded curtly, "Yes, that might be a sensible idea, I can find some recommendations for you and interview the candidates. I will be glad to be of help, Christine. It will be very important to employ a suitable tutor for Charles as he is so young, and particularly as the gentleman would be in the house with you unchaperoned, Christine. We must be sure to do things properly. Raoul would want me to look out for your safety and I would hate for you to be the subject of idle gossip." He raised his eyebrow meaningfully, "Of course, this would be a much simpler matter to arrange if you were living at the manor with us."
After Phillipe left, Christine found herself feeling thoroughly exasperated and out of sorts - even though he had ultimately agreed with her request for a music tutor. She found it hard to dismiss a growing sense of unease as she thought back to Erik's words at the cemetery earlier that week.
She did not want Phillipe's help with appointing a tutor at all, only his support in arranging for such a tutor to be paid. But now he would insist on interfering in the process, which might well spoil her plan.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. All she wanted was to be with Erik and her son, to live quietly surrounded by music and love, a dream that she had once thought beyond her reach. She knew that she must be patient, but to be without their shared music was excruciating. She had felt her soul starting to awaken within her and the need to sing with Erik clawed at her. They could steal an hour together in secret, meeting in odd paces to share an embrace, a kiss – but music… it was so difficult to manage. She thought with longing of the days spent together beneath the Opera House as teacher and student. There had to be a way. She found herself suspended constantly between hope and dread - finally she could see a glimmer of something that might even be happiness, but quite how she was to obtain it was far from clear…
Perhaps Phillipe's interference might still be worked to their advantage, Christine thought. After all, if Phillipe was satisfied with the choice of music teacher from the outset it should mean he would be less inclined to meddle once the tutor was in place, making it easier to keep him away from them. Erik would think of something, she mused.