Chapter Three

"Terribly clever of you to set that dummy up, my love." Wickham smirked.

As he watched, his wife entered and after she took her cloak off, she smiled at her husband as she answered.

"It was the least I could do. And then running out, crying murder was also another idea!" Then she was engulfed in his arms when he smacked her on the lips. When he drew back, Wickham finished.

"Before anyone knows it… we will have his copy of Don Juan Triumphant and that will make us the richest couple in all of Paris!"

"And exposing him to a lie is one of the best qualities I love you for!" Lydia replied. Then the couple laughed before they proceeded to the bedroom.

The following Saturday…

Notre Dame Cathedral – Paris – 1905.

Lizzy held her hands in the Opera Ghost's when Father asked them to face each other. Charlotte was present and stood behind her. However did she manage to be here? The wedding dress was perfect and the veil was over her face. Even Mr. Collins' was there though she was thankful he remained silent. The witness for her husband was on the opposite side. A man who Lizzy met as the Daroga though the Opera Ghost didn't mention much to her about his friendship with him. Friday progressed with meeting Father and the day prior: Lizzy was fitted in a wedding dress which surprisingly… didn't take much effort to make. Before long, she not only received a shocking letter from Charlotte but that she was being married in less than a week after "encountering the Opera Ghost." Now was the moment when the vows were to be spoken.

Father turned to Elizabeth as he asked.

"Miss Bennet? Will you repeat after me?"

"I, Elizabeth Bennet, take you, Fitzwilliam, to be my lawfully and wedded husband. To have and to hold. From this day forward. For better or for worse. For rich or for poor. In sickness and in health. I will love you. And honor you and cherish you all the days of my life. Till death do us part."

"You are to address me as so." Fitzwilliam told her earlier that week.

Prior to their wedding and the following proceedings, Elizabeth learnt that the Opera Ghost's name was Fitzwilliam Darcy though everyone called him the "Opera Ghost." Then Father held the wedding rings out after Fitzwilliam repeated the same vows as Elizabeth. When she felt him slip the wedding ring on her finger, Lizzy inwardly longed to run away but it was official. When Father announced that Fitzwilliam may kiss the bride, Lizzy froze when she met her husband's eyes and he took a step closer to her. She kept perfectly still when his hands reached out and touching the veil, raised it and their eyes met. He was wearing a different kind of mask today but Lizzy shuddered when she remembered the skull features which were underneath. He'd never show them to the wedding party and she heard Mr. Collins' clear his throat.

As the Opera Ghost placed his hands on her cheeks, Lizzy felt a shiver run down her spine but his words startled her as he softly spoke.

"Don't fear, Lizzy. You are in no danger. Let me kiss you."

It was ever so brief as she closed her eyes once she felt his lips touch hers. Inwardly: Lizzy wished she never bothered to listen to those rumors. But again: she was learning her lesson when her husband drew back. She then realized she'd been holding her breath when she opened her eyes and a felt her heart skip when she saw that his eyes were soft. Even his Adam's apple bounced when he took a step back as Father announced.

"I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy."

The Congregation didn't applaud but Lizzy felt Charlotte's hand on her shoulder as the Daroga approached Fitzwilliam. Both gave a silent nod of their congratulations but Lizzy knew that this was only small compared to what would take place later. Then the couple turned and prepared themselves for the Eucharist. Feeling the wedding ring on her finger, Lizzy glanced at it when she remembered her husband's words.

"Since you've seen me: you belong to me."

Their wedding was held in the afternoon and Lizzy found herself seated in a carriage. Later… after she'd bided farewell to Charlotte, she sat opposite her husband. He made sure he didn't speak much to Mr. Collins, who seemed to want to know more about him, (his fear was gone) before he entered and sat opposite her. After the coachman closed the door, Lizzy kept her eyes outside as the carriage moved forward. The wedding ring was the sign that she was the wife of the Opera Ghost and Lizzy remembered "The Missing Elizabeth Bennet" was no longer in the papers. Turning to her husband, though she felt regret, she asked.

"Will the papers know about our marriage?"

"Yes." He replied but he didn't turn to her. Instead, he kept a distance from her and Lizzy was thankful. Barely knowing him was hard enough but marrying him in less than a week? Indeed… she wondered what she'd gotten herself into. Before she could continue pondering, her husband spoke.

"Lizzy? Are you great at singing?"

"No."

"Then after we return, I would like to instruct you in the areas of music. Singing would do you fine and I'm sure you will be a great addition for the Opera House. Now you're my wife, it would do me the greatest pleasure to teach you how to sing so you could perform. There's an upcoming opera and I'm inclined to believe the Prima Donna should be you. I disapprove of the current Prima Donna."

"Do you speak of Lydia Wickham?"

He instantly turned to her and his eyes narrowed. Again: that memory of his skull features appeared and she tried to turn away but his eyes drew her in. He replied.

"Yes. And you mentioned she's your sister?"

"Yes."

"Then I am determined to make sure you will replace her. Do you know much about her husband, Wickham?"

"Yes. My brother in law vanished some time ago and I haven't seen him since. I was surprised when my sister made her appearance recently and shouted murder when…"

"You entered Box 5."

She nodded and the Opera Ghost looked out the window. The carriage continued on and when Lizzy realized they were approaching the Opera House, she remembered how Lydia ran off with Wickham and disappeared with him. Papa Bennet disapproved of this and it was challenging for herself as well as her other sisters to find suitable men. It ached her heart remembering Papa Bennet passed on before she was married. And Mrs. Bennet was taken to mourn her grief and was living with her sister, Jane Bingely, and her husband, Charles. She grieved when she'd written she was married but her husband wanted to keep her in his domain. And what was even harder: most of her family wasn't there at the wedding. The veil was still on her head when she heard the coachman call, "Whoa!" as the carriage stopped in front of the Opera House.

When Fitzwilliam stepped out, he held his hand out to her but once she was on the ground, he gestured for her to remain silent. Making sure no one was watching, he turned to her as he spoke.

"Go on to Box 5 and wait for me. Then we will return and I wish for you to look at some papers for singing. Auditions for the upcoming opera will be held this week and I want you to be well prepared for them. In the meantime… I've also got some business with those managers."

Lizzy nodded and her hand was released. Fitzwilliam paid the driver but instead of walking her up to the theater, he turned and suddenly vanished down an alley and Lizzy found herself standing alone in front of the theater. The wind brushed past her and she realized she was alone again. Turning to stare at the structure, she spotted the angels, some decorated in gold; others in white. She longed to fly away but she knew she couldn't. She was the Opera Ghost's wife and the marriage was complete. Remembering her instructions, so to speak, she took hold of her skirts and making her way up, entered the Opera House, the main lobby, up the set of stairs, second floor, and then made her way to Box 5. Then she waited for the Opera Ghost to take her back where lessons would begin.