Chapter 4
Raoul was extremely annoyed. It was nearly eleven o'clock at night on the third day, and still no sign of that blasted man! Between his disgust over Erik's tardiness and his exhaustion over worrying for Christine, he decided to go to bed.
"I was wondering when you'd show up."
"Eep!" Raoul squealed. "You…why are you in my bedroom?"
"Did you expect me to knock on the door and have your maid show me in?" Erik demanded dryly.
"Well…no…"
"You stupid…Wait. Hold the light up to your face."
"Why?" Raoul asked.
"Just do it."
"No!"
"Aha! You've been crying!"
"I have not!"
"Yes, you have!"
Raoul pouted. "I'm worried about my fiancé! Besides…when we left, you were sobbing like a child!"
Erik fought the urge to straggle him. "And so would you, if the one woman you ever cared about you treated humanely left with an ignorant schoolboy!"
"Well, you would cry if you thought your fiancé had run—"
Erik smirked. "You think she left you?"
"Well…" Suddenly, he became very stuffy. "I doesn't matter, really. She's childish, really. I mean, what sane grown woman believes in singing tutors who are angels?"
"Don't' speak that way about…" He paused, and also took on a slightly stuffy air. "I do suppose you're right. She didn't even have the decency to tell either of us her true feelings. She led both of us on!"
"Well said! Say, would you like a brandy?"
"Now that you mention it, yes, I would. I shall enjoy sending an evening acting as a normal man."
"And there's no reason you shouldn't."
Just then, the maid ran in. "Oh, Monsieur, there's been a terrible mistake! Eh…who's that?"
"Never mind. What happened, Adelle?"
"I've found Mlle. Daaè, sir!"
"Where?" both men asked at once.
"It appears she had stumbled into a broom closet and the door locked on its own! Poor girl was in there for several days! She's in her room resting now. Shall I call a doctor, sir?"
"Yes…yes, do that."
"As you wish, sir." She left.
Erik and Raoul looked at each other.
"My fiancé…locked herself…in a broom closet."
"The daroga…really didn't know anything."
"Um…M. Erik, is there…word for someone like that?"
"I believe…'ditz' would be the proper term."
"I know I'm not a scholar…but her stupidity is detrimental to my health! You what…Erik, you can have her!"
"Um…no, Raoul. You have my blessing to marry Christine. Besides, she'd probably spill ink on my iDon Juan/i."
"No, you've been lonely all your life…you need companionship. You can marry Christine. I'll even pay for your wedding!"
Adelle hurried back in. "Monsieur, she's calling for you!"
Raoul swallowed.
Erik grinned slyly. "Good night, Monsieur le Vicomte. I'll be off, now."
The End
Raoul was extremely annoyed. It was nearly eleven o'clock at night on the third day, and still no sign of that blasted man! Between his disgust over Erik's tardiness and his exhaustion over worrying for Christine, he decided to go to bed.
"I was wondering when you'd show up."
"Eep!" Raoul squealed. "You…why are you in my bedroom?"
"Did you expect me to knock on the door and have your maid show me in?" Erik demanded dryly.
"Well…no…"
"You stupid…Wait. Hold the light up to your face."
"Why?" Raoul asked.
"Just do it."
"No!"
"Aha! You've been crying!"
"I have not!"
"Yes, you have!"
Raoul pouted. "I'm worried about my fiancé! Besides…when we left, you were sobbing like a child!"
Erik fought the urge to straggle him. "And so would you, if the one woman you ever cared about you treated humanely left with an ignorant schoolboy!"
"Well, you would cry if you thought your fiancé had run—"
Erik smirked. "You think she left you?"
"Well…" Suddenly, he became very stuffy. "I doesn't matter, really. She's childish, really. I mean, what sane grown woman believes in singing tutors who are angels?"
"Don't' speak that way about…" He paused, and also took on a slightly stuffy air. "I do suppose you're right. She didn't even have the decency to tell either of us her true feelings. She led both of us on!"
"Well said! Say, would you like a brandy?"
"Now that you mention it, yes, I would. I shall enjoy sending an evening acting as a normal man."
"And there's no reason you shouldn't."
Just then, the maid ran in. "Oh, Monsieur, there's been a terrible mistake! Eh…who's that?"
"Never mind. What happened, Adelle?"
"I've found Mlle. Daaè, sir!"
"Where?" both men asked at once.
"It appears she had stumbled into a broom closet and the door locked on its own! Poor girl was in there for several days! She's in her room resting now. Shall I call a doctor, sir?"
"Yes…yes, do that."
"As you wish, sir." She left.
Erik and Raoul looked at each other.
"My fiancé…locked herself…in a broom closet."
"The daroga…really didn't know anything."
"Um…M. Erik, is there…word for someone like that?"
"I believe…'ditz' would be the proper term."
"I know I'm not a scholar…but her stupidity is detrimental to my health! You what…Erik, you can have her!"
"Um…no, Raoul. You have my blessing to marry Christine. Besides, she'd probably spill ink on my iDon Juan/i."
"No, you've been lonely all your life…you need companionship. You can marry Christine. I'll even pay for your wedding!"
Adelle hurried back in. "Monsieur, she's calling for you!"
Raoul swallowed.
Erik grinned slyly. "Good night, Monsieur le Vicomte. I'll be off, now."
The End
