Chapter Eighteen: This Thing Called Love
Three days later, Christine returned to the stables of the Opera Populaire for the carriage she had left there a week before, and drove it around to the gates of the Rue Scribe entrance, where Erik awaited to take over the reins. With a few cat-like movements, Erik had loaded their valises, and was up in the carriage beside her.
"First stop, Nadir," Erik proclaimed.
The sun was shining extraordinarily bright for the time of year, and Christine noted that the mask was getting some curious glances from passers by. She could tell Erik noted it as well, for every time he would stiffen, then, from a gentle touch from her, would relax once more.
The Rue de Rivoli came upon them quickly, and Erik handed Christine the reins once more as he descended from the carriage and made his way up to the door of the flat. Moments later, he appeared with Nadir by his side.
"Good morning, Christine," Nadir greeted with a smile on his haggard face.
"Good morning, Nadir," Christine smiled back as the Persian climbed into the back of the carriage.
Erik again took his seat next to Christine, and she handed him the reins again. "One more stop, then we're off," he proclaimed.
"One more stop?" Nadir questioned.
"Yes," Christine answered, "We have one other guest who is journeying with us, my friend, Meg Giry."
Nadir's dark face lost a pigment or two as he stared at Erik's back.
"Not to worry, Nadir," Erik answered his friend's unspoken question with a calm and even voice, "Meg and I have already made our acquaintances."
Nadir let out the breath he had been holding in a sigh of relief. To pass the time, he watched the people on the streets going about their morning business as usual, and soon they were outside a modest house on the Place de la Moulins.
This time, both Christine and Erik made their exodus from the carriage, and went up to the front door of the house. A stiff knock and an opening of the door later, and Meg Giry appeared, all smiles.
"Christine, Erik! Oh, I'm ready, but Maman would like to speak with you for a moment before we go if that's all right. I just need to go get my bag."
"Of course," Erik replied as Meg showed them into the sitting room where Madame Giry waited.
"Ah, there you are," she said without preamble when the couple appeared before her. She stood and walked over to them, and took Christine's hands in her own briefly. As if she could sense the nervous tension, she put their fears to rest, "No, I am not about to tell you that Meg can not go after all the planning and packing she has done over the last few days." As the two figures before her relaxed, Giry turned to a small table near them where a package sat. She picked up the package and handed it to them. "I merely wished to give you a wedding present from myself personally before you left."
Christine smiled at Madame Giry's thoughtfulness, and a quick glance toward Erik told her he was doing the same.
"Madame Giry," Erik started, "You really shouldn't have."
"Monsieur, you have been most kind to my daughter and I over the past few years we have been at the Opera house. Of course I should have. I know it is against tradition, but if you would humor an old lady and open it?"
Erik and Christine turned to each other, both of them with dancing eyes as they opened the parcel. Erik held the box as Christine pulled out an intricately carved wooden plaque, on which were carved two harlequin masks, and between the two the words 'Perhaps one day, we can shed our masks of indifference.'
Erik and Christine glanced at each other at the same time, and then both turned to Madame Giry with smiles on their faces.
"It's beautiful, Madame Giry," Christine stated plainly as Erik stood there silent, yet nodding his concurrence.
The older woman smiled in return, "I am glad you both like it. It is not easy to find something for people who seem to have everything."
Erik chuckled at the thought, though did not speak. The silence that had come over the room was broken by Meg's light footsteps on the stairs.
"I'm ready," she said breathlessly, running up to her mother.
Madame Giry took her daughter into her arms for a quick embrace, before shooing them away, "Go on, you have a long journey ahead of you."
Meg smiled, and ran over to Christine where the two girls linked arms. Erik surreptitiously took Meg's bag as Madame Giry showed them to the door. But before joining the ladies at the carriage, he paused, and turned to Madame Giry.
"Thank you, Madame Giry."
"Seeing that young girl happy is thanks enough, Monsieur. Just take care of them, s'il vous plait."
"Of course," Erik answered, bowing gracefully, before he turned and joined the others at the carriage. After stowing Meg's bag in the back, and helping the ladies into the waiting carriage, he climbed into the front once more, and the party was off.
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The four people in the carriage were in boisterous spirits during the day-long journey. Meg and Nadir took to each other right away as Nadir told the most outrageous stories of Erik's life in Persia, careful to keep mention of the murders out of the discussion.
"I tried, I really did, Daroga, not to like you," Erik mumbled after Nadir recounted the time Erik 'borrowed' the Glory of the Empire to make a sick little boy happy. "But you in your most uptight moments lends to hilarity."
"Well, Erik, friendship finds itself in the strangest of places and circumstances, does it not?" Nadir replied.
"Yes, I believe it does," Erik concurred somberly, as his left hand fell free from the reins and entwined with Christine's right.
The darkness of dusk fell before any of them realized just how much time had passed, accompanied by a cold which made them all pull their cloaks around them. As the night fell, they came upon a little village. Even though Erik's first instinct was to continue, he knew he couldn't very well ask Meg and Nadir to travel the way he and Christine had on their first journey. He drove the carriage into the heart of the village in search of the inn he knew most villages had, and once they found it, sent Nadir in to reserve the rooms they would need for the night while he took care of the horses.
The four of them met again near the hearth in the great room of the inn, and Nadir handed the two women their door keys. "Ladies, you are across the hall from us. Shall we?"
Three heads nodded, and the little party made their way upstairs, Erik still taking caution to hide the mask. They split up as they arrived at the rooms, Erik and Nadir going in one, and Meg and Christine in the other.
"Christine," Meg sighed as soon as they were alone, "I know you told me about his face, but I hadn't realized he was so worried about it. Does he often get those stares?"
"Yes," Christine answered. "I wish it wasn't so, but he does. It's why he usually keeps to himself. The mask . . . it frightens some. They don't know what to make of it."
"His face . . . Christine, is it really so terrible? From what I can see of it, it can't be that bad. I mean, other than the mask, he looks like a normal man. A bit sarcastic at times, but normal nonetheless."
"Oh Meg, he is a normal man. Just a man. And if you find him sarcastic at times, well, it is only because of his past that he is so. As to his face, well Meg, it really does not matter, does it? Does what he looks like make that much of a difference?"
"No, not really, but only that I want to understand what accident of birth could cause him to hide so."
Christine lowered her head as memories of her first sight of that face returned to her. "Meg, his face . . . until I saw it for the first time, I thought it could only exist in a nightmare. But in many ways, I knew the man behind it before I had seen it. To say it frightened me at first would be putting it lightly. I did not react well. But I came to accept, and in the end, I think it makes me love him all the more. It altered everything, yet it changed nothing. I couldn't explain that then, and I can't now. Our world, Erik's and mine, it is not a place of neat, rational judgments. Feelings take over the mind when the heart speaks, Meg."
Meg nodded her head as Christine ended her explanation. "I won't ask again, and I'm sorry. I know it changes nothing for you. It was a weak moment of curiosity, forgive me?"
"Meg, there is nothing to forgive. Perhaps you needed to understand it better anyhow."
"Yes, I fear I did. Now, didn't Nadir say something about dinner?"
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Author's Notes: Just so you know, this is the second time I'm writing these notes out! Computer decided to be a brat today . . . sigh. Anyway, I feel mighty proud of myself with this phic right now. Not only is it the longest piece I've ever written, but it's got more reviews than I ever would have imagined! And y'all should be proud of yourselves . . . 96 at last count. Thanks everyone!
I'm slowly realizing every time I think I'm close to done, there's more to write. This little beauty, which was supposed to be about 10 chapters at most, has grown beyond my imagination. I hope it's better for it!
Ok, now that that is out of the way:
Deidre and angelofnight: I am NOT going to say exactly what role Raoul is going to play, but he will make one or two other appearances. And angelofnight, no rush, let your muse be your guide! Deidre, you and that voice of reason . . . lets see if this gave you two something else to talk about!
Everyone else: Hope you enjoy!
Oh yeah, one last note. I'm surprised no one called me on it before, actually and still no one has noticed my mistake. When I wrote the managers in, I inadvertently used the names from the ALW musical (what can I say, I had just seen the musical onstage for the first time, and they stuck with me!), and not Kay (which Kay mirrors Leroux on that one respect.) So, if you're trying to figure out how the managers here relate to Kay, I figured it out this way. ALW's Firmin is equal to Kay's Richard, and Mr. Andre is equal to Mr. Moncharmin. Does that help? Hope so!
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