Chapter Twenty-One: See What You're Going Through
Two days passed by in peaceful camaraderie and a blur of preparations, and Christmas Eve dawned clear and bright. Christine bounded out of bed with endless excitement, knowing only one day remained before her life would be completely changed.
She ran down the stairs that morning with a child-like grace, and found only Erik and Nadir gracing the breakfast table. She sat down, and listened to the conversation the two seemed to be deeply involved in.
"It does not make me feel uncomfortable at all, Erik."
"I know you do not celebrate Christmas, Nadir, and trust me, I am sure that Gerard and Marie know it as well."
"Erik, it is not an issue."
"Then why bring it up?"
"I am not sure why," Nadir admitted, slipping into Persian. "I just did. You have this way of making people bring up things they otherwise wouldn't think twice about, Erik. I've never quite figured it out."
"And you're being impolite to boot," Erik jokingly scolded as he turned to face Christine. "We bicker like two old men, eh?"
Christine shook her head in amusement, but did not rise to his bait. She reached for a croissant, and absentmindedly buttered it.
"I merely wondered if there would be guests," Nadir continued.
"I don't know, you would have to ask Marie and Gerard."
"It does not bother you?"
"No one ever said I had to be down for the festivities, now did they?"
"No, but still Erik, you know Gerard at least will expect you down there, now won't he?"
"Perhaps. I am sure that the question can be answered readily, now can't it?" Erik asked as Marie and Gerard, followed by Meg, joined the group already seated at the table.
"What question?" Gerard asked, immediately jumping into the conversation.
"My friend here is a bit curious as to what plans you had for Christmas," Erik asked.
Marie's mouth widened in an O as a thought occurred to her. And widened further as another followed on its footsteps.
"Gerard my love, we may have made a slight oversight."
Gerard glanced between the three of them, and the same conclusion slammed into him. "Oh dear."
"If it is that you wish me to remain hidden, I assure you I am well used to doing just that," Erik stated.
"Nothing of the sort, Erik. There is no reason for you to hide on Christmas Eve. In fact, that was not my thought at all. I am afraid, in my ignorance, I forgot momentarily that Nadir would not celebrate this holiday, am I correct in my assumption?"
"Yes, Gerard," Nadir answered. "You are very much correct, but as I was telling Erik, though I may not believe in the customs of your faith, I see no reason for you not to celebrate as you please. I would merely look upon it as another party. It was merely that I know of Erik's reluctance to show himself to most of the world, and within reason, that I broached the subject."
Gerard seated himself across from Erik, and the two held a stare for a moment before Gerard broke the silence, "Erik, you are my nephew, and I see no reason for you not to attend. The party is not going to run very late, as we do have a wedding tomorrow, and it will be fairly small, and . . . it's a masquerade."
Erik's eyebrow cocked behind the mask. "A masquerade?"
"Of sorts, while fancy costume is not required, everyone wears a mask. It was Marie's idea."
"I do love a good masquerade," Marie sighed. "We actually hold one every
Christmas. We have quite a selection of
masks, actually."
Erik sighed in his relief. Whether or not they were telling the truth, he could not be sure, but he was not about to question it.
Next to him, Christine took a hold of his hand, and he turned his head to face her. At her smile, the last of his doubts faded away. "Then we'll attend."
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The guests trickled in one by one, and by seven o'clock, there were an extra twenty people in Degardeau cottage, most from Rouen society, and all of them masked.
"So then Gerard," a portly man in a dress suit and peacock mask asked, "You said that nephew of yours would be here, the one who showed up a few weeks ago."
"Showed
up is hardly the word I would use, Archibald.
And I'm rather glad he found me."
"Yes, well, your soft spot for family is well known, since George's death. Still, from what little you've said, I'd like to meet the fellow. Of course, any son of Charles' would have to be bright, now would they not?"
"Quite," Gerard mumbled in return, as he turned to find his wife approaching him. "Marie, darling!"
"Hello love," Marie answered. She turned to the portly man at her husband's side, "Archibald, it's been too long."
Archibald smiled mischievously as he took Marie's hand in his own and kissed it with a flourish. "Way too long, m'dear."
"I hate to interrupt the two of you, but Gerard, Michel and Danielle are looking for you. If you'll excuse us, Archibald?"
"Of course. Just remember, Gerard, make sure I don't leave without meeting your nephew."
"Of course," Gerard called as Marie lead him to the other side of the room. As soon as they were out of earshot, Gerard whispered, "Thank you, Love. I don't know why we keep inviting that pompous old coot."
"Because he's one of your best customers, dear," Marie replied.
"Ah, that's it. I knew there had to be a reason. Have our other guests come down yet? So hard to tell with all these masks."
"Meg and Nadir have, Erik and Christine are still upstairs I believe."
"Wonder what's taking them so long?"
"If I'm not mistaken, I do believe your nephew has cold feet about this party," Marie answered.
"Is that a hint for me to go upstairs and see what is taking them so long?"
"Me? Hint? I wouldn't dream of it Gerard!" Marie smiled coyly at her husband.
"And I know that look, darling. All right, I'll go. Save a dance or two for me, won't you?"
"They are all for you, Love. Go on."
Gerard made his way up the stairs and as soon as he was outside Erik's room, he could hear exactly why they were not yet downstairs.
"I know he expects me down there, Christine," Erik's voice, though not shouting, held a note of anger and danger. "I don't know if I can do this, masquerade or not!"
"Erik, no one needs know about your face. In a room full of other masks, who is going to know the difference?"
"Me! I will. I'll be down there, staring at all those masks, wondering if Gerard and Marie were just trying to be kind by turning their Christmas party into a masked ball. Don't deny that the thought occurred to you as well, because I know it has. You would likely do the same thing if it were you in their shoes. Perhaps if I were normal, I would do the same as well, but Christine, I'm not! I know full well what I am."
"You are going to have to get it through your head, Erik, one of these days, that your face does not matter to everyone. Would Meg or Nadir be here if it did?"
"Meg has never seen," Erik whispered. "And Nadir is . . . Nadir is . . . I can't explain that, but Nadir is different. With Nadir, he is here because of a place that is completely out of time."
"Persia, though you have never told me the full story, I know that at least. He didn't care what happened there, Erik. And I am here, so you know that though I know the worst of it, at least I believe I do, that it does not matter to me, either."
A rustling of clothes, and then silence for a moment, before Erik spoke again, "Yes, for some reason I can not comprehend, you are here despite my past and my face, and God knows I am grateful for that every day I awaken. But the people down there, Christine, they are from the world that for so long I have turned my back on, the world that I allowed to drive me down below the Opera in the first place."
'Down below the Opera?' Gerard thought. 'I must remember to ask him about that one some time!'
"Gerard and Marie are from the world, Erik. And they accepted you with open arms and hearts, without recriminations or regrets. When you were born, most of the village shunned your mother, no, don't you turn your head away from me! I'm not dancing around that issue anymore, Erik. Most of the village shunned your mother, and Marie remained her friend regardless. And she is of the world. Gerard, when you and I appeared on their doorstep a few weeks ago, welcomed you before he knew who you were, even with his guess of what lay beyond that mask. Now, if they are willing to accept you for who you are, if Nadir and Meg are willing to be here with us tomorrow regardless of what you've done, if I am here with you, beside you, regardless of your face or your past, now, doesn't that say something?"
Another silence followed, in which Gerard could not make out the mutterings he knew to be from Erik.
"So you'll come with me?"
"Yes," came the muted answer.
"Then let's go," Christine stated, before he could change his mind, and with that, Gerard replaced his silken black domino mask, and gave up his post at the door to head back down the stairs.
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"Well?" Marie asked as Gerard returned to her side.
"I didn't have to do a thing. Christine did it all for me without me having to poke my big nose in it," Gerard replied. He gestured to the staircase, where Erik and Christine were making their way down, thus far unnoticed by the rest of the crowd.
"He still looks worried," Marie commented.
"I don't doubt he is," Gerard agreed. "Don't worry, Love. I'll go put him at ease, at least, I hope I will. If nothing else, he won't be able to run back upstairs to hide!" Gerard left his wife's side once again to join the couple who was now at the bottom of the staircase.
"We were beginning to wonder," Gerard said jovially as he stood before the couple, "if the two of you were going to make it down tonight."
Erik and Christine stole a glance between them before Christine answered for Erik, "I was having a bit of a problem choosing a mask, Gerard."
Gerard nodded, even though he knew that wasn't the real reason. "Well, there are plenty of people waiting to meet the both of you, so, shall we?"
Erik's hand fidgeted slightly before he nodded his acquiescence, and he and Christine followed Gerard into the crowd.
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Author's Notes: Yes, the end is indeed near. As you can likely tell, the next chapter will indeed be the wedding we've all been waiting for. There will be a few surprises yet, and I am not giving you a single clue! I'm about half-way through writing it (merely taking a break to write out the notes to this chapter before uploading it!)
Deidre: Glad you liked the Faust lyrics. Don't fear, I took French for four years in High School (um, that was a while ago!) and now, I can barely remember it either. The Book Of 101 Opera Librettos is my trusted friend (and thankfully, it gives the libretto in the native tongue and an English translation right beside it!). Just don't ask about how long it took to type all that out and then go over it and double check all the spelling (makes me want to strangle MS Word's spell check, red lines all over the place, sheesh!)
Angelofnight: Ahhh, little touchy on the review button, are we? Ahhh, I don't mind! Enjoy your high and the letter touched by your God, lol. I would likely agree if I were in your shoes, though closest I have to that is my picture with me, Rebecca Pitcher and Tim Martin Gleason (a God in his own right!) Who wants to go to Toledo?
Chicketieboo: Yes, you will find out in due time, and I'm not saying another word!
Yami: Check your mail, s'il vous plait!
Everyone else: Chapter 22: The wedding! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
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