Chapter 8: One Pain Remains
The following days Meg remain with Erik to keep him away from depressing thoughts. In fact Marie and Gaston removed the portrait of Christine that Erik had always looked at when he was angry or found himself falling back in love with her. They looked through Erik's journals and found all the hate in the world written in the books. They collected those and burned them and agreed that Erik needed to be with someone at all times.
" I don't want to see him hurt anymore," Marie said
" Marie, he won't as long as Mademoiselle Giry is with him," Gaston said
She nodded and they went through his study and found some medicine tucked away in a glass bottle. Marie took the bottle and wrapped it up in some paper then threw it away.
" No more," she thought
Erik looked at Meg as she sang with some of the music he was playing. Erik looked at her and kissed her cheek. Colette walked in and Erik looked at her.
" What do you want?" he asked
" Lunch is ready," she said, " Where do you want it?"
" On the veranda," Erik replied, " Where's Marie?"
" Cleaning sir," Colette said
Erik shoed her off and looked at Meg. Meg grabbed his hand and kissed it then got up. Erik followed her and wrapped his arms around her.
" Erik," she said
She looked at him and kissed him, then removed his mask.
" There is my handsome man," she said
Erik kissed her and Meg entwined her fingers with his.
" Come on let's go," she said
Erik slipped his mask back on and ran his hand through his hair. She walked with him and the dogs followed behind the couple. They enjoyed a well prepared lunch and the servants watched them. Colette walked inside and walked upstairs to find Marie and Gaston.
" Marie," she called, " Gaston."
Marie walked out the study and Colette walked up to see what she was doing.
" What are you doing in Comte's study?" she asked
" Getting rid of darkness and sharp objects," Marie said
" It doesn't matter what you do Marie," Colette said
Marie looked at the young girl and patted her head.
" He's a danger to himself if he's depressed and this will help. I'm not saying cure him cause only one person can do that," Marie said
Colette looked the letter opener, still stained with blood on the tip. She picked it up and handed it to Marie.
" That was 2 weeks ago, Meg's here now," she said, " He won't do that."
" We can't take risk because Meg can't be with him all the time, she's leaving for Belgium next week," Marie said, " Where is the Comte now?"
" He's outside with Meg, their having lunch," Colette replied
Gaston found another bottle of something and handed it to Marie. She opened the bottle and sniffed it and shook her head.
" It's whiskey," she said
" Looks can be deceiving," Colette said
" It's whiskey, he drinks nothing else away from the dinner table," Marie said
They moved into his bedroom and cleaned out pills and found sharp objects. Pistols, poisons anything that could harm a person.
" I just don't see why he can't get over that woman," Colette said
" Love is a hard thing to get over especially for him, he's been in darkness all his life. She just made it worse for him to find away out of it," Marie said
Erik looked at Meg as she walked towards the pond. She knelt down and touched the water, Erik walked to her and wrapped his arms around her.
" What are you thinking?" he asked
" I was thinking, the weathers nice, why not go for a swim," she said
" In the pond?" Erik asked
" Yes, where else?" Meg replied
Meg looked at him and kissed his cheek, she undid the back off her dress and let it fall off. Erik looked at her and took her into his arms, she looked at him and removed his mask.
" For a little swim," she said
Erik nodded and Meg removed the rest of her garments, she helped him undress and both stepped into cool waters of the pond. Erik looked at Meg as she swam and splashed him and he gave her a look. She smiled and Erik grabbed her by her leg and pulled her towards him. She tried to swim away, but his might was over powering her will. She looked at him as she came up from being pulled and splashed him. He pulled her into his arms and she kissed him, Erik kissed her deeper and passionately.
The servants sighed as they remained on the veranda, but of course that didn't stop them from spying. They used the gardener's spyglass to look out on the couple.
" Look, their swimming in the pond," one said, " and their not dressed either."
" How does the master look without clothes?" another servant asked
" He's very good looking," the servant with spyglass said
The gardener snatched his glass back to get a glimpse of Meg.
" He's such a dirty old man," the servant said snatching it back
" Oh, so it's ok to look at the Comte's nude body, but I can't see his lady's," the gardener said
" That's right," the servant girls said
" Ugly face or not I'd gladly sleep with a man like that," the servant said
" Claire I want to see," the other girl said
" Nope, I'm not finishing looking," she said
The other servant snatched the glass and looked and sighed.
" Wow! He is good looking!" the other servant said
Suddenly the glass was snatched and they turned around to see Marie standing there.
" Don't you two girls have chores to do?" she questioned
" Come on Marie, he's not married we're not married, what harm can it do," Claire said
" He's your master," Marie said
" I'll be his mistress," Claire said
" You two are ridiculous," Marie said, " Back to work all of you."
The other servants grumbled and the gardener put his hand out for his spyglass.
" No, you dirty old man," Marie said, " Get to work."
He walked off and she stuck the glass in her apron pocket. She walked off and Colette walked out to wait for Erik and Meg to return like she was told.
Erik looked at Meg as they laid on the warm grass. Erik leaned over her and stroked her cheek, he kissed her with passion. Meg kissed him and kissed him back and once more their desire got a hold of them.
After a couple of hours they laid there in the grass holding each other.
" Comte Montague," Marie's voice called
Erik opened his eyes and looked at Meg, he kissed her. She looked up at him and smiled then sat up.
" I guess the day is nearly over," Meg said
" Yes, but I don't wish for it to end here," Erik said, " or ever."
Both dressed and made it back to the estate and Meg looked at them. They came inside and Marie looked at them.
" I'll draw you both a bath before supper," Marie said, " It would be best."
" We'll take one together," Erik said, " No sense in drawing two."
" Yes, Master," she said
She looked at Gaston and smiled as she climbed up the stairs. He walked down and presented a letter to Meg.
" Mademoiselle this came for you," he said
Meg looked at the envelope seeing the seal on it. She took the envelope and opened it up, then read the letter. She felt her heart pound against her chest as she read the letter, then folded it.
" I have to go," she said
" Is there something the matter?" Erik asked
" No, I just need to leave right now, Gaston can you get my things ready?" she asked
" Of course Mademoiselle," Gaston said
Meg looked at Erik and kissed him and Erik looked at her.
" What was in the letter?" Erik asked
Meg looked at him and said, " It's personal Erik…I'm sorry."
Gaston had her luggage down and a carriage was prepared for her. She climbed up into the carriage, but as she did her letter slipped out of her hand. Erik picked it up and watched as the carriage left and he opened it.
Dear Meg
I have written to you with some terrible news. The child expected to enter Christine and my lives did not survive during it's birth. I ask you as Christine's dearest friend to come help her through this loss.
-Vicomte de Chagny Raoul
Erik folded the note and looked at the carriage, he felt an anger rush through him. The name that was signed on the letter is what angered him most. He crumpled the letter and threw it on the ground.
" Curse you, Christine de Chagny!" he shouted
He walked in and slammed the door sending an echo through the house. Marie and Colette looked from around the corner. Delilah and Pandora came running upon hearing the echo howling and barking.
"Shut up beast of hell!" Erik shouted at them
They continued to bark and Erik threaten them with his hand, but this threat provoked them to attack for one reason for another.
" Shut up!" he shouted at them
He turned away and walked towards the stairs when Delilah leapt at Erik.
" Master look out!" Colette shouted
Erik turned around Delilah pinned Erik and started growling at him. She pawed at his face, Pandora came biting at his arm which was fighting Delilah.
" Marie, the dogs they've gone insane!" Colette exclaimed
Some of the other servants came to help. They picked up some of the candle operas and swung at the dogs. They barked at them and Colette and Marie ran to help Erik. Delilah turned around and once more attacked, biting Erik's thigh hard and ripping apart of his pants along with flesh from his leg.
" Damn it Delilah!" Marie shouted kicking the dog in the ribs
She backed off and Colette helped Erik away and Gaston grabbed Pandora by her collar. Marie looked at the servants and told them to get them locked up in a room. Marie walked over to Erik as he held his leg, as it continued to bleed without stopping. His face was scratched up and his neck was cut, his arm was bleeding from Delilah and Pandora's bites.
" Damn dogs," Erik hissed
Claire walked over with cloths and hot water; Marie touched Erik's face lightly with the wet and he hissed.
" That hurts," he growled
" Of course it hurts they're open cuts," Marie said back, " Now stop acting like a child and let me clean them."
Colette walked up stairs to Erik's chambers and got him another pair of pant.
" Gaston go get the doctor," Marie said once her husband returned
He ran off and Marie looked at the wound on his leg. Blood had dripped down his leg and onto the marble floor, so servants were cleaning it up. Marie removed her apron and ripped it to make a bandage for the time.
" That hurts would you stop it," Erik hissed
" She's just trying to help," Colette snapped
Erik looked at her and Marie did the same. He stood up and looked at her and she stood there. He grabbed her by the arm and slapped her across the face.
" Don't you ever burst out like that again," Erik growled
" Erik, sit down," Marie ordered
Colette looked at him as he remained to glare at her.
" Why should I listen to you? Your not my father, you don't own me! You're a scared man!" she shouted, " I don't care if you die, maybe the world would be a better place!"
Erik showed no mercy and slapped her with all his force and Colette fell to the ground and hit her head on the marble floor.
" I warned you," He said
Marie looked at Erik in complete horror, she knelt down next to Colette.
" Erik, what have you done?" she whispered
" She's not dead," he growled
She lifted Colette into her arms and laid the girl down on the sofa in the sitting room. She told a servant she need a wet cloth and someone to sit by her side. Erik looked at the servants as they took care of Colette. He breathed deep and climbed up the stairs with his bleeding leg and into his office. Marie looked up hearing the study door shut, she knew he wouldn't doing anything to harm himself anymore, there was nothing for him too. She heard him shouting and the door opened and Erik looked down the staircase.
" Marie!" he shouted