Chapter 10: A Future Unexpected

2 months

Erik found himself on the verge of breaking away from everything even his servants. He wanted nothing more than to be alone and starve himself from humanity. Erik looked at his disfigured reflection and his scared hand.

" I have become disfigured everywhere. My hand has become ugly," Erik whispered

The door opened and Colette looked in.

" Comte, I have your things," she said

Erik did not look at her, nor answered her. He just stared out and Colette walked into his room and placed the clean clothing upon his bed. She walked off shutting the door and walking downstairs. Marie walked up with tea and breakfast for him and Colette sighed.

" He's becoming bones," she said

" That is why you have to hand feed him," Marie said

" It's so scary," Colette said

Marie walked up and entered Erik's room and she walked over to him. His mask rested on the bedside and rested the tray down.

" I've brought you a simple meal, why don't you try eating that," Marie said

She poured him hot tea and handed it to him the cup. He took it and just sipped a few sips, then handed her the cup back. She handed him a pill and a glass of water and he took it.

" That will make you feel better Erik," she said

Erik leaned forward and placed his hands over his face.

" How can I live when I have no purpose in life?" Erik whispered

" You have a reason to live, Meg," Marie said, " and your investments."

Erik sighed and shook his head.

" Meg has run away," Erik said

" She is in Belgium studying dance, she returns soon," Marie said, " She will return to you. Now eat, before you starve your body of nutrients."

Marie lifted a bowl of hot soup, she brought the spoon to his lips and he ate. He just stared out as he did and she looked at him seeing no life in his eyes.

" Erik, oh poor Erik," she thought

Erik looked at Marie and then turned away. He stood up ever so slowly and gain his balance, he made his way to the window.

" Erik, what draws you to that window?" she asked

" My past, my window looks out westward towards where She is," Erik replied

" Then don't look that way, because she doesn't matter, she is not in your future Erik, Meg is," Marie said

" She will always matter!" Erik shouted, " She will always matter!"

" No, Erik she's abandoned you and left you to be lonely," Marie said, " a woman like that does not matter."

" Lies all of it," Erik said, " Don't speak unless you know what you are saying."

Marie stood up and walked over to Erik as he remained staring out. She placed her hand on Erik's face and turned it towards her.

" Let it go Erik, she doesn't belong to you, you are building a palace for another woman not her.," Marie said, " She's out of your life."

Erik looked at her and then he shook his head. Marie hugged Erik and stroked his head as she heard the sounds of crying. She whispered encouraging words for him to move.

" You are a wonderful man without darkness," she said, " rise up from the shadows."

" I can't, it's apart of me," he said

" You can and you will Erik, you have things that keep away from it. Your music, improve your music," Marie said

Later that dreary morning, Erik emerged from the confinements of his darken chambers. Erik was dressed in his finest clothing as though he were to meet some one of importance. Erik's dark figure dressed the stairwell with his dark shadow and continued to the music room. The servants watched him in awe and wondered what had caused him to emerge. Marie got the servants back on their feet and cleaning continued through out the house.

Though dark and deary, there was a slight bit of happiness under the darkness. Delilah and Pandora even shared that happiness as they trotted behind their master. Candles glistened through out hallways scaring off the hints of death. Curtains were pulled back to let light in, to ward off fear of hiding secrets.

Erik sat at the piano and pulled out some music and began to play the classical piece. He stopped and looked at it and then looked up in the distance, as his serenade continued. Erik rose from the piano and lifted the violin and began to play it for awhile. Delilah and Pandora watched him as he closed his eyes playing, they waged their tails to the music of what seemed like happiness.

By the afternoon, Erik walked out to find that curtains were pulled back and light pierced through his darken estate.

" What is the meaning of this?" Erik's powerful voice questioned

" Light Comte," a servant said

Colette walked towards in his direction and he gave her a look.

" What have you done to my estate?" Erik asked

" Nothing monsieur," Colette replied, " The windows are wet from being washed and there's no point in ruining the curtains while they're wet."

Erik looked at her as she placed clean cloths in each room for the servants. Marie and Claire folded Erik's clothing and brought it upstairs. Erik looked at them all and walked off to the stables. He looked at his black stallion and brushed him, then climbed on to his back. He preferred when going on a joy ride around his land to ride bareback, but when it came to a professional manner, he road with a saddle. Erik raced across his lands and stopped once he had come to the hills. He got off and looked at his large estate and gave a content sigh. The horse nudged him and he looked at the stallion

" Its beautiful is it not Caesar?" Erik questioned

The horse gave a nay and Erik smirked and looked at it.

" It's missing something still," Erik said

He removed his coat and tossed it over Caesar's back. The horse looked at him and nudged him, he snatched the white mask off Erik's face and Erik looked at the stallion. Erik took the mask and slipped it back on, then heard the sounds of a carriage coming up the gravel road. He got on Caesar and rode off to the estate and then left Caesar to the stable hand. Erik climbed the steps and entered his estate, then walked to his study.

Gaston walked to the door hearing the large door knocker. He opened the door and saw Meg standing there.

" Young Meg you have return," Gaston said

" Yes, is the Comte about?" she answered

" He went for a ride, but he will shortly return," Gaston said, " Please, come in."
He took her luggage and she walked into the dark estate and looked about. She noticed a change and looked at Gaston.

" Has something changed around here?" she asked

" No, Mademoiselle," Gaston said

Meg nodded and the study door opened and Erik walked out, he saw Meg standing there.

" Sweet Meg," he said

Meg looked up and smiled at him as he descended down the stairs, his flowing cloak behind him and his finest attire on. He took her hand and kissed it and Meg looked at him and kissed him.

" How was your trip to Belgium?" he asked

" It was wonderful," she said, " I never danced so much in my life."

Erik smiled and presented his arm to her and she wrapped her arm around him. He looked at her, she was very different and presented herself differently.

" Meg you look different," Erik said, " It's a good different, but what did you change?"

Meg looked at him and kissed him and then guided him away from the house. She wanted to tell him something right away.

Once they were far enough away Meg stopped him and Erik looked at her.

" Erik, I've missed you so much," she said

" Please, don't tell me there's someone else," Erik whispered

" No, not at all," Meg said

She grabbed his hands and kissed them then looked into his eyes. She removed the mask and touched his disfigure face.

" Erik, I'm with child," she whispered

" With child?" Erik asked, " Who's is it?"

Meg smiled and said, " It's yours, this child is yours and only yours."

" I'm going to be a father?" he asked

" Yes," Meg replied, " My mother doesn't know yet. I wanted you to be the first to know."

Erik couldn't believe it, but he was happy inside for both him and Meg. He kissed her and pulled her into his arms.

" Oh, this is wonderful," Erik whispered

" I was hoping you would be happy," she said

She kissed him and Erik held her into his arms. He felt that the missing piece had just been connected to save his sanity.

" They're happy about something," the gardener said

" It's about damn time," Claire said.

They leaned against the railing and waited for the news on why there was finally happiness in the Comte's estate. The other servants walked out and stood there waiting for orders just as they always did.

" There's finally going to be a little happiness in this blasted house," Claire said to them, " Smile damn it."

The servants remained on emotional and Claire shook her head. Marie walked out with Colette and Colette walked over to the railing and leaned over it. Marie shook out some of the bed sheets and laid them out to dry, then looked at the servants.

" Claire help me with these bed sheets," Marie said

" Not now Marie, we're watching the master and his lady friend," Claire said

" Now," Marie said

Claire sighed and got to work and Marie shoed the gardener off. Colette laid out the other linings. She laid out clothes that had been washed and took down the other clothing.

" Marie, is the master going to ask his lady friend to marry him?" Colette asked

" I don't know child," Marie said, " Erik is very different than any of us, his mind changes very often."

Colette sighed and looked at the red roses opening and then the other flowers.

" I'll tell you one thing though, his lady friend looked very different. Her clothing seemed to say something more…almost as if to say she was with child," Claire said

" That girl is to proper to get pregnant," Marie said, " She wouldn't sleep with the master until someone suggested it be the best cure for him."

" Oh, is that so?" Claire said, " Then perhaps he's picked the right one this time."

" Yes, someone who he desires most," Marie said

Later that afternoon, Erik and Meg spoke of marriage and plans for their future. Meg looked at Erik as he wanted to please her.

" Erik," she said

" Yes?" he questioned

She stood up and grabbed his hands and said, " Please, may I stay here until the baby is born. You see I'm still suppose to be in Belgium still and my mother thinks that. She doesn't know I am with child and I'm so afraid she will disown me."

Erik looked at her and shook his head, he grabbed her hands.

" You can stay her as long as you want," Erik said, " and I will take care of you. I won't leave your side."

He kissed her hands and then kissed her.

" We will marry in private if you wish and once the child is born have a beautiful wedding," Erik said

" Yes, I would like that, can we get married soon?" she asked

" Yes, tonight we will get married," Erik said