Chapter Twenty-six

The Beginning

Erik rose to greet her as she entered with Suzette.

"You came to say good-bye," he exclaimed, as she went to embrace him, "I didn't think that you would." Christine did not reply but they held each other for a long time and Suzette saw that she was crying. She touched his shoulder and said, "Lay back down now, before you kill yourself." Suzette propped up his pillows and he leaned against them.

"Are you still afraid of me, Christine?" he asked. She reached up slowly and removed his mask.

"I'm not afraid, Erik," she said and she kissed him.

"I'm sorry that I frightened you. I'm sorry that I deceived you. Can you forgive me?"

"We have both deceived one another." Erik was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Erik, I made you promises that I had no intention of keeping. I was in the wrong when I made them and I have been shamed by them ever since. If I had not made them you would not have suffered so much at my hands."

"Nor would I ever have known love, for it was at your hands that I was first capable of such an emotion."

"Perhaps, we awakened something dead in each other. At any rate I feel as if I own you a dept that I will never be able to repay."

"You can do something for me, Christine. Just as you first made my heart to love, my dear Suzette gave me a life worth living and now it is time for her life to begin. Please take her with you. Please give her everything that she needs." Christine nodded.

"I will do my very best," she promised.

"I won't go," Suzette declared.

"Is that so?" said Erik. He scooped up her hand and examined it wearily.

"I think you will be sleeping soon, Erik," said Christine, "Perhaps I had better go now."

"Please, not just yet. I want to show you what I've been working on all day. It's a new opera. I've just finished it today and I think you'll prefer it to the last one I wrote."

"Suzette," he asked, still clasping her hand, "Will you go and get it, and your violin as well." Suzette left the room and a few moments later returned with the violin and the manuscript. Erik opened it and after finding the page he wanted, handed it to Christine.

"Will you sing it for me, Christine? You know how much I love it when you sing for me. After all, music is just a gift of love and when you sing it heals all my sadness."

"How could I refuse, then?" she responded and she held the score up so that both she and Suzette could see.

Suzette played a moving introduction on the violin and Christine began to sing with all her heart. The song was beautiful, filled with hope, love, and compassion. Christine understood what he meant about a gift of love. When the song had finished, Christine closed the score and knelt with it beside him.

"Oh Erik, its beautiful."

"I'm quite pleased that you think so, because it's yours now. I'm giving it to you and to Suzette. It is my gift of love, to the both of you." Christine didn't know what to say.

"Thank you," she whispered finally.

Suzette climbed up on the bed beside him and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Erik," she said.

"I love you, Suzette," he answered and he stroked her hair gently until long after she'd fallen asleep at his feet. Christine covered her with a blanket and then knelt beside the bed once more.

"I'm so tired," said Erik.

"Then go to sleep. I'll stay here with you until you do."

"I'd like that," he responded and he lay back and closed his eyes.

"Christine?" he asked after a while.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Erik's eyes shot open and he turned to her.

"You? You do?" There was nothing on earth he could have expected less.

"Yes, my friend and my teacher, I love you very much indeed. I always have, and I always will. Now go to sleep." And he did.

When Suzette awoke the next day, Christine was still there, and the angels had come for Erik during the night. The Viscount and Viscountess did what they could to console the girl and that first night, Christine made her a present of a little gold ring that Erik had once given to her as a token of his love and she had always kept with her. The next month, Christine took her to Italy and Suzette's life began again. Suzette took the ring and wore it always on a chain about her neck. When she was sad she held it tightly in her hand and thought of how much Erik had loved her.

Years later, she would tell his story to her own family and they were always shocked and awed at how an innocent child and a beautiful primadonna could ever love a man with a face so hideously deformed and a life so devoid of love. Suzette knew that they were missing the real point and that they would probably never understand the real miracle that occurred in Erik's soul. After all, innocent children and beautiful ladies love people all the time for they are surrounded with love from their first moments of life. Erik was denied even the love of his own mother. Who could have imagined that he would be capable of true love? But Christine Daae, gentle little songbird that she was, had never doubted him for a moment.