CHAPTER 9
"This is the place!" Raoul said. "Driver, stop the coach!"
"Are you certain?" asked Meg, looking at the overgrown grounds and rusted gate. She could hardly make out the house itself in the pouring rain and fading light.
"Yes, this is it." Raoul jumped out, but added; "You may stay in the coach if you like."
"No! If you are sure, I am coming." He helped Meg out, and they ran up to the front door, getting drenched in rain on the way. Raoul loudly knocked on the door, but Meg knew in this weather it was unlikely to be heard.
"Is anyone in there!" he called. He banged again on the door. Meg reached underneath his arm and tried the door. It opened, and they went inside. Raoul took a breath to call out again, but Meg put a silencing finger over his mouth and walked forward quietly. Seeing light pouring from a room she went to look, but found only a fire in a room with little furniture. Raoul had been opening doors and looking all around, but had found nothing else. Meg saw the staircase and motioned him to follow her, which he did. However, it appeared that the second floor had less than the first in the way of inhabitability. It was only because the door to it had been left open that she saw the second staircase at all. With the Vicompte close behind her, she made her way up, cringing whenever she heard the wood creaking beneath their weight. When she saw light, she gestured again to Raoul that he not make a sound, and continued up as noiselessly as possible. When she reached the attic, she froze at what she saw, and Raoul bumped into her. He gasped, and she put her hand over his mouth again.
They saw Christine kneeling on the floor, embracing him. The two had not noticed Meg and Raoul's coming, so intent they were on one another.
Meg looked back up at Raoul, and saw that he had tears in his eyes. She removed her hand, and he watched Erik and Christine until, overcome with emotion, he turned away, and Meg heard him crying silently to himself. She knew why; the display of mutual affection between his love and his nemesis could not be disregarded, nor dismissed as anything but what it was. It stood there, obvious and undeniable: Love. Unquestionable, incontestable. He had first seen it on the night of Don Juan Triumphant; never before had he seen them together, and the passion between them during the performance had confused and frightened him.
"-- Our passion play has now, at last begun --"
Meg walked around to stand in front of him. She could not tell what he would do. He looked at her through his tears, and then looked back at Christine and the Phantom.
"-- Past the point of no return, the final threshold; the bridge is crossed, so stand, and watch it burn! We've past the point of no return."
Raoul looked back at Meg, then turned and slowly began to descend the stairs.
She knew in that instant that he would let Christine go.
Outside in the cold night air, the rain had let up, and would soon stop entirely. They stood under the shelter of the overhang above the door, and Meg heard the Vicomte take a deep breath, and sigh. It was so dark now that they could only just make each others shapes out, and Meg could not see the expression on his face.
"Come, Raoul," she said in a sympathetic voice.
"Yes," he said.
As they walked back to the carriage, she took his hand. Gratefully he pressed his other hand on hers, an almost imperceptible smile appearing on his face.