Chapter Six
The next two days went without event. Madeleine, while slightly cold at times, often melted into a motherly role whether meaning to or not. Erik, on the other hand, continued on with his stiff, nonchalant attitude that kept Marie and Christine guessing.
It was the early part of the morning on the morning that everything fell apart on. Christine stirred awake, shifting closer to her husband in the small bed they shared, nestling closer to him and his arm tightened around her. "Erik?"
"Hmm?" he moaned as he pulled her closer.
"Are we getting up today?"
"No."
She smiled at this and moved so that she might look upward. His eyes were still closed and his hair messed more than it had been when they'd fallen asleep… The smile grew as she reached one slim finger up to play with a loose strand, startling him awake. "Good morning," she murmured. "You want breakfast?"
"Not really," Erik mumbled into her hair.
"Well I do. Come on, Erik," she giggled as he pulled her even closer. "Let go!" She didn't miss the small smile that touched the corners of his lips.
"Oh come now," he responded gently, mismatched eyes staring into her blue ones. "Just a few more minutes."
"You sound like a child!" Christine laughed as she kissed him lightly and scooted out of the bed, pulling the covered around her. "Even you are going to get cold there with no cover at all."
He frowned at her, though by no means menacingly, and watched her walk over to where her clothes lie. His eyes never left her as she dropped the sheet in order to dress. She turned, feeling his eyes, and a blush rose to her cheeks. "Erik!"
"What?"
Christine sighed dramatically and threw the sheet at him, slipping the simple dress over her head. Her husband laughed at her actions and stood slowly, reaching for his own clothes. "Fine fine," he grumbled good-naturedly.
A triumphant smirk crossed the young soprano's lips. "Good. Come down when your dressed and ready.
The chatter of an extra person met her ears as she descended the stairs. Christine reached the bottom and looked into the kitchen where Madeleine was bustling around the kitchen, speaking in snippets of phrases, and then finally stopped to look at her. Marie was nowhere to be seen and a man, perhaps just a little younger than Madeleine, sat in her place.
"Christine!" Madeleine gasped as if she had been caught doing something wrong. "Good morning! I… well… I…"
Christine watched her, gentle blue eyes giving nothing away of the thousands of questions scampering about inside of her mind. "Good morning, Madeleine."
The man stood, eyes warm and inviting and he bowed a little. "Good morning, Mademoiselle. Madeleine did not tell me that she had company."
"It'd been so long since you came that I… well…" Madeleine stumbled over each word, growing redder with ever attempt. "Christine, this is-"
"Etienne Barye," Erik's voice came from behind Christine. It was cold and dark, making everyone in the room shiver. Christine turned her face back to her husband and saw him standing on the last step, his head held high and his hair perfectly groomed back. No stray hairs were falling now and his mask was firmly in place, mismatched eyes burning with fury and hatred behind it. It reminded Christine of the Red Death in which he'd portrayed at the masquerade two years before and it made her reach out for his hand. He did not move for his wife, nor did he recoil when she moved towards him, but simply stared at the older man in the room.
Etienne had turned dead white when his name had left those lips. He shuddered involuntarily and then forced his composure to resume. "Erik, it's very good to see you. I heard about your… departure, and I know your mother feared you dead."
"What business was it of yours?" the Phantom's voice echoed.
Christine grabbed his hand in her own, terrified of his anger and yet knowing that his touch would make it better. "Erik…" she whimpered quietly, feeling as if she were reverting to the frightened child that she had once been. She grasped his hand with all intensity until he turned his eyes to her, a silent command to be quiet.
"None, really," Etienne responded. "Though it is still good to see you." The doctor watched Erik for a moment, and then continued. "If you're wondering, I haven't seen your mother since the day you left. I've been in Paris all this time. They're quite more open to ideas there."
"Yes, ideas," Erik hissed. "Ideas such as throwing small children into insane asylums?"
If it were possible, Etienne paled more. "I… no. No, simply medical…" He cleared his throat. "I was in the area and thought, perhaps, Madeleine might still be here." He noticed Erik's frown deepen only slightly more and he let forth a sigh. "And, perhaps, a friend in Paris said that she'd been seen and it gave me the thought."
Erik nodded. "And who am I to stand in the way? Please, continue. It was long past due that Christine and I should return home."
Christine watched him turn and leave the room with all the authority he had when his voice echoed from above in the theater, commanding this and that to be done.
"Where does he get off?" Madeleine sobbed. "Coming here… making another guest feel… It's been years!"
Christine stiffened at the aging woman's words. "Perhaps I could have forgiven the foolish idea of allowing this man into your home while Erik was here, but those words will take his forgiveness." She glanced up the stares and began to follow her husband. "And that, I can assure you, will be next to impossible to gain."
A/N: I'm sorry I'm not working quite as fast on this one. I've been swamped with things and also have started a new novel. Wish me luck!
LostS: Sorry it was late! Yes, the interaction has branched off now! I've been absolutely dying to put Etienne into the story and see how Erik might react
MigratingCoconuts 06:blinks: do coconuts migrate? Lol. Yeah, he's TRYING to give he a second chance and she keeps squandering it. :sigh: oh well…
Lynx Ryder: Yes! More angry voice! Hehe…