Christine and Raoul led Paris and Erik into the parlor after dinner. Raoul offered Erik a brandy which he accepted while Christine and Paris settled down upon one of the couches. As soon as everyone was settled Christine turned to Paris with a smile.
"Okay, now that we're all much more comfortable tell me all that has been going on since the wedding."
"Well, this may take a while," Paris started casting an amused glance with Erik who just smiled and raised his glass towards her.
"Oh, we don't mind, do we Raoul? See, Raoul doesn't mind so go ahead," Christine smiled cutting anything Raoul may have been about to say. Raoul shut his mouth and just stared down into his brandy. Erik hid a smile behind a sip of his brandy.
"Well alright. After the wedding Erik and I pretty much stayed in the house for our honeymoon. Later, Erik mentioned that he should sell some of his compositions so that he would be earning some money. I decided that maybe I should get a job in the village as well. So Erik has been selling some of his compositions through a publishers company here in Paris only they don't know it's him since no one but us and a couple of others know Erik's real name. He's only known as the Phantom or the Opera Ghost so he's been very successful with his music. Also, the villagers have been very nice to us. They've pretty much accepted Erik. We know that they're still a bit wary about his face but he's told so many of the villagers that his face was disfigured in a fire when he was little that they have accepted that he doesn't want to remove his mask in public.
"Because of this acceptance Erik has been able to get a job in the village as well. He's been hired to design the new church. So he's been getting dirty every day working with the men on the construction of the new church. Apparently that's helped him earn the respect of many of the village men. I think a lot of them thought that Erik was cold and distant because he was from Paris and believed himself to be better than them. Working right along side the men has shown them that Erik is just like them and isn't afraid to get dirty."
"Aren't you worried that someone may take advantage of you letting your guard down, Erik? After all, if the men feel that you're comfortable around them they'll believe that you should be comfortable enough to remove your mask in their presence," Christine spoke up turning her big blue eyes towards the man leaning against the mantle silently.
"My guard is never down except when I'm around Paris. I have learned to always be careful. So do not worry about my well being," Erik answered with a sip of brandy. His gold swirled grey blue eyes met and caught Paris' and they warmed with emotion for her. Paris smiled and ducked her head.
"Oh, well then, what else has been going on?" Christine turned back to Paris.
"Well, while Erik has been working on the church I've been doing my own work. You are looking at Caine Village's church organist. I've been playing the church organ every Sunday for Mass. And every day during the week I teach some of the village children piano. It's so much fun and heartwarming to see these children play. Some of them are very talented. One in particular is Patrick Mason. He's the butcher's son but he has so much talent. I think if he wanted to he could become a famous musician. He even brought a piece that he had composed himself. It's no Beethoven or even Erik but it was still very good for a nine year old boy.
"Every time I look at these children I see our future. I like knowing that I'm helping them to make the music world a better one. I just hope they will continue to do so on their own when I'm old and grey and can no longer lift my fingers to play the piano," Paris spoke with a soft smile as she stared into the fire.
The room was silent for a short while with only the wind blowing outside and the gentle crackling of the fire. It was Raoul that finally broke the silence.
"I'm pleased to hear that both of you have been doing so well. I'm sure the children will continue playing long after you are no longer able to, Paris. And congratulations, Erik, on your job. I hope you receive further commissions in the future. Christine told me you are a very skilled architect and that you worked on the Opera House while it was being built. I guess that's how you knew the passageways so well, huh?"
"Indeed and mercí."
"Oh this is so wonderful! I can't believe how happy everyone is. I'm so happy for you both! Now tell me, is there anything else going on? Anything in the near future maybe?" Christine's smile was suggestive and hopeful as she looked from Paris to Erik and then back to Paris.
Paris frowned in thought before shaking her head. "No, nothing that I know of. Erik?"
"I don't think so, love."
"Oh, well maybe later. You're both still young," Christine pouted even as Erik and Paris glanced at each other questioningly and Raoul shook his head with dismay at his fiancée. Sometimes she was just too tactful for her own good even when she was being evasive. Although he was rather surprised that neither Erik nor Paris had gotten Christine's hint.
"So de Chagny what time is this wedding?" Erik asked draining the rest of his brandy.
"Hopefully, if everything goes right, it should be at three in the afternoon on the 15th. I will have Thomas, the man who brought you to the dining hall, bring you to the chapel fifteen minutes before anyone else enters. That should give you both plenty of time to get up into the loft at the back of the chapel without anyone seeing you," Raoul explained draining his brandy as well.
"Oh, I wish you could be in our wedding. I would love for you to be right up there with me, Paris. You have been with me through thick and thin and now you have to stand in the back in the shadows hiding like a thief," Christine pouted as she clasped Paris' hands in her own.
"Sometimes the shadows are the best place to be. You know we're there but no one else does. It's like a secret that only we are privy to," Paris reassured.
Christine smiled and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. The rest of the evening was spent talking about future plans and other news that had been going on in Paris that Erik and Paris hadn't heard about.
"The Opera Managers have been trying to find a new Prima Donna since Carlotta has left. No one knows why she left but Meg Giry told me that she left because she received a letter from the Opera Ghost telling her to leave or die. Meg couldn't understand why I laughed when she told me that. I don't think she's completely convinced that you're no longer part of the Opera House," Christine laughed looking at Erik as she told him and Paris what had been going on with the Opera House.
"It sounds like the managers took my threat to heart," Erik smiled softly as he looked at his wife.
"What threat?" Christine sobered up immediately.
"Nothing serious Christine. Erik just told the managers that every time something bad happened that they should blame it on the Phantom since he was leaving a little bit of himself in the Opera House after he was gone. It was quite funny to watch their facial expressions when they found the letter on their desk weeks after the search," Paris reassured.
"I wonder if the police are still looking for us," Erik wondered.
"Probably not but I'm sure if you show your face they'll arrest you if they catch you," Raoul said.
Erik just nodded and stared into the fire silently. It was getting late and they all knew it. So Paris yawned and rose to her feet with a stretch.
"I'm going to head to bed. I believe Erik and I will be doing a lot of hiding and seeking throughout our stay."
"Yes, it may have been smarter to have had you two come the day before the wedding so that you wouldn't have to hide for so long. I was just so excited about seeing you both again that I never stopped to think what the consequences would be," Christine admitted apologetically.
"Don't worry about it, Christine. Everything will be fine. Erik and I can fend for ourselves."
Christine looked at her friend and nodded. Then the group said good night and every one headed off in the directions of their rooms. Paris was glad that Erik had such a good memory for he knew exactly where to go to get back to their room. She knew she would have been lost for hours if she had had to find the room on her own.
"Do you still think Raoul's after your head?" Paris asked with a smile as she climbed into bed.
"I honestly don't know now. I don't think so or if he does, it's not as badly as it was when we first arrived. However, my guard will still remain up while I'm here. He probably won't do anything since he hasn't done anything in the months since our marriage but…" Erik ended with a shrug of indecision.
"I highly doubt he'd do anything to upset Christine so I think we'll be safe. I think you and Raoul could become friends if you both really tried."
"Hmm. What do you think about what's been happening at the Opera House?"
Paris knew Erik was changing the subject on purpose but said nothing about it. "I think it's rather funny. You've been gone for nearly six months and now Carlotta leaves because of some letter supposedly by you. If none of your letters could get rid of her in the past I don't see why one now would. Unless there was something very serious in the letter, if there even was one, that stated what would happen to her then I don't see why she would leave."
"Yes, I agree with you there. However, I was speaking more along the lines of the Opera House needing a new singer," Erik said as he climbed into bed beside Paris.
"I'm not going to audition if that's what you're suggesting. I'm perfectly happy living in Caine village with you and teaching children to play the piano."
"That wasn't what I was suggesting. I wasn't suggesting anything at all. I was just curious to hear your opinion on the matter," Erik defended.
"I think it's great that they need a new leading lady. Anyone the managers find will have to be better than Carlotta. If Christine wasn't marrying Raoul and becoming one of the upperclassmen I think she would be the best choice," Paris stated rolling over so that she fit alongside Erik who wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"Maybe Raoul will be lenient and will allow Christine to sing anyway. I hear being a famous performer is very good no matter which level of the classes you are."
"Well, I don't think Raoul will be lenient in that regard. He may love Christine to death but letting her sing upon the stage like some street girl when she's actually a Vicomtess is not something I can see him doing. He's always been one to follow the rules of society and it was only during his attempted courtship of Christine did he step out of the lines. Now that he's back in the lines I think he will do everything in his power to keep himself in them even if it means having to keep Christine off the stage. He'll probably let her sing around the house though, he did enjoy her singing if I recall."
"If I was him I would never forbid the woman I love from doing whatever it is she loves. If she wants to sing on stage then I'd let her do it just as long as she loved only me," Erik stated as he held Paris tightly against him.
"Well, I don't think you'll have to worry too much about that. I'll love you until the day I die and then some. When we get back home I'm going to sing just for you. It's been so long since I've sung. Playing a mute was no fun when ever I wanted to just start singing. You have no idea how hard it was to remain quiet during Christine's voice lessons. I just wanted to stand up and start singing along with you both," Paris said as she snuggled closer to Erik, her cheek resting in the hollow of this neck and shoulder.
"I can just imagine the difficulty," Erik said softly. "And I look forward to you singing just for me. You don't do it enough at home and that beautiful note you held out during my Opera was one of the most hauntingly beautiful sounds I had ever heard and I look forward to hearing more just like it."
"I love you Erik," Paris whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
"And I love you, Paris. More than you can ever imagine."