Chapter 3
Raoul was addicted to morphine. It had been administered for pain caused by his injuries. It also gave him a peaceful state of mind which allowed him to accept his life as it was now. He could hardly bear the thought of being half a man to his young wife Christine. They had been to many doctors in the beginning, hoping that Raoul to be able to walk again, but his pelvic bone had been shattered, and there was not much they could do. They were assured children were possible, but efforts to conceive children were difficult and painful, the morphine taking from him any real desire. He was able to function well enough daily to manage his family affairs which he had inherited when his brother died. His parents had died when he was very young and his brother, being much older had raised him. Christine did long for them to have a family as they each had lost their own. She knew there was no alternative to the medicines that were given to her husband but was concerned about his increasing dependence on it. He grew more and more complacent, staying in his office in their home morning till night. He would do as she wished but it took monumental effort to get him to leave the house. She insisted, when the weather was fair he did go with her to the park before she went to help Miranda, at least several times a week. The doctor had recently insisted a full time nurse be employed, so she had an excess of free time which she spent at Miranda's school of ballet. She enjoyed being around the children and helped with lessons. She would not burden Miranda with her concerns.
Erik awoke the next day wondering exactly how he had found himself back in this old dungeon. He had grown accustomed to better accommodations and decided he would look for somewhere to stay for awhile. First he needed to eat however and cleaning himself up as best he could he made his way into the streets of Paris. The Opera house was located in the heart of the city. He thrilled in the business of the streets, he had known Paris well, but only by late night and early morning twilight, and was enthralled by simply watching people from a table at a nearby cafe. The smells, noise, and general chaos overwhelmed him slightly and he decided to make his way to the park.
Both of his doctors had encouraged the practice of physical exercise and he chose to walk when he could now, as it also brought him a sense of calm. He waited and they appeared again. This time he chose a better vantage point, partially concealed by the low hanging branches of a tree. She was walking beside his wheelchair, a nurse pushing him. He followed after they passed and watched as they parted, Christine walking in the way of the school, Raoul entering a carriage. Before entering however the nurse administered a shot to Raoul and Erik understood what was behind Raoul's distant demeanor. He had himself experienced opiates, the doctor starting with laudanum proceeding to morphine during his surgeries. He welcomed its relief but did not appreciate the control it had started to gain on him those years. Years spent entrapped had made its mark on him and he only allowed the drugs control of him until his final period of recovery. His withdrawal had been extreme, and he well understood why some stayed in its grip.
This weighed heavily on him and deep in thought turned back to the Opera house. He returned first to the vaults with his music within. There were also some of his more delicate possessions of the past that Meg and Miranda had thought to move to these rooms to be away from moisture and dust. The monkey box was one of these items. He thought of his days in the gypsy carnival.
His mother, named Mary, came from an old aristocratic family in England. Her mother had died when she was younger and her father spoiled her and gave her free reign. She and some friends visited a gypsy carnival one day hoping to have their fortunes read as young girls do and she fell in love with a gypsy man with the name of Durriken who was the fortune tellers son. He had amused the girls while each had their fortunes told and had sang a sweet song with his guitar for Mary. He had followed her home that first day and came secretly to her window begging her to come with him to partake in the nights festivities. She loved the music and dancing in the camp that went on nightly and succumbed entirely to the charm of her lover she called Erik. Some time later she found herself pregnant and in a panic they planned to elope. This never occurred as the secret was discovered, her father told. In a cold rage he set out to find and kill the young man in question and accomplished this. He then would have nothing more to do with her. This of course was not told to her and she believed Durriken had simply abandoned her.
She was then shut up in the mansion the duration of her pregnancy, too heartbroken too protest. Her depression only grew after birth as she looked upon her child's poor face. Her father had planned to simply take the child to an orphanage soon after birth. This changed as of course, no one would take this child. Mary forced herself to care for the child's daily needs with the help of a mask she had fashioned. She was exhausted however, receiving no help from a superstitious staff and grew to loath this child, the normal side of his face reminding her more and more every day of the man she believed to have abandoned her to this fate. She became physically abusive and finally the old family cook Hannah stepped in and talked to her father, out stepping her station, but she could not allow this situation to go on further.
"It is not right what you are doing to this child. She is overwhelmed and the baby is sufferingand yes he is a human child, your own blood. If this continues I will confess everything that I know has happened." She said more softly," I know how much you do love your daughter and it is unfortunate what did occur, but you have to forgive her, she in fact was only a child herself. If I must I will inform the authorities with all that I know."
He did change the situation then, placing Erik and Hannah in a guest cottage on the estate with the instructions that Erik did not leave its walls. Mary was sent away to an Aunt whom he hoped would teach her all the proper etiquette and other things that he had thought trivial. Erik then had a somewhat normal life. Hannah was a very sensible person and she loved him. She did her best for him, essentially blackmailing his grandfather into providing him with a tutor who also taught him to play piano, which he showed great affinity for.
Mary returned after four long years when her aunt died. Her father did forgive her and allowed her to return only on the conditions she would consider an arranged, respectable marriage. Erik grew to know her as his cousin. She was the only person he saw outside his tutor and Hannah, and he adored her. He spent endless hours practicing on the piano to be able to impress her when she came. This only made her sad as she remembered his fathers beautiful voice, which he seemed to possess, and it also made her sad for this child she did not know but who was her own. One morning Erik awoke to hear Mary crying. It had been several years since she had returned and her father was insistent on her marrying a colleague of his. Mary, although she had managed the last few years to discourage many well intentioned suitors, had finally worn thin her fathers patience. He now simply informed her she would marry this latest suitor who had asked for her hand. She had no other choice but to marry him, knowing she would also have to leave her son.
"Why did he leave me" she cried now, inconsolable. "He abandoned me because I carried his child, led me to believe he would marry me, then instead left me. I truly thought he did love mehow could I have been so wrong? How could I ever trust another man after that- how can I trust one now? I can't do this Hannah, I don't love this man. I will never love another man." Hannah knew she should not tell her this but decided it might ease her fear to know.
"Child, Durrick would never have left you. You must forgive your father for what he did." That was all she dared to say. Mary sat frozen at the table. Hannah got up and busied herself with the pots and pans, trembling a little. "You cannot confront your father with what I have now just told you for the sake of your son Mary," she said.
" Of course." Mary said, her cheeks wet with tears that also seemed frozen in their tracks. " I will marry this man. Thank you Hannah." She left then to tell her father of her submission and retired to her room, where she then ended her life from her fourth floor window.