Chapter 24
Do you know what I love most about Meg? She always hears what I'm saying. Lots of people listen, and offer an opinion, but Meg always hears what I'm saying when she listens. She knew exactly how I felt and how to make me feel better. Which is why Erik and I could tell her about what had happened with my dad and the police.
She listened in complete silence until we had finished and summed everything up in one word.
"Harsh."
"Tell me about it." I said, pouring myself some more coffee. I was running on the stuff by that time. Meg rubbed her head, trying to take everything in.
"So… what happens now?"
"The police said that they'd need us to make official statements. I doubt it'll go any further, not if Christine's father makes a full retraction." Erik said, getting up to refill the kettle. Meg considered me for a moment.
"What are you going to do? I mean… are you going to go and see him?"
"No, because that would involve talking to him and I really don't want to do that right now." I said. Meg looked at me.
"You'll have to eventually."
"I know… just not yet. I can't face him yet." I admitted. Meg smiled.
"OK. And, in the meantime, you're going to be busy with the showcase rehearsals."
"And your classes." Erik put in.
"And hanging out with me."
"And singing lessons."
"And-"
"Hey! Stop ganging up on me!" I cried. Erik and Meg exchanged an entertained glance and I sighed.
"Right now, I just want to go to bed and sleep for hours. Tomorrow, I will sort everything else out."
"Good. I'm going to let you get some sleep." Meg said, getting to her feet.
I walked her to the front door. She turned to me as she pulled on her coat.
"It'll be OK, Christine. I know it probably doesn't seem like that, but it will."
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Because at this stage things can't get any crapper, right?"
"Good point." I laughed. Meg winked.
"And if you get down, we can just think up some ways for you to annoy Carlotta. That should cheer you up!"
"I love you, Meg." I grinned and she laughed.
"Love you too. Call me when you're looking semi-human, OK?"
"OK. Bye."
I waved goodbye and then went back down to the kitchen. Erik was washing the coffee mugs.
"Go up and go to sleep." He told me. I smiled.
"You're the perfect man, you know that?"
"I have been told so, yes. Now go." He ordered. I grinned to myself as I went up the stairs. I quite liked it when he sounded that bossy. It was very… attractive.
That's it. I needed sleep and I needed it now. My brain was melting.
When I woke the next morning, I was lying across Erik's chest, his arms around me. He was still sleeping. I yawned and glanced at the clock. 8:30.
I closed my eyes again and tried to get back to sleep. I really didn't want to get up, but sleep just wasn't coming. I reluctantly disentangled myself from Erik's arms and went to the bathroom. Once I had splashed my face with cold water I felt much more awake. Dressed in one of Erik's shirts (they were comfortable and he apparently didn't have any objections to me walking around in them) I went downstairs to make some tea. A short while later Erik came down too, already dressed.
"Good morning." He said, giving me a kiss. I smiled.
"Good morning. Tea?"
"Please. I'll go and get the post." The post was delivered to a box at the gates, meaning one of us had to fetch it each morning.
When he came back with the post and newspaper, I had already started making eggs. Erik glanced through the post and handed me a letter. I had asked a neighbour to send my mail up to the Manor. I glanced at it and then tore it open. It was from the hospital. As Dad's next of kin, they were required to keep me updated on his progress.
What I read wasn't particularly helpful. It was basically about what they were doing, but not much on how it was helping him or how it worked. I tucked the paper back into the envelope as Erik glanced through his own mail, before sitting down with the newspaper.
"Anything interesting?" I asked when I sat down with two plates of eggs. Erik shook his head.
"Not really. Have you got any plans for today?"
"No. Practise some singing, get that literature essay finished. Call Meg. And food shopping. We've got nothing." I said. I considered what I had just said. "Forget what I said, I suppose I do have plans. Not interesting ones, but I have them."
Erik smiled and I got up.
"I'll get dressed and then go shopping."
"Alright."
"What are you going to do today?" I asked.
"Music, I expect. And I must talk to Thomas about the greenhouses."
"OK."
I don't mind shopping. Really, I don't. But on a Saturday morning, with mums hauling screaming children around and old people ramming their carts into you, it'll really put you off. I wandered around, putting things into a cart and queued for fifteen minutes to pay. By the time I left, I was in an extremely bad mood.
It was a good thing I was meeting Meg, because she always cheers me up. Once I was sat in the Corner Café, a coffee and a doughnut in front of me, I felt considerably better. Meg said,
"Feeling better today?"
"Yeah. A lot more human for a start."
"Well, let's not ask for a miracle." Meg teased. I stuck my tongue out at her and took a bite of my doughnut.
"What you up to today?" Meg asked, stirring milk into her coffee.
"Homework. And practice some singing."
"Good. You're going to be great, Christine, you really are. I bet you win!"
"Win? What do you mean?" I asked, putting my cup down.
Meg smiled.
"Well, there's going to be some awards in the showcase. I bet you win one!"
"Wait, it's a competition? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I enjoy seeing the look on your face when I spring things like this on you?" Meg suggested innocently. I sighed.
"Remind me. Why am I friends with you?"
"Cos I'm great. Are you going to use that sugar?" I threw her the sachet and sighed.
"God, if Carlotta wins an award and I don't…"
"You will. That song was amazing. Plus you're a much better singer than she is."
"Not really. She can reach higher notes."
"Big deal. I could reach those notes if you gave me a cat and a sledgehammer." Meg said dismissively and I snorted with laughter. Meg grinned and said,
"Anyway, let's go to the Manor. I can take the shopping in the car."
"You mean your mother gave you the keys to her car? Is she mad?"
"I finished paying off the damage, so I'm allowed to drive again!" Meg said proudly. I laughed and stood.
"No offence, but you're never coming near my bike!"
"Wouldn't want to. I'd probably get a speck of dirt on it and you'd kill me."
"Of course." I replied, getting up.
Erik was on the piano when we arrived. I looked in to let him know I was back and saw him staring out of the window.
"Erik?" he turned and smiled.
"You're back."
"Yeah. Do you want tea?"
"Yes, please." He followed us down to the kitchen. I started to put food away as the kettle boiled. Meg asked,
"Have you thought about going to see your dad?"
"Meg, I'm not even thinking about that right now. I just want to finish my homework and get through this showcase. Which, by the way, turns out to be a competition and if I don't win Carlotta will rub it in my face for the rest of our lives." I told Erik. He looked unconcerned.
"You're a better singer than she is."
"If you ask me for a cat and a sledgehammer, I'm going to get worried." I told him. He looked suitably confused and I grinned.
Once we had drunk our tea, I said,
"I'm going to drive over to the library, or I'll never get this work finished. Coming Meg?
"No, I'm meeting James soon. But I'd better get going anyway. See you later, Erik." She waved to him and I kissed him.
"What do you want for dinner?"
"I really don't mind, Christine."
"Fine, I'll sort it out when I get back." I said, going to find my bag.
Once I was sat in the town library, typing up my essay I had no problems with it. As soon as I block all distractions out I'm fine. It's just working up to getting around to doing the work that's the trouble.
As it printed off, I decided to check my emails. No new ones. How depressing, I thought. And then a random thought jumped into my mind I went to a search engine. I typed in the name Erik Lavonne and looked at what came up. There were only a few direct matches and I clicked on one out of curiosity.
It was a newspaper article about the Don Juan Triumphant opening night. I read through it. Most of it, I already knew. I clicked back to glance through the other names. There was one that had nothing to do with my Erik so I ignored it. Two others were about Don Juan. One was a website about operas and I glanced through it. A basic biography of Erik, his works and a picture of the Opera House where Don Juan had been performed.
Another curious thought passed through my mind and I fiddled with the necklace I was wearing. The one that had belonged to Erik's mother. Was there a way of tracking her down? Maybe if I could find out her name.
On the other hand… Erik clearly had problems with his mother. I hadn't even asked him about his father. It just seemed an area that was best left alone. Looks like we both have problems with our parents.
I tucked my essay into a folder and went out to my bike. On my way back to the Manor I called in at the college to check rehearsal times for the Showcase. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, dress rehearsal Saturday morning, performance Saturday night. It was a good thing I didn't have a social life, otherwise that might have been a problem, I thought dryly as I drove back to the manor.
It was then that I wondered exactly how Meg had climbed into my brain. Because that sounded suspiciously Meg-like.
Erik was in the writing room with Thomas when I got back. I smiled at the gardener.
"Hello Thomas.
"Afternoon."
"You finished your essay?" Erik enquired. I nodded and waved it at him.
"Two thousand words, and if I ever get my hands on Shakespeare I'll throttle him for putting me through this. Tea?"
They both accepted the offer of tea and I went to make it. As the kettle boiled I sat down with the newspaper from that morning. The main article was about a fire that had happened a couple of days ago. I glanced through the paper and then got out a pen to do the crossword. I was never very good and resisted the urge to simply look at the answers.
Thankfully, the kettle finished boiling and I got up to make tea. Once I had taken it up to Erik and Thomas I sat back down with the crossword, determined to finish it without cheating. Half an hour later I was still there, chewing on my pen. Erik came down carrying the cups and leant over my shoulder.
"Four down is Chaucer." He said. I gave him an evil look.
"OK, I have never managed to finish one of these by myself, OK? And I was so close to doing this one and now you've just ruined it!"
"My apologies. Also, you have ink on your chin. You really shouldn't chew your pen." Erik said calmly. I touched my chin and a blot of blue ink came away. I pulled a face and went to clean it off. When I returned Erik had finished the crossword.
"Hey!"
"You said it was ruined, so I thought I'd finish it."
"I was only gone for two minutes! How did you finish it in that time?" I demanded, snatching the paper up to examine the answers.
"It wasn't that hard." Erik said. I threw the paper down miserably and he smiled, putting his arms around me.
That made me feel better. I closed my eyes and hugged him.
"Erik?"
"Yes?"
"Do you really think I can perform in this showcase? I mean, really?"
"Yes. I do think that you can. Why do you doubt yourself?" I sighed and looked up at him.
"I suppose I'm just scared. It's been so long since I sang in front of a proper audience. It's different singing for you."
"You need to block them out. Do you remember what I told you to do in your very first singing lesson?"
I cast my mind back.
"The hills? You told me to sing to the hills."
"When you're singing on that stage, do the same thing. Pick on thing to concentrate on, and sing to it."
"Can I pick you?" I asked him slyly. He smiled.
"If you must."
"OK. You're my singing thing."
"Couldn't you find a slightly more flattering name for it?" Erik asked, sounding rather put out. I smiled brightly.
"Nope. Singing thing has a nice ring to it. Plus it's annoying you."
He sighed and I laughed.
"Kidding. Can we go and practice?"
"Of course." He said. We went upstairs to the music room. Whilst he played the piano, I found my thoughts straying.
"Christine? You missed the cue." He said sharply. I looked up.
"What?"
"You missed it. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I was just… never mind." He looked at me and I sighed. "It's just Meg. She got me thinking about Dad."
He got up and hugged me. I smiled briefly and then asked,
"What was your dad like, Erik?"
"My father? I don't know. I never met him." Erik replied.
"Your parents weren't married?"
"No. I don't know what sort of relationship they had. I rarely spoke to my mother and she wasn't particularly keen on me either."
"Why not?" I asked, surprised. Erik looked a bit uncomfortable and I shook my head.
"Never mind."
"… She blamed me for everything. Her life was… was not good. She felt it was my fault. Perhaps if it hadn't been like this…" he touched his mask, "Things might have been better. I left home when I was fifteen. I was in a shelter for several years and I made a little money by playing music. I worked on Don Juan Triumphant and a company felt it was good enough to put on. And you know how well that worked out. After that I took the money they had raised from Don Juan and bought the Manor. I cam here eight years ago, as you already know. I wrote music, a couple of operas that will never be performed. And that's the basic outline of my life until you entered it."
I looked up at him, amazed.
"There's so much I don't know about you. Thank you for telling me."
"You're welcome. And now we will practise." He said, returning to the piano.