Chapter 30

The receptionist at the Lodge Hotel smiled perkily at me as I entered.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

"Is there a Nadir Khan staying here?"

"There is, would you like me to call for him?"

"Yes, please." I said, tucking my helmet under one arm.

"Who shall I say is here?"

"Tell him it's Christine."

She put the call through and spoke briefly to Nadir. She hung up and smiled at me.

"He'll be right down."

"Thanks." I said, stepping away from the counter as a family entered to check in.

Nadir came down the stairs and looked at me curiously.

"Christine?"

"We need to talk." I said quietly. He looked at me closely and then gestured towards a sitting room. It was empty and we took two seats by the window.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, somewhat guardedly. I put my helmet down and looked at him.

"I'm really not sure. Erik told me how he knows you but… he won't tell me anything about his past. I've known him for months now and know nothing, apart from what happened with Don Juan Triumphant."

"Why won't he tell you?" Nadir asked carefully.

I held his eye and said quietly,

"He's afraid I'll run. He's always afraid that one day I'm going to look at him and be afraid. Something happened to him and I just want to know what. I don't want him to always be afraid. Because I love him and I don't plan on going anywhere. But I need to know. And he won't tell me."

"What makes you think that I will?" Nadir asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. Erik said you were friends once. I'm hoping that you'll trust me enough to tell me what happened."

Nadir considered me carefully and I said,

"What about Erik's mother? Is she alive?"

"Oh, she's alive. Married, with a couple of children now." Nadir said. And then he leant forward, his dark eyes meeting mine. "What happened to Erik wasn't good. I'm not really sure I should tell you… but you know him better than I do. At least, you know the new Erik better than I do."

"Then tell me about the old Erik." I murmured.

It began with Don Juan Triumphant, he told me. Erik had always been extremely passionate, quick to temper and easily provoked. But the prospect of his opera being performed had brought out a new side to him.

"He was… happy. I think he was, anyway. We were only nineteen but he already knew so much. He was very wise, far beyond his years. His life had been hard but this chance for his music seemed to make up for everything." Nadir told me.

A waiter put two cups of coffee in front of us. As Nadir stirred cream and sugar into his, he said quietly,

"Do you know the opera?"

"Yes, Erik and I have played some of it together."

"Really?"

"He was my music teacher. He heard me sing and offered to teach me." I explained. Nadir looked surprised but asked,

"Well… the girl who played Aminta in the production was called Maralee. I don't recall her second name. But… she was a wonderful singer. Truly one of the best that I ever heard."

He paused to sip his coffee and then sighed.

"Erik adored her. He loved her, he was infatuated. I knew that he planned to ask her to marry him, after the opening night."

"Did she love him?" I asked. Nadir shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't think so. But she knew how he felt about her."

My heart gave a little twinge but I ignored it. Nadir continued. Carefully, slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"He went to see her before the show, but she would not see him. He had to go to his Box, but he asked me to see her, to make sure everything was alright. I went to her room and…"

I knew what was coming. I closed my eyes.

"She was with someone else."

"The actor playing Passarino. Maralee begged me not to tell Erik. I didn't reply and they were called to the wings. I went to Erik's box and he asked me what had happened. I told him."

He hesitated, as though reliving the painful memory. I waited for him to continue. He looked at me sadly.

"He didn't speak. The performance began, and he didn't speak a word. Not a single word. And then… then Maralee started to sing and he just looked at her. The look on his face. So much… betrayal. So much hurt there. After the performance, when the theatre was empty, he went to find her on the stage. I waited outside. There was a crashing noise and I ran in. The chandelier, an enormous piece of work, had fallen from the roof. The theatre caught fire. I dragged Erik out, but he kept trying to get back in."

"Why?" I asked. Nadir met my eyes sadly.

"Maralee was trapped. But I couldn't let Erik back in. He would have died. Maralee was killed."

The words rang in my head. Maralee was killed.

He lost her. He had lost the woman he loved. I couldn't speak and Nadir continued,

"I left a month later. He was a wreck. I only intended to be gone for a few weeks, but I was held there much longer. I kept trying to contact Erik but there was no reply. When arrived back in England, I went straight to London to find him. But there was no sign of him. It took me a while to hunt him down."

It was why he was so afraid of losing me, I realised. But there was one more thing to ask.

"Did… did Maralee ever see him without his mask?" I whispered. Nadir shook his head.

"No one has. I only saw it once and Erik threatened me, if I ever tried to see it again."

I didn't reply and he looked at me.

"You have seen?"

"…Yes." I whispered. There was a lump in my throat and I swallowed hard. Nadir frowned.

"I shouldn't have told you. You're upset."

"No… no, I'm glad you did."

"You didn't know anything about Maralee?"

"No. Nothing." I said quietly.

Nadir sighed.

"When I heard you say Erik's name in the supermarket, I knew it must be him. But… I couldn't understand how you knew him. And then I found out that you were… involved."

"Is that so unbelievable?" I asked. He frowned slightly.

"A little. I didn't believe Erik would ever love again. Not after Maralee."

"What did he say to you, in the kitchen?"

"He was furious at me for coming. He wanted to keep me away, I don't know why."

"He told me that he didn't want you to see me. Why?" I said. Nadir shrugged.

"I can only imagine he wants to protect you from what happened."

We fell silent. I looked at my cooling coffee and then asked,

"What was she like? What did she look like?"

"Flaming red hair, right down to her waist. Clear, dark eyes. She was beautiful." Nadir said. "She sang like an angel and she could break a man's heart with a smile."

"He said he's done things he's not proud of. What…?"

"I told you he was an angry man. God help anyone who crossed him."

"Who? Who crossed him?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.

Nadir looked at me for a moment and then said,

"His name was Jon. He played Passarino."

"Maralee's lover?"

"Hmm. They were fighting. Jon blamed him for Maralee's death. He hit Erik. Erik punched out and Jon… he fell. Down a flight of stairs. He was in a coma for weeks afterwards, and he didn't remember anything. He was paralyzed."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"Wheelchair bound for the rest of his life. Nobody ever found out what happened. How could they? He couldn't remember a thing."

"What about Erik?" I asked. Nadir looked at me frankly.

"He ran. He came here."

"No!"

"He was afraid. But don't get me wrong, Christine, Erik isn't a coward. That man suffered far more than most people, even by the age of nineteen."

I stood up sharply. Nadir stood too.

"I have to go." I said, picking up my helmet.

"Where?"

"I have to see him!"

"And what are you going to say?" Nadir demanded.

"I don't know! But I have to see him! I just… I just left him there!"

And with that I ran out of the hotel.

I burst through the door to the Manor.

"Erik!" There was no reply. I ran down to the kitchen, but there was no one there. I dashed back up to the entrance hall and ran to the music room.

"Erik where are you?" I shouted.

I heard a noise and rushed to the library. Erik opened the door just as I got there and I threw myself at him, kissing him desperately.

"I'm so sorry, Erik, I'm so sorry!" I gasped between kisses. I buried my face in his shoulder, clinging to him.

"Christine, what…?"

"I just… I…"

I fell silent, my hands still on Erik's neck, tangled in his hair, my body pressed against his. Because I'd suddenly noticed Police Officer Matthews, standing by the fireplace. I stared at him. He smiled.

"Good afternoon, Miss Daae."

I gasped and let go of Erik, my face going a terrible shade of red. Erik said,

"Officer Matthews is here for us to sign statements."

"Oh… right…" I said weakly. Matthews passed me a piece of paper.

"If you'd just like to sign this, I'll be on my way." He said, clearly trying not to laugh. I quickly signed the paper. Matthews nodded to us both and left.

I stared at my feet, horrified. Eventually I glanced sideways at Erik. He was leaning against the wall, watching me, his hand on his chin. A smirk was spread across his mouth. I couldn't help it. I started to laugh. Erik joined in, that deep gorgeous laugh that I adored.

"I can't believe I just did that!" I gasped. Erik sighed, still smiling.

"Only you, Christine, could have managed it."

I smiled helplessly. Erik smiled back and said softly,

"I was worried about you. Where were you? You forgot to take your mobile phone." My smile faded. I said, hesitantly but determined,

"I was… I was with Nadir."

The smile faded from his face and his eyes narrowed dangerously. But I stood my ground.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what, exactly?" Erik said in a dangerously calm voice.

"About Maralee and-"

He turned away abruptly. I pressed on.

"About Maralee and Jon. About what happened. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because what happened was something I wanted to forget."

"Why did you think that I would hate you? Even that first night, when I saw you without the mask, you thought I'd hate you. Why?" I asked.

"Because she did."

I stared at his back.

"I thought… I thought she hadn't…"

"She demanded it. Demanded to see what was under the mask. So I showed her. I didn't… I thought she loved me. I was a fool."

He kept his back to me, hunched over. His hand lifted to his face as he continued, in an angry, trembling voice.

"She screamed. She kept screaming. I tried to stop her. But I couldn't. I was shaking her, shouting for her to stop and she kept hitting out at me. She couldn't bear to see my face. She was trying to get away but I held her tightly. She was struggling, hitting me, telling me she hated me."

I took a step towards him.

"Erik-"

"I threw her down. Told her I had given her what it was that she wanted. She just… she just lay there, weeping with fright and disgust. I threw the ring at her. Told her that I had loved her. And do you know what she said?"

"…No…" I whispered, trying to staunch the tears on my face. Erik laughed mirthlessly, still keeping his back to me.

"She said… I could never love someone like you. I could never love that face."

I put my hand over my mouth to stop the rising sob from sounding. Erik continued to laugh, no humour in it, just laughing for the sake of laughing. That laugh sent a shiver down my spine. God, I was afraid. I was afraid of him. Of what he might do, of what he was saying…

"Please stop." I whispered. Erik stopped laughing and turned slowly to face me. His face was cold and fire burned in his eyes.

"You wanted to know, Christine. So I'm telling you."

"Erik, I'm sorry for what she did to you."

"Or are you sorry for what I did to them?"

I swallowed and stepped back. Erik stepped towards me and I froze.

"Erik, come on. I'm sorry for bringing all of this up but I… I just wanted to know why you were so afraid."

He didn't speak. He just watched me. Slowly, the anger in his eyes faded away and he buried his face in his hands.

"Christine…"

"It's OK. It's OK." I said, moving towards him. He didn't lift his face. I put a hand, almost nervously, on his shoulder. He jumped as I touched him but I quickly put my arms around him, holding him tightly.

"Please don't be angry anymore." I whispered.

In anger unkind words are said
That make the teardrops start
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold, cold heart?

A/N: Wow, I'm betting you all kinda hate me right now. Hee hee, never mind! Please leave a review. Several people pointed out to me that Persia doesn't actually exist. I knew I should have taken geography. Lol, sorry about that. Someone also asked me how long this story is going to be. I'm not going to answer that. Because I didn't expect it to get this far, frankly. And also, every time I've tried to predict the length of the story it's always turned out wrong. I thought one of my other stories would be about twenty chapters – it's currently on chapter 64. But I've still got a lot of ideas to get through in this story! And we're already on Chapter 30… wow. That's a lot of chapters.

Anyway, please leave a review, really appreciate it! And for anyone who's reading my other story 'The Phantom of the Opera', the next chapter is coming soon! I promise! Lol

Lotsa luv 'n' huggles

Katie