Erik notes: If you have enjoyed my story, please vote for my darling Gabrina. She has kindly offered up her mind for my amusment and has posted at least every three days, with many updates every single day. Voting has opened on www freewebs (dotcom backslash) phantomficawards (see Gabrina's website which is linked to her profile). You may also email Gabrina at mollymeows (at) aol.

We are excited to be in second place. We appreciate your votes so much! And we thank you for the nomination, but most of all for reading!

Ch 59

They were speaking, the vicomte and Alexandre. My son, I reassured myself though it had become difficult to believe once I saw them framed in the doorway. Alexandre stood at a distance but he nodded politely while he clung to Julia.

I didn't want them to think I was eavesdropping, so I made my way through the parlor and along the wall until I stood with my back to the lake. They couldn't see me standing there but the acoustics carried their voices to me. It was pathetic and dishonorable of me to stand there listening but I didn't give a damn. I wanted to know what they said. I needed to know if I would have to kill the vicomte in the cellars as I had wanted to nine years ago.

"Are you educated?" I heard the vicomte ask.

He wanted to know what sort of tutor Alexandre would need once he took him to live with his daughters.

"Yes."

"Privately?"

"Yes, sir."

"What is the name of your teacher?"

"Monsieur Lowry."

"Charles Lowry?" the vicomte asked, his words thick with surprise.

"Yes, sir. Madame Lowry is married to him. I call her Aunt Meg."

"Charles Lowry is your tutor?"

"Yes, sir." For Alexandre, this was amazing patience. He despised people asking him the same questions over and over.

The vicomte paused. "How on earth did he acquire Charles Lowry? I had no idea he was still teaching. The dean at Oxford would be livid to know he's teaching one child in Paris." He must have turned to Julia.

"A very bright child, Monsieur. Erik spares nothing for Alexandre," Julia replied.

"I see. Alexandre, what interests you most?"

"Egypt, sir. And the Algerians now." He was excited, agitated by the notion of sharing his love for Africa. I only hoped he wouldn't mention what he had done at the Algerian Village Exhibit.

"Did you go the Exhibition?"

"Yes, I did. That's how I saw the Algerians."

"Who attended the Exhibition with you?"

"No one."

Another pause. If he dared to hold this against me, I would strangle him with my bare hands.

"Aren't you a bit young to be off on your own?"

"Yes, I wasn't supposed to be there. I didn't tell anyone."

"Have you been punished?"

Alexandre groaned. "Nooooo. Not yet. But I will be. Father never forgets anything."

Thank you, Alexandre, I thought with a roll of my eyes.

"How does he punish you?"

"He tells me not to do it again." He imitated my voice in a baritone growl. "'Alexandre! What were you told? Have you ears, child?'"

"Hush, Alex, that's rude," Julia said. She knew I was listening. She had probably turned to see if I was blatantly standing there listening in on their conversation.

"Well, he does," Alexandre protested.

"Would you like to visit Africa someday?" the vicomte asked.

"With my father, perhaps," Alex answered.

I shuddered at his words. The vicomte would be more than willing to take his new son around the world.

"Or maybe with my wife someday."

No one spoke for a moment. I leaned into the cave wall and waited for the vicomte to make his beautiful offer.

"Monsieur de Chagny, I know your daughter died in Africa. I would like to see where she is buried some day."

"She was buried in Northern France, though I appreciate the sentiment. When you are older I will be certain to give you the name of the cemetery."

"Her name was Suzette."

"Yes, that is her name," the vicomte answered.

"She would be…my part-sister?"

"Half-sister," Julia corrected. "Or…I'm sorry, Monsieur?"

"You may call her your sister if you wish, Alexandre," the vicomte replied.

I closed my eyes and exhaled. What a perfectly executed plan. The vicomte was quite sly in offering his family to Alexandre by offering him siblings first. Alexandre had always been a content single child but he might enjoy a sister or brother. Lisette had been a nice playmate but I didn't know if he thought of her as sisterly or if he had developed more complicated feelings for her.

"You may call Lola and Isabella your sisters as well."

I wondered if he had a deed in his pocket or a contract waiting in his carriage to make Alexandre his son. He was advancing with haste to take him away. Julia was doing nothing to moderate his words, which irritated me.

"What's the difference between a sister and a half-sister?" Alex asked.

"Alex," Julia warned. "Don't ask questions."

"No, he's perfectly fine. I appreciate a question from an intelligent young man," the vicomte said with his jovial tenor voice. "What do you think the difference is?"

"She's only half-related to….me?"

"Not exactly. A half-sibling would mean you shared only one parent."

"Oh. How does that happen?"

I pursed my lips together to keep from laughing aloud. The vicomte had stepped into the curiosity of a boy on the verge of turning nine, a child becoming more and more aware of the female body. If de Chagny had wanted this, God help him. He would need it when it came to Alexandre's relentless questions.

"Well….it's….when a mother and a father…." The vicomte started. He cleared his throat. "Perhaps that's a question your father would rather answer."

My lips parted in a gasp. Raoul de Chagny admitted it. Alexandre was my son, not his. My child, not his heir. I nearly sank to the floor and wept in relief.

The vicomte continued. "Well, I apologize for taking up so much of your time, Monsieur. It was a pleasure speaking to you."

"Did you apologize to my father?" Alex asked quickly.

"I…oh….no. No, I didn't."

"You should."

"Alex," Julia warned again. "Thank Monsieur de Chagny for speaking with you."

"Thank you for speaking with me," Alex said reluctantly. "Will you apologize to my father for hurting him?"

"Alexandre!" Julia scolded.

"Isn't that what a gentleman would do?" Alex asked.

"Yes, most certainly, Monsieur, I will offer my apology at once. You are a very bright young man, Alexandre. I'm sure you make your father very happy."

They continued to speak as I lumbered away from the wall and attempted to appear inconspicuous near one of the tables. I dusted off an old composition which crumbled in my hands.

"Monsieur," the vicomte said to gain my attention.

He entered cautiously with Julia and Alexandre staying behind. Poor Alexandre appeared exhausted, which served him right for disappearing from home. He leaned into Julia with both arms around her and closed his eyes.

I said nothing as he approached. He stared at the right side of my face with stifled repulsion evident in his eyes.

"Alexandre is a wonderful young man. His education impresses me greatly," the vicomte said. He stood with a certain stiffness attempting to mask his disappointment.

"He will go on to school in a few years and be the head of his class," I said confidently.

"Yes, I believe he will." The vicomte paused and took a breath. "My wife—Christine—if she was herself, would agree that Alexandre deserves the very best."

"Which I have provided," I defended myself.

The vicomte held up his hand. "Yes, I realize this, Monsieur. I'm not disagreeing with you. But I have two things to offer."

First, I want to steal your son. Second, I would ask for your forgiveness.

"No," I said suddenly, agitated by my own assumptions. "No, I don't want anything from you."

Julia sighed from the doorway.

The vicomte lowered his voice. "You can guess how much I would like to take Alexandre with me and raise him myself."

This was it. He was going to make me kill him.

"His attributes displayvirtually nothing either of us can claim physically. I would like to say he has my nose, but at the same time he has your smile. When I saw you with him…the look on his face… We would be mad to pin either of our features to him. Physically he's his mother's son.His intelligence--"

Insult me, damn you, I thought. Give me a reason to string you up, you miserable whelp.

"He shows much of your boundless intelligence. I, of course, don't know your level of education but regardless, he seems very much like you."

His compliment still irritated me. I wanted him to leave me alone. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to consider something. You don't have to agree or disagree now, but please listen to me. I've thought about this all night." He waited a moment but I said nothing.

"I would like to make him an heir of sorts. Not as my son," he added quickly. "But as a….more of a nephew. My brother never had children but I believe I could pass Alexandre off as a Chagny in time. My brother has been dead nearly ten years. By the time Alexandre is of age, he could be claimed as my brother's son without consequence. If, of course, you would have Alexandre inherit estates and responsibility, Monsieur."

"Your family name, your family estates and your family's responsibility," I snapped. "What purpose would it serve?"

"For you?"

He had turned it around on me. I suddenly felt very selfish for asking. "He has an inheritance. His last name will be respected, if that's your concern. Already it is known. You've heard of the composure E.M Kire, haven't you?"

He nodded.

I gave an exaggerated bow.

He thought a moment. "Your first name spelled backwards? Clever."

"Alexandre needs nothing from you or Christine."

The vicomte made no reply. He stood grinding his teeth and looking off to the side. When he saw Alexandre, he stepped farther into the room and looked back at me, lowering his voice.

"If you want to argue, by all means, argue. But if you can put aside the past for one damned moment….I want to do what is right for Alexandre. I know he cannot live with his mother. I know this and I hate it. But I will not attempt to take him. His place isn't with us."

"And you question my child-rearing?"

"Did you think I would not? After everything that happened, did you think I would assume this child was cared for?"

He had a point. Damn him.

"You have my word. I will make no attempt to bring him into my household," the vicomte said. "I will offer my respect by recognizing Alexandre as your son. Your son with Christine." His voice trembled. "And as Christine's son, as my wife's son, he should have access to funds that will be given to her children."

I started to protest.

"Please, let me finish," he insisted. "I want to do this. For Christine. If she knew him the way she should know him, she would want this. I know she would want to see her son provided for in every way. Please consider this."

He wasn't going to allow me to say 'no'. "I'll take it into consideration," I said at last. He was more difficult to silence than Alexandre.

The vicomte seemed satisfied. We stood in silence for a moment. I heard Julia speaking to Alexandre. He wanted to return home.

"Your son wants me to apologize to you. I gave him my word that I would do so."

"So I heard."

The vicomte didn't appear surprised that I had eavesdropped. Given our history it was expected.

He gave a curt nod. "Would you accept my apology?"

"For Alexandre's sake, yes, I would." With my son looking on, I accepted his handshake.

The last of my demons had left me. It was time to take my son home.

I turned toward Julia and Alexandre and realized there was still a demon left, one standing between Julia and me.

This is not the end. You'll see THE END when it's over. :)