CHAPTER 35

Getting Christine and Meg out of the Opera Populaire proved to be easier than Philippe had thought. The back of the opera house was not scheduled to be restored for several months. With the help of his driver, they brought the girls out of the building and into the carriage, undetected. Philippe bound the girls tightly with rope he found discarded backstage as they made their way to his holiday property in Fontainebleau. Preparations would need to be made overnight in order to bring his plan to fruition.

The ride to Fontainebleau was a made in relative silence. Christine and Meg remained unconscious and the only noise that could be heard was the gallop of the horses and the steady knock of the carriage as it made its journey across town.

Reaching the property, Philippe and his driver carried the girls into a guest room upstairs. Once they were deposited upon the king size four-poster bed, both men exited the room and Philippe locked it with his key.

Turning to his driver, Philippe said, "We will be staying here tonight, until arrangements can be made."

Philippe's driver looked at his master with concern and asked, "I beg your pardon, Comte, but should we not get a doctor to attend to their injuries?"

"They will be tended to in La Rochelle. For now we will make due with what we have here on the premises." Philippe said simply.

"But Comte, with no attending staff, how are we…" Alphonse was sharply interrupted.

"Alphonse, I ask that you do not question my authority, nor do you concern yourself in this matter, other than what I command of you. Do I make myself clear?" Philippe dictated.

The look Philippe gave his driver made him feel very uneasy. Alphonse nodded, "Of course, Comte, my apologies."

"I shall be in the study. Ready my quarters and bring me some tea when you are done," Philippe ordered, then made his way down the stairs.

Philippe had finished his letter to be sent to the Chateau de la Fontenelle in La Rochelle. Leaning against the back of his leather chair, he held the letter up and went over it once more.

Madame Brigitte,

I have need of your services, which must be handled in a discreet manner. You will find that what I have to offer will be very rewarding. If you would kindly hold court with me upon my arrival to Chateau de la Fontenelle, I would like to go over the details with you. It is of great importance that this transaction be completed forthwith and I ask that you keep this matter between us.

I look forward to seeing you.

Comte Philippe de Chagny

Pleased with himself, he reached across his desk, placed the letter in an envelope, and secured it with his seal.

Alphonse called to his master from outside of his study, tray in hand. "Comte, I have your tea."

"Entrer." Philippe called.

Entering the room, Alphonse set the tray down before his master. "Your quarters are ready, Comte. Will you be in need of anything else before I retire?"

"Non, but I will have you stay in the adjoining room from our guests, so that you can alert me to any mischief, should they awaken." Philippe stated.

"Very well, Comte. Bonne nuit." Alphonse replied and excused himself.

Meg slowly opened her eyes. She could barely remember what had happened to her. As she looked hazily around her, she didn't recall where she could possibly be. Her head was pounding and as she brought her hand up to try and brush her hair from her face, she realized her hands were bound tightly together. Everything started to come back to her now, her after noon with Raoul, her trip to the opera house, and her run in with Philippe.

"Philippe! He has done this!" she thought as her eyes widened. Seeing somewhat clearly, she noticed she was not alone in the bed she lay upon.

A mess of brown curls was sprawled about the bed.

Meg gasped as she realized who it was. "What is Christine doing here?"

"Christine!" Meg whispered frantically as she nudged at her friend's back. "Christine? Wake up, mon ami, please!" Nudging her a few more times she noticed a stain of crimson on the pillow Christine's head was on. "Mon dieu! This cannot be happening. Please, Christine, you must wake!" Meg pleaded as she began to cry.

Christine stirred slightly as a low moan came from her throat.

"Thank you, God!" Meg whispered as she sniffled her tears back, trying to compose herself. "Christine, can you hear me?" Meg hoped.

"M-Me-Meg?" Christine mumbled.

"Oui, mon ami. I am here. Just try to relax, Christine. You have a head injury, but I am unsure of the condition. There is a lot of blood on the pillow, but thankfully you are awake."

Christine tried to lift her hand up to her head, but she was too weak from the loss of blood.

"Our hands are bound, Christine. I don't know where we are, but I know this is Philippe's doing." Meg stated.

"Ph-Phil-ippe?" Christine said in a staggering breath.

"Oui, he is not well. He attacked me in your old dressing room at the opera house. I bit him and his eyes went wild. He struck me across the face and that is all I remember." Meg said in anguish.

Christine moaned again as she turned slowly to face her friend.

Meg brushed Christine's curls away from her face. "Christine, what will we do? We must escape from here! I don't have a good feeling about this." Meg's tears began to flow again in panic.

"Shhhh," Christine cooed softly. "E-Er-ik will co-come." Christine smiled and closed her eyes.

"Christine, how did you get yourself into this? Christine? Christine! Wake up!" Meg watched as her friend fall from consciousness and she was alone again.

She moved closer to Christine and rested her head against her friend, saying a prayer for them both and hoping beyond all hope that they would be rescued soon.

Alphonse had his ear to the door as he heard voices in the room next to his. He had heard everything that was said and he couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach at what he had been a part of. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to betray his master, but he knew this entire situation was wrong. As much as he wanted to do the right thing, he feared the wrath of the man downstairs. He noticed Philippe's demeanor had been unnatural. The look in his eyes had been menacing. Of all his years in his master's service, he had never witnessed such lunacy. The only thing he could do for now, was get some sleep and not mention the conversation he had heard between the two captives in the room next to his.
Philippe finished one more letter and went over it as he did the other.

Marcel,

You and your brothers are to meet me at my holiday home in Fontainebleau immediately upon reading this message. It is time to repay your debt to me. I shall give you all the details once you arrive. Do not delay, Marcel, or I will have your head on a silver platter by nightfall.

Comte Philippe de Chagny

Philippe smiled eerily as he secured the letter with his seal. Yawning, he decided to adjourn to his quarters and get some rest for the day to come.

Author's Note
Pertie, thanks for the wonderful review as always. -hugs- wiseupjanetweiss, the reaction is in the next chapter. -wink- Hearts Aflame, here is your "update update" -giggles-

Disclaimer
I have no affiliation, rights, nor do I profit from the Chateau de la Fontenelle. Yes, it is a real place and has been around for many centuries now. It's a beauty of a place.