Chapter 19
Christine entered the bedroom. She had just put Brigitte to bed (she had been quite tired after the big day). The day had indeed been enjoyable to everyone, which thoroughly surprised Erik. Hardly anyone had taken notice of him. In addition, however, they were all quite tired from much walking; they had done some shopping after they ate.
Erik was changing into his nightshirt as Christine entered the room after putting Brigitte in her room.
"Well cherie, you were correct and I was not; I had a nice time today," he said as he pulled the garment over his head. Christine gave him a bright smile.
"I knew you would," she said, as she sat on the bed and began to undo the buttons of her dress. He settled down in the bed and waiting for Christine to finish changing and join him.
x
deChagny gathered his gun and got into a carriage, refusing the services of a driver this night. He had followed the two home earlier that day, and had made sure he knew the way before departing. Now, he was returning to finish off Erik and take Christine home. What he would do with the child, he did not know yet. He kept replaying his plan in his mind (each time it ended, he had made off victoriously with Christine and the child, who had turned out to be his). Finally, he reached the house, grand yet still modest in a way. He parked the carriage and disembarked; he knocked sharply on the front door, pulling his gun from the interior pocket of his jacket.
x
"Who would be knocking on your door at this hour?" Christine said, as she stepped out of the dress, left only in her chemise and began to look through her trunk for a nightgown.
"I do not know..." he said, rising from the bed and pulling on his robe. Partially due to a strange premonition and partially due to habit, he found his punjab lasso at the bottom of the wardrobe and hid it in a pocket of his robe before descending the stairs and opening the front door.
He was not all that surprised to find the Vicomte deChagny standing there. However, we was rather surprised to find a gun cocked at his head, and to hear his name spoken.
"Hello, Erik," hissed Raoul venomously, entering the house and shutting the door behind him
"Who is it, Erik?" Christine called, grabbing her robe and descending the stairs.
"It's only me, dearest," answered Raoul. "Me, your husband." He did not move the gun as he turned his eyes to Christine.
Christine watched, frozen to her place on the stairs, as Raoul's eyes looked over her body, visible through her open robe and thin chemise. "Raoul... What the hell are you doing?"
"What am I doing, dear? Why, I'm saving you from this monster. I know how he controls your mind. I need you; I won't let you stay with him any longer," he replied, as if he was doing her a favor.
"There's no need for violence, darling," Christine said, her words falsely calm, "You may put the gun away now..."
"No, I really don't think that I should. You can't trust his kind, you know."
She cleared her throat, which had gone dry. "Oh, Erik won't do anything... Will you Erik?" Christine was surprised how calm she was being, but she felt that she had no other choice... Raoul had clearly gone mad.
"No, of course not. We shall discuss this rationally, like civilized people do," Erik said smoothly.
"Well, I do not know if you should speak of being civilized," replied Raoul, "but my arm is getting rather tired." He considered it a moment. "Yes, alright... Sit on the couch," he ordered, lowering his hand but not putting the gun away.
Christine slowly backed to the couch, not able to brush her fear away any longer. Erik made to sit down next to her, but Raoul intervened.
"No, that won't due. Stay away from her now, down at the opposite end... There, well done," he said as he took a seat in an armchair.
"What... What do you want?" asked Christine.
"I want you, my darling," he answered, surprised at her question. "I always have. I want you to leave him, and come back with me, who you truly love." Erik felt rage build within him, but he remained silent
"And if I come back with you? What will you expect from me then?"
He chuckled mirthlessly. "Of course, I will want you. All of you, if you know what I imply," he said with an evil grin; Erik fumed. As an afterthought, he added, "And you should be my loving, mild-mannered wife for the rest of our lives."
"If I come... Will you promise to leave him alone, and the child... I assume you know about her... Will you promise to leave her alone as well?"
"Perhaps, but I do not intend to keep that promise. You see, one is not required to keep promises to another who has broken promises in the past. When we were wed, you promised to love me and stay with me forever, and now look what you've gone and done," he said, nodding at Erik.
"And if I refuse?" she asked after a pause.
"Well, dear, things will not be very pretty. I shall have to kill him, which I might very well do in any case, and I shall have to kill you. Your child as well, perhaps. Tell me, when did you find the time to conceive it? When I was away, on my expedition, enjoying myself?
"Erik, I should think you were a gentleman, but now I am not so certain. Taking advantage of a young girl like that is not very admirable," he added.
Erik employed all his self control to keep from pulling out his punjab and wringing the vicomte's neck... But no, now would not be the right moment... He would have to wait, until there was no danger for himself or Christine. The gun was still out, after all.
"I have one final question, Raoul..."
"What is it, dear?"
"If I refuse to give you my body... Will you make me give it to you?"
"I am afraid I have no other option... A man can't wait forever, you know."
"That's what I thought..."
"Well then, what is your choice?"
She looked over at Erik... She knew she had no choice other than to go with Raoul... Erik's life as well as their child's was far more important than her happiness or freedom.
"I will go with you, darling... It has been so horrible to be without you these past few weeks..."
"Christine..." Erik began, trying to protest. But he knew there was no other choice; if she refused, he would kill both of them. This way, at least she and Brigitte had a chance.
"How do I know that you're being honest, my love?" asked the vicomte.
Christine got up from the couch and went over to him, "Oh Raoul, don't you know I love you?" she said, before kissing him. The vicomte's tongue slid greedily into her mouth; Erik struggled as she gave herself to him. I will save you Christine, he promised silently. I will not let you alone with him for long.
Christine nearly gagged as the vicomte's tongue explored her mouth; she opened her eyes and they met Erik's, a tear sliding down her cheek. Luckily the deChagny did not notice; he went on enjoying the kiss, assuming that she was as well. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Erik, he pulled apart from her.
"Come," hissed Raoul, his voice suddenly quite husky, which made Erik want to vomit. "We must return. I suppose he will be fine if I do not kill him," he said, nodding to Erik. Truthfully, he was unsure if he would even have been able to murder Erik, despite the rage he felt for him, simply because he was truly a coward. He wrapped an arm around Christine's waist, pulling her even further from Erik.
"Come, dearest, it is getting late. We do not want to run out of time tonight."
"Right... Of course not," she said, her voice empty of any emotion. "I need to go retrieve my trunk..."
"I shall get it for you," said the vicomte cheerfully, blinded by his victory, "It is upstairs, correct?"
"Yes."
The vicomte tucked the gun into his lapel pocket and ran up the stairs. Watching until he was upstairs, Erik rushed to Christine and pulled her into his arms. Christine clung to him, feeling her calm demeanor slip away.
"Oh, Erik... I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes.
"Darling, do not despair... Trust me, now." Erik pulled apart from her as the vicomte returned with the trunk, resuming his position on the couch as if he had never moved.
"Say goodbye, darling," ordered Raoul as he opened the front door.
"Goodbye, Erik," Christine said, emptying her voice of emotion once more, as she made for the door.
Erik managed to discreetly blow her a kiss before the vicomte tore her from the house.