One heart's darkness
Disclaimer: It ain't mine!
Erik: So, who're you going to dedicate the last chapter to? Did you decide?
Me: It was a tough decision...
Erik: ... and?
Me: ... and so I have decided to dedicate this chapter to all my lovely faithful reviewers, especially Annoying Spirit, Nicole Gruebel, Lonesoul, Doro, An Anti-Sheep Cheese Muffin, LiTTleLoTTe1991, Son Ange and of course everyone else, whoever I forgot!
THANKS so much! Your reviews have made it so great to write this story, I really did a happy dance for every review! I'm not yet sure when the sequel will pick up, perhaps some time before this chapter ends, you'll know why after you've read it. ;) Let me know how you liked it and stay tuned for my next story!
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Madeleine felt anxious. She had no idea as to how her father would take the news of her relationship with Jean, and so she kept imagining horror scenes in which her father threw a fit of outrage and rushed to kill Jean with his deadly Punjab lasso.
To keep herself entertained while waiting in the dressing room, she had brought a book, but she didn't read, she just kept folding the corners of the pages back and forth.
Madeleine was so caught up in her worries that she didn't notice anyone behind her until Jean had crept up, grasped her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek. She flinched, but then a smile lit up her face as she turned around in his arms.
"Why, you look especially lovely today," he complimented her and she felt a blush creeping onto her gaunt face. Her curls were loosely pinned up and the off-the-shoulder dress she wore was made out of burgundy satin.
"Thank you," she whispered. Her eyes sought his before she shyly reached up, clasped her hands behind his neck, pulled his head towards her and brought her lips to his.
They both became so caught up in their kiss that they didn't hear the mirror sliding open behind them and it took the sound of Erik's cold voice to jolt them apart.
"Isn't it considered proper to speak to a girl's father before you attempt to seduce her?"
Madeleine was frightened to look into her father's eyes, so she kept her gaze on the floor. "Please, papa, it was nothing…"
"Can't your young man speak for himself?" Erik asked sharply.
Jean gave a half bow, some strands of his ebony hair fell forward to curl around his face.
"Yes, monsieur, I can speak for myself. I've been meaning to seek you out, but you are rather secretive, if I might add that in my defence." He smiled and the masked man seemed to soften somewhat.
"Madeleine," he advised his daughter, "go home. I'll be along after my discussion with Comte Des Cars."
The last thing she heard after a quick curtsey and a last look of longing at Jean before exiting through the mirror was her beloved's soft baritone, "Please, call me Jean."
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Christine immediately feared that it hadn't gone well after her daughter returned home and hurried into her room without so much as a greeting, so she quickly followed her.
A sorry sight met her eyes, as Maddy lay on the bed in a foetal position, her face buried in her soft feather pillow.
Christine sat down next to her and ran her hand over her child's tousled curls.
"What is it?" she asked gently.
"I have no idea what they are talking about," Madeleine moaned into the pillow, "for all I know, papa could be strangling Jean right at this moment."
Her mother gathered Maddy close and allowed her to sob her confusion into her white lace shawl.
"Shh," she whispered, "it will be alright."
They sat like that for a while, before Christine could persuade her daughter to come and help her with dinner preparations, as they were expecting Raoul and Julie that night.
Madeleine was just busy stirring molten chocolate for the dessert, a white apron tied over her dress, while her mother sliced up mushrooms, when her father poked his head through the door and she dropped the spoon.
His eyes met hers for a moment and he gave an almost imperceptible nod before turning to his wife and announcing, "Jean will be joining us for dinner, if that is all right with you, my dear."
Christine beamed at him, like she had done in the past whenever he had complimented her on a piece of music well sung.
"That's perfectly alright."
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During dinner, Julie kept glancing back and forth between Jean and Madeleine, a puckish smile on her face.
Raoul and his daughter had arrived shortly after Jean and Erik, and they had been more than a little surprised to meet someone else in the sanctuary of the Lescaut family.
Madeleine looked insanely happy and Jean gazed at her with an affection in his eyes that made Julie want to sigh with envy and adoration.
After dinner, witch nobody could really pay attention to, although it had been delicious, Erik assisted Christine in carrying the dishes back from the dining room to the adjacent kitchen.
"So what convinced you?" she asked him after the door had swung shut. Erik didn't have to ask what she was hinting at.
"The look in his eyes," he replied. "I saw the same look in Raoul's eyes the night I locked him and Nadir in the torture chamber. I knew then that he loved you more than life itself and Jean… he is just as hopelessly in love. I can't say I blame him, either," he grinned, "after all, she is our daughter."
A while later, Raoul and Julie had already left and Jean had become properly acquainted with Madeleine's parents, he, too, prepared to leave.
Once more, he assured Maddy of his eternal affection, before stepping into the boat and allowing Erik to guide him out of the maze below the opera.
On the doorstep of the Rue Scribe exit, they shook hands and Erik said, "Very well, monsieur. You may court my daughter." He grinned, "I could imagine worse sons-in-law."
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Summer began like a perfect fairy tale for Madeleine. The weather seemed to mirror her feelings, as the sun was constantly shining and a gorgeous mass of flowers made the gardens of House Des Cars a paradise to walk in.
It was on one of those lovely days that she and Jean were promenading through said gardens. Her light muslin dress was white with mint stripes and a matching hat sat on her chocolate curls.
Jean was dressed fit for the warm weather as well.
The dove grey pants were light and his crisp white shirt was loose, his sleeves rolled up and he had tucked a daisy she had picked early into one of the button holes.
They were laughing and talking, until Jean led her to a carved stone bench between two blooming rose bushes. She sat down, as he asked her to. Jean, however, knelt down in front of her, pulled a little black box out of one pocket and took her right hand in both of his.
"Madeleine," he began and took another calming breath, "I love you… more than anything. I can't imagine a life without you and so… I ask you, would you do me the honour of," another deep breath, "becoming my wife?"
He opened the box and took out the ring. It was magnificent. The silver band split into three thin strands which curled themselves delicately around the sparkling solitaire diamond.
Madeleine was speechless. She let him slip the ring on her finger, but her throat was closed up, so she only wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, tears of happiness on her cheeks.
How, she wondered, as she felt his gentle lips upon hers, could her life have become so very happy in such a short time?
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Julie was enjoying the summer sun as well a few days later. She sat in comfortable chair in her father's park-like garden, with an easel in front of her and a brush in her hand. The picture showed the house with the ivy climbing up the wall and the rich green of the cherry tree under her window.
How she whished she could climb it again, but her heart had been permanently weakened during her illness and any overexertion could cause her serious harm.
She sighed wistfully and returned to her drawing.
It wasn't long, however, before her father came running out of the house, his vest open and his long hair fluttering in the light breeze. He was waving an envelope and a piece of white stationary which was bordered in gold.
"It appears," he announced as he handed her the letter with a grand gesture, "that we have been invited to a wedding!"
And Julie laughed happily as she read the invitation.
"Please join us for the joyous celebration…"
The end
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A/N: This is it! I hope you had a good time reading this. I know I had a blast writing it and I can guarantee that you'll hear more from me:) But I'm going to need twenty reviews on this chapter before I even start the sequel, so push that button!
SO, until we meet again!
Love you all!
P.F.A.