Chapter 15

They arrived at the Chagney estate (Ils ont arrive a la Chagney maison) just before nightfall. The sun was shooting blood red streaks across the sky, something Christine knew Erik would be admiring very much. The mansion was extremely large a, the size of a city block all together and four stories high. It was a white marble color and the sunset glistened off of the wet stone and windows. The carriage went through the double gates and stopped at the front door. Raoul stepped out first and held his hand out to help Christine out of the carriage, only this time he kissed her hand before letting go. They entered a grand foyer that was supported by a number of tall pillars and a beautiful grand staircase. Gold seemed to trim every thing in the room including the large vase of white roses that stood in the middle, in-between the staircase and the door.

"Welcome back from your travels!" a voice said from Christine's right. A man who had similar features to Raoul, but who was slightly portly and no where near as handsome as Raoul stood in a fine suit waiting for a response.

"Hello brother and thank you! This is Mme. Christine Daae who I have told you, such wonderful things about!" Raoul stood with a large smile on his face, but he was the only one. His brother had a slight frown on his face as he recognized who the young woman before him was. Christine equally put off by him just stared as he took her hand and kissed it.

"My name is Christophe and you are welcome to call me that." he gave a forced smile as did Christine for Raoul's sake.

"Well is dinner prepared?" Raoul quickly led Christine towards the dinning room with his brother fuming behind him.

After dinner Raoul took Christine to the observatory on the fourth floor. It was breath taking to see the sky that night for all of the storm clouds from that day had cleared leaving a night sky full of bright, sparkling white stars.

"I hope that dinner was to your liking. You didn't appear to like some of it."

"Oh I enjoyed it very much it's just that I was trying to save room for everything. I did not want to offend my gracious host." Christine added a slight note of sarcasm, but Raoul seemed to have missed it completely. The truth was Christine couldn't even stand the smell of some of the dishes, because of the little one fussing inside of her, but she tried her best to play it off.

Raoul began to rock on his heels and then pace from window to window. "Is everything alright Raoul?" Christine was growing annoyed with him.

"I suppose...no, everything is not alright. Why did you not want to spend time with me on the ship? Is there someone else Christine?" Raoul took both of her hands in his and looked at her desperate for an answer.

"Raoul I am sorry, but there is someone else and I am afraid that you and I were just never meant to be." She tried to give him a smile, but his eyes instantly turned cold and frightening.

"Who is it and what can they possibly offer you that I cannot?"

"Love Raoul! I love you as a friend, but nothing more. Why can't you understand that? There is nothing between us and there never will be!" Christine pulled away from him, but he grabbed her and pushed he against the wall with both hands clutching her shoulders.

"You will have me Christine! You will be my wife! Tell me who it is damnit or you will regret it!" He held her tighter against the wall causing pain to shoot up her arms and back.

"Let go of me! I won't tell you anything! It is none of you business! Now let go!" but it was no use. Something had snapped inside Raoul's mind and he was far from being rational.

"You whore! Let me guess is it one of the managers at the opera house or are you just a common tramp and anyone will do? I bet you would even sink as low as to service the Opera Ghost!" Tears began to come to Christine's eyes as Raoul continued to torment her. "That disgusting vile thing would suit you nicely. You know rumor has it that you go to him every night and he helps you with your singing, but maybe he is helping you with a bit more than that." Raoul roughly put his hand on her breast and pressed himself to her.

"Do not speak of him that way!" Christine was trapped, but his words were hurting her more than he touch.

"You make it sound like you do know him personally! So it is true, you are the Opera Ghost's slut!" With that he struck her across the face sending her falling hard to the floor. She clutched her abdomin and gingerly touched the side of her face that was already beginning to sting.

"Raoul please stop this! You are hurting me!" she said through unwanted tears.

"I told you Christine that you would be mine and you will be no matter what it takes. If you had just accepted this then I would not have to put you in your place!" He crouched down over her and brushed her hair out of her face. His eyes began to skim over her body as his hands stroked her arms and face. "You have grown to be quiet beautiful Christine and how I admire a woman of beauty."

"Don't touch me! I'll scream and wake everyone up!"

"And they will think that I am simply bedding a common street whore. You cannot deny me what is rightfully mine Christine." Raoul quickly bent over and kissed Christine roughly on the lips, forcing his tounge inside of her mouth. She tried to move away, but he caught her and pinned her to the floor. Her screams were muffled as Raoul continued his assault on her body. Raoul left her lips and began sucking and biting her neck. Out of breath and unable to move she hoarsely begged him to stop.

"Please Raoul this isn't right. If you won't stop for my sake, please then for my child's!"

Immediately Raoul stopped to see if he had heard her right. He looked up into her eyes which were watery with fresh tears. Suddenly the window behind them opened and a tall black figure stood above them.

"Who the..." Raoul's mind went black.

"Erik oh God please help me!" Raoul's weight was crushing her now that he was unconncious. Erik threw Raoul off of Christine and lifted her off of the ground. She watched as he began to carry her out of the mansion before she also passed out.

Erik couldn't believe what he was seeing when he came to check on Christine. At first he thought that she was enjoying it, but then he saw her tears. He managed to escape the house with Christine laying limp in his arms and make it to the carriage he had waiting around the corner. He was so angry and scared all at the same time that the only thing he could do was hold her close to him and let his tears silently fall. He was already plotting his revenge for Raoul in his mind when they reached his lair beneath the opera house.