Erik awoke in the middle of the night by someone shaking him. "What is it?" he opened his eyes and looked at Madeline. "I need you Erik. I just feel so cold and lonely." She said. He was a little annoyed that had waked him up because of that, but he smiled.
"What do you want me to do then?" he said and moved closer. "Just hold me. I am nervous." She shivered. Erik put an arm around her. "Listen. You will be a great mother, and everything will be as it should. You have nothing to worry about." He said comfortingly.
Madeline unbuttoned some of her dress and revealed her great tummy. Erik put a hand at her tummy and rubbed it gently. Madeline stopped shivering and felt asleep in Erik's tight grasp. Erik looked at her. She was so beautiful when she was asleep. She was like an angel. He lay down, still rubbing her tummy and fell asleep too.
'Knock, knock, knock.'
Erik woke up. "What is it now?" Once more the maid walked in. "You have visitors today too." She said. "It is Madame Giry and her daughter." Erik didn't even bother to open his eyes. He started to rub Madeline's tummy again. Neither did she open her eyes, but she joined in on the rubbing and smiled.
"I'll just tell them that you are on your way." the maid said and left. It seemed like Madeline fell asleep again because she was lying completely still. Erik opened his left eye and looked at her. He laughed and decided to let her sleep. But there again, he was so tired…He closed his eye and rubbed Madeline's stomach gently again.
Right when he was about to fall asleep, he heard a voice behind him. "Good morning, Erik." He shock and turned around. "But Antoinette, what are you doing here? Oh! And Meg too?" Meg and Ann looked at each other.
"Well, it was obvious that you would never get out of bed, so we came up here to get you out. We wanted to say hello to the new count and countess you see. And maybe take you out for a walk." Snorted Ann.
"Oh." Erik said. He bent over to kiss Madeline and shook her gently. "You must wake up honey. We are going for a walk with Meg and Ann."
Madeline yawned and stretched. She sat up a little and smiled at Erik. Then she was the other two in the room and smiled to them too. "Good morning everyone."
Meg had been silent all the time. She had stared at her aunt's belly since she had gotten into the room. "It is huge!" she burst out. Madeline laughed. "I know, Meg. Can you imagine how it is like carrying this all day long?" Meg shook her head and sat down at the bed to feel it.
Erik went to get dressed and came back with a nice suit and Madeline's cane. "I think you could use that this week, Madeline."
Madeline looked gratefully at him and sat back in the bed. Ann was sitting next to her. "Do you want me to help you get dressed?" she asked the pregnant woman. "Please," said Madeline and got out of the bed very clumsily.
"Ah! It will be nice with some fresh air! We should go for a picnic!" said Madeline once they were outside. They all agreed on this and had a lovely day at the countryside. When they came back, much of the day was left, so they decided to get to the Opera Populaire to see how rehearsals were doing.
"Maybe you ballet-girls could show us your first dance now?" Erik asked Meg. Meg was very enthusiastic about this and was set to find all the other ballerinas to get ready.
"Erik! How wonderful to see you here!" Firmin and André came towards them with big smiled at their faces. "And you brought Mademoiselle Madeline. Do you want to see some of the new opera now? I must say it is getting rather marvellous." Said Firmin and led them over to some seats.
Firmin was right. The opera was rather marvellous. They clapped when the cast finished and Erik got up to the stage to say a few words before they went home. He spoke about how wonderful the management was. And he praised the cast for working so hard.
"And then I will ask the woman in my life, Madeline to come up here for a minute." Madeline looked at him with big eyes. She stumbled up to the stage. "Madeline, this is something I have waited to do for a long time now." He said.
He went down to his knees and held forth an astonishingly beautiful diamond ring. "Madeline, will you give me the honour of marrying me?" Madeline did not even think about the answer. Erik knew what the answer would be, so he just put the ring on her finger.
The crown clapped and cheered. The couple kissed and just stood there for about ten minutes whispering to each other before they got ready to go home.
"Maybe I should come and live with you for the last week?" said Ann. "So when Madeline are going to give birth, you can be with her and I can go get a doctor." Madeline nodded at once. Erik nodded too and Ann followed them home.
"Now, Ann. Just do anything you like while you stay here. I am just going to bed now, but feel free to get something to eat or something to drink." Madeline said, very hospitable once they were back in the house. "I think I'll do the same." Erik said with a yawn and followed his future wife up the stairs.
Erik woke up. It was pitch black. He looked at Madeline and understood immediately what was going on. Erik then ran into Ann's room and woke her up. "Now is the time for you to get the doctor. Hurry!" he ran into his bedroom again to make Madeline feel more comfortable.
Ten minutes later, Ann burst through the bedroom door with the doctor in her heels. As Erik was holding one of Madeline's hands Ann rushed over to take the other. Madeline screamed and both of them stroke her forehead and tried to keep her as calm as possible.
Three hours later, the doctor packed up his things. In the bed was Madeline with two of her new borne triplets. She was tired but smiled with tears of joy in her eyes. Beside her sat Erik with the third child in his arms. He looked down at the little creatures in the blankets. "They are beautiful," he whispered. "You did very well, my dear." He kissed Madeline.
Ann decided to leave the parents alone so she followed the doctor out and got back to bed.
The next morning Antoinette got back to the opera house to tell everyone the news. Meg's eyes got very, very round when Antoinette told her that there were three of them. There were two girls and one boy. Meg could not wait to ask her aunt about the names and jumped up and down.
Everyone at the Opera Populaire was excited to hear about this and Meg had to tell people over and over again. She did not mind though, because she was quite proud.
A week later, Erik came back to work. Antoinette decided to take Meg to see her aunt then. She felt a little sorry for Madeline who had to be alone, and Erik too, could not forget about his three little children at home.
Madeline was still in bed. She smiled as Meg and Antoinette as they came into the room. Meg squealed and ran over to the three little cribs at once. Antoinette, on the other hand, went over to Madeline and gave her a massive hug.
"It is quite strange to see you so thin." she said. "And you are so pale." Madeline sat up a bit more. "Well, I am still trying to get to my feet. The doctor was quite right. A woman at my age having children can be quite hard." She smiled. "But I don't regret it for a single minute. She grabbed her cane and moved over to Meg.
"Do you want to hold one?" she asked Meg and took the boy up to her. Meg held the little baby boy in her arms and sat down at the bed. Antoinette came over to the cribs too. "Here you go." Said Madeline and gave her one of the girls. Madeline took the last girl herself and went over to the bed again to lie down.
"Have you found names yet?" asked Meg and cuddled the baby. "Well, the girl you are holding, Ann, is called Camille, the boy is Marcel and this one here, is Aimee." Madeline sighed. "It is soon feeding time now, so if you would want to help me, it would be great. The milk will be finished warmed up by my maid. Erik wanted me to get an own maid to help me, but I can't leave them to people I don't know, so I am lucky that you came."
Antoinette got lost in the little sleeping being in her arms. One by one the children woke up. They all screamed and Antoinette could see why Erik wanted Madeline to have as much help as possible. Madeline was near crying at the end. The children finally fell asleep after being fed and Madeline went down to have something to eat while Antoinette and Meg watched over Camille, Marcel and Aimee.
"She looks like a wreck mother. I am very sorry to put it like that, but it is the truth. She needs to get to a doctor or something!" Meg burst out. Ann sighed and nodded. "I guess we will have to tell Erik. And I better come here every day too, to take care of her. She needs some help with three children to take care of, and I think the birth weakened her too."
Twenty minutes later they heard Madeline struggle her way up the stairs again. When she came into the room it was like she flew over to the bed and jumped into it. She closed her eyes. Sweat was dripping from her face. She breathed heavily. "Well, I guess Erik will be home soon. Then you don't have to worry about me anymore." She said.
Ann and Meg exchanged looks. Madeline was right. They heard the front door close and soon they heard feet running up the staircase. "Hello, darling! I am home now!" he said as he burst into the room. He checked on his little babies before he went over to Madeline.
He looked at her. He was clearly worried. Madeline reached up to kiss him. "How have you day been?" she asked weakly and smiled at him as she sank back. Erik did not reply on this, but felt her forehead with a concerned look on his face. "You have got a fever! Just get some sleep and I will see them out in the meanwhile." Erik pushed Antoinette and Meg out the door.
"Erik, she can't do it alone. I am moving in again to help her take care of the children. And you need to get her a nurse. She is very ill." Antoinette concluded. Erik agreed. "Just get your things and come back then. And I'll send for a nurse." He said and called for his butler. He told him the case and the butler was off.
"Erik?" asked Madeline as he came into the room again. "It is so painful. Make it stop!" she moaned. Erik sat down beside her. "Make what stop?" he asked her quietly. "Make the pain stop! It hurts so badly. Please, Erik! Just make it stop." Erik suspected that she did not know what she was talking about.
He tried to lay her down a bit, but the blankets were in the way. He removed the blankets and saw a pond of blood. He lost his breath. Ann was back and she came through the doors. She lost her breath too. She flew over to Madeline.
"Erik! Run for help! NOW! I will take care of her! Run!" she screamed at him. He did not move at first but finally stormed through the door. "Oh, dear." She said and moved Madeline over to the other side of the bed. "I don't even have to ask where that blood comes from. You are worse than I thought." She said. She knew that if she kept talking, Madeline would not loose her consciousness.
Later that day, Madeline had been through surgery and was now given some pills so she could sleep better. Erik and Ann took the children with them down to the living room so Madeline would get some peace.
"She will be fine in a couple of weeks, but now, you will keep her calm. The nurse will stay here." The doctor said. He hoped that he had visited this house for the last time now, concerning Madeline's health.
The children grew fast these two weeks and it was clear that they missed their mother. Madeline did not do anything else than lie in her bed. She was not very much company as she slept most of the time too.
One day when Ann could not get Camille to stop crying, Madeline came down the stairs. She took Camille and the baby stopped at once. Ann looked stunned. Madeline sat down in an armchair. Erik came home from work and saw her sit there. He looked at Ann and when she looked as stunned as him, he went over to her.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked her as he seated beside her. She rocked Camille and replied, "I am perfect. You can have me back full time now." She smiled. She gave Camille to Erik and went up the stairs to change.
"What has gotten into her?" he asked Ann. She just shook her head. "She really does look better, you know. Her cheeks are rosy again and she smiles. She actually smiles!" Erik made some dinner.
"It smells good, Erik!" said Madeline as she wrapped her hands around his waist. He kissed her and they forgot all about the food. Ann came into the kitchen. "Something smells burned…" she said. "Would you two stop? The dinner is ready now!" she said to Madeline and Erik.
They moved into the dining room to eat and have a nice chat. At the end of the dinner, all the babies started to cry and Madeline flew from the table to get them. Antoinette got to her feet to help, but Madeline said, "Oh don't worry. I'll manage." Antoinette said, "Just call me if you need some help!"
Madeline disappeared through the doors and five minutes later, she came back in. It was quiet. "So, where were we?" she said as she sat down at the table again. "How did you do that?" asked Erik. "Ann and I have to struggle for hours to get them to keep quiet, but you do it in a snap!" Madeline blinked her eye and took a sip of her glass.
Ann went to bed early. The children were back at their parents' room and asleep. Erik and Madeline were alone. "We have a lot to catch up with." She said flirtingly and sat down at Erik's lap. "Indeed we do. I have missed you." He sad and put his glass away.
Madeline bent over him. Erik grabbed her waist and dragged her roughly close into his body. She laughed. "Maybe we should get upstairs before we continue. I don't want to wake up the kids so we can take the room the nurse used." Erik whispered into her ear.
Madeline giggled as he lifted her up and carried her up to the guest room. Antoinette was not asleep yet. She heard Madeline's giggle as the came up the stairs. "She is back. Definitely." She said and raised her eyebrow. Unfortunately, the guest room was right beside Ann's room, so Ann could hear everything they did.
Actually, Ann could only hear Madeline giggle. After they had got into the room, everything was quiet. Ann, however did not wonder what was going on. She just tried to get some sleep. She would maybe try to bring Madeline to the Opera Populaire tomorrow.
In the guest room Erik put Madeline down. She crawled up into the bed and he followed. It had got pitch black by now. Madeline turned to look Erik in the eyes. He looked back at her and smiled sheepishly. He loved this woman so much. She had looked like she was dead two weeks ago, but now she looked indeed very appealing.
The night passed and they shoed their love to each other several times. They did not have any concerns because right now, everything was perfect.