Chapt 2
Vicomte Erik sat in the car silently with Mme Giry, both their minds silently going over what could be transpiring at that moment. Only glances at each other showed their concern. They had passed the cousin's car like ships in the night after dropping his father off at the gated entrance to the cemetery. The Comte said he wanted to calm his mind and walk for a while by himself. His father hadn't been back to see Christine's resting place since the monument he'd created was placed in its honored spot.
With seeing Raoul at the auction and wondering why he had allowed Mme Giry to stop bidding on the music box, Erik was pondering his reactions. "What could Raoul possibly want with the memories the box must provoke in his tortured mind? Poor man, he looks terribly ill." Erik actually felt pity for him. "Maybe it is the time to make amends", as Christine calmly had told him before she died, "it was time to burn bridges once again and let the past just die."
As Erik slowly strolled through memory lane, he contemplating the black-ribboned rose he was holding along with the ring he'd attached. "Ah, you hold so much meaning little ring." It had been exchanged so many times; between Raoul and Christine, between Christine and Erik . . . "and how ironic it is that you should now be exchanged between my self and Raoul!"
Erik was startled from his thoughts by an approaching vehicle. He turned to see why his son had returned so soon and noticed it wasn't their car, but another. He squinted his eyes against the glare of the headlamps and discerned an elderly man in the back seat – "Raoul! How things work together . . . Christine, my Angel of Music, you must be orchestrating in heaven now!"
Quickly Erik hid behind the closest statue and slowly followed in the shadow of trees and the like the car's advancement up the gravel drive towards the Daae mausoleum. The car stopped in front of Christine's marker and the driver and nurse got out to assist Raoul into his wheelchair. The chair was pushed forward to rest in front of the marker. When the driver proceeded to assist Raoul out of the chair, Raoul gently refused the helping hand and stood up on his own. Holding the cherished music box, Raoul walked forward toward the marker.
Erik had situated himself behind a thick tree to have a closer view of what was happening and try to overhear anything that might be said, but all Raoul did was bend forward to place the box on the step of Christine's monument and then stand quietly. In that moment Erik quickly went directly behind the marker. He reached carefully down to place the rose to Raoul's left on the same step as the music box. Just as swiftly he moved back into the shadows behind another statue a few yards away; all while Raoul contemplating the inscription on the marker and the memories flitting through his mind. In this spot Erik stood, in order to see if Raoul noticed the rose yet not be seen . . . and Raoul did!