XXV.
Malika entered the church of Notre Dame silently. She had convinced Charles to take her to the church so she could pray for her marriage and for her husband. She sighed, how could she still love him after what he did? She resolved that she would fix the situation, but she would not forgive him so easily.
She kneeled quickly and made the sign of the cross over her chest then sat on one of the pews. Tears began falling down her cheeks as she prayed quietly to God, hoping he would fix their marriage and fix everything that had gone wrong. Why couldn't God have made Erik stronger? Why couldn't things remain the same as before?
"Why is a beautiful woman, such as yourself, crying?" A man's voice interrupted her thoughts. Malika looked up to see a man with striking grey eyes and dark, shoulder-length brown hair. "May I sit with you?"
"Of course." Malika replied as she scooted over on the wooden pew and watched him sit down.
"I see that you are pregnant. I hope you are not crying about having children."
"No. I want my children...My husband and I are supposed to be having twins. At least that is what the doctor said. I still think I am going to have triplets."
"Women usually know how many children they are going to conceive. At least that is what I have heard." He paused, "How rude of me madame. I have not introduced myself. My name is Alexandre Halifax."
"I am Malika Garnier." Malika replied as she watched him take her hand and kiss the top of her hand.
"Ah. Garnier finally settled down. I am surprised. I never pegged the famous architect to settle down. He has a reputation for being rather..."
"Intense." Malika put in.
He laughed softly, "Well I was going to say cruel, but I suppose intense works as well."
"He isn't a bad man."
"But why isn't he here with you? You would think that your husband would accompany you to church in such a state of distress." He paused once more, "Maybe he is the cause of your distress."
Malika's cheeks burned in anger and shame, "That is none of your business monsieur."
"Please forgive me then." He replied in an apolegetic tone.
"No. Forgive me for my anger. I am distressed because of my symptoms. I am praying to God that my pregnancy will go well and that he will take away some of the symptoms I am feeling." She lied.
"I am sure everything will go well. How many months till the children are born?"
"Almost two."
"That is not long. I am sure that time will pass quickly." He commented then glanced at his watch. "Well madame, I must go. I enjoyed our conversation. Do be careful going home."
"I will. Thank you." She replied then watched as he walked back down the aisle.
xxxx
"Anyone can tell that she was angry. She caught him with Marie." Alexandre told Raoul as he sat in a plush chair and sipped some red wine from a glass.
"I told him that just now Alexandre." Marie interrupted. "It was so funny. The look on his face was priceless."
"What about Malika? I am sure she was enraged." Raoul questioned her.
"Terribly so. I was almost afraid that she would tear me apart, the look she had was so...terrifying."
"What is this all about? Why do you intend to ruin Garnier? I admit, I wouldn't mind taking Malika myself. She is a beautiful woman...even more so pregnant. But why?"
"Garnier deserves to be ruined after all he did five years ago. Malika was a slave to him. I am sure of that now. How she could love him is amazing after all he must of done to her."
"So you intend to ruin him by making Malika distrust him?"
"No. I want her to leave him. I want her to destroy him." Raoul replied.
Alexandre swirled the wine in his glass. "And how do you intend to plant this seed of distrust?"
"Our dear friend Marie has already planted the seed, we have to encourage that seed to grow." Raoul explained.
"Does Christine approve of this plan?"
"Christine does not exactly know the entire plan. But i'm sure she would agree that it is for the best."
"What do you intend to do if she leaves him? Surely she has no place to go."
"I will offer her one." Raoul replied.
"Awfully charitable of you." Alexandre commented.
"I will also arrange that you keep meeting her somehow." He paused, "As for you Marie, I am no longer in need of your services. You will receive your payment tomorrow."
Marie nodded then excused herself leaving the two men alone. "Tell me Raoul...what happened between Garnier and you that made you want to do this?"
"Remember the burning of the opera house?"
"Yes. How can one forget? It was the disaster of the year." He responded.
"Ever heard of the Opera Ghost?"
"That was the man who tried to kidnap your wife, correct?"
"Yes. Garnier was that man."
Alexandre nearly spit up his wine. "What!"
"He deserves what he gets." Raoul commented with a tone of hate in his voice.
"What about Malika? Surely you will not support her or her children forever."
"No. She is eighteen according to my inside source. She will be available to marry once we break up the marriage and has her children." He paused, "Why haven't you taken a wife yet?"
"I am looking for that right one." He raised an eyebrow, "You wish for me to seduce her." Alexandre laughed loudly then said, "I think it would be very difficult on a pregnant woman. Besides you are not supposed to have sex with a pregnant woman."
"Who says anything about sex? Seducing is entirely different from sex."
"You know where it leads though."
"Yes. However, you can let her hear exactly what she wants. If you get my drift."
"Yes. I do." Alexandre finished his glass then said, "Alright. I'll do it. I hope you do not blame me if it goes bad though."
"Oh...it won't."
xxxx
Malika sat on the chaise in the parlor knitting a baby garment. Her thoughts on Erik and their marriage. She hoped she could survive the heartache she was feeling. She felt as if she was being torn apart. Her heart could not bear any more heartache. She didn't know what she would do now that everything seemed to be falling apart.
She put her knitting to the side and sighed deeply. She had spent several nights weeping and sobbing in her sleep. How she missed the life she had had earlier. She had promised herself to him when she had married, now she felt as if that bond that they had once shared was broken.
How could they reconcile? How could she forgive him? How would their life return to what it used to be? She suddenly had the urge to see a priest and rushed from her spot on the chaise and found Charles. "Charles, please have the carriage brought to the front...I wish to go to Notre Dame."
"Yes madame." Charles replied then left her.
Malika found her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders then waited in the foyer as the carriage pulled up. She needed to see a priest and she needed to see one quickly.
xxxx
Malika entered the confessional, made the sign of the cross over her chest, then sat on a small bench in the confessional. "Forgive me father, for I have sinned in my thoughts and in my words." She paused, a sob nearly escaping her, "But I have been sinned against Father."
"I am here to listen and give advice if you ask me of it. What has happened that has caused you to sin?"
"I caught my husband with another woman Father. After I made myself known to him I left and went to my room. He followed me and we got into an argument. I said things that I do regret saying...but he hurt me Father. How can I forgive him for cheating on me?"
"There is a saying, 'to err is human, to forgive is divine.'" I have no doubt you will find a way to forgive because you are a devoted wife and soon-to-be mother. The question is, why is your husband not confessing to cleanse his soul?"
"My husband does not necessarily believe in God." Malika explained to the priest.
"He needs to come to confession nonetheless. It will help purify his soul of his past misdeeds."
Malika nodded then dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Do you think our marriage can be saved?"
"That depends."
"On what Father?"
"On whether you are willing to forgive him and whether he is willing to work to save the marriage. The church offers a service for married couples in troubled times. Do you wish to participate?"
"Let me speak with my husband. I am sure he would do anything to save our marriage Father. Thank you for listening to me. I feel relieved."
"You are welcome."
"I am going to pray for a while Father. Thank you again." Malika said then left the confessional and walked to a pew near the front, kneeled, made the sign of the cross once more, then finally sat on the pew. Her thoughts drifted to her husband and how they would be able to reconcile. She wanted to forgive him, but how could she? Her heart was still torn apart from his actions.
"May I sit?" A familiar voice asked her.
"Of course." She eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"
"I figured I would come to pray as well." Alexandre told her. "I am surprised to find you here though, and without your husband."
"Well he is busy building a manor. He cannot always accompany me to church."
"If I had a wife I would surely pamper her and love her and give her everything she could possibly want." He commented.
"Why don't you have a wife...if I may ask?"
"I am waiting for the right one."
"Oh." She asked him. "Have you started looking?"
"No, but I figure I will find her soon."
"I hope you do monsieur." Malika said. She clutched her cross in her hand.
"I would be careful Malika. Being a pregnant woman, you should not be going out on your own. A bad man could take advantage of you."
"Truly a man would not want a pregnant woman unless he happened to be her husband."
"You would be surprised cherie...there are men who commit unspeakable acts against pregnant women. You do not know the mind of a man. It is unfortunate that we seemed to be ruled by our cocks than our minds at times."
Malika laughed softly, "That is the truth."
"It is an unfortunate truth."
She smiled then remembered herself. "Not all men are bad. You cannot judge men by one man. If you understand me."
"Yes. I do understand you. You will be a very wise mother." He paused momentarily then said, "I had better go. Shall I escort you to your carriage?"
"I would appreciate it." She said then took his hand as he stood up and offered his hand.
"Very well. I would not like to see you hurt."
"Don't worry about me. I will be fine." Malika commented, though she wondered if she would be.