Disclaimer: I tried to kidnap the Phantom, but failed. Therefore, I own nothing.
AN: Another day, another chapter for my glorious readers. I hope that everyone likes this chapter, since there's a bit of conflict happening in it. Please don't hesitate to review and give your opinion. Thanks!
Chapter 10: Shock and Disappointments:
An hour after Erik proposed to me, I felt myself come down from the clouds I had been in, my mind now filled with worry at what would happen once we were indoors. Erik, who had been escorting me towards the house, paused at the sight of my expression, his own eyes filling with concern.
"My love, what is it?" he asked, stopping us a good distance from the door so that no one could hear us. His large, strong hands clutched my own in a protective grip. "What's wrong?"
I began to nibble my lower lip in nervousness. "Erik," I said in a soft voice, my gaze focused on the ground. "Did you ask my father for permission to marry me?"
Silence filled the air, and I couldn't bear to look up into the handsome face of the man I wished to marry. It was clear that Erik either hadn't asked Papa for his blessing, or he had and the offer had been refused. Either way, I knew that my father would not be happy to hear of my now being engaged to Erik, especially not without his approval on the matter.
Strong, but gentle fingers touched my chin, wordlessly asking me to look up, so I did. Erik's wonderful eyes stared into mine, so full of love and tenderness that I wanted to cry. Instead, I bit back my tears and welcomed the feel of his lips against mine. I swore that I could hear my mother gasp from inside the house, but I didn't care. I allowed Erik's hands to grip mine and felt the ring he had just given me slip off my finger. Puzzled, I pulled out of our kiss and gave him a hurt look even as he gave me a reassuring one.
"It is only temporary, ma petite belle," he said, smiling. "We will keep our engagement a secret until I can talk some sense into your father's thick head."
I giggled and smiled happily up at him as he led me back into the house.
Erik only stayed long enough to bid my parents a polite farewell before leaving. It was clear that my father didn't like him for one reason or another, which was likely the reason that my secret fiancé wanted to leave so quickly. As it was, I admired that Erik gave my mother a polite kiss on the back of her hand, shook my brother's hand, and gave my father a polite nod before moving on to me.
Our farewell was a testament that the two of us should be actors or spies. A quick bow and a seemingly innocent kiss on the hand from Erik showed his affection, though he had the nerve to touch the tip of his tongue to my skin. The tiny erotic gesture nearly made me faint in front of my family, but thankfully, I was able to keep myself upright long enough to flutter my eyelashes at him and give him a teasing smile. As soon as he was fully upright, Erik nodded his head to me and stepped into his coach, a gloved hand waving as the horses led him around the bend in the driveway.
After he had disappeared from view, I was ready to go to my room, but Papa's firm hand on my shoulder stopped me. Instead, he led me to his study, which I knew could not be a very good sign. A meeting with Papa so late in the evening, especially when we'd just had a guest for dinner? I held my breath as I took a seat in a chair across from my father, who was currently walking laps around his chair, and appeared to be taking deep breaths in order to calm himself down for some reason. I held my breath as I watched him calm his nerves enough to speak to me.
Finally, Papa stopped pacing and sat down in his large chair, his gray eyes looking at me with such intensity that I knew that I had done something to displease him. My suspicions were confirmed when my father leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach, a deep frown finding its way onto his face.
"Clara," he said, not taking his eyes off of me. "Clara, I love you too much to not be straightforward with you on important matters, one of which has come to my attention."
I gave a hesitant nod at his words, but did not dare speak for fear of saying something that would only get me (or quite possibly Erik) in trouble.
"Clara, what exactly are your…affections for Mr. Rousseau?" Papa asked, looking me straight in the eyes.
At the mention of Erik, I felt ready to sigh with joy. However, Papa's expression told me that it would not be a good idea to do so. Instead, I bit my lip to think of a good and truthful answer.
"I care for him very much, Papa," I said. "And if he were to ask for my hand in marriage, I would not refuse him."
My father's frown deepened. "You may not refuse him, but I certainly would!" he said, standing from his chair with such force that it moved away from him. "No daughter of mine is going to marry a…a…freak of a composer!"
"Papa!" I cried, my hands flying to my mouth in shock. "Papa, how can you say such a thing? Erik is not a freak!"
"Erik, is it?" he said, his eyes narrowing. "Since when do you address him by his Christian name?" When I didn't answer him, he grew angrier. "You speak his name too casually, child, which means that you and he are much closer and more affectionate than I thought. I suppose that it will be a good thing for me to forbid you from ever seeing one another again."
My jaw dropped. "Oh, Father, no!" I said, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. "Please don't do this!"
"I fear I must do this, dearest," Papa said, his tone softening a bit. "He can provide nothing for you; the man has no way of earning money to give you what you need for a future the two of you, and your children, might have together."
"But I love him!" I cried, my tears now falling freely down my face. I pulled out a handkerchief and buried my face in it.
"Love is all well and good, but I will not have you marry a man who may become a beggar within the next several years," Papa declared, his tone harsh and final. "I've heard about the money he spends in town on clothes and art for his home, and with no steady income for you to live off of, the two of you will be out on the street before you can blink!"
I could hear him approach my side, but I did not look up from the veil that my handkerchief provided. A heavy hand landed on my shoulder, gently griping it in what was meant to be a comforting gesture, but instead did nothing more than crush my heart.
"Your mother and I have spoken, and we agree that this is the best solution, Clara," he said softly. "Your mother had thought that this could be a good match for you, but after seeing him be far too forward in his affection and having nothing to give you, we cannot allow this to continue. I'm sorry."
Instead of replying, I pulled away from him and broke into tears, letting my handkerchief fall from my fingers as I ran up to my room.
Erik could not believe the evening he had had. He had not only proposed to Clara, but had been accepted that very night! A woman who had actually looked upon his face and seen who he was had actually agreed to marry him! Closing his eyes, Erik leaned back and savored the moment as his carriage drove towards his house.
'I am engaged!' he thought, smiling to himself. 'I have a fiancée, a kind, beautiful woman who loves me and wants to be my wife!'
Oh, she would be an angel in her wedding dress. True, he had no idea what her ideas for a perfect wedding gown would be, but Erik was sure that whatever she chose would look splendid on her the day they were married. He would offer to help finance the whole event, of course, if Mr. Savoy allowed him to do so. True, Erik knew nothing about wedding traditions from America, but if Clara could teach them to him, he would do whatever was necessary to make their wedding ceremony as perfect as she could hope it to be. For now, though, he must go home and rest so that he could call upon her tomorrow and make a formal offer for her from her father. The man could hardly refuse him if Erik managed to speak to him as a man who wanted to make Clara happy.
Sighing, Erik watched at his carriage approached his house.
The next morning, Erik made sure to have Marcus pick up a bouquet of white roses and lilies for when he visited Clara at the Savoy manor. Once Erik had dressed himself in his finest attire (black coat, cravat, pants, and shoes with a silver-and-gold vest and white shirt), he practically flew into his carriage in order to see his future bride.
The ride to the Savoy's was quite possibly the longest Erik had ever taken. Everything seemed to drag by as the horses moved towards their destination; the scenery seemed to stand still, and the air felt as though it had turned to glue, trapping Erik in some absurd sort of frozen time. Just when he felt as though he were going to loose his mind, he felt the carriage stop.
"We're here, sir," called Marcus' voice as he opened the door for his master.
Erik wasted no time in getting out and approaching the front door. After straightening his cravat and checking on the appearance of the flowers, he nervously cleared his throat and knocked on the door. A black butler answered, his face a mixture of confusion and, oddly enough, a touch of sadness.
"Mr. Rousseau," the man said, his voice hesitant and full of what could only be sympathy. "I'm afraid you can't come in."
The tall masked man could only blink in confusion before regaining his composure. "Then I will return tomorrow," he stated with a slight bow.
"I'm sorry, sir, but Mr. and Mrs. Savoy says that you can't come in here or on the property ever again." Apparently the butler did not approve of these orders, nor of the next ones he spoke of. "And you're not allowed to see Miss Clara, either."
Erik felt his heart stop. Had the elder Savoy's heard about the proposal? No, Clara would not have told them of it until both of her parents approved of it beforehand. So what had happened since last night? He could only hide his anger, frustration, and disappointment until he gained an answer from someone.
"Very well," Erik replied in a soft voice. Before turning to leave, however, he handed the butler the flowers in his hands. "Would you at least give these to Miss Savoy and send her my deepest affections?"
These orders the butler seemed all too happy to carry out. "Yes, indeed, sir," he said, accepting them. "I'll sure do that. These'll cheer her up right quick!" The butler then turned his eyes towards Marcus and gave the other black man a signal, abruptly jerking his head towards the side of the house. "You might want to talk to your driver before you leave, sir," he whispered before bowing and shutting the door in Erik's face.
Confused, the Frenchman looked at his butler/driver. Marcus merely opened the door of the carriage and motioned for him to get in, which he did. As the door was being secured, Erik listened closely.
"I'm gonna go talk to Jacob soon as I drop you off at home, Mr. Erik," he said, fastening the door. "I'll have answers for you right quick, I promise!"
Erik could only nod in reply, the rest of him too busy focusing on his aching heart.
The next morning, I awoke to find a bouquet of flowers sitting on my nightstand. Lilies and white roses, my favorite flowers. I had told Erik in one of our conversations that I enjoyed their scents, and he must have sent them over to me, if not brought them here himself. Suddenly, the thought of Erik being turned away at the front door made my blood turn cold.
'Oh, Erik, I wish I could see you and explain!'
Tears began to flow down my face as Penny and her mother, Mrs. Green, came into the room. Both of them had a frown on her face. "Oh, Miss Clara!" Penny softly exclaimed, closing the door behind her. "Don't you cry, Miss! I'm sure the Master and Missus will see the light soon enough!"
"I wouldn't bet on it," declared her mother, who began to put the flowers into a crystal vase she had brought with her, already filled with clear water. "I heard them talking today about how Missus Savoy, now that she thought about it, felt that she didn't want a son-in-law that had a funny face!"
"Mama!" Penny said, apparently trying her best to soften the situation for me.
"Don't you 'Mama' me, young lady!" Mrs. Green said in a soft voice so as not to be overheard.
I bit my lip in an attempt to hold back my tears. "Well, then, my mother will be horribly disappointed since I won't marry anyone but Mr. Erik Rousseau!"
"Now there you go, Miss! I don't agree with them, either, but I also hear that Mr. Savoy said that not only was Mr. Erik a freak now, but he would turn out to be a poor freak later!"
I felt the air leave my lungs as I fell back into bed, the whole world around me going dark.
'This morning has to be the longest morning in my entire existence,' Erik thought as he paced the music room in his home.
Marcus had left an hour ago to visit the servants at the Savoy home to gather information on the situation over there, and Erik had been left to amuse himself while he waited. He had tried to play his piano and organ, attempted to read several of his books, and had even tried to consider the meaning of the universe, but had cast all those aside in favor of pacing the music room instead, which would occupy both his mind and his body.
Finally, Erik heard the sound of the front door opening and of someone approaching the door to the music room. Rushing toward the door, he flung it open, revealing a rather surprised butler. Marcus blinked at him a few times before bowing and motioning towards the interior of the room. Not speaking a word, Erik stepped aside and let the older man enter and take a seat near the fireplace before shutting the door and joining him. Once the two were well situated, Erik motioned for Marcus to begin.
"Well, sir," he said, looking uncomfortable as he spoke. "It seems that Mr. and Mrs. Savoy don't take kindly to you seeing Miss Clara because of…well…"
"My finances," spat the former Ghost, gripping the arms of his chair in anger. "They hate me because they feel I cannot provide a good life for Clara!"
But Marcus shook his head, catching her master by surprise. "There's that, but it seems that they don't like you because of…well, because of…" Here Marcus touched the right side of his face as a hint.
Erik felt the whole world grow cold. Where Clara had openly accepted him, her parents shut him out. They did not want their daughter to marry a man with half a face, with a curse that would now doom him to live away from the woman he wanted to spend his entire life with. Erik could imagine that the Savoy's would force Clara to marry another man, one who was probably both rich and have a normal face, even if the man was old enough to be her father or grandfather!
"Now, don't you fret, Mr. Erik!" Marcus snapped, reaching out and slapping him on the shoulder. "I've got it on good authority, from her own personal maids, that Miss Clara won't marry anyone but you! She'd rather be an old maid and disappoint her family than marry another man!"
The last part made Erik smile a little. She would rather marry him or no one at all! It was hard to believe that Clara would wait for him until they could finally be together, but such a thing would take careful planning over a long course of time. They would also need a bit of help, though Erik was sure that Marcus and the servants at the Savoy mansion would do their best to help make the couple happy.
"Thank you, Marcus," he said aloud, looking up at his butler.
"You sure you're alright?" Concern filled the older man's eyes.
"Of course I am." Rising from his chair, the Phantom began to plot.
I could hardly bear it. It had been three days since I had seen Erik, and it took all of my willpower not to tear out my hair and run out the door, screaming in despair and frustration. Mama and Papa refused to allow me out of the house on my own, forcing Penny to accompany me everywhere to be sure that I never saw Erik. It hardly mattered, though, since after that day, I had only once been to the creeks to soak my feet and think about Erik. God, how I missed him! I could hear his glorious voice whenever I closed my eyes, and when I slept, his hands touched my face as gray-green orbs stared down at me. All this caused me to wake up with tears streaming down my face, my heart aching as I thought of each moment we had spent together.
Finally, I couldn't take it. I knew I was at my breaking point when I saw Erik's full, unmasked face in my sleep, begging me to help him and to never leave him because he needed me. That had happened last night, and the thought of leaving Erik alone and unloved in the world made me want to lash out at anyone and anything that stood in my way. I no longer cared what my parents thought of my doing something against their wishes; they had stolen away my happiness and my dreams of marrying someone who loved me when no one else would.
'To hell with this,' I thought, somewhat shocked at my use of profanity. Well, I was angry, so I had every right to curse.
Getting out of bed, I grabbed the first dress I could find and rang the bell for Penny to come and help me dress. The darling girl was at my side in moments, bringing me a quick breakfast of fresh fruit, a roll with honey on it, and a good cup of tea. I ate it all without tasting it, waving the dirty dishes away for her to take back to the kitchen. Upon returning, she brushed out my hair, styled it up, and helped me with my corset and dress in record time. Penny knew I was in a hurry from the determined look in my eyes, a look that flashed back at the two of us from my vanity mirror, and she was not going to question me or my plans today. Once I was fully dressed, I ordered her to have the carriage sent to the back door so that I would not wake my parents, for they were still abed and would not rise for some time. Penny quickly raced downstairs to carry out my orders
Listening carefully for any noises from my parents' bedroom and hearing none, I quietly led us downstairs, peeking around to be sure that we were not caught. As it was, it would be far easier for me to beg my parents for forgiveness afterwards than ask for permission to go out. Besides, as much as I wished to see Erik, this particular visit was to another house, one that might just be useful in helping us in achieving what we both tried so hard to find.
Once we were in the carriage, I told Henry to drive as quickly as possible so that my parents would not be able to catch up with us. As the house faded behind us, I realized that both Henry and Penny were looked at me in a questioning manner.
"What is it?" I asked, feeling rather irritable after all that had happened and from a lack of sleep.
"We were just wondering where we were going, Miss Clara," Penny said, blushing as she looked down at the floor of the carriage.
I sighed, annoyed with myself for being so rude and foolish. "Head towards the Winters' home," I said, closing my eyes. "And don't forget to wake me before we get there, Penny, I don't want to be dazed and puffy-eyed when I talk to Mrs. Winters."
The last thing I heard was Penny agreeing to do so before I fell asleep.
AN: Does anyone else smell a plot brewing? And I'm sorry for the angst/drama with the whole proposal deal, but it's for the best…story-wise. Please review!