Disclaimer: I tried to kidnap the Phantom, but failed. Therefore, I own nothing.

AN: Here is where we finally discover…well, I can't tell you because it would ruin the whole point of reading the chapter. Let's just say that it's a bit happier and sappier than previous ones. Enjoy!

Chapter 14: Conspiracies:

I was a nervous wreck in the days leading up to Thursday. I felt caged and impatient, every inch of me wanting to see the man I loved and not have to wait to do so. I desperately needed to look into those beautiful gray-green eyes as Erik held me in his arms, whispering things to me in French…there was nothing better than listening to Erik say romantic things to me in French! In the end, though, I knew that my strange behavior would be noticed, so I turned my energy to sewing little rips and tears in my dresses, or changing the ribbons on my hats. I even managed to organize the sparkling collection I had in my jewelry box, untangling necklaces and bracelets and storing them neatly in different sections. I even organized them by color, just so that I could always find what I was looking for!

However, once that was done and there was nothing left to amuse me in my room, I took Sunny out for some exercise. If there is one way to pass time in a quick manner, it is through horseback riding. Galloping through fields and riding my lovely golden horse through the cool streams and brooks near my home helped to calm my spirit and enjoy the beauty of the Earth.

Finally, it was Thursday, and Haleigh sent a note to me during breakfast, asking me over to her home so that we could 'chat' together for the day. My mother gave me permission to do so, and I quickly raced upstairs to change. Today I was in a typical white gown, only this one was had red embroidered designs several inches above the hem. The bold design then went straight up the front and center of the dress before parting near the hips and wrapping completely around my waist. The top of the dress sported red buttons, and was fully trimmed with red braid. It was my newest dress, and I wanted to see what Erik thought of it when I saw him.

Once my dress was done, Penny put my hair up. Most of it was secured in a bun at the back of my head, but the sides were painstakingly wrapped around a hot iron so that it bounced in thick sausage-curls. On top of my head was a dainty straw hat with a red ribbon wrapped around it, a wider and longer length of red ribbon sewn to the sides so that I could securely tie it just under the left side of my jaw. I was a rather charming picture, both Penny and Mama agreed on that.

Presently, I was in a carriage just entering the Winters' plantation. I could see Haleigh waiting for me on the steps, frantically waving as I approached. Not knowing whether or not to laugh at her antics, I bit my tongue until I had exited the coach and it had left to return home. Once it was out of sight, Haleigh practically dragged me into the house by the crook of my elbow, gripping so hard I nearly lost all feeling in my limb.

The next thing I knew was that I was sitting in the parlor with a cup of tea in my hands, my head still spinning. How I ended up seated on the couch with my friend seated across from me, nearly bouncing in her seat, I don't know, but it was obvious that something exciting had happened, otherwise Haleigh would be terribly grumpy at this time of day; my redheaded friend was typically one who enjoyed sleeping late, and ever since she had become a mother, that sort of luxury was no longer hers. She should have had a frown on her face as she poured and served tea, and yet, today, she looked ready to burst with some sort of good news.

Sighing, I put my tea cup down on a nearby table. "Alright, out with it," I said, exasperated. "What's happened to put you into such a fine mood at this time of day? Have you had too much coffee again?"

She shook her head. "No, much better!" she said, grinning broadly and clapping her hands in excitement. "I've found a way for you to elope!"

If the cup had still been in my hands, it would have fallen from numb fingers. She had found a way for Erik and I to elope? Could that possibly be? Would Erik and I finally be together? A sudden thrill went through me, and I could feel my numbed body begin to warm, a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

"Tell me quickly!" I exclaimed, a full grin now on my face.

Of course, it was at that moment that Jerry walked into the room, and the broad grin on his face was almost equal to the one on his wife's. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said as he walked over to Haleigh's side. "I thought I should tell you that we're expected in town soon, and need to leave at once."

"But Haleigh was about to tell me how Erik and I could elope!" I protested.

"Well, you'll just have to wait until we get into town," Jerry declared, offering his hand to his wife. "The children are ready for a day out, so we should go now before they start getting fussy."

Throwing angry glances at my friends, I followed close behind them, accepting the task of pushing Lena's pram as Haleigh took the twins. This was going to be a very long walk to town…

"For the last time, Mr. Erik, you look fine!" However, the humor in Marcus' voice belied his words.

"I don't want to look 'fine,' Marcus, I want to look perfect!" Erik snapped, fiddling with his cravat.

For the past several days, Erik had been sure that he was going to go mad before he ever saw Clara again. He had done everything in his power to pass the time, and yet it had seemed to drag by so slowly that Erik felt like pulling his hair out. Once again, reading, composing, or even sleeping did nothing to make the days pass quicker, instead only serving to agitate him in his attempt to find something amusing to do.

If it weren't for Jerald Winters visiting during this period, Erik felt sure that he would have lost his mind. The well-dressed appearance of the young man eerily reminded Erik of the Viscompt de Chagny, only without the naïve, noble air that the other man bore. Where Raoul was arrogant and tended to over-react at things, Jerald (or Jerry, as he asked to be called) was easygoing and had a light sense of humor that Erik found himself liking immensely. Since Erik had known few (if any) men in his life, having young Mr. Winters in his house and telling jokes was a strange and new experience to the former Phantom, and yet he couldn't stop himself from liking the boy. Best of all was that Jerry was eager to tell tales of his wife and children, which Erik was all too happy to listen to. Each tale of the new things the babies were learning made Erik laugh and smile over afternoon lemonade with his new friend, and the Frenchman often found himself thinking of how his future children would look and behave after he had managed to wed his lovely Clara.

However, after Jerry's visits had stopped two days ago so that they could prepare for their 'run-in' in town, Erik had resorted to going through his wardrobe in search of the perfect outfit for Thursday. Dozens of combinations were rejected, as Clara had already seen him in either one coat or another, and he was hard-pressed to find something new and unworn. Finally, Erik had decided on a black coat, the interior a deep red satin that showed on the folded-over lapels and in the slightly rolled up sleeves. A black velvet vest with the same coloring and a brilliantly white shirt completed the top half of the ensemble, and with the black pants, polished shoes, and gold cufflinks, Erik felt that he was almost ready to see his beloved.

'If only I could bring a gift for her,' he thought wistfully. 'But if I did, it would look as though I knew I was going to see her, and that would look suspicious.' The joy of seeing her would have to be enough…for now…

By the time we had reached the center of town, I was ready to scream my frustration to the world. Lena has slept the entire way here, so I was unable to entertain myself with cooing things to her. Haleigh and Jerry were busy with the twins, so conversation was out of the question; in the end, I had to content myself with merely pushing Lena's pram and walking the short distance from the plantation to town.

I was disappointed to learn that there wasn't a specific time or place that we would actually meet Erik. Jerry wanted it to look as natural as possible when we encountered one another, and so we would have to walk around town for a while until we actually met. It was extremely frustrating, but there was nothing I could do except hold my tongue and push Lena around, which she found very entertaining, once she woke up. Her coos and gurgles distracted me enough so that, when we finally did see Erik, I really was very surprised. Startled, I looked up when I heard Jerry's voice.

"Why, Mr. Rousseau!" Jerry exclaimed. "How nice to see you!"

"Good day to you, Mr. and Mrs. Winters." The richness of Erik's voice snapped my attention away from Lena and up towards his face…his beautiful, masked face... "And to you, too, Mademoiselle."

My heart nearly stopped when he addressed me in French, and I was more than ready to faint into his arms. Instead, I barely held myself standing and smiled shyly at him; even now his attractiveness made me feel a bit insecure, though from the look in his eyes, Erik thought I was the most gorgeous woman in the world. Looking away, I took in how dark and mysterious his outfit was, and how it made Erik appear almost…seductive.

"You look enchanting today," he said, pulling my attention back towards his face. His green eyes bore into mine as I stared at him.

"Thank you," I whispered, unable to say anything else.

"Oh, I have a wonderful idea!" Haleigh exclaimed. "Why don't we go have tea at the hotel? I hear that they've got a new chef and I'm absolutely dying to try the pastries that they've been making!"

Not saying anything, I merely followed behind Haleigh as she led the way with the twins. Erik and Jerry walked behind us, making small talk as we made our way to the hotel café. We were promptly seated in a cool, dimly-lit corner, and half a dozen waiters rushed back and forth to bring us tea and little pastries to nibble on as we chatted. Well, Haleigh and Jerry chatted…Erik and I merely stared at one another over our food and drinks.

Haleigh watched with satisfaction as the two lovers gazed into one another's eyes, not needing to say a single word to express their feelings. It reminded her of when Jerry had been courting her, how they would share sly glances at one another in public and held hands when no one was looking at them. It had been so wonderful to experience, and now her dearest friend was sharing in that which she had previously been deprived. Right now, though, they had more important things to discuss, and Haleigh desperately needed Clara's attention.

"So, Clara," she said, giving her friend a gentle kick under the table. Clara instantly tore her eyes away from Erik to look at her. "Remember what we were discussing earlier at my house?"

The slight daze that her friend had been locked in vanished. "Oh, yes!" Clara replied, blushing.

"Well," Haleigh said, taking a sip of tea. "I think that it would be a good thing to go and visit your aunt in Michigan, don't you?" A strategically placed kick of the foot carried her point across. "It would be a good time to get away from your parents for a month or two, don't you think so?"

"Oh!" Clara exclaimed again, catching the hint. "Oh, yes, my Aunt Mary, of course. She's been inviting me to come and see her daughters for ages, and I think it this summer would be a perfect time to do it." She, too, took a sip of her tea before setting the cup back on its saucer. "Perhaps I should propose the idea to my father tonight."

Oh, he could have hugged Haleigh for bringing up such a topic with him present! To think, they were talking about their elopement plans in public without anyone the wiser! Keeping that in mind, Erik tried to appear calm as he got involved in the conversation.

"Do you think he will approve of you taking such a journey?" Erik asked, his green eyes focused intensely on his beloved.

Clara laughed. "Oh, my Aunt Mary is the youngest of the family, and my father is especially fond of her," she replied, smiling at him in a manner that made his heart race. "There should be no problem, since her invitation is always open and she's been pestering me about it forever to go and see her."

Erik did his best to hide his smile. This was perfect! They could quickly make all of the plans they need to right now for when Clara would go to "visit her aunt." Once her parents were assured that she was out of Erik's reach, he himself would follow a little while later, claiming that he was going on a journey to the West or, quite possibly, to the northern part of the Americas. He and Clara would meet in the city her aunt lived in, and he would take her away to…

'Take her away to where?' he asked himself.

There were so many places he could take her, but which one would be safest for them to run away to? The West was far too dangerous for a delicate flower like Clara, as well as for a man such as Erik. He would be shunned, no doubt, and as for Clara, well, the open prairies were not meant for someone so used to the finer things in life. Perhaps they could settle in that large city out on the western coast, the once called San Francisco.

'Either way, she must be given a good life,' Erik thought to himself as he listened to Clara and Haleigh begin to plan Clara's visit to her aunt's. 'Though I loath to admit it, I agree with her father on the matter that Clara must be given the best things that money can buy.'

And he would give them to her. Though she appeared to shun expensive silks and velvets, he would find the softest fabrics he could and delight in seeing her face light up when she opened the gift boxes. If she admired a comb or trinket in a store window, it would appear before her the moment they were alone together. Erik could hardly wait to feel the kisses and hugs of delight and thanks that Clara would no doubt give him. He would, of course, return her thank-you gestures, and perhaps have them lead to something much more delightful during the night…

"Well, that's all settled," Haleigh said, her tone filled with satisfaction.

Erik jerked back to the present. "What's settled?" he asked, extremely confused as to what they had been saying.

"Oh, really, Mr. Rousseau," the little redhead said, huffing at him in a playful manner. "Haven't you been paying attention?" The look on his face must have stated the obvious, for Haleigh sighed heavily. "Clara is planning to visit her aunt starting at the beginning of August, and will probably stay there until late September or early October, before the snow starts to fly. I hear the winter storms up there are dreadful!"

Clara giggled, one hand coming up to cover her mouth, as was expected of young ladies in public. Erik watched with envy as one hand, clad in a white lace glove, touched her lips. He missed kissing those lips…those lovely red lips that had smiled at him, reassuring him that everything was right in the world…

A cry from one of the prams drew the immediate attention of both Haleigh and Clara. Erik noticed that it was the eldest babe, the girl, who was crying, and since Clara was closest, she reached in and picked up the squalling infant. Cradling the baby in her arms, Clara began to whisper soft nothings to her, hoping to calm her down. He watched in amazement as the child quickly stopped crying and began to giggle up at her caretaker, all uneasiness forgotten.

"The little darling just wanted some attention, didn't you?" Clara cooed to the happy baby. "Yes, Lena just wanted someone to hold her, isn't that right, sweetness?"

The sight of Clara holding a child in her arms seemed to stir something in Erik, a feeling that he had never felt before in his entire existence. He suddenly felt the urge to walk over and wrap his arms around her, much as he saw Jerry doing at that moment with his wife, creating a soft, yet protective, atmosphere around the woman he loved and the child she held in her arms.

A moment later, Clara set baby Lena back into her pram and the moment was broken. However, the feeling in his chest refused to leave, and to Erik's surprise, he did not want it to.

From the corner of her eye, Haleigh had watched the entire thing, barely hiding a smirk as she sat and observed everything that Erik and Clara were doing, though it had mostly been Erik she had been watching. Clara was oblivious to the emotions crossing Erik's face, but Haleigh wasn't. She had seen the dreamy look Erik had on while she and Clara discussed the possible trip up North, even though she'd had to divide her attention between the two to do so. If there were one word to describe the emotion in Erik's green eyes, it would have been determination.

Haleigh could guess several reasons why the Frenchman would look so resolved, but she couldn't know if she was right or not. Perhaps he was thinking about how he would do everything possible to get Clara away from the grip of her parents and claim her as his wife. Or he could be thinking about how he would make the elopement work, even if he had to move Heaven and Earth to do so.

However, from the last glimpse she had of Erik's face, she could definitely guess what he was thinking. If she was right, then there would be the sound of many children in Clara's future…

Tea was over far too quickly for my taste. Haleigh and I had made plans for me to follow in order to get me to my Aunt's, which would open up a large window of opportunity for Erik to find a way to come to me before we eloped. I did not know where we would go after we left Michigan, but it would most certainly have to be far away, as I knew Papa would do his best to find me and bring me home.

'No doubt we would likely have to move to another country,' I thought to myself as we stood from the table and headed towards the doors. 'Father isn't rich enough to search the entire globe for me. Although…' I began to chew my lower lip in thought. 'Although, Papa would probably stop looking for me after I wrote a message home, telling him how I was doing.'

After I wrote home, though, I was sure that Erik and I would be free to roam the world and see it as I had always dreamed of. I wanted to visit so many places and see faces that were different from those here in the South. And I was sure that the foods overseas were unique as well! Erik had told me that they ate snails in France, and even though it sounded disgusting, I found it an experience I was willing to dare, should I ever get the chance.

"I hope that you have a pleasant evening, Mademoiselle."

Once again, Erik's voice brought me back from my thoughts, and his taking my right hand nearly made my heart stop. My gaze followed Erik's movements as he brought my hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on it, making my skin feel as though it were on fire. I inhaled sharply, watching as his lips pulled up into the seductive grin I was always so eager to see. His gloved fingers stroked mine before releasing them, a slight feeling of regret showing in his eyes as I was sure it was in my own. Swallowing, I put on my best fake smile in order to appear happy to those walking past us.

"And you as well, Mr. Rousseau," I said, curtsying slightly as Erik bowed back to me.

"Come, Clara, it's time to go," Jerry said, tugging on my arm.

I could hear little Lena fussing in her baby pram, signaling that she was more than ready for her afternoon nap. Sighing, I gave Erik a true small smile as I turned to follow Haleigh and Jerry back to their plantation. However, I heard Erik's voice right by my ear.

"I love you, my sweet."

Turning my head sharply around, I saw that he was at least ten feet away from me. Was I going mad to have heard his voice in my ear so soon after leaving him? Papa always said that mad people heard voices when they weren't supposed to…

But when I took a closer look at him, I noticed that his throat was moving slightly as he subtly waved for me to leave.

"Ventriloquism, my dear," his voice commented into my ear. "Very useful, is it not?" I bit my lip, trying hard not to giggle in public, especially when there was supposedly nothing for me to laugh at.

"Do not worry, mon cherie. I am beginning to think that that fiery little friend of yours might just help us succeed in our plans. Go home and rest; I will send a note to her home in a few days, asking if I will be able to visit during a time when you are there. Now off you go, beloved, and pleasant dreams."

It was one order I was eager to obey. Later that night, I received one of the best night's sleep I'd had in a long time.

AN: Another chapter done. This was hard, given that I'm also working on a Pirates of the Caribbean story, so if updates are slow, that would be why. Please show your support and review! Thanks!