Thank you all so much for your continued support! It is always great to see you all hitting on y new chapter (hopefully also reading it), to see you add my story to your favorites or put it on alert, and most of all, to read your reviews - even if you are not too happy with the way my story is going at the moment. This time I want to thank garasu-no-kamen in particular for having faith in me and my obvious E/C-shipping! Yes, I promise that our couple will find the way to each other in the end, but it's a bumpy road.
Anyway, on to our story and the next chapter, and keep in mind that I do not own these characters...
Chapter 19 – Say You Love Me
When Mr. Stanton arrived at home that day, he quickly went to his daughter's room. Amanda-Ann was so listless nowadays, so very pale, and her eyes were constantly looking out of the window onto the city streets, hoping against hope to see the man who had stolen her heart come to her.
"Don't look so gloomy," Mr. Stanton said, sitting down next to his daughter on the large settee. "Or I won't tell you who is coming for lunch tomorrow!"
Amanda-Ann looked up. "Lunch? Tomorrow?" she asked hesitantly, then, as she noticed her father's smile she was suddenly filled with hope. "Erik?" she asked shyly.
"Who else?" Mr. Stanton teased her. "He is eager to talk to you about something of great importance. But you must promise me to be very strong tomorrow, not to faint with happiness!"
"Erik...," Amanda-Ann's pale little face lit up, and a slight blush crept into her cheeks. "Is he... does he... ?"
"Yes," her father nodded. "He does want to propose to you, and he cannot wait till Sunday, now that I made him understand that we wouldn't consider him a gold-digger if he dared ask for your hand."
"I knew it!"Amanda-Ann's whole face was smiling now, and a feeling of warmth permeated her whole body. He loved her! Her Erik loved her! Tomorrow he would be here, he would ask her, she would say yes, and then she would be in his arms, in his strong, comforting arms! Oh, how wonderful this would be! And soon, they would be together, always! Of course he would have to go to work, but he would come to her every evening, they would have their meals together and sleep in the same bed. The mere thought of so much future happiness made her feel stronger, healthier. At Erik's side she would soon overcome her condition and become a strong and healthy wife to him!
XXX
The next day, Erik bought a bouquet of light-red roses, actually more a dark pink than a light red. He knew that as his bride-to-be Amanda-Ann had the right to receive the red roses of love from him, but he could not get himself to buy for her the exquisite dark-red ones he had always chosen for Christine. The lighter color suited Amanda-Ann better anyway, since her own features were of such a delicate complexion. The darker roses would have made her look even paler.
When Erik arrived at the Stantons' home, his employer greeted him and lead him right into the parlor, where Amanda-Ann was anxiously awaiting his arrival. She felt so invigorated by Erik's visit, that she even stood up when he entered the room and walked a few steps to meet him half-way.
"Please, do sit down again," Erik pleaded with her, nervous that she might overexert herself. "You must rest. Your father has told me you have not been well..."
Amanda-Ann beamed at this open display of concern for her health. How wonderful it was, that he loved her so! "Papa has been exaggerating," she whispered. "I am strong now, almost as strong as other women."
Mr. Stanton cleared his throat. "I think the two of you have something important to discuss," he stated. "I will... leave you alone for a while. But, Amanda-Ann, Erik is right, you should sit down again. I have a feeling you will soon need your strength for a... celebration..." With that he sneaked out of the room.
Amanda-Ann sat down again and looked up to Erik expectantly. Erik felt nervous. It was hard to lie to those trusting eyes of her. How could he deceive this young child-woman like that?
He inhaled deeply, then said. "Miss Amanda-Ann, your father has given me hope that you might be inclined to accept my proposal and become my wife." There, he had said it. He had proposed to her, without speaking of love. He had not lied to her.
Amanda-Ann beamed at him. "Did papa really have to tell you that?" she asked, smiling. "Didn't you feel it, that I would like nothing better than to marry you?"
Erik felt uncomfortable. It was obvious to him now that Mr. Stanton had been right, that this young woman, with the underdeveloped body of a sick girl was deeply in love with him. A love totally different from what he felt for her. And he once again asked himself if he had the right to pretend to her that he loved her.
"I... well,...," he stammered, until he finally remembered something that needed to be addressed before he could bind her to him forever. "My face," he confessed. "I was not sure ..."
"You thought your mask might put me off in some way?" Amanda-Ann asked incredulously. "It's what made me love you, in a way. For it put you somehow on the same level as me. You are not getting a normal wife in me either, Erik. If you can love me despite my occasional weakness, why should I not be able to love you despite your face?"
"You have not seen it yet," Erik reminded her.
Amanda-Ann smiled at him. "But now you will show me?" she begged. "I know it must be rather ghastly, or you would not hide behind that mask, which seems to be very uncomfortable. It won't make a difference for me, for I love you for the person you are, for your understanding and caring, your vast knowledge and your interest in theater and music. But as your future wife I have the right to see your face as it is."
Erik squirmed. "I do not want to frighten you," he mumbled. "Scare you, shock you, disgust you. It would give you nightmares. I could never forgive myself if you would suffer any ill effects from having seen my disgusting face."
"I won't be disgusted or scared," Amanda-Ann whispered., then laughed. "Father thought you were not proposing to me because you were afraid of being considered a gold-digger. But now I have the feeling, you were hesitant to ask me, because you thought I might be disgusted by your face! As if I could ever be disgusted by anything coming from you!"
"Come," she cooed. "Sit down next to me. Let me hold your hand to give you courage, and then we will take that stupid thing off together and I will see your true face."
Erik gingerly sat down next to her. This was not at all how he had expected things to go. He had thought he would be the one to care for her and protect her, now it was Amanda-Ann offering him comfort, trying to give him strength.
Amanda-Ann snuggled up to him. "Don't be so stiff and nervous, my love," she whispered into Erik's ear, "just let's get it over and done with. You will see, it will be fine!"
Erik sighed. What could he do? He did not want to expose himself so in front of her, but deep down he knew that if he was truly going to marry her, she had the right to know his face. And if he was lying to her about his feelings, at the very least he had to tell her – show her – the truth about his appearance. He quickly raised his arms to his face and removed the mask, waiting for her scream of horror, which never came.
What was the matter? Had the frail young girl fainted when confronted with the ugliness that was his face? Erik turned to Amanda-Ann and found her smiling at him. "You did it!" she whispered, in wonder. "It cannot have been easy for you, but you actually had the courage to show me your true self, to trust me with this last secret between us. Oh, how you must love me, Erik, if you could give me this precious gift, this ultimate proof of your trust!"
"You are not disgusted?" Erik asked nervously.
"Why should I be?" Amanda-Ann raised her fingers to the marred flesh at his temple and cheek and began to slowly trace his cheekbones. "I am finally seeing the face of my fiancé, of the man I love and will soon be married to!"
Erik relaxed somewhat. This had gone far better than he had imagined. Amanda-Ann now believed in his love, even though he had not spoken one word of love to her.
Her little finger had now reached his mouth, teasing his lips. "I love you so much," she confessed. "I would have died if you had not asked me to become your wife!"
"Do you love me as well?" Amanda-Ann asked, then giggled."Of course you do," she continued. "You would never have shown me your face if you didn't. You would not have made yourself so vulnerable in front of me, if you did not trust me completely. But I do so love to hear you tell me, that you love me too!"
"I... you know that you are so very, very dear to me," Erik explained, putting his arms around her. He swore to himself that he would keep her safe, protect her always and keep all the ugly sides of life away from her.
"Will you kiss me then?" Amanda-Ann asked, blushing deeply for being so brazen.
Erik obediently lowered his head towards her face and touched his lips to hers. It was more a brotherly kiss than a lover's one and nothing compared to the kisses he had shared with Christine, but for Amanda-Ann it was her first kiss ever. She had nothing to compare it with. But she liked it. Erik's lips upon hers had an electrifying effect on her. She would have wanted a few more kisses, but her father chose that very moment to return. He could not wait any longer to congratulate the happy couple.
Erik quickly turned away from the door and fastened his mask to his face again. Mr. Stanton grinned. He had not really got a glimpse of Erik's face but the fact that the latter had showed it to Amanda-Ann gave him hope that this union would be a very happy one after all. If Givenould had mustered the courage to show Amanda-Ann his disfigured face, he must trust her immensely. Maybe the man cared more for his daughter than he himself realized.
"So, how are things going?" he asked jovially. "Are congratulations in order?"
"Oh papa!" Amanda-Ann threw herself into her father's arms. "Erik loves me, and he has asked me to be his wife, and I said yes!"
"So, so," Mr. Stanton commented. "And I take it, you love him as well?"
Amanda-Ann blushed. She looked from Erik to her father and back to Erik again. "More than my life," she confessed.
Mr. Stanton guided her back to the sofa, then turned to Erik. "My daughter has chosen wisely," he informed Erik. "You have my blessing, son. Have the two of you already set a date?"
Erik and Amanda-Ann looked at each other, uncertain what to say.
Mr. Stanton laughed. "You have been too busy kissing, it seems, and thus forgotten to talk about the most important things. Well, if you ask me, Erik, you have wasted enough time already, fearing that we might consider you a gold-digger, so how about we ask Father Jonathan to read the banns starting next Sunday. I am sure he will come here for the actually wedding ceremony, since a ceremony at church would be too strenuous for you, my dear."
Amanda-Ann tried to protest, reminding him how strong she now was, now that she was sure of Erik's love, but Mr. Stanton would have none of it, and to her shock, Erik supported her father. "It may be true that you are stronger now, Amanda-Ann," he said, "but that means that we have to be grateful for your progress and have to avoid everything that could cause a relapse."
Amanda-Ann made a face, called both men "tyrants", but in the end agreed to have the wedding at home at the earliest possible date. After all, Erik had just addressed her by her given name alone, not as "Miss Amanda-Ann", and that display of intimacy made her so happy that she simply had to give in.
Especially the prospect of getting married to Erik within just a few weeks pleased her. She had missed him so much and now that she knew he felt the same way about her, she could not wait to have him around always.
Amanda-Ann smiled up at her fiancé. "At first I did not realize that what I was feeling for you was love," she confessed. "For I have never been in love with anybody before. Except for papa, of course, but that is different." She laughed happily, then turned to Erik again. "But I am only seventeen, so I guess it is not surprising that you are my first and only love, Erik," she continued. "But you, you are older and I realize there might have been … I mean, have you ever loved another woman before me?"
"There was one once," Erik said slowly, his heart still aching at the thought that Christine was lost to him. "Back home in France. She did not wait for me and married a handsome man who does not have to hide his face behind a mask."
He sounded so sad that Amanda-Ann's heart went out to him. "That must have hurt you so much, my love," she said, reaching for his hand. "But if she was such a superficial girl that she could not see beyond the mask and see the wonderful man that you are, she did not deserve you anyway, and she would not have been able to make you happy."
Erik sighed. Maybe Amanda-Ann was right. Maybe Christine would not have deserved him. Maybe marrying Amanda-Ann was the better choice. She was looking up to him with so much concern and compassion that it warmed his lonely heart. "Your love will make me forget the pain she caused me," he told her. "Your little hand will be the healing balm upon my heart and your caresses will bring me happiness she could never have given me." And he looked deep into his young bride's eyes, making her blush under the intensity of his stare.
Xxxx
A few weeks later, Raoul got a letter from his detective, informing him that Mr. Stanton's employee Erik Givenould, the artistic director of "The Music House", had tied the knot with Stanton's daughter.
Raoul licked his lips as he read this. Only now Christine was truly his. Now, that his rival was honor-bound to another woman. Now he would not have to fear anymore that once Meg would be able to dance again, his young wife with the delicious body would want to divorce him. Now she was his for all eternity. Now he could fondle her firm little breasts without having to fear that the monster would one day steal her away. Now he could touch her wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted, use her body in any way he saw fit, now she was at his mercy. No rival would ever stand up to him and claim her.
But... Raoul bit his lips. He knew that Christine did not love him. She did not even seem to enjoy his caresses. She merely endured his love-making. Somehow he had the feeling as if she were still hoping for some way to get out of this marriage. He needed to show her that it was useless to think that way, that there was no other future for her than with him. She needed to see that her beast was happily married to another.
He remembered his previous plan of cooperation with other theaters. Maybe if he went to London in order to contact some of the potential managers... if he took Christine with him, if he made her attend a function at the Stanton/Givenould household, if she could see her... that thing with his young wife, she would hopefully finally realize that the Phantom had abandoned her, would she not?
Raoul grinned. Yes, that was the way to go. He must force a meeting between Christine and that freak, in a setting where they would not be able to talk to each other much. He decided to write a few letters to owners and managers of London theaters. He had to make sure he would be well received in London before he could plan to take Christine there for the confrontation with her former lover.
Within the next few days most of his letters received a favorable reply, offering him appointments in London to hear more about this intriguing cooperation that he had suggested. To his satisfaction, one of those replies was from one Carl Stanton, informing him that he and his son-in-law Erik Givenould, who also happened to be the artistic director and soon-to-be manager of "The Music House" would be delighted to discuss this great business opportunity with him.
Erik knew nothing about Raoul's letter and business proposal. Right after his wedding to Amanda-Ann, which had been a very small, private ceremony at Mr. Stanton's house, with just a few distant relatives of the Stantons' and Erik's friend Nadir attending, Mr. Stanton had ordered Erik to take a few weeks of leave from work and spend some time with his new wife, so that the couple could have some sort of honeymoon, for it would have obviously been too exhausting for Amanda-Ann to travel anywhere.
Therefore Mr. Stanton himself had been handling Erik's business mail. Of course he had no idea who the Vicomte de Chagny was, other than what Raoul had mentioned in his letter, namely that he was the patron of the Opéra Populaire in Paris and his wife had been a highly acclaimed diva before their wedding. As a Vicomtesse, she could of course not perform in public in France again, but maybe a recital for her could be arranged in London, while they would be there to discuss their future cooperation.
