"Christine!" Raoul called as she was stepping out of her building. Her heart sank at the sight of him. How was she to tell him what had transpired the evening of the masquerade?
"Raoul, how was your trip?" she asked politely and withdrawing her hand from his grasp before his lips settled on her knuckles. Her heart ached at the confusion and hurt on his face. He recovered swiftly, however, and offered her his arm. She took it and they made their way to a nearby park.
"The trip went well. Crisis was averted thanks to Philippe." He smiled. "I apologize for missing the masquerade, I know how much you were looking forward to it."
"Yes, well, I did go for a bit. But it was lonely without you and I left quite early."
Raoul patted her hand, "Soon enough there will be plenty of balls for you to attend."
Christine stopped in her tracks and her arm slipped from Raoul's. "What do you mean?"
His fair face flushed and he picked at his gloves for a moment before grasping her hands. "Oh, Christine. I was going to ask you to dine with me tonight and explain then. But this is as nice a place as any…" He led her to a bench a few steps from them and gestured for her to sit. He sat beside her and fidgeted before taking off his hat. "Christine, from the moment we met, even as children, I knew I would never be content until you were my wife. When my family stopped going to the coast I feared I would never find you again. I took a post in the navy to try to forget what could have been when I lost you. But imagine my surprise when Philippe dragged me to the opera and there you were. Singing with the voice of an angel! Oh, Christine, please say you will marry me?"
Christine could not help the tears that fell. She tried to collect herself. "Oh, Raoul… oh forgive me but I cannot." She closed her eyes, too ashamed to bear witness to his heartbreak.
"Christine, but why? I do not understand. Do you love me?" he asked, voiced cracking on his own tears.
The awful truth was that she did love him. But how could she make him understand that the kind of love she felt for him paled in comparison to the love she felt for Erik.
"I am sorry for giving you false hope. I thought… I thought I was happy with you. But I've come to understand that my happiness lies elsewhere. I do not know how else to explain it."
He was quiet for a time and Christine finally shifted her gaze to him. He had returned his hat to his head and was staring at his hands, folded neatly in his lap. He looked up and met her gaze. Tears continued to fall from his glassy eyes but he smiled sadly at her and took a deep breath. "I cannot pretend that this is not devastating news. But your happiness has always been my motivation. Ever since I ran into the sea for your scarf, I have sought to please you. To provide happiness for you. If I cannot do that… if you have found this happiness elsewhere, as you say, I could never take you from that."
"Raoul, you are too good to me. I don't know what else to say."
"I suppose there is nothing more left to say. Will this happiness keep you in the city?" he asked, taking her hand and running his finger over the gold band.
"I'm not sure. There is a possibility I will be leaving."
Raoul let go of her hand and brushed away his tears. He handed his handkerchief to Christine and she pressed it to the drying tears on her face. When she tried to hand it back he held up a hand and gestured for her to keep it.
"It would be a shame to take you from the limelight. But I suspect that is not quite where your happiness lies."
He stood and offered her his hand. She took it and he tucked her hand back in the crook of his arm, offering to walk her to the opera for the day's rehearsal. She accepted. They were both aware that this was to be their last stroll together and they spent it in companionable silence. When they arrived at the opera house they stood beside each other and looked up at the grand structure.
Raoul turned to her and sighed. "I supposed this is goodbye. I want to let you know that I have decided to join the Polar Expedition that was offered to me. I leave in a month and I'll be gone for… well, I'm not quite sure. I'd like to ask you if I could write to you while I am away?"
Christine nodded. "Yes, I would like that. I will let you know should my address change."
He smiled at her one last time before he withdrew from her side and turned down the street. He looked back at her before completely out of sight and she raised her hand in acknowledgment. Then he turned the corner and was gone.