Author's Notes: This chapter references my short one shot "Understudy." You can read it here: s/13339403/1/Understudy
"Place that gear right there," Mr. Y pointed to a spot inside an automaton.
Gustave leaned over the automaton, his little fingers placing the gear exactly where his father told him to.
"Okay. Now get the rubber belt that was sitting beside that gear and wrap it around all those gears starting smallest to largest."
Again, Gustave followed his father's directions and then looked up at him, "Does that look right?"
He smiled at his son, "Yes it does. Now to see if it works. Do you want to do the honors? Turn the little key on the back of the neck."
The boy walked to the front of the table where the automaton's head rested. He turned the key and heard gears start to turn and the eyes opened, the arms lifted up.
Gustave gasped, "It's alive! I brought it to life! Look at it, Papa!"
"Yes, you did," Mr. Y hugged the boy and then pulled his pocket watch from his waistcoat and checked the time. "Alright, Gustave it is almost time for your music lessons. Let's start to clean up." He put the pocket watch back, turned the key on the automaton and started to organize his tools.
Gustave turned away from the work table, his father humming and engaged in his meticulous organization. He turned his attention to that blue tube always so beautiful and fascinating, yet father never opened it. He put his hand on it and it moved slightly. With all the force of his body, the boy pushed it and went running alongside it as it slid open. He then froze in place; eyes wide, his pink mouth dropped in awe, "Mother?"
"Gustave!" Erik's voice thundered.
The boy's eyes never left the body in the vestibule as his father grabbed him by the arm and removed him from the work room. He found himself now in the hallway, his father kneeling to be eye to eye with him. "Gustave, when you are working with me you need to follow my directions! I know this is fun for you but it is also real work! With real dangers! If you're not going to take this seriously, I will have to leave you to your studies till you prove…"
"No father, I take this seriously!" The boy grabbed his father's shoulders.
Erik closed his eyes and signed, letting his anger wash over him. He wasn't going to expose his son to it. Tears in his eyes, he wrapped his arms tightly around the boy. "Of course, you do. You're full of wonder just like me. Now I'll race you down to the parlor!"
Down in the parlor, Christine sat with a young girl in a simple black linen dress, her hat and veil sat beside her on the couch, exposed her red hair. The girl held Charlotte and Christine smiled, "She already seems to like you." It was at that moment that Charlotte started to fuss.
"It looks like you spoke too soon, Madame."
"Well, do we want to see if she'll latch?"
"Now, Madame?"
"I am wanting to hire you as a wet nurse. I will excuse myself for a minute," Christine sat up from the couch walked into the hallway. From there she tucked some stray hair behind her ear and with baited breath, watched as the girl unbuttoned the front of her dress and chemise.
"Come on, little Charlotte," The girl adjusted her breast. Charlotte fussed, her little hands grabbing at it before finally suckling. Her face lit up and then she looked up and her glance met Christine's. "Mrs. Y, she latched."
Christine giggled as she walked back to the red velvet couch and sat down beside the girl, "So I see." She caressed her daughter's cheek, "That's a good girl, Charlotte. Do you think you could do this every time with Cathleen? And what about you, Cathleen? You can also bring your son while at work. We already have a nanny so I will not expect much more of you other than feeding."
"That is fine, Madame. Anything is fine."
Christine took a deep breath, "There is just one thing you should know about Charlotte. She has a few deformities and I wanted to see how well you bonded before I showed you."
"Deformities? We're all God's creatures why should she be any different?"
"Let me show you what I mean," Christine removed her daughter from the woman's breast. Charlotte fussed but The Diva ignored it as she reached for the ties on the bonnet. However the task was quickly dismissed with noise from the hallway.
"I'm going to win!" There was a thump and a crash followed by a laugh as Gustave threw himself onto Turkish rug right at the entrance of the parlor. "And I won! Hear that! I won, Papa!"
A few seconds later, Mr. Y's voice boomed from down the hall, "Young man, you cheated! Pushing that table into the hallway! We'll see about…" He turned the corner to see Gustave now standing looking crestfallen at the rug, Cathleen buttoning up her blouse and Christine standing next to her son, holding the crying infant.
"Erik, what is the meaning of this? I thought Gustave was supposed to be in the workshop with you!" She rocked the baby but clearly her upset did nothing to soothe the child.
"It is time for his music lesson. I challenged him to a race to the parlor." Erik turned his attention to the young woman clearly trying to stay out of the family affair but not being able to. He walked over to her and extended his hand, "I apologize, Mr. Erik Y and you might be…"
She tried to look anywhere but the mask, "Mrs. Cathleen O'Hara." Her fair hand extended and Erik shook it.
"She is to be our new wet nurse," Christine finally had Charlotte cradled in her arms, quieting down.
"Wet nurse?" He turned at looked at his wife. "Christine, I told you I wanted Charlotte to have her mother."
"And I told you between being a mother and performing I am exhausted. I love performing so a wet nurse is the perfect option."
"And is she to be starved of her mother's milk?! I won't stand for it, Christine I won't! You know how I feel about this! And look you have her wearing that damn bonnet again! So, another woman's milk is good for her but as long as that other woman doesn't see what kind of freak she really is!" Erik waved his hand around in a dramatic gesture matching the words leaving his mouth.
Christine stepped further away from him, insuring he could not grab at the bonnet, "Cathleen, please excuse my husband's volatile behavior. I will see you out and pay you at least for today's service until we have settled this."
Erik stood quiet listening to the women's conversation from the hall.
"Oh, that is beautiful! What is it?"
"A music box. Gustave knew better than to tip this over. Here I will wind it up and let it play."
A minute later the notes of "Masquerade" trickled down the hall, followed by the young girl's laughter. "That is delightful."
"Yes, it was a gift my husband made me many years ago. He was one of my earliest admirers. Knew who I was when I could barely squeak a note out of my throat. He made this as one of his many attempts to court me."
"No offense, Madame Y but it must have worked or he would not have been in there passionately wanting the best for his daughter. Mr. O'Hara, God rest his soul," The girl made the sign of the cross, "never took so much interest in our children. And now I am a widow at 27 with two children and a baby."
Mr. Y's silent eavesdropping was interrupted with a tug on his sleeve. "Papa, what's a wet nurse?"
Christine reclined on the chaise lounge in a loose-fitting tea dress in the library lazily reading a novel. In the distance Gustave plucked away at the piano in the music room and Charlotte finally fell into a deep sleep for her nap. Christine's own lids became heavy; she dropped the book and allowed herself to doze. She dreamed of Paris; a bassinet next to that glassy lake below the Opera House. A cloaked man looked down into it, "Down here we are safe, Charlotte. Safe from the cruel eyes of the world. Your beautiful mother, my Persephone, can go between both. Your beautiful mother…mother…mother!"
Christine opened her eyes to Gustave looking down at her.
"Mother! Mother!"
"Goodness, child what is the matter?" She stretched her arms before sitting up.
"Do you still love Papa? I haven't seen you kiss him in two days."
Christine smiled and pushed her hair over her shoulder, "Oh Gustave. Of course, I still love him. We've just had a bit of a disagreement."
"Is it about the wet nurse issue because I think I have a solution. Follow me!" He pulled at his mother's hand.
"Just a minute," The Diva stood and put her slippers back on before following her son down the halls stopping in front of Mr. Y's workshop door. She arched an eyebrow, "Your father's workshop?"
"Yes. Don't worry I got the key," The boy pulled it out of his pocket and let them into the room. "I saw this the other day and I don't know why Papa didn't think of it." Gustave led his mother past the tables and racks of various projects. "He's made so many wonderful things. He made this; I do not understand why she cannot be the wet nurse." He spun open the vestibule, "She even looks exactly like you, Charlotte would never know!"
Christine gasped and grabbed her chest. The automaton! Over a year after I discovered it, he still has it!
The boy frowned, "Do you not like the idea?"
She smiled and rubbed his head, "You are always so clever, Gustave and doing a great job looking out for your sister. But do not worry your head with issues that are between your father and I. Now let's go, you know how Papa loathes people snooping in his work room."