Sunlight streaked through library's open windows warming Christine's face and wire rim glasses as she wrote out the list of household expenses for the new month. She sat down her fountain pen, picking up a pencil to do some addition on a separate notepad.
A gust of ocean air rustled her papers under their paperweights. When she heard a giggle, she spun her chair to see Matilda awoke from her nap. Charlotte had abandoned her city of blocks and was now on the blanket beside her sister, holding Matilda's hands in her hands, she covered the baby's face with them only to remove them and make a funny face at the baby. Every time she did this, Matilda giggled.
Christine laughed as she removed her glasses, "She also enjoys if you do that to yourself as well."
"Did I like when I was baby?"
"Yes, as did your brother. It seems to be a game all babies enjoy."
The sound of the front door opening and closing ended the game of peek-a-boo for Charlotte. "Dada!" a blur of blue darted out the door and down the hall. Matilda's laughs turned to whimpers.
"Dada, you have to play peek-a-boo with Matilda! It's so…" The girl returned to the library, dragging her father by the hand behind her. She stopped when she saw the crying baby in her mother's arms.
"Don't cry, Matilda!" Charlotte let go of her father's hand and ran up to her mother, "I'm back." Christine bent at the knees so Charlotte could be face to face with the baby.
Charlotte put her hands over her face and then quickly removed them. Matilda continued to fuss. Charlotte did it a few more times in rapid succession and the baby stopped crying but did not laugh.
Charlotte frowned, "She's not doing it anymore. Mama said I liked it too when I was baby."
"Yes, yes you did."
"Charlotte, please go clean up your blocks and take them back up to your room," Christine stood fully back up, adjusting Matilda so she rested against her shoulder.
"You're home early," Christine sat back down. She put her glasses back on with hand. "Where's Gustave?"
"He still has one more afternoon show. But everything was going smooth, I wasn't needed. I thought I would come early and spend the afternoon with all the wonderful ladies in my life," Erik took Matilda from Christine and she instantly put her little hands on his mask. "However, I see you are still occupied."
"My blocks are almost put away!" Charlotte called from across the room.
The Diva smiled at the idea that Charlotte thought Erik was talking to her. She looked up at her husband, "Perhaps you can assist. We barely broke even this month. What is happening?"
Erik took a deep breath and looked over at Charlotte. Her blue dress rustled as she walked around picking up the final blocks before returning to the case. He watched intensely as she found them their place and closed it.
"Charlotte, please stay up in your room when you return your blocks. I will come get you soon," he smiled at her.
Charlotte walked up to him, her dress still rustling, carrying the case of blocks like luggage, "You're still wearing your mask, Dada."
He sighed, "Yes I am. I will remove when I am up there."
"But you are home now."
"I know and I promise I will take it off when I am up there," The Phantom rubbed her deformed cheek.
"But…"
"Not another word!"
Christine looked down; she knew the voice. Oh how she had wanted Erik to be firmer with Charlotte but where was he going to go?
Her mother's doe eyes expanded to her hairline, "Yes, Dada."
Matilda still in her father's arms did not respond to the boom of his voice. His lapel was too interesting a texture to not stop chewing on. Once Charlotte had exited, Erik sat down on the seatee and looked resolutely at his wife.
"We are fine, Angel. We barely broke even this month because we are repaying our producers for the new opera. We also have three children now, a few more servants around the house and theatre."
He saw the fine lines on her brow wrinkle. Fine lines she should not have so early; fine lines put there from financial worry from another time. Christine balled her skirt into her fists, "Mary will be leaving us now though. That should give us more money. And where are our part of the profits? We have been sold out every night we perform."
"You know our surplus earnings come once we are closed for the season. And it's going to look a little different this season because of the opera. Investments take time. We are going to be fine"
"Raoul said that just a few months before he asked me to start singing again. And I'm already singing now. Where is the money, Erik?"
She might have just as well stabbed him but he did not show it. He was not going to show it. Kissing Matilda's cheek as he stood, he walked back up to his wife. One arm tight around the baby, his other hand removed a ring of keys from his pants pocket.
Christine looked down at her skirt as he dropped them on top of her notebooks, their metal thud jarring.
"You know where my office is in the theatre. The second smallest key on there unlocks the desk drawers. Phantasma's accounting books are in the bottom drawer. Please lock up everything when you leave. I will be upstairs with our daughters." Erik exited the library and walked up the stairs singing to Matilda the whole time.