Footsteps brought her attention back to the half masked man, who entered the room carrying a silver tray. He set it down on the table between them, and poured them both a cup of tea. There was also an assortment of biscuits laid out on a plate, so she took one and dipped it in her tea. The Opera Ghost regarded her for a moment before taking a sip of his tea and then continuing on with the story. "I felt very weak, and was not sure how long I had been asleep for. I tried to get up but failed. It angered me that I was alive and not dead, and that my body was failing me. I threw a tantrum, as shameful as it is for me to admit it now. Meg came rushing in to sooth me, but somehow we ended up yelling at one another. She was fiery when she wanted to be, scary yet beautiful…" His voice trailed off before he collected himself and continued.
"Eventually we yelled ourselves out. She left my room only to return a few minutes later with some soup and bread. I refused her help to eat, and spilled the soup everywhere. Somehow though, she didn't get angry at me. She cleaned up the mess I made without a fuss. Meg returned dutifully everyday after with food of some sort, and I would refuse her help, taking advantage of her kindness until one day she snapped. I don't remember much, but she slapped me hard across the face. She yelled at me then, venting out her anger and rage. To this day I don't know what came over me, but my attitude towards life changed. Something about seeing her, someone who was always contained and serene become so frustrated and lose self control, changed me. I could feel my attitude towards life, towards Meg change completely and absolutely."
The phantom paused, taking a sip of his tea before continuing his tale. "After that, I became the perfect patient, though my sudden change in behaviour made Meg very suspicious of me. Eventually, I got better and was healthy enough to get a job. Antoinette was adamant that I help contribute to the household income since I planned to remain with them. I had no objections of course, it was only fair. I did still have most of the money which I had acquired from the managers, and after years of demanding a salary, it was a fair amount. We used some of it to buy a new flat outside of Paris. We all agreed that there were too many bad memories in that city to linger any longer, so we left. Somehow we ended up in Lyon, which is just over half a day's ride from Paris. It was a nice city, similar to Paris, yet completely different at the same time. I don't suppose you have ever been there?"
Julianna shook her head. "No. A few years ago, Papa had business there and offered to take us all for a mini holiday but Maman refused to go. I suppose she had memories there she wanted to forget..?"
The phantom shrugged her question off and continued speaking. "Well, we bought a little flat there, above a bakery which was owned by an elderly couple and their children. Meg was offered a job with them, which she graciously took. Despite being complete strangers to them, they adopted us into their family, which was uncomfortable at first. They had a son, Henrie, who was a few years older than Meg. He was very kind to us, almost too kind. It was later revealed that he became deeply infatuated with Meg, who unluckily for him, did not return any of his feelings.
"The three of us settled into a routine quite easily. Antoinette was hired at a dance school, which was no surprise to us. I worked too. However because of my face," he gestured to his mask, "I was reluctant to go out and find a job. Instead I composed music and sold it from home, where I would not have to face many people. For a time, everything was great. The money we all earned was steady and strong, allowing us to live in comfort. Meg and her mother made friends and became well known and liked. I prefered to remain at home, unseen in the shadows. It was how I had always lived my life, and despite Meg's pleading, I never socialized unless it was absolutely necessary.
"I actually rarely left the house during the daytime. It was only at night, when darkness took over that I would willingly slip out of our flat and enjoy strolling through the empty streets. It was one night after hours of trying to fall asleep that I decided to go out for a walk to clear my head. I silently made my way from my bedroom to the entrance when I spotted Meg asleep on the couch in the sitting room. I debated carrying her back to bed, but decided against it, lest she wake while in my arms, so I left her. I was heading down the stairs when I heard soft footsteps behind me. It seems that I must have woken her at some point, for she had followed me out of the flat. I scolded her quietly for being out of bed, but she ignored me, insisting upon joining me on my midnight stroll. I heavily objected, but she was stubborn and I had no wish to spend the next hour arguing so I relented. The two of us walked in silence for what seemed like hours. Despite my reluctance to have her company, I found it soothing in a way, and was surprisingly thankful for her presence. Neither of us talked that night, both maintaining a mutual silence for which I was grateful. Upon returning to the flat, she whispered a goodnight and slipped into her bedroom leaving me alone to ponder her actions.
"She continued to join me for midnight walks after that. It became our secret routine which we hid from Antoinette, who was starting to become wary of my growing affection for Meg. I believe it was Giry who noticed my feelings for Meg before anyone else, including myself, knew they existed. She started to keep Meg occupied during the day, limiting my time with her daughter. At first I was confused, and that confusion turned into annoyance and then into frustration as I discovered my feelings for Meg. Unintentionally, her companionship at night and her bubbly attitude during the day grew on me. I fell in love with her charming personality, her witty sense of humour and her intelligence. At night, under the cover of darkness when we would walked around the vacant streets of Lyon, we would engage in conversations of all sorts. Your mother was clever and often challenged me in positive ways. She was fiery yet not unreasonable. She taught me what love was, but I didn't realize I loved her until during the winter of her 19th year she became deathly ill. It was horrible. She lay in bed, pale and feverish, looking like death would claim her at any second. The worst part was Antoinette wouldn't let me be with her alone. She was on death's door for almost a month when the fever finally broke. I am unashamed to admit I cried tears of relief that day. It took her another month to regain her weight and health, but it gave me a chance to repay her kindness for when I had been deathly ill. Giry, who had been so intent on keeping me away from her daughter, begrudgingly had to allow me to step in as Meg's caretaker when the dance school was sold to a new owner, who demanded her full dedication.
"When Meg was finally well again, I knew I had to confront her mother and confess my love for Meg and pray that she would accept it and give me a chance. So one day when Meg was working, I sat down with Antoinette and laid it all out on the table for her to see. She was furious at first. I had never seen her, in all my years of knowing her, so angry before. However, she eventually conceded, on the terms that Meg must return my feelings and be happy with the prospect of a future with with me. Knowing that Giry was no longer a barrier, I was finally free to pursue Meg, the proper way. I had learned a lot from Christine, and was determined not to make the same mistakes. I had a feeling however, that I had already won half the battle since she accepted me as a close friend, despite my face and my flaws.
"Your mother was such an innocent girl. Despite being 20 years of age, she had never done so much as kiss a boy before, which I suppose makes sense, as you grandmother kept a tight leash on her. I suppose it will be awkward for you to hear about the love we shared, but it is important that you understand that it was no minor, fleeting feeling. It turns out, Meg had loved me much longer than I had known. In fact, she confessed that it had been when she heard me singing during the performance Don Juan that she first became smitten with me. From there on, she said, her love had only grown and strengthened. Despite our mutual feelings, I was determined to do it right, and build a strong stable relationship with her, before proposing. Antoinette was very supportive of this, which was lucky for me.
"We spent time together going on picnics, horse rides, our nightly walks and many other things. We also had our fights, heated arguments over the simplest of things that didn't really matter, but it was good. It maintained a healthy balance in our lives and in our love, making it stronger.
"One trial in particular stands out to me." The phantom paused and took another sip of his tea to appease his dry throat. "Everything had been fairly smooth until an unexpected person paid a visit to the Giry's. Christine Daae, now the Vicomtesse de Chagny turned up one morning, much to our general surprise and dismay. Since the fire at the Opera House five years ago, neither Meg nor Antoinette had heard a single word from the girl whom they had accepted without complaint into their family. They never spoke of it, but I can only assume that there were some bitter feelings which emerged as a result. Suffice to say, no one was particularly pleased to see her, though we all masked it well enough. Christine… is a very simple minded girl, easy to manipulate and in general very ignorant and naive. Back when I believed myself to be in love with her, I prefered her to be that way, obedient and unquestioning. Of course, your mother changed my perspective on that.
"Anyways, Christine announced that she would be staying for a fortnight, and wasn't she glad to see them - I wasn't present at the time. The Giry's, especially Meg, welcomed her in, both feeling guilty for harbouring resentment towards Christine, who was much like a little lamb that needed constant affection. Neither Meg, nor Antoinette mentioned me to Christine until I unknowingly stumbled in on their Afternoon Tea. I had been out on a business meeting with a conductor, quite taken by my work, and was completely unaware of the Vicomtesse's presence at our house. It was a rather nasty shock for myself, and no doubt for her. I remember entering the room, and smiling at my Meg who was glowing in the sunlight. Then my eyes settled upon Christine's pale face which was growing paler by the second, as her brown eyes widened in shock. She started trembling and pointed an accusatory finger at me before stuttering out, 'Y-y-you!'"