Christine dans Deux

An Alternate Multiverse - A Phantom of the Opera Story

Nyasia A. Maire

© 2006

DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One
Chapter Twenty-One - Christine de Chagny

Opening my eyes, I find that I am sitting in a private sleeper compartment of a train. The window shade is lowered and I am alone. Around me is evidence that I am not the only person traveling in this compartment. The belongings around me are very feminine.

A sudden thought crosses my mind, which causes me to stand and cross the small room. There is a mirror mounted on the back of the compartment entry door. I hesitate and then step before the mirror. I breathe a sigh of relief. I am still whole.

I return to my seat and await the owner of the belongings about me to return. My gaze darts about and I notice my bag is on the floor. I move it under my seat as its zipper proclaims that it does not belong here.

Fortunately, my bag has just been safely hidden when the compartment door slides open and a dark-haired woman enters. At first she does not notice me, but then as her eyes become accustomed to the darkened compartment she sees a dark shape in the corner. She gasps and turns to open the door.

"Flattering child you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide." I sing the old refrain as I stand and move out of the deep shadows.

"Erik?" She stands frozen to the spot with one hand on the doorknob, the other covering her mouth.

I stand before her and see wonder in her eyes.

"Erik." She breathes. "It is you. And you are …"

Her voice trails off embarrassed and confused.

"Indeed, I am." I now take the time to look at Christine. Her face is still beautiful, but the last 15 years have been hard on her. Gone is the innocent wonder of her eyes. My gaze lowers and I almost sigh aloud with relief. She is visibly pregnant. I whisper my thanks to whichever deity aided me. I take her hand in mine and help her take a seat.

"You should rest your feet, child."

She laughs. "No, Erik. It is you. You look as a child to me. And you are healed. How wonderful! I have often thought of you and hoped you were well." She paused. "Erik, how did you find me? No one knows where I am."

"How did I know? Well, I didn't know where you were, but I did know you were in serious trouble. I have come to help you. And, I will be honest with you, by helping you, Christine, I help myself. Your life and the life of the child you carry are in danger. I am here to make certain that no harm comes to you or the child."

Her face becomes flushed and her eyes more troubled. She stands and walks away from me and stops near the door.

"Then, Erik, it may be necessary for you to protect the child from me."

She places a hand to her stomach and frowns. She turns her head away from me.

"I know it is not the child's fault. How could it be? But, if I give birth to another girl, I know Raoul will kill both of us. We have six daughters and no sons. He demands a son of me and thus far, I have been delivered of six girls. I am certain this child is a daughter." She sighs and turns her eyes to mine. The weight of all of the sorrowful years clearly visible on her face and her eyes fill with tears.

"I do not wish to die yet, Erik." She pleads.

"And you shall not, my friend." I walk to her and take her by the hand. I lead her to her seat and help her sit.

"Erik," she seems to see me for the first time, "you have changed in more than the wholeness of your face. What has happened to you? Never before have I felt such … I am unable to put it to words. You feel … your eyes … the way you hold yourself … your gait … you … you have found love?"

I kneel before her, still holding her hand, I look into her eyes.

"Yes, Christine. I have."

She looks at my hands and a soft sad smile plays across her lips.

"And she loves you in return?"

"Yes." I reply simply, then, "She is the one who has healed me both within and without. We healed one another."

Still not meeting my gaze, she nods.

"I have lost hope of love and had begun to think it a fairy tale. Now, you restore my faith." She lifts her eyes to mine. "Do you think I can ever be free of him? Truly free?"

"I know not, Christine. I am here to free you from him, if that is your choice. Or, I can spirit away your child and allow you this respite from Raoul's wrath. Lastly, I will do nothing if that is your wish. Your future is for you to decide. If you can leave your children, the reminders of a loveless marriage, perhaps. If you wish to leave Raoul, I can make arrangements to assist you. I have the means at my disposal to assure that the financial needs of your life will be met. However, I must tell you that my future and that of the woman I love. Our future together depends upon you and the life of your unborn child, so I cannot give consul to you in this matter. I cannot be impartial as so much of my future depends upon what you now decide. And it is because of our friendship that I feel compelled to give you this warning."

She rises once more and begins to pace the confines of the compartment. Silently she moves back and forth, her face more a mask than the one I used. Her brow furrowed and her arms unconsciously and protectively holding the mound of her belly. I allow her this time, waiting for the torrent of questions I am certain will come. After an indeterminable time where I could scarcely breathe, she ceases her pacing and turns to confront me with hands on hips.

"If you wish to give aid to me, then you must make yourself clearer. I need to know how it is that I and this child," she waves a hand at her stomach, "can affect you and your lady. How can this be? Erik, you must tell me all before I can decide what to do."

"I pray that you allow me to presume upon our past good friendship when I tell you this … you may not believe what I tell you, but I swear all I tell you now is true. Will you grant me leave to fully tell my tale before you halt me with words of doubt?" I study her carefully and wait.

"Erik, you speak so strangely. Of course you may speak. Did I not just ask you to do so? Please, sir, speak to me as you used to do. Please tell me your story and I will attend to whether or no I will think it a jest when the tale is done."

"Ah, Christine, thank you. But, if I were to hear this tale, I myself would lay doubt to it. Nevertheless, it is true. All of what I now tell you is true. I swear it, Lady."

She nods and motions for me to continue.

"It is true that I have found love. A lady as such as I could never have imagined. When first we met, my face was uncovered and yet she gazed upon me as if I appeared as you see me now. Her name is Christine. Yes, it is Christine for it is a family name. The name of her great, great-grandmother."

I proceed to tell the silent woman before me of all that had befallen me. Beginning with my first moment of awareness in Christine's den and ending with my desperate departure from the very same room. Needless to say, I did not impart those details of an intimate nature, but even then, the story was long. When at last I fell silent and my mind came back to the compartment and its occupant, I am stunned to see tears upon Christine's cheeks.

"Please! I beg your pardon! I did not mean to distress you! I did warn you of the unbelievable nature of my tale. And yet, I told it in the only way I could have done. As what I have told you is the truth."

She smiled at me and with that smile, I once again saw the girl whose voice I had trained and had loved as a sister.

"Calm yourself, sir. Your story causes me to weep tears of joy not sorrow. To know that a child of mine will bring you such a love. To know that a part of me lives on in flesh and in name more than one hundred years hence lifts my heart. Thank you, Erik. You have given me a great gift. Through the life of this child, I become immortal. I can now make my choice and tell you that this child must live. So, what is to be done? How can I escape Raoul? At present, I have fled from him, true. But I have done so before and have always returned. Either due to my cowardice, lack of funds or his lackeys have found me and brought me back. He keeps a tight grip on his property, does Raoul. And I am one of his most prized possessions. Come see! The famous Christine Daae, the caged song bird-turned breeding cow."

Her bitterness startles me, but then she has every right. Mon chére cœur is right. Christine Daae must be set free. My mind once again turns to the family de Wolfe.

"Christine, you and Raoul make the rounds of social functions, do you not?"

"Of course, where better to parade me?"

I nod sadly.

"Have you ever heard of the family de Wolfe?"

She laughs. "Of course! The old Comte and Comtessa de Wolfe. That family is older than Raoul's."

"Is there an heir?"

"Yes, but the strange thing is no one has met him. His name is Etienne. He was sent to England for his schooling and never returned. Quite the scandal! I believe he studied law at Oxford. He must be about my age. Last I heard, which was I believe about a week ago, his father had sent someone from the estate to fetch him. The poor old man is not well and wishes to see his son before he passes. Why do you want to know?"

"I believe the family de Wolfe is the key to your happiness. Do you know where their estate is?"

"Well, I've heard their lands are in Brittany somewhere."

That one word falls on my ears as a leaden weight. And although I knew it was coming, it momentarily stuns me with old emotions.

"My family is of Bretagne of the region Ille et Vilaine. We are neighbors to the de Wolfe estate. They hold the Château de Hédé which lies but 4 kilometers from the home of my family as the crow flies."

"Yours, Erik? I was not aware you knew your family. I apologize that sounded very rude, but I did not mean it that way. You never spoke of your family. I just assumed …"

"That I knew not who my parents were?"

"Well, yes."

"I have known who they were ever since I had money enough to bribe the gypsy clan who imprisoned me all those years ago for their names. I am of the family de Mornay, albeit a bastard son. My father is Jean-Paul. Soon to be the last of the line du Comte de Mornay of Château de Montmuran. My mother is or at least she was when I last checked on her, a scullery maid by the name of Genevieve."

"Royalty. I always knew you had to be." She shakes her head with a wry smile. "Well, your father would have done better for himself if he had legitimized you. He, too, is old and in ill health. Unlike the Comte de Wolfe, Comte de Mornay has no heirs and according to the gossip the estate will most likely be absorbed by the de Wolfe's."

I spring to my feet laughing.

"That is perfect!"

"Why is it perfect, Erik? The estate in truth should be yours."

"Ah, child, I have no need of an estate. I have told you what I need. I need only my Christine and Trystin. I laugh and say it is perfect because I believe your future lies with this man, Etienne de Wolfe."

Turning a skeptical look on me and placing her hands on her hips, she thrusts her rounded belly at me.

"Oh, yes, of course. A wealthy, educated and unattached man will want to save me. Of course, he is a barrister! He could help me divorce Raoul and then I would be free to marry him."

"Such cynicism does you disservice, Lady. You are more than a worthy match of any man. And Monsieur le Vicomte Raoul de Chagny does not deserve you in the least. Perhaps, Etienne de Wolfe is the one to bring you the truth of love. It is possible, Christine. Believe. I never did believe. Never could I imagine a reason to believe. Fate blessed me by giving me reason to believe. I would die for them, but know that living for someone is harder still. Please, Christine. You must have hope for yourself. I do. All that you have told me kindles that hope into a flame. Hold it close and do not let it die. You are not dead yet. Where there is life there is hope."

"Sir, you tempt me with hope. Be not Pandora with her box of evils and release that final plague upon me unless you are earnest in your protestations."

"Madam, I would not be otherwise. I would sooner lie to you or mislead you than I would turn from my love. Hope is not an evil, Christine. Even when I was at my most abject and professed my hopelessness for love, in my true heart of hearts, I believed. Please, believe. It will find you as it did me. We cannot hide forever from love. It will find us. It found me and brought me joy. Me! Would you have believed it possible? Me?"

She laughs and twirls about the compartment.

"All right, Erik. I will allow for the possibility. Now, as to the reality of my situation in the here and now. What shall I do now? Where should I go?"

"Well, we are on a train, yes?"

She nods.

"What is the destination of this train?"

"Luxemburg."

I laugh. My Christine's maternal grandfather is from that principality. Coincidence? I think not. Let us cross the border and we shall begin to make our plans. When is the child due?"

I say this last to make certain that this is the child I need to protect. I need to be absolutely certain this is the child with the birth date of June 7, 1885.

"Late December, why?"

"And you are certain of this?"

"Of course. I have had six others."

"Beg pardon, Lady. It is difficult to place that number upon your person."

"Thank you, Erik."

"It is true. May I ask you one last thing? What is the date today?"

"Why, it is October 22, 1881."

I sit stunned by the revelation. My mind in turmoil. What can this mean? I know not.

"This changes things. I was under the mistaken impression that this is the child on whose birth the life of my beloved depends. It is not. I am sorry, Christine. The child whose name is Emma is born on June 7, 1885."

"It is a strange thing to hear the announcement of the birth date of a child not yet conceived. At least I now know what to name her. Emma. So, this child still could be the death of me if Raoul lays hand on me again."

"Again? Oh, Christine! I shall endeavor to thwart him and this time, I will not fail you. This I promise you, Christine. I shall not fail you. You shall be free to have love and be loved as you deserve. I cannot do otherwise. For how could I ask you to place yourself in peril for the sake of my happiness if I will not do the same for you?"

"My peril began the day I met Raoul and that meeting is laid at the door of chance, not you. Please do not carry guilt for my decision to save your life. Your life, sir, was and is worthy of saving. I do not blame you. If there is blame to be laid at anyone's door, the blame belongs to Raoul … not to you. But, enough of this. I would like to ask a question of you … a personal one … may I?"

"You may ask, Christine. I cannot guarantee my answer." I smile showing her I am amenable to her inquiry.

"What is Christine, your Christine like? What does she look like? Does she sing? Is she like me at all?"

Her questions surprise me. I was ready for her to ask me many things, but questions about my beloved were not one of them. I close my eyes and picture my beloved before me.

"She is short height. I stand and hold my hand to my chest. She stands about this high, which is much shorter than you are. She has an olive complexion that is golden brown from the sun. You have always been quite pale. Her eyes are a green-hazel with a golden brown circle about the pupil. Her eyes change colors sometimes they look the deepest blue, others pale blue and others green but always the golden brown halo surrounds her pupils. Your eyes are always deep brown. Her hair is deep auburn brown. Yours is deep dark brown. Her hair is fine with just a hint of curl. Your hair is coarse and wildly curly. Both of you are well-formed. She is lean and muscled. You are lean and delicate." I pause as thinking of my Christine is causing an ache in my heart that threatens my composure. "I am sorry. I cannot go on. I miss her and wish I were with her now. But, that cannot be. She is dying, Christine. Perhaps, that is not the proper description for what is happening to her. She is fading away. Fading from existence. Something that is happening now or will happen soon threatens her life. If she fades, her daughter will also. And I will become as I was … alone and abhorred by society. I would not mind so much about losing this." And I gesture at my unblemished features. "But to know love and have it ripped away by forces outside my control …"

I cease speaking and just shake my head. She walks to my side and pats my arm.

"Keep her in your heart, Erik. We will find a way to keep her in the world. I have faith."

She has surprised herself and the evidence is borne on her face. And yet, I see a shadow in her eyes.

"I believe." She speaks the word in a reverent whisper and then repeats them again as if to convince her of their truth. "I believe."

"Thank you, my dear friend. And it was my intention to rescue you. Here you are rescuing me once more."

We both laugh and for a moment I see years of care melt from her.

"Please sit, Christine. You need rest and we need to make plans."

"Yes, plan we must before Raoul sends his hounds to retrieve me."

"His hounds may seek you, but they will not find you. We exit the train at the next station. I believe it is time for me to visit my place of birth and lay claim to my inheritance. The Château de Montmuran will provide safe haven while you await the birth of this child. Also, it provides us a close neighbor in de Wolfe. But that lies further in the future. Christine, you must decide whether you wish to keep this child with you or hand it over to the Vicomte. If you present the child to him after the fact of its birth is witnessed and recorded, he would not dare harm her. I believe we can arrange documents that would attest to your death in childbirth. However, the decision of this child's fate is yours and I will give aid to whatever choice you make."

"We have talked long and you need to rest. I, too, am weary. Let us sit and try to take some sleep before the next station."

"Yes, sleep. It will be the first peaceful and unafraid sleep I have taken since I was a girl at the opera house. It is good to have you here, Erik."

"Sleep, now."