Hey everyone, thanks again for the reviews. I'm posting up this chapter because I have a busy weekend ahead of me and probably won't get to writing again till maybe Sunday or Monday Night. Believe me it's not for my own enjoyment, I have to work long hours at the library all weekend. It's ok because I am totally looking forward to next weekend when I go to Fright Fest at Six Flags with my brothers and friend. I got new pictures up of some stuff on my myspace so if any of my friends are interested please check it out. For now enjoy the chapter and keep reading…
The next morning, Erik managed to lie Clorinda down on her bed after being in his arms all night so that he could make himself something to eat. Once he made it to the kitchen area of his lair, Erik made a small fire to heat up some water to make himself a cup of tea. As he was stirring the cup of hot liquid, he spotted Christine walking towards him in her night gown. He turned from her, and proceeded to give her the cold shoulder.
"I see that you're still mad at me."
Erik didn't say a word and began to pour some milk into the glass he was drinking out of. His anger was far too much to even want to deal with Christine at the moment.
"How is Clorinda?"
Once more Erik didn't answer her and got to his feet and began to walk away from Christine.
"I'm talking to you Erik! don't walk away when I'm talking to you."
Once Erik made it back over to Clorinda's bedside he tucked her in once more and had a seat at the side of her bed. Christine was at his side in a flash looking down at her daughter's body.
"Is she ok now?"
Erik took a sip of his tea and sat the glass down on the night stand before turning towards Christine to answer her.
"She has a fever Christine, is that what you wanted to hear? Yes she's still sick so just leave me to my daughter."
"She's my child too Erik."
"Yes but you're the reason she got this way."
"Can't we talk about this Erik? Please all I ask is for your forgiveness."
"And all I ever asked of you is for loyalty, and look what I got."
"I have the opera to sing in again tonight Erik and I would like it of you came."
"What? So I can see Colum standing there? No way, no how."
"You can never say that I didn't invite you."
With that, Christine walked away and left Erik alone with Clorinda's ill body.
"Little Vixen."
Once Erik turned back to Clorinda, he noticed that she had begun to stir in her sleep. Erik smiled, and touched the side of her feverish face. When she had opened her eyes, Erik smiled at her and watched as she stretched her arms.
"How are you feeling Clorinda?"
"Terrible, what happened to me Monsieur Kire?"
"You fell in the park, but you're going to be alright now."
"Did you save me?"
"Me and your mother came looking for you last night."
"I was so upset Monsieur Kire, I thought that you left me forever."
"You shouldn't have come looking for me Clorinda."
"I was afraid that you would have left me forever. I don't ever want you to leave me, I just couldn't live without you."
"I'm not going anywhere Clorinda I swear to you."
"What about you and my mother?"
"Just remember Clorinda, what ever happens between your mother and I has nothing to do with me being around you. I am going to be here for as long as you want me to be, I promise."
"You promise?"
"I swear to you."
"Monsieur Kire?"
"Yes Clorinda?"
"I love you."
Erik didn't know what to say when he had heard the words come from her small lips. How badly he wanted to say the same to her but he just couldn't.
"Just you get your rest Clorinda."
"I'll be fine Monsieur Kire."
"Just do as I ask and rest."
With that, Clorinda did as she was asked and closed her eyes to rest. All day long Erik watched over Clorinda as she slept to make sure that she was recovering as she was supposed to be. Once night time came and Christine left for the opera Erik left Clorinda's side to go to his bed chambers to rest. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep and found himself in a dreamless slumber minutes after lying his head down on the pillow. Seconds later, Clorinda opened her eyes and sat up. She wanted to go to her mother's opera so badly and with Erik asleep she would have her chance. Quietly as a mouse, she dressed into her cloak and Tipp toed past Erik's bed chamber without making a sound. Any slight movements would not only cause him to awake but his anger as well. She had seen it happen before and god forbid it happen a second time.
Once Clorinda silently got passed his chambers, she climbed the rafters as well as Erik could do and left the dark silent lair. Erik had once shown her other ways of getting out of the lair, the rafters being the one that led to the top of the stage. Some nights she would spot him sitting on the rafters watching a performance, staying out of anyone's sight, and that is exactly what she was planning on doing. God forbid her mother spotted her, that would only make things between her and Erik even worse. Once Clorinda found a great spot to watch the opera out of anyone's view she had a seat on the rafter and waited for the show to begin.
As Colum took his seat in box 5 he looked around at who was also attending the opera. Andre was seated in box 4 and the mayor was also seated with him. He hadn't known why he had come back to see Christine in an opera. After she had yelled at him for the un consensual evening between the two of them he had gotten angry. Now that she had drank the Aphrodisiac Chardonnay and came to him, Colum figured out that maybe she wasn't tied in with the Opera Ghost. Maybe just maybe Christine didn't know him at all, but he just didn't know yet. He had to figure out a way to get back into Christine's life so he could figure out the truth for himself. As he looked up into the rafters, Colum spotted a shadow sitting up on one of them.
"It's that damn Phantom, I knew he would return!"
Thinking that it was the infamous Opera Ghost, Colum ran out of his box and to the source of the shadow. All he could think about at the moment was finally finding what he came back to Paris for. Once he climbed onto the rafters and began to walk towards where he saw the shadow his evil smile got wider and wider. Just then as he turned the corner his hopes and dreams had shattered and his smile quickly turned into a frown as he spotted Clorinda sitting on the rafter.
"Damn it."
Clorinda tuned around and gasped at the sight of Colum standing there.
"Please, don't tell my mother that I'm here."
"I won't don't worry about it."
Colum approached Clorinda and had a seat next to her.
"So why are you sitting up here?"
"I'm trying to stay out of my mother's sight. I just want to watch the opera is all."
"Clorinda can I ask you a question?"
"um…ok."
"What happened to your father?"
"I was told he's dead."
"Does your mother have any friends that are men besides me?"
"She has all the men in Pairs as her friends, why?"
"No, I mean does she have….you know…..have a very close friend that's always around you?"
"Oh like a lover?"
"Yea exactly."
"Nope, no one."
"Who was the man you were dancing with at the ball the other night?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"The man, the one who danced with you during the father daughter dance."
"I don't know who he was."
"Can I tell you something if you promise not to say anything to anyone."
"Sure, what?"
"The reason I came to Paris is because I'm your father."
Clorinda stood up and looked at Colum who was still sitting on the rafter.
"You're lying."
"No, your mother didn't want you to know about it. I came back to be a better father Clorinda."
"If you're really my father then how come I haven't seen you my whole life? My mother has never mentioned you."
"I was in the army Clorinda, and when your mother told me that she was pregnant with you I ran off because I was afraid. I was so terrified that I couldn't be a good father to you and then I realized that being with you is being the best father I can be. Your mother didn't want to tell you so you must keep this a secret. If you tell anyone and your mother finds out she'll send me away and we'll never see each other again."
"I promise Colum."
"No Clorinda, have some respect and call me father."
"But if I do that and people are around couldn't that give you away?"
"You're right, only call me father when we're alone. I promise that I'm going to be around you all the time now."
Clorinda smiled, and hugged Colum with all her strength.
"I finally have a father, I finally know my father and he isn't dead after all."
"No Clorinda and this looks like the beginning of a beautiful father daughter relationship."
Erik awoke out of a nightmare full of sweat and sat up in his swan bed.
"Clorinda?"
Erik got to his feet and walked out into his dark lair looking for his daughter. He sighed in relief when spotted her in her bed fast asleep. He quietly covered her up, and tucked her back in before turning to go back to his chambers for the remainder of the evening. Before he made it back to his bed, he saw Christine sitting on his couch wide awake reading a book.
"It's ok Erik I checked on her after I got back from the Opera."
"I appreciate it."
"I didn't see you there tonight, I'm guessing that you went to bed right after I left and forgot about your invite."
"of course."
"I don't know you anymore Erik, you're a changed person."
"I'm the changed person? You're the changed person Christine. I cannot believe that you actually went out and fornicated with that man."
"It's not fornication Erik, we're not married."
"That's right, and now we never will be."
With that said, Erik walked towards his chambers without saying another word to her. The next morning, Erik awoke and got dressed in his Sunday best and walked to the kitchen part of his lair to find Clorinda sitting there eating a bowl of oatmeal.
"Good Morning, mind if I join you?"
"No Monsieur, go ahead."
Erik had a seat next to Clorinda and poured himself a cup of tea.
"You seem happy and much better this morning."
"I am Monsieur."
"Would you like to practice today with me?"
"No thank you Monsieur."
"No thank you? You love to practice with me."
"I know but I have other plans today."
"Other plans? Would you like to go watch the opera today?"
"No, I have other plans."
"Well ok then but just make sure you stay inside the opera house."
"I will, are you ok?"
"Yes perfectly fine, just run along and have fun. Just be careful Clorinda."
With that, Clorinda finished her breakfast and walked away leaving Erik alone.
Clorinda walked through the hallways of the opera house and ran into Colum who was eating breakfast with Andre. As soon as Colum seen Clorinda he got to his feet and drank the rest of his coffee.
"Sorry Monsieur Andre, I'm going to have to eat and run."
"You're excused Monsieur Colum. I shall see you at the opera later."
"Of course."
Colum picked up Clorinda and carried her off and away from Andre.
"How are you today Father?"
"great how are you?"
"Great, what are we going to do today?"
"A walk in the park sound good?"
"No, I can't…I'm sick."
"You're sick?"
"Yes…I promised…Monsieur….I mean I promised my mother that I wouldn't go out of the opera house until I get better."
"Ok then, let us go somewhere and have a talk."
"Where at?"
"up in the rafters of course."
"I don't know, that seems kind of boring."
"Well we can't go outside so what else can we do in here?"
"There's lots to do father, we can swing off the ropes on the stage."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"No, Monsieur Ki….I mean I always do it."
"I'd rather us just talk."
"Oh, ok."
Colum and Clorinda had a seat on the rafters and faced each other.
"Clorinda, I have something to ask you."
"What?"
"I kind of lied to you when I told you that I came back here to be a better father."
"What? What on earth are you talking about?"
"I came here to try to be a better father but I also came back to catch a murderer."
"A murderer?"
"Yes there is a man on the loose who killed both my brothers. I heard that he hangs around the opera house and came here to try and catch him. You would tell me if you knew something wouldn't you? You would help your father catch a bad guy right?"
"Of course father."
"So do you know something?"
"Like what?"
"Just anything about a weird man hanging around here?"
"No I don't know a thing."
"Promise me that if you ever do see or hear something you'll let me know."
"Yes I promise father."
"That's my girl."
"Father can I ask you something?"
"Yes."
"How did I get this scar on my cheek?"
"What do you mean?"
"My scar, why do I have it? My mother doesn't have it and neither do you."
"I don't know Clorinda."
"Why did you name me Clorinda?"
"I don't know….it felt like a good idea at the time."
"What do you mean? my mother and everyone told me that you named me after music, your favorite thing."
"Right…..right I must have……..forgot."
"Who do I look more like? You or mother?"
"Look enough with the questions Clorinda."
"Sorry, I'm just so happy that your back in my life."
Colum smiled evilly, and picked Clorinda up and placed her on his knee.
"That's all great Clorinda, but remember that it's our little secret."
"Of course."
"and what are you going to do if you see the murderer?"
"Tell you Father."
More to come soon!