Chapter Nine
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Ariella made a point to stop in to check on the children. She needn't have worried. After a brief hug they scampered off but not before Matthew asked an odd question. He wanted to know where babies came from. Due to how she had spent her night she felt her face heat with embarrassment. Not that anything they did could or would result in a child. What had Ariella in a tizzy was the fact that she would not object if Erik wanted to go further than they had the night before. The man could lead her into sin without any effort whatsoever.
Where had that question come from anyway? Before Ariella left Mirielle pulled her to the side to explaining in a whisper, "Some of the older girls were talking about something that happened last night. One of the girls stayed out later than she should have with one of the stage hands. Antoinette scolded her quite harshly. She warned the girl that she would end up with a child if she wasn't careful. Matthew was listening. Just give him a simple answer if he asks again. More than likely he'll forget."
Matthew never forget anything he considered important. He had the memory of an elephant. This was one time Ariella hoped he somehow got a case of selected amnesia and she wanted to do the selecting.
She met Meg who took her hand dragging her along until they reached Meg's room. She opened the door pulling Ariella in with her. She looked at Ariella with expectation written all over her face as she questioned in barely restrained excitement, "So what happened? I know for a fact the children were not with you and Erik last night. You had the whole vast empty caverns to yourselves. So how was it?"
Wishing to avoid this conversation she knew the impossibility of Meg letting her out of here without something to appease her. To stall for time she asked, "It? What it would that be Meg?"
"Don't be coy with me. It. You, him,alone. All night. So is he as good as they say?"
"I wish you could be more specific about this they you are speaking of all the time. They could no doubt tell you more than I. Track down one of those people to ask about his prowess." Ariella did want to tell Meg. She just didn't know quite how to say it without getting too personal.
"This is the thanks I get for giving you my blessing? Perhaps I'll just have to pursue the man myself as I wanted all along. If you won't tell me well..." She tapered off into silence waiting for Ariella to relent. She didn't have long to wait. With an excited little giggle she pulled Meg to the bed. Once they were both seated Ariella turned toward Meg with a look of utter bliss on her face.
'It was incredible." Seeing Meg's look of astonishment she hurriedly corrected herself. "Not that It. We just sort of...well...uh,we..." She stopped to unravel her tongue then continued, "Remember those things the stagehands talked about? All those things we read in those books? The pictures we saw?"
"Yes. Please go on. How was his you know?" Meg waved her hand about as if she could conjure a picture from the air. Ariella fortunately knew exactly what Meg wanted to know.
"Well mind you I have only pictures and statues to use as my guide. In my opinion Erik is ten times better than any of those. Let me just say the good Lord may have not given him a perfect face but the rest of him is exquisite."
'Oh damn I knew he would be. I wish now I had kept him for myself. Oh well, there are plenty of fish in the sea. they may not have as big a you know or as pretty of a face as his but they'll do." Jumping up she exclaimed, "Oh hell. I should have been on stage five minutes ago. Mind if I tell mother I had to run an errand for you? Take a message to your brother and sister?"
As they excited the room Ariella said, "Feel free. I'm feeling generous. After all I get to go home to him at the end of the night."
Meg walked backwards in the opposite direction from Ariella. As she walked she said with a teasing laugh, "Yeah, yeah I know. Keep rubbing it in my face and I might change my mind. Bye, see you tonight." With that she whirled around then began to sprint down the corridor in a very unladylike fashion. Looking at her running in such an ungainly manner it would be hard to picture her as a once graceful dancer performing on the very stage she now taught others.
Ariella was kept busy most of the morning running errands from one end of the opera house to the other. On one particular trip back she saw Raoul and Christine. There was a woman with them Ariella had not seen before. Judging by her simple attire she was a servant. The bundle she held in her arms could only be Raoul and Christine's son. As with most women her arms ached to hold that little bundle of squiggly humanity. She was reluctant to join them. Raoul she would not mind so much. Christine made her hackles rise for obvious reasons. With a smile on her face she went to greet them.
"Raoul how nice to see you again so soon. You as well Christine. Did you both enjoy the ball?" She hoped she didn't run out of small talk. If she ran out of things to say she was afraid she might be tempted to grill Christine about her treatment of Erik and request a full explanation of how her lip color got onto Erik's lips. Some things could be overlooked but not everythhing.
Raoul bowed with charm and grace lightly kissing the hand he held in his. He touched his lips lightly to the back of her hand. "The height of the night dear lady was meeting you. If not for your kindness I would have been quite alone as Christine wished to speak with her former teacher."
"Is this your son Raoul? I read in the paper about his birth. Of course that was before I had met either of you. You both must be so proud. May I hold him?"
Ariella held her arms out toward the woman she assumed was the boy's nanny or wet nurse. Christine did not look as if she were a nursing mother. The dress she wore made easy access an impossibility. She dropped her arms when Christine said, "I would rather you didn't. Germs you know. Things run rampant in a place like this. All the intermingling. Men and women fraternizing all over the place." From the tone of her voice one could infer she meant sexual encounters. Ariella's hackles rose. Erik was the only one she fraternized with. Christine hadn't seemed to mind fraternizing with him last night.
"We just brought Little Raoul so that Madame Giry could have a look at him. Is she busy? As you are free to run around I suppose she is perhaps taking a break also. You do seem to have a lot of free time. Things have certainly changed since I was here. So many people hanging about with nothing to do. Madame always did let others take advantage of her kindness." Christine ignored the part of her conscience that said Madame had never in her life been one to let anyone take advantage of her. Perhaps it was more accurate to say Madame took advantage of the weaknesses of others to get what she wanted in the opera house.
Seeing the look of censure in Raoul's face she quickly said, "I don't mean you of course. Could you perhaps be a dear and let her know we are here?"
"Christine, Ariella isn't a servant. We can easily have one of the floor runners give her a message. We can sit on that comfortable couch over there until she arrives." He pointed to where a couch sat against a wall. There were two chairs and a coffee table making a cozy corner for conversation. This was utilized when important guests arrived unexpectedly. They could sit and have refreshments until someone was able to greet them.
Ariella looked to Christine for some comment or move toward the seating. By the firm line of her lips she had no intention of saying another word in Ariella's presence. It would seem they had developed a mutual dislike for one another. Although Ariella knew why she had been cool toward Christine she was mystified as to why Christine had a dislike for her.
Deciding to take things into her own hands she walked over to one of the chairs waiting for them to join her. When they did there was a moment of uncomfortable silence broken only when Ariella could not stand the deafening silence a moment longer.
"The urns over there have fresh coffee or tea. The pastries under the glass dome were baked fresh only this morning in our own kitchen. Would you care for some?"
"I can't speak for Raoul but I will not indulge. I guess you don't have to worry about your figure. You can have as many as you wish without having to worry. What's one more pound? So many women let themselves go when the reach a certain age and are still unmarried. There is no shame in that Ariella. It's good to see a woman who is comfortable being full figured."
Ariella had to bite her tongue. She did not just insinuate that I was fat. She sat on her hands to keep from pulling strands of that brunette's hair form her head. One more reference to any of my attributes and I will take her to the ground. I'll use every inch of my attributes to pull her hair out. Scratch her eyes out. Full figured indeed. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell the witch that Erik had found her quite pleasant and desirable. Numerous times last night then again this morning. He was even now waiting to share her attributes again.
Ariella sent a young boy to let Antoinette know she had visitors. She and Raoul spent the next few minutes discussing the nights coming performance. Raoul invited her to sit with them if she were free. If she were to have a moment she would be spending it with Erik in his box. Chances are she would be too busy to visit with anyone. Noticing the time she excused herself then left the couple sitting while they waited for Antoinette. Ariella walked rather quickly through the auditorium. As soon as she entered the corridor behind the stage she ran to the dressing room with the special mirror. It did not take long for her to reach Erik's home. He stepped out of his front door to wave to her. Untying the boat he rowed across to retrieve her.
Erik had been busy while she had been away. He had placed a bear skin rug on the floor in front of the fireplace. Soft pillows along with a warm blanket lay on the rug. The gas lamps were turned off. Candles were positioned around to cast enticing shadows around the room. The fire in the fireplace blazed filling the room with warmth. Beside the rug was a bottle of wine. Not far from that was a tray with cheese. In a bowl was an assortment of fruits. Erik had even taken the time to cut them into bite size pieces. The dozens of red roses in a variety of vases she was unsure about. Not that she didn't appreciate the gesture. Roses at this time of year cost the earth if you could find a shop that had a green house. Her dilemma was she knew that he had given Christine red roses tied with a black ribbon as a gesture of his admiration then as an expression of his love for her. Ariella decided since she had the man Christine could have the memories. The roses would signify something else in her own mind from now on. They were a gift from Erik given in sincerity and love. How could she not accept them in the spirit in which they were given?
For a man who was new to the game of seduction and courtship he certainly was a promising student. He not only seduced with his voice he seduced with his actions. He waited for her to say something. Anything. He had used a book as reference material how to stage the scene he wanted to create. He hoped to impress her enough to allow him some of the liberties he had taken last nigh and a few he had discovered while reading the book on the art of love and making love.
Ariella was more than impressed. She was completely enamored of the man before her. He could have presented her with a glass of water partnered by a piece of stale bread. It would have seemed like a feast as long as he was there to share it with her. She approached him with the glow of love in her eyes. The tender look was one Erik was quite unfamiliar with but it was a look he would come to crave from this woman.
They spent the late afternoon doing things they had already learnt while enjoying some new things they had yet to try. He complimented her on her many attributes. His lips and hands found them quite delectable.
That evening was more chaotic than Ariella even imagined it would be. Matthew and Julianna had been invited by ERik to sit in his box. She agreed so long as they stayed in the box with Erik. No one had seen Entienne hanging around. Ariella would rather know where he was than merely speculate and worry.
The performance was a success. Three curtain calls later then chaos broke out behind the curtain. Everyone scrambling to get to their dressing rooms so they could change then mingle with the aristocrats who came to impress the young men and women of the stage into giving a night's entertainment. Perhaps more if things went well. Many chorus girls as well as dancers had found husbands or lovers among the throng of theatre patrons. Ariella was picking up bits and pieces of costumes dropped while the quick changes took place between scene changes. Wanting to give Mirielle a hand she took a armful then headed down the hall. The lights were dimmed at this time during a performance,. No need to waste fuel.
She had just passed Meg's room when she heard what she thought were a set of footsteps behind her. An uncanny feeling swept over her. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up straight. Erik was the only ghost she knew that haunted the opera house. He was in his box with Matthew and Julianna. He had told her how he had shadowed her from the moment she stepped into his opera house. She continued on down the hall. She had stopped in to speak with Meg before she headed for the costume department.
She hurried her footsteps. The ones behind her matched her step for step. More footfalls joined the first set. Ariella began to remember Antoinette and Meg's warnings about never walking the halls alone at night. Especially on a night there had been a performance. Almost running now the steps behind her gained ground as she was hampered by the burden in her arms. Dropping everything she ran full tilt along the hall.
A heavy hand on her shoulder had her heart in her throat. When a wet cloth was placed over her nose and mouth she began to panic and struggle in earnest. Grabbing the hand at her mouth with her hands she clawed the flesh trying to loosen the firm grip. A grey fog hazed over her eyes. Sounds became muffled. Then darkness overtook her. She slumped in the arms of the man who had caught her from behind.
Gregore laid the woman in his arms gently to the floor. His boss would not pay him if he were to bruise the merchandise. He squatted down bending his knees. He placed his wrists on his knees. Looking down at the woman his boss had spent so much time and money on he wondered what was so special about her. She had to be good in the pleasuring department. She was not beautiful. There were many more beautiful women here in the opera house. All over Paris beauty could be found. His own country of Russia had some of the world's most beautiful women.
What was so special about this one? For a moment he contemplated finding out for himself. He had no fear of the boss physically. He could take him any day of the week. He feared losing his pay at the end of the day. If she was virgin as the boss claimed he was tempted to find out. It would be nice to have a woman who wasn't a whore for once. Luckily for Ariella his greed for money won over his lust for a woman.
Placing one hand behind her back then the other under her knees he grunted as he stood with her in his arms. Her head lolled back as her left arm fell toward the floor dangling as he began to walk forward with his two companions silently at his side.
He had only taken a few steps when he heard a shout behind him. "Stop! Release her now or feel the steel of my blade." Raoul had been backstage congratulating everyone on a successful performance. When he couldn't find Ariella or Meg someone had told him they had gone back toward the dressing rooms. Christine had opted to stay with Madame Giry. Not trusting Erik he had brought his sword. It wasn't Erik who would feel the steel in is gullet.
Raoul in his bid to play the hero had more optimism than good sense as he faced the three men. He may have been able to take out one then follow the one who had Ariella but three made things more difficult. As it was the odds were stacked against him. He was up for the challenge of duelling two men. He had honed his skills since his little face off with Erik two years ago.
"You two take care of the hero. I'll take her to the boss then meet you there later. We have some celebrating to do comrades." With a quick turn he strode off down the hall.
Raoul bravely faced the two men. They had removed their own weapons. Soon the hall was echoing with the sound of steel clashing against steel. Sparks flew. Raoul parried one then the other not giving ground to his opponents. Inch by inch he backed the men down the hall. A door opening behind him threw his rhythm off. One of the men took the advantage. He thrust forward just as Meg called out, "Raoul what is going on? Oh my God we have been invaded." Fearing for Meg's safety Raoul doubled his efforts to best the men. The wound to his shoulder was weakening him. He made the mistake of turning to give a warning to Meg. Not having been paid to kill anyone, one of Raoul's opponents hit him over the head with the hilt of his sword. Raoul dropped to his knees with a groan falling forward on his hands then to his side.
Having victory the two assailants trotted down the hallway to the door leading to the alley behind the opera house. Meg ran to Raoul kneeling down beside him. He looked as if he had lost half his blood supply. Meg who had seen all sorts of concoctions made for the stage to resemble blood had never seen real blood other than a small wound on her knees as a child. She swallowed as her face began to turn green.
"Meg go for help. They have Ariella. Find your mother. She'll know how to find Erik. I'll wait in your room. Bring them as quickly as you can. Christine is with your mother. Please tell her I am fine. It is just a scratch. Nothing serious." Raoul's idea of a scratch and her own had miles between them.
After Meg left Raoul lay there for a few minutes gathering his strength. Sitting up he groaned as his shoulder protested. Staggering just a little he made it to his feet then down to Meg's room. Opening the door he went in shutting the door after him. Lifting his shirt he winced. The wound was a little more than a scratch but not life threatening. Unless he became infected he should be fine. A little woozy but other than that his normal self.
Meg ran as fast as she could shoving patrons and performers alike to the side without a thought that these people were the bread and butter of the opera. Without them there would be no opera. Indeed there would be no purpose to perform if there were no audience. Meg's one thought was to get to her mother so she could get to Erik
Seeing the managers she quickly asked if either of them had seen her mother. With a shudder they had said "Box Five" . The quickest route was three flights of stairs then down the hall behind the boxes. Not wasting any time Meg raced up the stairs. It was a good thing she still practiced every day to keep her skills sharp. Otherwise she would be winded by the time she ran down the hall then up the three flights of stairs.
Not standing on ceremony she opened the door letting it hit the wall behind it with a loud crack. They would forgive her for the cracked plaster when they heard the reason for her haste.
"Margarite Antoinette Giry. What is the meaning of this ill mannered behavior? If you say one word about finding Erik I will cut the willow switch myself then whip your backside until you are unable to sit."
Being a little more winded than she thought she would be Meg spoke in disjointed one and two word rantings. "Ariella. Raoul. Three men. Took her. Come help. My room. Hurt. Lot's of blood."
Shooting to his feet Erik took Meg by the shoulders shaking her none too gently while demanding, "Meg. Where is Ariella? Is she hurt? Good God woman speak."
"Stop...shaking...me...so...I...can." As he shook her the words came out one at a time with a pause for her teeth to clank together with the force of his actions.
Antoinette grabbing his arm was the only thing keeping him from rattling her teeth out as well as anything else that might come unattached during the merciless shaking.
Allowing her to regain her composure for all of one minute that was as much as Erik could stand to wait not knowing what had happened and if Ariella was injured. The thought of her lying somewhere alone and bleeding twisted like a knife in his stomach. Not for two years had he felt anything close to this. This was worse. Now he knew what that boy had felt as he raced to save Christine. The fear of what might happen. The terror in his mind of what may have already taken place. When this wa over he would consider apologizing to the whelp. Raoul. The name was not as bitter as he thought it would be.
Meg explained as much as she knew which wasn't much as Erik thought she should be telling him. She told them Raoul would be in her room waiting and that he was hurt.
Christine's gasp of horror reminded them there was another player in this drama. Antoinette gathered her into her arms trying to reassure her wondering who would reassure her at the same time?
Quickly the solemn group made their way back to Meg's room each worried for Raoul but more so for Ariella whose fate was still unknown.