I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated quickly enough! I swear, just one more and then you will never have to wait on me again! Anyways, the week has been busy as well as time-consuming. I've had Band all week, and homework to be done. I know these are just excuses, but they're all I got! A great big thanks to my faithful readers and another warm welcome and thanks for the new readers who have just added my story! It means a lot to me! T-T
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Phantom of the Opera.
Part Seventy:
"Oooh, I cannot believe they let me go! Monsieur De Chagny the most I suppose, I thought he hated me." Erik listened patiently to Lark's stream of happy babbling as they pulled away from the magnificent mansion. Personally he, too, could not believe how simple it was to take her away. If only it had been that easy to whisk Christine away from the boy so long ago…still. He glanced over at the child who was practically bouncing up and down in joy and excitement. She was his new joy in this life…and he wouldn't leave her for the world. Christine was gone but Lark would always be there by his side. "…And then I never had to do anything more because he was so willing to let me go!" The child continued. A confused look came into her face and she turned her head towards Erik. "You do not think that Monsieur De Chagny hated me, did he? I do not wish to be hated." He glanced at her, studying the worried line that creased on her otherwise smooth forehead.
"He did it out of protection, mon chère." He sighed finally, twitching the reins. "Monsieur De Chagny thought only of his…his wife's protection as well as happiness. And, I am sorry if it offends you, you were a threat to that with your relationship with me." Lark nodded and twisted her hands together, the worried crease gone. "I would rather be with you in a dungeon than with anyone else someplace nice!" she said suddenly, a smile to equally match Richard's scattering across her mouth. "Would you, now?" Erik said, a smile twisting his face behind his mask. "Well I'm sorry to inform you but there will be no dungeon where we are going." Lark rolled her eyes but laughed all the same. It felt good to be back where she belonged.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Lark! Oh, Lark, dear!" Rachel clung to her as if she had lost her child but found her again. Erik and Richard stood a few feet away wondering if they should help the child or not from the suffocating clutches of the older woman. "Ra-chel, I- can't- breathe!" Lark gasped, but she was grinning widely all the same. She had also shrieked with joy when Richard and Rachel nearly pulled her off her seat in the carriage as she and Erik had pulled up to the front of the house. Erik glanced at his companion and gave a wry grin as Rachel released the child, apologizing happily. "They seem very happy to be together, again." Richard also grinned, though his was visible. "Yes, she was watching out the window for a sign of you two. Or just you, if that had been the case." He paused and turned to face Erik. "I'm glad you got her back but…how in the world's end did you?" Erik remained silent and continued to watch Lark and Rachel laugh together. "Do you know?" The younger man persisted. "You do, I know you do."
"Hey, Erik!" Laughed Lark suddenly, "can you help me up the stairs? Rachel will kill me by accident if I left her lead me!" They heard Rachel complain that it wasn't her fault she was struck with sudden clumsiness now and then but was willing to try if Erik refused. Richard followed his companion closely, determined not to be distracted from his answer. Erik, however, was keener in helping Lark with a chuckle and a prod in the back to get her moving the right way. The woman, smiling widely, took the child's arm and it seemed everybody was trying to help her into the house at once. "Alright! Alright, I'm in! …Or am I?" Lark's laugh seemed to make everyone's heart both smile and cry. A smile, for her good nature and humor of it all, and tears for such a loss at so young an age. So many things she had and would never see! Erik was there waiting with more patience than he had ever owned in his entire lifetime at her elbow, guiding her with simple prods and trying not to start steering her like a dog in its paces. "Yes, you're in, can you feel the carpet under your feet?"
"Yes, but sometimes the snow is as soft as the carpet." Lark said, frowning to herself. Rachel threw an anxious glance at her but she seemed to sense this, and the child rewarded her with a beam of pleasure. "I love the scent of your house!" she sighed. Richard laughed, but kept trying to catch Erik's eye to which he seemed to miss. "What does it smell like, Larky?" The girl giggled at her old nickname and took a deep breath as her guardian and female friend helped her sit on the couch; they were in the lounge room. "Ah, I love the smell," she sighed. "Your house smells like…maple syrup and rain." Richard's eyebrows rose and surreptitiously sniffed the air around him. Rachel chuckled and Erik's eyes seemed to smile. "Erik smells like rose petals, and Christine's house smelled heavy, like jasmine." Lark's nose wrinkled in distaste. "It was hard to breathe at first. I thought I would have to get used to it!" It was Erik's turn to raise his eyebrows, and he was very glad he had a mask to hide his face for all the heat crept up into it.
Rachel smiled ruefully and sat down next to Lark. "Honey," she began throwing a look at her brother. "My brother found something, while you were away." She looked up at the men, Erik gestured elegantly that she should continue while her brother nodded solemnly. Lark's face contorted into a worried, thin-lipped look of someone way older than her thirteen years. "Oh," was all she got past her expression. Unconsciously, her little hands started to wring themselves rigorously in her dress's lining. Rachel took her hands into her own to prevent this and laughed gently, jostling the small child encouragingly. "Oh, my dear, my honey, do not look so worried!" she said. "You look like a worried old nanny, it isn't bad!" Lark didn't respond but her thin-lipped mouth loosened slightly. She freed one of her hands and held it out. The woman and her brother looked at it curiously, but looked bewildered. Erik, however, calmly slipped his own hand into hers. The child relaxed more and became very alert. "Alright, Rich." She said, trying to sound casual, though her petite voice quavered. "What did you find?" Richard looked at Erik and held out a hand, not unlike Lark did. The masked man nodded, and slipped his other free hand into his cloak pocket and drew out the document. Lark heard the rustling of the paper and clung vise-tight to her guardian's skeletal, wintry hand even though Erik's fingers twitched slightly in protest.
"Lark, I found your mother's will." Richard said slowly. "Ouch…!" Erik winced as Lark nearly squeezed his fingers off his hand. He cast a reproachful look and Lark, who seemed to know when someone was looking at her, grimaced sheepishly and loosened her hand considerably of the death grip she had before. "M-Mama's will?" she stammered. Richard nodded, and then, grimacing, said a vocal agreement. It was very easy to forget she was blind when you got past the hazy almost deadened look. "I found it in my study and…quite frankly I am surprised but…she left you a lot of land!" He peered at the document closer. Everyone in the room besides the child seemed to lean closer to the will also, as if expecting a large secret to be revealed. "A house, as well!" Richard said, clearly surprised. He had not read deeply into it before he had handed it to Erik. "A…a house?" Lark sounded almost close to tears. "How could she leave a house if all the ones we lived in were…were burned down? We had nothing left!" Rachel moved closer to offer some sort of soothing reassurance but the child just shook her away, now in tears.
"She left you money…not much, but enough…" Richard continued as though he had not heard Lark's protests. Her wails increased and Richard had to raise his voice to be heard. "The land is eight acres including a small cottage by the cliffs that lead to the shore!" He almost yelled. "And I quote, 'My only daughter, Lark, is to inherit all my sums and land. Her guardian, whomever she chooses, is to take care of all this until she reaches the proper age to take control herself.'" Erik was bewildered. "How is any of this possible when all their property was destroyed?" Richard leaned back in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose while his sister tried to consol the weeping child. "I would imagine it was a backup. Rebecca knew she would die," Lark let out a dry sob. "So she made sure that her surviving child would be set and safe." Erik nodded, that would make more sense…and how well planned it was! He had to give this…Rebecca some credit, even though she went through a terrible ordeal, she still made sure her remaining children would be safe.
"Mama, Mama, why didn't you tell me?" Lark sobbed to herself, rocking a little. "Why didn't you let us know we had somewhere else to go?" Rachel, with a strong motherly urge, wrapped her arms around the child and rocked with her, smoothing her hair. Richard looked stern, though and leaned forward. "Lark," he said gently, "Your mother did not know she would pass away so soon," the child gasped and gulped wetly and this, clinging to Erik's hand for all dear life. He awkwardly patted her hand, but remained silent and listening. "…but had she lived longer, I am positive Rebecca would have told you about her will." Richard finished steadily. "She loved you very much, Lark and both you and I know this." Lark nodded slowly, fresh new tears that hadn't come to her in months flowed down her soft cheeks. "Yes…yes she…Mama would do…something like that. To protect me…" she leaned heavily on Rachel who seemed glad that she could provide some comfort to the small girl. She looked at Erik who was staring down at the child sadly. "You could use some rest, my honey." Rachel said softly to Lark, squeezing her. "You had a very big day." The child sighed and nodded. Silently, Erik came and picked her up as easily as he would a rag doll. She had lost some pounds despite Christine's attentive care.
She leaned her head on his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs. "The only bad thing, Erik, about being blind," she said suddenly, wrapping her arms around his neck, her face rather frightened, "Is that no one is there with me in the dark. I can't see, and everyone else can. Like I'm in a dark room." Erik said nothing but listened, horrified as they came up to the second floor, Erik's room was in the attic. "It's so…so lonely! I can hear everyone and every thing around me, but I can't see them! I cannot reach out my head easy as you please and touch something." She shuddered and sighed. "Sometimes I feel like a newborn puppy, but more helpless. They don't open their eyes for a long time…" She remained silent until Erik carried her to his room and laid her down on the divan. "I will be right downstairs," he guaranteed, for she still hadn't relinquished her tight, almost desperate hold from around his neck. "If you need me, just yell and I'll be there. Understand?"
He pried off her arms gently, but firmly. "Lark, you understand?" He met his eyes to her foggy ones. With a sigh and one last squeeze of his hand between hers, she nodded slowly, closing her eyes. He patted her hair fondly hummed to her a soft little melody. The same one, in fact, that he sang when she was taken away; only this time she would awaken not in another home but with Erik. She seemed to realize this and before long she was sound asleep, breathing the slow, deep breath of one fully slumbering. With that, Erik swept from the room and went down to the lounge to join the two siblings.
Thank you all for reading! One more to go...please review!
Erik: Finally...