Disclaimer: I don't own Phantom or anything related to it. Bummer. But I do own the Laurents and Father Michel. Happy reading! Come on, you lurkers--give me some feedback! :)
Chapter Thirteen
Erik nodded at Guillaume, the butler, as he opened the front door for him. "Good evening."
"Good evening, Monsieur. You are expected in the dining room," Guillaume motioned with his hand and bowed slightly before excusing himself.
Erik stood for a moment, a bit nervous about how the new houseguest might react to seeing him for the first time. His mask tended to frighten people…although perhaps the Laurents have told this person about the reason for my mask. Yet another person who knows more than they ought to about me! He had become accustomed to the warmth that he felt in the Laurent house, and he did not want anyone to spoil it for him. He inhaled deeply through his nose and smoothed his dark wig with his palms. Lavender and roses. The scent was barely there, but he could smell it. He exhaled sharply. Why am I thinking of her now? Erik silently lamented. I have no time for this. I must be losing my mind! He noticed that the double doors to the dining room were closed, so he walked toward them and tried to calm himself. He knocked briefly and awaited a response.
"Enter, please," came Monsieur Laurent's voice from beyond the doors. Erik could hear polite conversation and intermittent laughter coming from the dining room as well.
He slid back one of the pocket doors and saw Monsieur Laurent seated at the head of the table. The man rose quickly. "Ah, Monsieur Erik! Please, do come in and have a seat! I am glad that you decided to join us for dinner. I would like you to meet our houseguest for the week. This is…" He motioned to the other end of the table and Erik's eyes followed.
Suddenly everything became hazy. Erik could no longer hear Monsieur Laurent's voice, nor could he see the welcoming smiles of Suzette and Amêlie. All he saw was the vision in the light green dress with the auburn waves falling down around her shoulders…and those eyes…the eyes he knew he could never forget as long as he lived. The half-smile which had graced his countenance seconds before, had quickly faded. Christine Daae sat in shocked silence before him.
Erik froze. He stared at Christine, mouth agape, for what seemed an eternity. Finally, the fog in his mind began to clear and he blinked several times to make certain that he was not hallucinating. "Monsieur Erik? Erik? Are you quite all right?" Monsieur Laurent's voice finally brought Erik back to his senses.
"Hmm? Oh, I…I apologize, Monsieur. I…I just…" Erik stuttered.
"Have you forgotten your manners, Monsieur? When introduced to a lady, are you not supposed to acknowledge her in a proper manner?" The man stared at Erik, clearly annoyed.
"I…I am sorry. Mademoiselle?" Erik hesitantly approached Christine, who was gripping the sides of her chair as though she had seen a ghost. Her knuckles were turning white. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mademoiselle," he said, reaching for her left hand and removing it from the chair. He brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, lingering a bit longer than what was considered proper. He looked deeply into her eyes and a wave of longing swept over him. Christine stared at him in a combination of horror and elation, mouth open and lower lip quivering. Her face felt as if it were on fire. Finally, she found her voice. "You as well, Monsieur." She released her hand from his grip and dropped it to her side again. Erik noticed her tension, as it clearly matched his own. He backed away from her.
"Monsieur, Madame, I am afraid that I have not felt well today…I just stopped by to tell you in person that I will not be joining you for dinner this evening. I thank you for your invitation. I plan to retire immediately," Erik lied, as politely as he could muster.
Monsieur Laurent was clearly surprised. "Oh…well, Erik, I…I hope that you will get some rest and feel well in the morning. Thank you for coming in person to tell us. It was very…genteel of you."
Erik nodded at him, and then he turned to Suzette and Amêlie. "Madame, Mademoiselle," he winked at Amêlie. "Enjoy your evening." He turned his fiery gaze to Christine. "Mademoiselle," he spoke softly, "How long will you be staying?" His deep blue-green eyes seemed to penetrate into her soul.
"A…a week." Christine answered weakly.
Erik bowed slightly. "Good evening to you all, then." He turned quickly on his heel and left the dining room, heading directly for the front door. He closed it behind him and paused to breathe. His hands were shaking and he was beginning to sweat. God, why did she have to be here? How do they know her? What is going on! His mind was reeling. Why is she here, now that my life is finally beginning to become normal? Why, Lord, why did you bring her here? He cried inwardly. He felt frustration and anger building within his chest. He proceeded quickly across the fields to the guest house, trying not to curse the entire distance.
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"I do hope that the poor man is feeling alright," Suzette expressed to her husband. "He will need to be well enough to complete his work for the architectural firm."
"I am sure that he will be fine tomorrow. Probably hasn't been sleeping well. He looked quite exhausted," Monsieur Laurent responded.
"Pardon me," Christine broke in, "but what did you say the…the gentleman's name was?"
"Erik," Monsieur Laurent replied. "He came to stay with us recently after his home was burned in a fire. He is a friend of our parish priest. He is quite the gifted musician, and he just began a job as an architect as well…a man of many talents. Although, he can be rather…unusual at times. I hope you weren't too taken aback by his appearance."
"Father, I like him!" Amêlie chimed in. She turned her head to Christine. "I think he is wonderful! He is unusual…in a good way," she smiled sweetly.
Christine blinked. "Erik…" she turned the name over and over in her mind. "Y-Yes, he does seem a bit unusual. But I am sure you are correct," she smiled at Amêlie, "…it is in a good way." She nodded and turned her attention back to the food on her plate. Christine pondered all of this new information in her mind as the dinner conversation turned to other topics. Erik? His name is Erik? I didn't even know that he had a proper name. But of course, he must…he is a man, after all. And he is the friend of a priest? This is so strange…can this even be the same man that I knew? she wondered to herself.
"Oh, my. I completely forgot to ask Monsieur Erik if he would be joining us for noon Mass tomorrow!" Monsieur Laurent sighed. "Well, I suppose I shall have to make a trip out to the guest house after all…I hope he is not asleep yet." He placed his napkin on the table and excused himself, heading out the front door.
Noon Mass? Angel? Christine almost choked on her food. She simply could not picture him stepping foot inside a church. However, it seems that I have known very little about him after all…perhaps I shall have time to…get to know him more this week, she thought, as excitement rose within her. However, it was quickly followed by a mental warning. I nearly killed him! How can I expect him to forgive me so soon? I broke his heart by leaving with Raoul! I said horrible, hurtful things to him! Although…he wasn't ever really honest about anything…and he committed dreadful crimes…but who am I to hold those things against him? God is his judge, not me!
Christine came to the startling conclusion that she had already forgiven Erik for everything…the deception, the murders, and even the attempt on Raoul's life…and she did not understand how she had forgiven him. She only knew that she had. To her reasoning, she was almost as much to blame as Erik for the events that had transpired. She realized that no matter what he had done, her Angel would always hold a place in her heart. After all, I am no saint, she thought. God has forgiven me many things in my life…how can I withhold forgiveness from another? He is just a man, like any other…only…he is not just any man, to me. Christine shook her head slightly in shock at herself. What is wrong with me? I am engaged to Raoul! I chose Raoul! Didn't I?
Christine's thoughts were interrupted when Madame Suzette began to ask her questions about the upcoming nuptials to le Vicomte. Unfortunately, Christine had no answers for the woman. Nothing had been finalized…and that included Christine's true feelings for her fiancé, she realized with a shudder.
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Erik was reclining on the settee in the front room when there was a loud knock at the door. He stood, praying silently that he would not find Christine there when he opened it. He exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw Monsieur Laurent standing before him. "Monsieur? Is something wrong?" Erik asked.
"No, no, I simply forgot something," he began, looking down toward the floor momentarily before meeting Erik's eyes again. "First, I want to apologize for my outburst of anger at you last night when you questioned me about my daughter. I should not have reacted in the manner that I did."
Erik nodded in acknowledgement. "I meant no offense."
Monsieur Laurent smiled. "I am aware of that, Monsieur. But the reason I came here is to say that…my family and I would be honored if you would attend noon Mass with us tomorrow, if you are feeling well. I am certain that Father Michel would be glad to hear the good news about your position at the architectural firm," he looked hopefully at Erik.
"Thank you," Erik replied politely, surprising even himself. "I believe I would like to see Father Michel again. But…" he paused, wondering about Christine. "Your houseguest… Mademoiselle…" Erik trailed off, pretending not to recall her name.
"Daae," Monsieur Laurent replied.
"Yes, Daae. Will she be attending as well?" Erik asked him.
"I assume so, Monsieur. I understand that she is a devoted Catholic. However, she will likely take a separate carriage with my wife and daughter. We will meet them there so that I can assist with carrying Amêlie into the church," he explained.
"Very well," Erik replied, still quite uncomfortable with the whole arrangement. He knew that he must speak with the old priest, and that was the only reason that he acquiesced to Monsieur Laurent's invitation. "I shall come to the house at…say, eleven?"
"Eleven will be fine, Monsieur Erik. See you then," the man smiled. He bade Erik goodnight and closed the door behind him.
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Erik rested uneasily in his bed after Monsieur Laurent had left. There were now even more questions that needed answers. Why is Christine here? How do they know her? Am I in danger now? What if she tells that boy where I am and he sends the gendarmes after me again? No…surely she would never do such a thing. Memories flooded his mind…he saw Christine coming closer to him…closer…further into the lake until she slipped the ring on her finger…a desperate kiss…she paused and looked into his soul with her brown eyes…another kiss, this time more passionate…the ring, placed in his hand…an unspoken goodbye…that boy and his Christine rowing away in his boat.
Erik suddenly came to his senses, realizing that his face was wet with tears. I thought that she was gone from my life! And now You have brought her to this place! Why? His mind screamed at God. I should have known that You would only bring me more pain! He was angry with God for allowing Christine to ruin everything. She was the one thing that he wanted in this life, and she was also the one thing that he could not have. "Why do You torture me this way? Is this now a penance for my sins?" he cried aloud.
At long last, Erik fell into a deep sleep. He had no terrifying visions on his bed, however, for the first time in many years. Apparently, even thoughts of Christine could not shake the inner peace that he had been given by his Maker.
A/N: Thank you to MusicDeLovely and Haley Macrae for reviewing again. I am so glad that you are enjoying the story!