ALL I KNOW OF LOVE
Erik and Christine are the creation of Gaston Leroux; the reference to Persia and some of its customs are derived from Susan Kay's book, "Phantom". All other characters and the backdrop of the story are the creations and property of GerrysJackie.
Some places and all names are fictional.
PLAYERS:
Erik – Gerard Butler - Perfect
Christine – The face and coloring of Zooey Deschanel (Failure to Launch, Elf) – and the body of Marilyn Monroe, except 3 inches taller
Gustav - Billy Connelly – Because I really like him.
Patrick Connelly - Paul Bettany – (A Knights Tale, Firewall, A Beautiful Mind)
Pascal – Mel Gibson's looks (slightly older with graying hair) with the cunning and cruelty of J.R. Ewing from " Dallas".
Madam Marie Forsythe – Miranda Richardson
James Lumpkin (the butler) – Daniel Davis (the butler from the TV show "The Nanny")
Kamilla – Georgie Henley (Chronicles of Narnia)
Duke Sergei Beauvais – Derek Jacobi (Underworld:Evolution)
Kaveh Hushmand – Oded Fehr – (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns) Thanks Mlle.Fox!
Use your imagination on all others.
This story has taken a while to develop, but I hope it has been worth it. I have several chapters already written, but I am taking my time. There is humor, drama, and romance in this story, so I hope you will enjoy it.
This rendition of Erik is one of a man who has suffered greatly in his life, at the hands of just about everyone in his life, but his spirit is still intact. He is less self-loathing than others that I have written, but he is very much aware of his self-proclaimed faults. He is dangerous and ruthless, but has had enough of death and destruction. Women are still a mystery to him, and he needs a strong, independent woman who is his equal in every way.
This Christine is not a drop-dead gorgeous woman, but her beauty is less assuming and soft…Erik will see it.
I will try to update twice a week, depending on how quickly I write chapters. I don't anticipate this being a particularly long story, but we'll see.
Enjoy.
We are nearing the end...we'll see how much more I can squeeze out of my already over-worked brain.
CHAPTER 24
After Christine and Erik had gone to bed, Kaveh and Sergei remained in the living room with Manuela.
She had sent Elizabeth away to make some tea and they sat in the small room – with nowhere to look, but at each other.
"Tell me the manner of his suffering…I want to know everything." Manuela finally demanded, in much the same tone Erik often used.
Kaveh looked at Sergei and Sergei looked at Kaveh, neither of them wanting to tell the ghastly tale of Erik's torturous past.
"I may be old, but I am not dense – I know that he must have suffered greatly – I see the pain staring back at me from my daughters eyes."
Kaveh sighed deeply and finally looked her straight in the eye.
"The tale is a rather long one, and not for the faint of heart." He stated honestly.
"I've had thirty-five years of believing him dead…I think I can take one night of the truth – even if it hurts."
Kaveh slowly and painfully spelled out Erik's life to her in vivid detail. Her eyes never wavered, but tears of pain and regret inched down her wrinkled cheeks in a steady flow.
Sergei also listened; catching the details that Erik had never felt inclined to share with him.
Erik had revealed a great deal on the floor in the bathroom; much about how the gypsies had treated him…his own kind. Javert had exacted his revenge on Manuela for rejecting him years before – it mattered not that Erik was of gypsy blood…it apparently made his revenge even sweeter.
After Kaveh finished and a couple of hours had passed, Manuela wiped her eyes and tiredly smiled at them both.
"I knew the moment Jenica rested him in my arms; I knew he was strong – physically, mentally, and spiritually….he may bend from the pain and waver with the injustice of it all…" she stood up and squared her shoulders with pride, "…but he will never be broken – he has the strongest spirit I have ever felt - then and now."
She turned from them and headed down the hallway. She walked with a confidence and a sureness that they both recognized as being the same way Erik walked.
Elizabeth showed them both to adjacent rooms and the house was quiet for the remainder of the night.
ЖЖ
Erik awoke to the most heavenly smell he had ever had the wonderful opportunity of smelling.
Someone was frying bacon and the intoxicating smell of coffee was wafting through the air and under the crack in the door.
Christine was already up and had apparently left the room. He smiled when he realized he had never even heard her get up and move around the room…he must have been very tired indeed.
He quickly dressed and quietly walked toward the small kitchen.
His grandmother was scrambling eggs and making biscuits, while Christine fried the bacon and sliced apples.
He had never seen Christine look so domestic – honestly, he didn't even know she could cook - and the sight of his grandmother and his wife talking and laughing brought tears to his eyes.
He smirked and wiped them away, rolling his eyes at the number of times he had shed tears since Christine had come into his life.
"Too many." He said to himself.
He cleared his throat to alert them to his presence and both women turned to him at the same time.
Christine bounded over to him and placed a kiss upon his lips; then she returned to her task – not wanting the bacon to burn.
"I could get used to seeing you in my kitchen preparing a meal for me." Erik teased.
Christine looked at him and graced him with a crooked smile. She raked her eyes over his tall frame, noticing how sexy he looked leaning against the door jam with his arms crossed over this chest.
"I suggest you draw a picture and place it in our kitchen – that is as close as you will get to me preparing a meal in our home." Christine retorted with a humorous scoff and point of her finger.
Manuela chuckled at the playful way they bartered back and forth…it did her old heart good to hear them play with each other.
Erik sat down at the small table and watched them work. Not five minutes passed before Kaveh entered and shortly after him, Sergei appeared.
"My, but something smells very delicious." Kaveh commented.
Erik smiled broadly and pointed to himself, "That's my wife over there, preparing me a meal….and my grand-mère, too."
"You just have to boast, don't you?" Sergei teased.
Erik chuckled and shook his head.
Breakfast was served and everyone ate heartily. Erik was normally not a big eater, but his appetite had suddenly become persistent with the newfound contentment he was experiencing.
"Grand-mère, do you know why this area seems so familiar to me?" Erik asked.
Manuela nodded her head, "Yes, this was the last place I traced you to before being told you were dead."
Erik cocked his head and raised his brow, "Dead?"
"This was the last place Javert's camp was seen…people remembered you being a part of his show…but no one was talking." Manuela hung her head, "They showed me a grave and pieces of clothing with what was supposedly your blood on them…" She lifted her eyes to his and continued, "…the local people didn't know how or why."
So, that's how they had done it…they had buried Javert and moved on, hoping to never have to deal with his killer again. Imagine explaining how a nine-year-old boy had managed to outsmart and overpower a man of Javert's size; it would be quite entertaining.
"I stayed here because I felt close to you…somewhere your spirit remained…." She smiled sadly, "…I mourned your loss every day and every night…but joy came to me when I was approached by the Duke concerning your identity, and I realized you were my Jenica's Erik."
Erik made a decision at that moment; he decided he wanted his grandmother with him for the remainder to the time they had left.
"Grand-mère, would you consider moving to Vassadelle – I have many manor houses available, one that would be perfect for you and Elizabeth…" Erik pleaded, "…I would love to have you in my life and the lives of my daughter and son."
Manuela's head spiked up and her eyes took on a life of their own, "You have children?"
"By blood, they are not mine – but I have raised them as my own. Kamilla is actually Pascal's by birth…as he compromised my late wife…but she is my daughter in every way that counts. Timotheus is the result of my late wife's affair with the horse trainer. I have also raised him as my own."
Manuela's eyes moved to Christine and her brows rose questioningly.
"Christine and I have only been married for four months." Erik explained.
He did not go into detail about only consummating the marriage for the first time two nights ago.
Her head shook in understanding and she had a slight smirk on her face.
"That sounds like quite a story…one for a long trip…" She sighed, "…give me a couple of months to clear things up around here, and then come and get me."
Erik's heart rested easier knowing that she would be close by – his family would almost be complete.
"We will be back to get you on the first day of June, that should give you plenty of time." Erik stated.
"It should indeed." Manuela agreed.
ЖЖ
The trip back to Vassadelle was a completely different experience than the trip coming had been.
Erik didn't drift off at any point in time, which wasn't saying a great deal, as Christine stayed in the car with him while Sergei and Kaveh stayed in another part of the train.
"Thank you for coming with me, Christine…your presence certainly made everything easier to accept"
He was lounging beside her, with his long legs stretched out in front of him and a cocky grin on his face.
"I'll go with anywhere, my love…you must know this." Christine responded.
"I believe I do."
Erik just sat there, looking deliciously ornery.
"Shall we begin those knife throwing lessons when we return?" he asked with a devious grin.
Christine chuckled and shook her head.
"I don't want to learn how to throw knives, Erik…I only said that to get closer to you."
Erik just shook his head and "tsk, tsk, tsked" her.
"And to think…I thought I was the diabolical mind in this marriage." Erik complimented.
Christine grinned sheepishly, "Oh, you're diabolical, my love – in many, many ways!"
Erik lifted his exposed brow and moved it up and down slightly, then he winked at her, "If this was my personal train and we were somewhere in the wilderness of France; and we were all alone, I'd have my way with you right here…right now."
Christine lifted challenging eyes to his, "Not if I have my way with you first."
At that, Erik had to laugh.
TBC