Chapter 3

Christine bathed and dressed in her favorite yellow dress and ran out to meet her father by the horses.

Gustave smiled and said, "Christine, every day you grow to look just as beautiful as your mother."

Christine gave him a dimpled smile and they were off to the fair.

At the fair, there were more people than Christine expected in such a small town, and they were all laughing and dancing and singing songs in absolute merriment.

Christine held onto her papa's hand in fear and said, "Papa, there are too many people here!"

Gustave just smiled at his daughter and said, "Yes, Christine, and they will soon be praising your voice."

Gustave slowly started to play a song on his violin, and as Christine sang along to it, more and more people came over to listen.

At the end of the evening, as Gustave began putting his instrument away, a small voice yelled out, "Christine! Monsieur Daae!"

Christine recognized the voice and said, "Raoul, is that you?"

A young boy with shoulder length blonde curls and forget-me-not blue eyes smiled at her and said, "Who did you think it was?"

Christine's mind suddenly turned to Erik, all alone in his attic room, and she felt disappointed that it was not him and guilty for not thinking of him all evening.

Raoul's smile vanished and he felt a twinge of jealousy as he saw the disappointed look on her face.

"Well, well, my young pupil, how is your violin practice going, Raoul?" Gustave asked merrily.

"Not very good, Monsieur Daae. You're much better than I will ever be."

Raoul shot Christine another boyish smile, and she blushed as he said, "Christine was wonderful, Monsieur Daae. I always wondered where she learned to sing like that."

"Well her mother and I met when she was Prima Donna for a Swedish opera house, so she gets it naturally, isn't that right, Christine?"

Christine smiled and nodded her head and said innocently, "Mama says music comes from your heart. It's something that can't be taught with books. It can only be improved with them."

Gustave hugged his daughter affectionately and said, "It's getting late, Raoul. Christine and I should be getting home now. Are your parents with you?"

"No," Raoul sulked. "My parents were busy so I had my governess bring me."

"Oh," Christine said. "You mean your nanny?"

Raoul's ears turned an adorable shade of pink as he said, "She is NOT my nanny," but Gustave and Christine had already left.

As soon as Christine and Gustave arrived at Madeline's cottage, they heard screaming coming from the inside and Christine got a bad feeling in the pit of her belly.

Madeline held a frying pan in her hand and was threatening to throw it at Erik's poor head when they got inside.

Christine ran to Erik and Sasha who were hiding under the table.

Gustave shouted, "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

Madeline continued to rant and rave. "HE AND MY DAMN DOG ATE A WHOLE BOX OF CANDY AND THEN THREW UP ALL OVER MY NEW RUG!

Christine shouted in defiance, "LEAVE HIM ALONE! YOU'RE A WICKED WOMAN AND A TERRIBLE MOTHER! HE IS YOUR SON! DON'T YOU LOVE HIM AT ALL?"

The whole room went quiet and Madeline and Gustave said in unison, "WHAT?"

Madeline said to Christine, shocked, "You knew about him all along?"

Gustave said to Madeline, "This is your dead son Erik? Madeline, how could you lie to me like that?"

Madeline snarled, "He is an ugly little beast he doesn't deserve to live!"

Gustave glared at Madeline and said, "Christine, pack your things. We're leaving at dawn!"

"Papa," Christine said in tears. "We can't just leave him with her; she is terrible to him!"

Gustave smiled and hugged Christine. "Don't fret little one. He will come with us!"

I was inspired to put a young Raoul in the story, even though I hate his guts and this is a E/C story someone suggested I put a "Mini Raoul" in the story and I liked the idea, so thank you for the idea.