Chapter 3

"Good evening Baron and Baroness." Erik responded back bowing slightly, "You know my wife, Anna." Anna smiled and curtsied to them.

"Anna it is so nice to see you again, and my, look how the little one has grown." The Baroness said admiring Anna's swollen abdomen. She placed a gloved hand upon her unborn child and smiled serenely,

"Yes, the time is hopefully getting close." She responded.

"You two go on in and get comfortable. We seated you two up in the front with us, since your creative husband is whom we are celebrating tonight." Anna smiled again gripping harder on Erik's shoulder as he continued to make talk with the Baron,

"Thank you." She replied and he responded to her grip that it was their time to get moving on inside. As they stepped inside amongst the sea of people mingling with flutes of champagne and various drinks with servants walking around with trays, Erik murmured to his wife,

"God, I truly hate attending public events such as this one." She turned to him and said,

"Well unfortunately for you, you chose a profession that encourages you to work within the public's eye." He couldn't argue with her at that as she reached and grabbed a glass of wine from a servant who was passing by. She handed it to Erik who took a graceful sip and was greeted by a good friend of his William Thomas and his wife Emily.

"Good evening you two." William greeted as Emily and Anna began talking and admiring each other's gowns.

"Have you met the Vicomte from France yet?" William asked Erik.

"Unfortunately I have not had the pleasure yet." Erik answered somewhat quiet,

"Well you should come and meet him, he really is a charming fellow, and I can't believe he is only 30 years old."

"He is obviously doing something correct then." Erik answered back to his friend, somewhat annoyed at all this talk. He kept scanning behind William's shoulder for Raoul and Christine so he could try to avoid them. Though he knew that would be impossible for the entire evening for they will definitely see him and Anna sitting with the Baron and Baroness, perhaps they even will be sitting at the same table at them. Completely clouded in his thoughts, he didn't hear William tell him that the Vicomte and his wife were right behind them and he would get them to make an introduction.

"No, it's quite all right, I am sure I will run into him eventually." Erik said a few minutes too late to William's wondering face trying to figure out what was wrong with his friend. Anna had already turned around and said,

"Vicomtesse! I'm so glad to see you! Darling, this is the Vicomtesse I was telling you about she said grabbing onto Erik's arm. He took in a deep breath and turned around.

Christine's stunned face said all of her emotions as she stood staring right at Erik. He stared back, equally as stunned even though he tried to prepare himself for this moment. At that point, Raoul had stopped talking to William and saw Christine staring at Erik and him back at her.

"Is everything all right?" Anna asked Erik quietly. Christine instantly snapped back into reality and Raoul gave Erik a sharp and surprised look and held his hand out to him,

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." He said it slow and with his words being said the way they were, it was cue to Erik that we'll play the game, but won't forget. Erik took it coolly and responded,

"Likewise Vicomte."

"May I present my wife, Christine." Raoul said putting his hand on Christine's back possessively,

"And this is my wife, Anna." Erik said returning the angry stare.

"Yes, dear, Anna and I met at the salon this morning." Christine smiled sweetly and took Raoul into her arms to get him to loosen up just a little bit.

"Oh how nice, well my dear, I have some business to talk over with the Baron's advisor and I don't want to miss him." Raoul said planting a kiss on Christine's cheek.

"I need to find the women's room; I'll be right back to this very spot." Anna said cheerfully,

"I'll be right here waiting for you." Erik answered her. The two ex-lovers stood awkwardly quiet for a moment before Christine finally broke the silence,

"What are you doing here? I thought you were dead!" Erik looked at her and grabbed another glass of wine and returning the empty cup on another tray passing by.

"Well Vicomtesse, I am sorry to have ruined your plans."

"It's not that Erik, for a long time, I just really and truly, I really, um, had a hard time dealing with the thought that you were gone. Forever, you know regardless what happened to us, you really did have an impact on my life." He stared at her for a moment; she was still the same beautiful woman she had been in her youth. He wanted to apologize to her for everything she had done, redeem himself and receive her forgiveness. He didn't love her, not like he once did. He had truly met his match, but he still wanted her forgiveness, for looking at her brought him so much shame for the actions he had put on her. Even though they made love the night she left, he still felt like he robbed her of what Raoul should have given her. Almost as if he had forced her to do what she did with him.

"I-I'm, I'm sorry Christine. I'm not who I once was, I'm different now. I don't know how I made it this far with all the crimes I have done in my life, but I have made it this far and I am truly apologetic for all the pain I have caused you and all the trauma I have endured upon yours and your husband's life. I realize that you may never forgive me, but I have always wanted to tell you that. I am a changed man, not the man you once knew." She took in a deep breath and said quietly while looking around to make sure no one was listening,

"I never went a day without thinking about you; there are some things that you really need to know." He squinted his eyes at her, confused and trying to figure out why she was saying the things she was until Anna walked up beside him and linked her arm with his,

"Well I'm glad you two are getting acquainted with one another."

"Yes, we are." Erik said smiling slightly at his wife. Christine gave out a weak smile as well and the bell rang that the dinner would be served. Raoul quickly came to Christine's side and put his arm behind her back,

"Let's take our seats, dear." He turned and gave Erik another look and turned back around ushering his wife into the dining room.

"He's not very polite, maybe he's intimidated by you." Anna whispered giggling into Erik's ear.

"My dear, he's a lot more powerful than me, I highly doubt that, maybe he's just smashed from all the champagne he was drinking." He said smiling jokingly at her. She laughed out loud at his ridiculous joke making Christine turn around and stare at the couple in envy.

Once inside the dining room, it turned out that the de Chagnys and the Thibaults were seated right next to each other, with Christine and Erik sitting right next to each other. As Anna was making conversation with the Baron and Baroness sitting next to her, Raoul continued to talk business with the advisor, Erik whispered to Christine,

"What is it you wanted me to know?" She looked up at him and whispered back,

"I can't tell you here, but we must meet somewhere at another time." Erik looked around to make sure no one noticed their odd behavior. He pulled a card out of his inside jacket pocket and handed it to her.

"Call on me at my office when you're ready. We really should talk some more." He whispered again at her. She took it and put it in her small pocketbook and looked around to not draw attention to herself. She turned towards Raoul to pretend to be interested in his boring conversation as any proper wife would do and Erik did the same with Anna. Except his mind raced, the reunion was not at all as he expected. Why were the de Chagny's treating him with somewhat of respect? They had every opportunity to ruin him this very night and take away the new life that he had worked so hard to develop for himself. And what was it that Christine so desperately wanted to tell him? As he pretended to engage in the conversation, his mind flooded with all of these confusing thoughts.