Sweet Seduction

Chapter Twenty: Arguments and Arias

Erik settled comfortably in his armchair in his new study, looking over his music manuscript. Three months had passed since the Opera's re-opening and in that time, Christine had quickly become the celebrity she once was and Erik had also been conducting lately in addition to co-managing the House with Georges. He and Christine's recent increase in salary had allowed them to buy a much larger house and move out of their small, cramped apartment. They now had a beautiful two-story house, only ten minutes away from the Opera Populaire and had a dining room, parlor, and all sorts of luxuries neither of them had ever dreamed of. It was quite an adjustment. And of course, Christine still insisted of being a perfect little homemaker. She cooked and cleaned everything herself, instead of letting Erik hire her a maid or some help, as he really wanted to. He worried about Christine. She had been awfully pale lately, and lost a lot of weight. Come to think of it, she really hadn't been herself since that Masquerade. He wondered what was troubling her.

At that minute, Christine came in Erik's study, balancing a basket of laundry sighing

"Erik?"

He didn't respond, engrossed once again in his manuscript

She sighed again

"Erik?"

He still didn't respond. She grumbled angrily, flinging the laundry basket down and snatching the manuscript right out of his hands

"Christine! What is the matter with you?" he asked in annoyance

She flung the manuscript down on the desk, picking up the laundry basket again

"Erik I've been calling you the past twenty minutes! Haven't you heard?"

"Christine, I was-"

"Don't tell me ' I was only reviewing the manuscript. I'll be there in a moment'" she said in a deep voice

"Erik, I'm sick of this. Which is more important: your manuscript or your own goddamn wife!" she said shrilly

He groaned "Christine, this is nothing to get angry about. I was just busy-"

"Never mind! You're always busy anymore. You never have time for anything, least importantly me or this house."

"Christine, could you please stop it, you're giving me a headache" he moaned, rubbing his throbbing temples lightly

"Oh, I am so sorry monsieur. I shouldn't have dare to speak to you while you were 'busy'.-"

"-Christine I didn't mean it that way! It's just-"

"-Erik, I don't care. When you're not busy, you might care to know that rehearsal for the next opera starts in twenty minutes. I've already had my lunch, but there's some sandwiches and soup on the table in case you're hungry while I'm gone"

"Christine, honey, please"

She stopped and turned around to face him

"Christine, why don't I drive you to the Opera in the carriage? Please? I'll stay for the rehearsal and maybe afterwards we could go shopping downtown or maybe we could go down to the library again?"

"Erik, would you please stop that?"

"Stop what? Trying to be nice to you when you're angry?"

"No! Stop trying to buy your way with everything. If anything is wrong, you just think you can buy your way out of it. Just because we have more money doesn't mean that that is going to solve all of our problems!"

"Christine, what is the problem here? I didn't hear you when you called? I'm sorry. I'll listen next time"

"That's not it"

"Then what is wrong Christine?"

"I just feel like we never actually spend time together any more! You're always so busy with the Operas and your music and everything and I'm always rehearsing and practicing and with all the social obligations, it's like we never spend time together any more"

He sighed and hugged her "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. Would you like me to drive you to rehearsal today?"

She nodded "Yes, thank you for offering." She groaned, rubbing her stomach lightly "I'm sorry Erik, I just don't feel very well today"

"What's wrong? Do we need to go the doctor's instead?"

"No, I'm fine. Just-, it's nothing I'm fine."

"Christine, are you sure? I still think you're working too hard. Why not just take a break from performing, just for a little while? It's too much stress on you-"

"Erik, I'm fine! Would you stop it already?"

"Christine, you and I both know you're working too hard! Why not let me just hire a maid or something? Someone to help you out around here-"

"Erik, I'm perfectly fine! I don't need a maid to help-"

"Christine, look at you! You're pale, you've lost weight, you never get enough sleep, it's too much! You're running yourself ragged!"

"Erik, I told you already, I'm FINE! Now would you please get the carriage already if you're going with me or should I just take a street carriage like I always do?"

"No, I'll get it in a moment. Christine please, would you just tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong Erik! You just have to create a problem to worry about when there isn't one. I don't understand you!"

"You don't understand me? Christine, what the hell is wrong with you lately? You're moody, you're always snapping at me, you're never happy anymore, you never slow down, one of these days you're going to kill yourself!"

"I'm going to kill myself? What about you? Do you ever go to bed before one in the morning? Do you ever sleep in our bed instead of in your study with your precious work? And would it kill you to eat dinner, even if you are working on something?"

"Christine, I've told you before, I don't like to be interrupted when-"

"'-when you're working on your music' I've heard it a thousand times Erik You know, normal musicians usually don't starve themselves just because they're playing. Can't you just act like everyone else for once Erik? For one damn day?"

"Oh, I am so sorry that I'm not just like everyone else Christine. Unfortunately, I can't be. Have you happened to notice the right side of my face?" he yelled, flinging his mask across the floor to her.

She picked it up angrily and flung it right back at him "Yes, I have noticed. Just because one side of your face looks like a monster doesn't mean you have to act like one too!" she screamed

Too late, she realized what she said and wished she could take the words back. She sighed

"Erik, I'm sorry, it's just-"

"Save it Christine. I don't particularly care to know why you chose to act like a bitch again today" he said, putting the mask smoothly back on his face

She bit her lip. Maybe she deserved that.

"Well, that's great. Rehearsal's in ten minutes, Christine and I have more business to attend to at the Opera. Do you want me to take the carriage with you?" he asked coldly

She stared at him and snapped "No thank you, I'll take another carriage. God knows you couldn't stand to spend time with your wife when you could spend it with your precious music."

She stormed into their bedroom angrily throwing off her work dress. Good lord, it was blazing hot in here and it was only mid-March! Her camisole was sticking to her sweaty back and her petticoats felt almost wet. She angrily tore off everything but a single petticoat and light chemise. It was far too hot in here to wear a dress. She picked out a summer blouse and slipped on a light, shorter yellow skirt. There was no way she was going to force herself into a corset with her stomach aching like this. She tried to pin her hair up but soon became fed-up with the tiny pins in her sweaty fingers. Nothing was going right today!

As soon as she was sure Erik had left, she sat down quietly on the stairwell and suddenly burst into tears. Why were they always fighting so much? Did they really love each other any more? As hard as she tried, she still heard Raoul's voice whispering in her ear "You never wanted a normal husband? Never wanted someone to take care of you, to love you more than his music?" She sobbed into her hands, trying to breathe. That memory of Raoul at the Masque still haunted her, and she couldn't share it with anyone. All sorts of doubts and fears had welled up inside her since then. What if Raoul had been right? What if Erik really did love his music more than he loved her?

What if he had never loved her at all?

"Ladies and gentlemen, please, settle down, settle down!" Erik called over the noise of the performers on stage. They were running a dress rehearsal for their performance of Le Nozze de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) and everyone was very excited and in high spirits. Everyone, that is except the conductor, whom everyone could tell was extremely angry at something or someone. He just wanted to start rehearsing Act Three, which proved quite impossible since the Prima Donna hadn't' shown up yet. Erik was secretly worried something had happened after his rather abrupt departure, but he was ignoring his worries for now.

"Well, I suppose since some people cannot be expected to reserve the common courtesy of arriving at engagements on time, we shall have to move on to rehearse the ensemble number in Act Three" Erik snapped loudly. At that moment, Christine came walking out on the stage

"Maestro I apologize for my tardiness, but if you could kindly try not to have a temper tantrum, I believe everyone is ready to begin now." she said coolly. It was obvious by her tear streaked face and red cheeks that she had been crying, and her costume was hastily thrown on over her normal dress, which sagged limply off her body without the internal support of her corset.

Erik turned to the young lad playing Figaro " Gilles, are you ready to begin your scene?"

The young boy blushed beet red "Excuse me, Monsieur Destler, but I believe it's the cue for Christine's aria"

Erik stared at Giles "Are you sure of that?"

The lad gulped "Pretty sure."

Christine rolled her eyes "Maestro, what are you splitting hairs about now? If it's time for Susanna's aria, then why don't we rehearse that? And if it isn't, why don't we rehearse the scene we are supposed to be rehearsing?" she asked evenly

"Well those are rich words coming from the woman who held up our rehearsal in the first place with her tardiness" he snapped

"Then if you are such an excellent musician and businessman, surely you found some ingenious way to proceed that we imbeciles would never be able to think of" she said coldly

Erik inwardly groaned and felt his headache coming back

"You know what? Everyone just take a ten minute break and we'll take it from the beginning of Act Three when we start again. All right?"

Well, that announcement didn't breed any complaints. Everyone scattered among the stage, resting or talking and Erik sank down into an aisle seat, rubbing his head. Jacques came up beside him

"Erik?"

"What?" Erik asked through gritted teeth

"What's wrong today mon ami, huh? The opera looks like it's coming along fine. What are you so angry about?"

"The impossible, little- woman I unfortunately happen to be married to!" he exclaimed " How does everyone always know when I'm angry? My temper isn't that bad, is it?"

"No, but you've been screaming at everyone for almost an hour now, plus your mask in on backwards"

Erik instantly felt his mask, realizing Jacques was right and didn't really care. He mumbled

"That woman is just so impossible! Everything I try to do around her is wrong!"

Jacques nodded "Ahh, another fight."

Erik looked up "What do you mean 'another fight'?"

"Well, you guys always seem to be arguing lately. I mean, neither one of you ever seems like you're happy anymore. What's all the fighting about?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't even know. She got mad because I didn't hear her calling my name when I was working on something and then she started screaming things about how I never pay attention to her anymore, all I care about is business, I don't love her anymore, I'm not normal, God, it was awful. She's so moody lately! Nothing you do is right with her!"

"Erik, relax. You guys will make up eventually. Just give Christine some time to calm down and leave her alone a bit and she'll be right as rain"

"That works?"

"Well, it usually works with Meg. Speaking of which, I don't think Christine's only in a bad mood when you're around"

"What are you talking about Jacques?" he asked curiously

"Well, Meg keeps saying that Christine doesn't seem like herself lately. She never really seems happy or nice anymore, it's like she keeps switching from upset to furious. Meg doesn't understand it either . She thinks it may just be women's troubles" he said in a low tone

Erik sighed. He hadn't even considered that possibility.

Backstage, Christine sighed as she tried to eat something. Meg came over to where she was standing

"Christine, what is wrong today? Hmm? You know you can tell me"

Christine sighed, trying not to cry again "Erik and I were fighting again. I don't know what's the matter with me today. The fight was all my fault. Again" she added in a small voice

Meg nodded "What happened?"

"Well, we were shouting some pretty nasty things at each other and he just stormed off to come here. Honestly, I'm starting to think he loves this Opera House more than me. I don't even know why we ever got married"

Meg hugged her gently

"Oh Christine, don't say that. It's just a little spat you two are going through. All couples do. I'm sure you'll both forget about it in time. Just have a little patience"

Christine smiled

"You really think so?"

"I know so. You two will be fine. But remember, he's still not used to being around people so much. He's still adjusting to company after he was the lonely you-know-what for some time now. You'll both be fine once you sort this all out. Just give it a little time"

"Thank you Meg"

"There's no thanks needed Christine" Meg said lightly, patting her back gently "I am your best friend. We are supposed to talk about little personal things like this. And speaking of personal things" Meg said, trailing her finger lightly down Christine's back, and whispered

"What on earth happened to your corset? Why are you not wearing one?"

Christine sighed "Meg, I just could not put it on. My stomach hurt so badly and I was so hot before I came here, if I had to force myself into that thing with all the tugging and lacing, I probably would not have made it"

Meg was slightly surprised at that. Christine had always been the more ladylike of the two of them. She had started wearing a corset years before Meg, even though she hardly needed it. Meg, on the other hand, stubbornly refused to wear one for two years even though she developed so rapidly, she was the one who truly needed a corset. And strangely enough, it had been Christine, not Meg's mother, who had convinced Meg to wear one and laced her up the first time.

Meg said lightly "Christine, are you sure you're feeling all right? Maybe you should go home."

Christine scoffed angrily "Why does everyone think I'm sick today? I am perfectly fine and I do not need a break! I. am. fine!" she exclaimed breathlessly

Meg looked at her "Are you sure about that?"

"Confident" Christine snarled

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Well, the rest of the dress rehearsal was...interesting to put it mildly. By the end of the afternoon, even the lowliest stagehand knew M. and Mme. Destler were fighting. Erik begrudgingly rode Christine home in the carriage and they both spent the ride, their dinner and the remainder of the evening fuming in silence. Erik shut himself in his study the rest of the day composing furiously and Christine sewed luridly on a new sampler, accidentally stabbing herself with the needle three times and eventually gave that up and spent the remainder of the evening reading. Christine and Erik eventually gave up their little distractions and went after some brandy, unfortunately running into each other.

"Madame" Erik said coldly

"Monsieur" Christine replied, glaring at him. She grabbed the bottle first, taking a few unladylike swigs straight from it and shoving it back in the liquor cabinet angrily. Erik watched her storm up the stairs and followed her, parting to his study and taking the brandy bottle with him. Erik slept in his study still fully dressed that night and Christine got ready for bed, both still furious, and wondering how much blood would be shed tomorrow