"My lady, the mail has just arrived." Ana said, bowing her head as she entered the salon where Roxana was going through her bills. She nodded slightly at the girl.
"Thank you Ana. That will do." She said as the girl set the pile of letters on the small end table.
"Good morning Lady Roxana." Erik said, coming into the room and sitting down. She looked up and smiled slightly.
"How are you this morning Erik?" She asked, flipping through the envelopes. He sighed, not wishing to tell her that he hadn't slept a wink.
"As well as can be expected." He replied curtly. She glanced up at him for a moment, but went back to her mail. She lost her grip suddenly and the letters went flying everywhere.
"Damn it all to hell!" She muttered, bending to scoop them up. Erik stooped to help her but stopped dead when he saw the small cream colored envelope at his feet.
"What is this?" He asked, picking it up with trembling hands. It was sealed with a crest on it. He'd seen it before. He picked it up to look it over and just as he saw the name Chagny on it, Roxana snatched it out of his hand.
"You do know that it is entirely inappropriate to invade other people's mail Monsieur Destler, do you not?" She asked, looking it over. She gently opened it and pulled out the contents. An invitation. She looked up at him before she read it aloud.
"Comte Georges Pierre de Chagny II and his wife Comtess Monique Aurelie Dominique de Chagny request the honor of your presence at the wedding of their son, Vicomte Raoul Georges Philippe de Chagny to Mademoiselle Christine Charlotte Daaé, daughter of the late Gustave and Josephine Daaé at the Guardian Cathedral on the fifteenth of March, in the year eighteen seventy-one."
Roxana looked up at a stricken Erik and raised her eyebrows, rereading it.
"I'm…sorry Erik." She said, sitting back down and setting the invitation aside.
"Sorry for what? It wasn't as if I had ever had a chance with her anyway." He said bitterly, motioning to his face. She sighed.
"Erik, you let your face keep you separate from the world. You refuse to accept it, so how the hell can anyone else? Why is it that I know nothing about you, yet I seem to understand you better than you know yourself?" She asked him seriously, forcing him to think. She went on. "Look at me for instance, I am sitting here looking straight at your face, and I am not going to lie and tell you how lovely it is, because you know what? It isn't. But, for Christ's sake, can't you see the good in yourself? I don't even know you and I can! For example, the way you carry yourself…very graceful and elegant. Your intelligence shines. You have eyes like my Justin did, God rest his soul, and he was so smart his eyes actually seemed to glow with intelligence."
Erik stared at her in stunned silence. She'd told him flat out that his face was unpleasant, which should have driven the knife in his heart deeper. Instead, he felt strangely free. Her message was clear. Yes Erik…your face is disfigured, yes it is not nice to look at, but there is nothing you can do about it, so grow up and move on. His silence made her angry, as if he hadn't heard a word. She stood coldly.
"You know what Erik? I have no room in my life for self pity…nor do I have sympathy for those who do nothing to better themselves. I suggest you think long and hard about this. I will see you for lunch." She said, setting the wedding invitation in front of him, daring him to fall into the trap. He hated her in the moment. He hated her because she was right. Picking up the piece of paper, he stared at the small paragraph for what seemed like hours until he heard loud bickering. He followed the sound until he came to the door of what seemed like a study.
"You dishonor my brother's name by allowing this man to live with you! Do you know what people will say?" A man's deep baritone voice said icily.
"Do you honestly think I care what people say Andrew?" Roxana's voice came. A sharp slap and a small squeak were heard.
"Know your place girl…" A moment of silence went by as Erik's fists clenched. "Oh Roxy, please…you know I don't mean to hurt you…It's just that I worry. For you and little James." Erik dared to peek into the room and saw Roxana standing with her hand holding her cheek, staring at the floor.
"Andrew…please…just stop this! You don't care about me! You didn't care about Justin and you certainly don't care about James…" She said. The handsome man made his way around her gripping her slender throat from behind her. She choked a bit.
"Oh my dearest dearest Roxy…" He said, burying his face in her hair, caressing her arm, which she cringed from. "In two months time when you are still single you will be my wife…and we will live as we should have. You will have my children instead of my little brother's little starry eyed children. Yes Roxy…you will be mine in every way." She glared at him, but the dark fire that Erik had seen in her the day before was gone and fear had replaced it.
"Well, what if I am married by that time?" She asked, trying to keep her defiance. He laughed out loud.
"Oh you poor stupid girl…who would want you? They all know you are spoken for…as if I have given anyone else any different idea." He grinned suddenly, "I know dearest, we shall announce our engagement at the Vicomte's wedding. You shall go with me, and for the love of God, wear something other than black. You'll embarrass me." He said, waving her off with his hand as Erik ducked back into the hall shadows.
"I shall be by to see you in a few days…" He said, kissing her cheek as she clenched her small fists. He ran his finger down her neck and made to move it lower, but her hand grabbed his and pushed him away as she sank silently into her husband's old leather desk chair and laid her head on the desk as he left, putting his hat on his head as he did. Erik followed him and watched as he left the house arrogantly. What the devil had this child gotten herself into?
He returned to the salon where the maid Ana was playing with the little boy. When she noticed he had come into the room, she bowed her head shamefully, remembering her reaction to first seeing him. He lifted her chin gently.
"Child, do not fear me. I will not harm you…I know I look frightful, but I swear it is not a reflection of who I am." Hope came into her eyes.
"Lady Westcliff says that you are going to help Jamie learn to talk…" She said, picking up the little boy. He nodded.
"I am going to try…although my dear, I suspect it isn't what we think. Children are very surprising creatures." He said and leaned down to look at the child. He had eyes the color of the sky and hair as black as night. His skin was fairer than Roxana's however. Almost like a light tan.
"Ana, if you don't mind, I would like to spend some time with my son." Roxana's voice came from behind Erik as she entered the room. He turned to look at her and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the swollen beginnings of a bruise on her cheekbone. He moved to put his hand on her shoulder, but instinctively she cowered before allowing it.
"Who was that Roxana?" He asked when the alarmed little maid had run off. She sighed.
"That is my brother-in-law. Andrew." She replied finally after a moment.
"He hit you…" Erik said and she turned her head, so that he couldn't see the bruise.
"Yes well…it isn't the first time and I am certain it won't be the last. Especially when we are to be married in two months." She said bitterly and he stepped back.
"You cannot be serious." He said and she nodded.
"I am bound to him…There was a clause in Justin's will that said if I am not remarried within three years of his death, that I will lose everything unless I marry Andrew."
Erik stood, staring at her with his arms folded.
"If your husband loved you so much, why would he force you to live a life of unhappiness?" Erik asked coldly, receiving a glare from her.
"Erik, I don't know…I've gone over it in my head again and again…it's not as if they were terribly close, he and Andrew, and I can't afford to lose anything because all of the doctors who see Jamie say he is mentally disabled and I need the insurance." She cradled the little boy tenderly.
"Ma…" He said, touching her cheek. She smiled and kissed his nose before setting him down.
"Jamie my sweet…go pick up your toys and put them on the sofa…" She said as he immediately ran to pick up the toy horse he had and a stuffed animal before putting them on the loveseat. Erik nodded at this.
"Roxana…he is not mentally disabled." He said nodding to the sofa where James sat with his toys.
"How can you be sure?" She asked and he pointed at the boy.
"He did exactly what you told him to do. Mentally disabled children can't comprehend." He explained, having read intently on matters like this. She visibly relaxed, suddenly realizing.
"You're right!" She said clasping her hands together and smoothing the wrinkled crepe of her dress. Erik sat on the chair.
"Roxana." He said firmly, "Sit." He ordered and she did, looking at him in confusion. "You can't marry that man." He said and she looked at him as if he were insane.
"You think I don't know that? But Erik? What shall I do? I am promised to him." She said, and Erik looked at the wedding invitation with the Chagny family crest on it, picking it up. Goodbye Christine…my angel. My life. He thought saying a silent prayer to nobody for her happiness.
"I will marry you…it will be a marriage of convenience…of course. We will sleep in separate bedrooms obviously, you will have your son and your freedom to come and go as you please and I will stay out of your way. I will help James with his words and if that man ever bothers you again I will kill him." He said plain as day, as if he were merely discussing having afternoon tea. Her dark eyes had set on him as if he were a complete lunatic. Well you did drop a chandelier on an opera audience. His mind reminded him.
"You are positively batty." She said, not smiling. He gave her a slight nod.
"I am nineteen years older than you child, and I am a bit insane, I will give you that…but you need not worry with me. I shall not hit you or force you to come to me in the night as that man would. I believe his exact words were 'You will have my children,' which obviously means he would expect you to sleep with him. Believe me, that is not the case with me. I have never experienced that, nor do I have any use for adolescent fantasies." He took in her expression which was blank, numb almost.
"You heard." She said, and he nodded.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to eavesdrop. It's somewhat of a habit I suppose." He said, but her expression didn't change.
"He tried to make me leave Justin…he told me Justin was just a dreamer and nothing more. Justin was a painter. Every painting in this house, Justin created. His dream was to have one of his piece hang in the Louvre. I never told Justin about Andrew's advances…I should have. When we found out I was pregnant Andrew seemed to back off, but right after Jamie was born, Justin was killed, he took over the finances and soon he became more violent with me as I would argue with him. When Andrew Westcliff doesn't get his way, there is hell to pay." She sighed and looked at Erik, who sat silently with his legs crossed. James cooed and shrieked in delight as he played in his make believe world with his toys. "After a year of this, I went to my friend for help. I think you know who he is…Raoul de Chagny. His father is a lawyer as well as Raoul now from what I hear. You see, we went to school together until the eighth grade when I was sent to finishing school with his sisters and he went to a university. Those girls are a bit hard to get used to, but the whole family is good people."
"Yes," Erik said dryly, "I am sure they are wonderful." She shot him a look.
"The point is, none of it did any good…and Andrew only became angrier. It's gotten so bad that he thinks he's entitled to my body now as well. Erik…I will marry you. You're right…I can't live like this anymore. We will sign a contract stating the terms. We must do it soon though. He is coming back this week!" He started at the fear in her eyes.
"You really do fear him, don't you?" He asked and she nodded looking at her son.
"I just want my son to be safe…" She said and he stood, coming to stand near her.
"We must send for a judge …Roxana…you cannot live in fear like this. It will kill you. We'll marry tonight after the contract is drawn up. I shall leave you alone until then." He said, leaving the room swiftly and walking up the stairs. She stared after him, lost and perplexed as to what had just happened. Her father was surely spinning in his grave. Just three days before, she had found this man near dead outside the opera, and now she was getting ready to marry him? Oh God if I agree what horrors wait for me? She couldn't help thinking. Then again if she didn't agree, she knew in the pit of her stomach that her fate would be even worse than that of marrying a complete lunatic.
By sunset it was done and the marriage certificate was signed as well as the contract. They said the vows mechanically as Ana and Carolina stood as witnesses to the ceremony. Roxana had sent her driver out for the rings which were simple gold bands which were engraved on the inside, reading, Je vous aimerai jusqu' à l'éternité…
"Nice touch." She muttered, slipping the ring on his finger before he did the same to her.
"Roxana Delilah La Coste Westcliff, I take thee as my wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my…" He stopped at this part, gulping uncomfortably, "and my love…from this day forward. In the presence of God, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner and friend as long as we both shall live."
"You are now man and wife, please kiss the bride." The judge said, as Erik leaned down and barely brushed Roxana's with his own before pulling back abruptly. Both of their faces were straight as stone. As the judge closed his book, he began to pack up, saying.
"I just want to remind the two of you that in order for this union to be legal, it must be consummated." He said as Erik and Roxana's face both shot up.
"What?" They said in perfect unison. The judge nodded.
"Sir, with all do respect, I was married before and have a small son…there is no way that anyone could prove we haven't been together." She said and the judge nodded.
"Indeed my lady…but God knows and it is his opinion that matters." He said and with that, he left leaving them in a small state of shock. After a few moments of silence, Roxana left the room to go put her son to bed and Erik went the opposite way to go to his own room which was across the hall from Roxana's. He locked the door behind him and fell onto the bed, taking from his pocket a sparkling engagement ring he always kept with him. He kissed it before laying on the bed and falling to sleep.
"Oh, Christine…"