Thanks for putting up with me guys! A lot of stuff happens in this chapter, but I don't necessarily think it's a great chapter. Oh well...
Syd
"Why so sad petit cheri?" Meg was brought out of her thoughts as she sat miserably on the steps of the decrepit Opera Populaire which was in the process of being repaired and reopened. She looked up to see the last pair of blue eyes she wanted to see.
"I...I'm fine monsieur. Don't trouble yourself." The truth was, she wasn't fine. Guilt and worry had been running through her mind for two and a half weeks now. Ever since the ball. She couldn't control her mouth around Christine. It was like she was watching an actor playing herself attack the girl who had been so dear to her. She'd seen Christine around the city when Andrew would take her out for dinner. Even her mother had been distant lately and Meg knew it was because she was disregarding every piece of advice. Andrew had changed a bit. He was often moody or distant, but nonetheless sweet and attentive.
They'd talked about their childhoods. Andrew about his brother Justin who had passed away a few years ago, and his schooling. He told her stories about them breaking their arms, running into the cold April water fully clothed, getting into trouble. It reminded her of Christine and herself running mad through the opera house. This place had been their playground, their sanctuary and now that it was gone, it seemed their friendship was too. Meg knew that there was a darker side to Andrew, one that he didn't let many people see, most of all her, but she had to look past that. No one was perfect and truth be told she was already madly in love with him. He'd hinted repeatedly that he was going to ask her to marry him, which both frightened and excited her. She would be Lady Marguerite Westcliff...but then what would happen to little Meg Giry the ballerina? She'd probably never be allowed to dance again. Then who would she be? A trophy wife.
"Yes, fine I see...you look like someone's gone and killed your puppy." Brett Reynolds said, taking a seat beside her on the steps. "Where's Sir Andrew? The fairest and bravest of all?" He snickered and she looked at him irked.
"He's in a meeting with his father and his lawyer." She said, not paying attention as she leaned her head against a great stone pillar.
"Good, so I don't have to worry about him trying to chop my head off for speaking to you?" He laughed and she looked at him.
"I can talk to whomever I choose, whenever I choose..." She stopped herself, "Not that I would choose to talk to you." She added and he pretended to clutch at his chest in pain.
"Touche!" He said. "That will all change if you become his wife." Brett replied casually, leaning back on his elbows.
"Excuse you!" She said, her blue eyes flashing.
"It's true...when Andrew gets what he wants, there's no one who's going to touch it." He said, and she stood, placing her hands on her hips.
"Why are we discussing me as if I am a prize piece of meat?" She asked and Brett stood, six feet one over her four feet eleven frame and mimicked her stance.
"To him you will be. Believe me." He said and she sighed.
"Why do you even care? You put on this show of being a shallow and extremely irresponsible playboy and yet you're trying to warn me against Andrew? It doesn't make sense monsieur." She said. He stepped back in horror.
"It is not a show. I happen to be deeply shallow and I could care less about who you involve yourself with little one." She nodded.
"Well, as long as we're clear on that subject." She said dryly.
"I have to go..." She said, brushing past him.
"What? Why?" He asked, trying to catch up with her tiny little fast legs. She ran flat into him as he caught up in about four long steps.
"Look, Monsieur..."
"Brett." He corrected and she raised her eyebrow.
"Brett...I don't know why you are on some mission to drive me insane, but please...just leave me alone! I know what you want...you want me to give up on Andrew so I will sleep with you! Well, it isn't happening...Andrew respects me and you...all you care about is yourself. So go on and care or don't care about anything at all somewhere else. Good day!" She said and threw him aside speechless, before flouncing down the road.
"Well I don't care!" Brett called after her. "No sir...just point me in the direction of the nearest party and I'm there." He said to himself and strutted carelessly as he always did, but his mind was over active. "Gah! I hate thinking..." He muttered.
"I don't know...daisies are nice." Garrett Reynolds said blankly staring at his fiancée whose mouth dropped.
"You have been waiting to marry me since we were babies and you want our wedding to be adorned with daisies? That's all you can contribute?" Alana replied in horror. "Daisies!" She cried and he threw his arms up in frustration.
"I don't know Lane! Whatever you want is fine!" He said, laying his head down on the table. They'd been at this with her mother and his mother for two hours now and quite truthfully, he wanted to bang his head against the wall until he fell unconscious. Her lip began to tremble and instantly he regretted his outburst.
"I just want this day to be special...it's my wedding for God's sake! Is that so horrible?" She asked, sniffling as he draped an arm around her shoulder.
"Of course not Alana...I just want you to have what you want. I don't know anything about these things." He said and she dabbed at her eyes with his handkerchief.
"I only wanted you to be as excited as I was..." She sighed and he nodded.
"I am! I swear! Uh..." He looked at the samples of flowers for the wedding and picked one. "How about the white tulips?" He asked her, handing it to her. She smiled through her tears.
"You're right! Roses are so overdone!" She said and threw her arms around her neck to kiss him.
"Well..." His mother said, "There we have it...problem solved. Monique...what say you and I go grab a cup of tea and sit on the porch?" She offered and the Comtess nodded, patting Alana's cheek gently.
"Lovely Marie." She said.
The front door opened and closed a few moments later as Brett strode into the house, not even bothering to acknowledge his brother and future sister-in-law.
"Brett what's going...on...?" Garrett trailed off when he noticed his brother was pacing the foyer furiously.
"Garrett...I'm shallow right? A complete ass?" He asked and Garrett frowned in confusion.
"Well, I've always thought so..." He said, looking at Alana who shrugged. Brett nodded, completely frustrated.
"See? That's what I said! So why do I care what happens to Andrew's little conquest?" He asked and Alana moved to stand beside Garrett.
"Meg?" She asked and he nodded. "Maybe you care about people more than you think..." She offered and his cheeks seemed to lose color.
"Ugh...I need to lie down." He said, running his hand through his wavy dirty blonde hair and heading to his room.
"Crazy bastard." Alana said under her breath and Garrett chuckled.
"No kidding."
"Isn't it a bit soon?" Andrew's father asked as his son showed him the ring he intended to give Meg later this afternoon.
"No...she loves me." He said and Andrew Westcliff Sr. frowned.
"She told you?" He asked and Andrew shook his head.
"No...but, I can tell. I am going to test her first by saying it to her and if she says it back, then I will propose." He said nonchalantly.
"Do you love her?" His father asked and Andrew shrugged.
"She's beautiful...she'll be a good wife. Dutiful...attentive...obedient. She's in wonderful shape which means she will have no trouble having children and I plan to get her pregnant as soon as possible." He said as his father sighed.
"Andrew. You are using this girl to get your money aren't you?" He asked and Andrew shook his head, although not convincingly enough.
"Of course not Father! I am only thinking of what is necessary. I must establish my place in society." He said and his father shook his head.
"Andrew you are my son. You were never like Justin who wanted the wife and family. I can't believe you want to have children right away for the pleasure of it." He said and Andrew slammed his fist onto the smooth mahogany of his father's desk.
"I will do what I have to!" He said and stormed out of the room, clutching the ring in his hand. His father sank into his chair and buried his head in his arms.
"What are we going to do with you Andy?" He asked the air.
"Oh that poor girl...we must free her of the talons of Sissy and Jacqueline..." Rachelle sighed, watching the tiny blonde girl walk between the two girls who were fussing over her. Angel nodded, turning to Roxana.
"Can you believe she's engaged to Andrew?" She asked her and Roxana sighed.
"Yes. He can be very convincing to those who don't know the true him." She said, as the girl met her eyes. She smiled brightly at her and the blonde returned her smile but looked completely lost. As they walked closer, Jacqueline's rambling could be heard.
"And of course dear, you must have roses...when is the wedding?" She asked, holding the girl's arm.
"Oh...Andrew wants to do it soon...probably within the month." She said and Sissy giggled.
"So lucky to have such a lovely man...who can't wait to marry you!" She cried as Roxana looked at Rachelle and both of them mimicked gagging.
"Well...if it isn't Lady Destler." Jacqueline said snidely. Roxana looked at Rachelle before laughing.
"Oh what's the matter Jackie? Still bitter that Raoul married the better woman and left you to be an old maid?" She asked in her haughtiest voice. Jacqueline looked at Sissy and huffed. Meg's mouth dropped open.
"You were engaged to Raoul?" She asked and Jacqueline nodded.
"Yes...we were desperately happy together too, but then that little opera tramp came back into his life. Disgusting performers...all of them are." She said and Meg shut her mouth suddenly, feeling a bit put out. Roxana saw this and grabbed the girl's shoulders gently, urging her between she and Angelina.
"Sweetheart, he left you by the river three years before he ever thought of seeing Christine again...just face it. He realized that you were Satan and he got the hell out while he still could." She said.
"I'm Roxana." She said to the tiny blonde beside her.
"Meg Giry." She replied meekly.
"For your information Roxana I am not going to be an old maid!" Jacqueline shot back at her, voice laced with venom.
"Of course you are...who the hell would want you? You're evil, you never shut up and you're the town whore." She said and ushered the little golden haired girl away from the gaping girls.
"You'll be sorry Roxana! You will!" Jacqueline yelled after her. "And Meg! Don't think for a minute that we were actually friends! As if I would really waste my time on a ballet rat!"
"Don't listen to her, she's a pig." Roxana said, "It's better you found out now than later." She said.
"The little twit...her family is actually dirt broke! That's why she was so thirsty to marry into the Chagny wealth. Raoul was too smart for her though." Rachelle said.
"Um...where are we going?" She asked and Roxana grinned.
"You and Christine are going to make up." She said and Meg began to resist.
"Come on Meg...everyone needs a friend." She said and Meg sighed defeated.
"Yes, you're right...since I am getting married and all." She said and Roxana pursed her lips.
"Yes...you are, aren't you?" She said quietly, biting her lip and looking at Angel and Rachelle. "We'll see you later you two..." She said to her friends who nodded and turned the corner to go to Angel's.