The small village of Chauesser, was but three miles from the winter house. Though it was tiny in size, it was self-sufficient, containing nearly every basic service that its citizens required. Funerals were not plentiful in a town so small, but it was certainly not immune to the heartbreak.
The arrival of Sara's body, while very tragic, had not been an uncommon event in these parts. The village and surrounding countryside had been witness to a number of murders in recent months, all in the name of robbery. To deprive one of their chattel is one thing. To deprive them of their life was moral depravity, and the town was quickly tiring of it. There was need for good citizens to rise up and battle for the name of Chauesser, but thus far none had stepped forward to take on this great burden.
Sara's body was cleaned and prepared, ready for its departure to Paris. A suitable dress had been purchased for her as no other clothing, save what she'd been wearing when she was shot, had been brought with her. Further arrangements were to be made, and as of yet they had not been.
XXXXXX
Meg and Raoul had moved to solarium for a leisurely lunch. Madeline had been thoughtful and prepared a pasta dish with broiled fish, something Meg would have no trouble consuming without assistance.
Raoul had once again taken care of the details of tea and serving, allowing them to enjoy one another's company almost completely uninterrupted. Raoul had been watching Meg for any signs that she was tiring. And though she felt a bit sleepy, she had no want to interrupt the pleasant time they were having. Nothing serious had been discussed, nothing from the past, nothing of the future, they simply had tarried in the moment, and that was a welcome relief. The present belonged to only them. It contained neither ghosts nor expectations, just pure enjoyment of one another's company.
When they were finished with lunch, and the laughter had subsided, Raoul noticed Meg yawn. Being the dutiful host that he was, he insisted that she lie down to rest for a spell. After her nap, they'd go for a stroll down to the greenhouse, and perhaps a carriage ride in the country. The day was simply one for taking a deep breath and relaxing, without the prying eyes of society or family. One where they were free to be themselves. The only thing they waited for was the arrival of Madame Giry. Her late arrival surprised them, but there was likely a good reason for it.
XXX
Erik and Christine had retired to the cool darkness of the master suite. Erik had drawn the curtains to block out the mid-afternoon sun.
Christine had managed to make it to the afternoon without her customary nap. Some time during the morning she had settled at Erik's feet as he'd read to her from Dickens 'Great Expectations'. The story was beautiful when read silently to oneself. But when one is read it aloud, by a voice as powerful and emotionally toned as Erik's, one nearly becomes a sponge, soaking the story into the fabric of your mind. The words leaping off the page and coming to life before your eyes.
It was at Erik's insistence that they stop. Though he used the excuse that his throat tired, it was in truth Christine's drooping eyes that bid him stop. Lunch had been the remaining slices of cake and tea, accompanied by the peanuts that Christine shelled while Erik read.
Now, Christine was curled up in Erik's strong arms, his hand gently warming her stomach as it glided over it affectionately. It surprised him every moment they were together that he could love her even more than he had the day before. Each day filled him with an appreciation for her that made his heart swell to what he was certain were the vastest reaches of it, and yet it grew a little more each day when the sun rose.
She was silently listening to his breathing pattern, and somewhere along the line, hers had been synced with his. She could feel his heart beating below his skin, and the rhythms of their hearts now beat as one. She had grown so attached to this man, to this flesh and blood. She could not imagine ever existing without him. She closed her eyes and soon drifted off into a happy, peaceful sleep. Thoughts of her husband and son dancing across her subconscious mind.
Erik, inch-by-inch, gave into the tired that beckoned him. There were hours until supper, no chores to be done, and nothing more that he wanted than to hold Christine in his arms.
XXXX
Madame Giry and Nadir had a pleasant ride back to Paris. Though they'd wanted their trip to be swift, they had to water and rest the horses. They'd stopped at the Candlelight Inn for lunch with Claire. She'd been happy to spend some time catching up on the news. She was deeply sad to learn of Meg's ordeal, and the loss of Sara. Though she'd never met her, she knew she had been a good friend to her brother's friends. While Claire didn't know the whole truth about Erik and Christine, still referring to them as Elizabeth and Stephan, she was happy to hear that they were feeling well.
The sun was barely on the Western sky when the carriage clattered into the City. The coachmen had driven straight on through the city and to the outskirts though they'd stopped to collect directions, and a small get-well gift for Meg. The shopkeeper, having been one of the men who'd helped with the search for Christine several months before, sent out a delivery messenger to the staff at Raoul's house so that their arrival could be properly anticipated.
Madeline knocked on Meg's door. Meg was resting on her bed, and Raoul had fallen asleep in the chair in the sitting room just off of the bedchamber. Though she didn't want to disturb the resting pair, she bore news that she knew both would be most eager to hear.
She walked over and touched Raoul's arm. "Vicomte, mother comes. Shopkeeper in Paris, say she comes with man." Raoul shook himself awake. He stood, pushing his hair into place, rubbing his eyes. His gaze quickly darted to Meg. She was still asleep.
"Come Madeline, let us leave Meg to rest. Prepare the parlor for their arrival. I'll go to the kitchen to give instructions for supper. Then, prepare the two guest rooms for our new visitors." Madeline nodded, but paused turning back to him. "Sir, two rooms connected by door? Woman be safe there?"
Raoul looked down, he'd forgotten those rooms were built to house guests with children. He thought a moment. "For now, it shall have to do. We have no other accommodations, the other rooms are not yet finished. If the lady is not comfortable, we will make other arrangements." Just what they would be he wasn't certain, but he would find something.
Madeline hurried on her way to the parlor. Raoul issued orders most quickly in the kitchen before departing to the stables. He'd make sure that a carriage would have a proper place in there as well as suitable room for several horses. He anticipated that it might be Nadir who accompanied Meg's mother, but he wasn't certain. The stable master would see to it that there would be a place for the coachman to stay the night.
All was in place, the house was ready. His mending guest lay sleeping upstairs. Raoul sat in the parlor, looking out at the road that led to the front of his house. Surely it would be soon, and he'd see a carriage. He would wait on his guests. No doubt his father would be along soon, as the sun was beginning to set. He'd finally have the pleasure of introducing the men, though he'd have preferred under different circumstances.
Author's Notes:
Captain Oblivious: Pauly Shore? My goodness, you are a multi-faceted creature! He is such a goof ball. I think the last thing I saw that he was in was 'Bio-Dome' or something to that effect. Yikes, yet another weapon for your arsenal. I was just becoming accustomed to defending against swords and incisors! Thank heavens the glomping has subsided!
Yes, well, I have no intentions of inserting an eight-foot giant into the story, although your thoughts of dusting would have been good. I've something in mind, but I shan't tell you for that would spoil the fun!
The cribbage thing…you mean you didn't run out and by the Dickens classic to learn about it? I might just have to pull out that sword after all! Perhaps Gerry would borrow me the one he had when he was on "Dressed to Kilt", oooh laa laa. It was the one of William Wallace. Oh, I suppose I shall relent. The site is www (dot) cribbage (dot) org. Now I understand why you chose to type it the way you did. I was beginning to worry that you'd suffered a breakdown!
Last, but not least. I rather enjoyed the "requiem" video, although I really rather enjoyed them all! The one you referenced "You drive us wild" well, it speaks for itself! I've thought myself to be a bit too fixated on someone I would never meet, but my fascination pales in comparison to what some of these fans have done. Oh, the one that made me cry was "good-bye" under the Phantom category. "Irresistible" was great too! If I were Gerry, I'd like the one set to "I'm ready to fly". That is rather moving and probably states exactly where he is in his career. I wish the best for this talented man. He's certainly worked hard enough to earn it.
Stellalorilai: Hotmail isn't a very happy place for me right now. I was able to open your e-mail over the weekend. But sadly, all of the messages that I sent out, never arrived at their destinations. I was very sad because I'd typed several chapters and e-mailed them to my other account, and being rather too trusting of electronic devices, didn't save the original, so I was forced to start from scratch.! My own fault. By the way, I very much appreciated the information, and no, I didn't mind being tracked down at all! I've often wondered myself if that would be a more appropriate venue for some of my rather lengthy responses to my reviewers. I hope you enjoy the next chapters. Not as many literary references as the last ones, I'm afraid, but more of the cotton-candy fluff that I'm rather fond of too.
Phantomluvr: Thank you. It doesn't seem possible that I've been writing this story that long, but I have, and it just continues to grow in my mind! There is so much coming up yet….I am very excited about some of the newer developments! Peaceful endings may not always be possible, but they've certainly had their fair share of heartache in recent chapters, so they were due for a reprieve. Hope you enjoy the next chapters!