There was a gentle knock on the door. Nicole startled, dropping the blanket from her shoulders. She stood, rubbing at her eyes, pulling the robe up around her shoulders as she went to the door. It was Kathryn.
She stood there with a cup of hot liquid and a platter of small sandwiches. "Thought you might be hungry by now Nicole, does your mother stir?"
Nicole shook her head, looking over her shoulder. Thankfully the medicine the doctor had given her had allowed her mother to rest. Nicole put her finger to her lips, coming out of the room closing the door behind her. She took Kathryn by the hand leading her down the hall.
There at the middle of the hall was a turret, a small round table and two chairs. Kathryn put the tray down on the table as she and Nicole took comfort in the chairs.
"Nicole, is there anything that I can do for you, for your mother? Words of sympathy sound all but hollow when a loss is this fresh, but do know that you and your mother are in my prayers."
Nicole reached out and touched Kathryn's hand. "A loss…" she said under her breath.
Kathryn lifted the cup giving it to Nicole. "Drink, it will make you feel better."
Nicole took it lifting toward her lips. Her nose tingled, she pulled it away, a scowl on her face. Kathryn smiled at her.
"Nicole do not worry, it is a bit of liquor mixed with the honey and tea, it will help ease your sorrows. I can assure you the doctor approves, he's the one that ordered it for you."
Nicole brought the cup up to her lips again, slowly taking a sip. It was sweet and biting, but the warmth felt good on her throat. The vapor rising brought a cough to her lungs.
"Here," Kathryn said, dipping a spoon into the potted honey that lay on the tray. "The doctor has asked to see you when you woke."
Nicole's eyes filled with tears. "And my grandmother?"
Kathryn looked down at her lap. "He said to tell you that she is on her way now."
Nicole's eyes brimmed and overflowed. The grief she had tried to hide rose to the surface without warning.
Kathryn went to Nicole, kneeling before her. "Nicole, you and your mother….you took such good care of her, you did all that you could for her, and I know you shall take comfort in that knowledge in time. There are so many in our city who are not as loved or cared for as your grandmother was, and the people of Chauesser have admired you and your mother, though none likely dared to tell you." Kathryn rose, taking Nicole into her arms. It had been a very long time since Nicole had cried until her tears ran dry. Kathryn had held her through the worst of it.
Kathryn took the cup, once more offering it to Nicole. Though it was cool now, it still burned as it slipped down her throat. The quick dip of honey soothed the burn. Nicole could feel the fullness of her lungs. No doubt this would last for days until she recovered.
"Nicole, that man…that one that found your grandmother…"
Nicole turned looking Kathryn in the eye. "He's something of a gentleman isn't he? I do not know where we would have found her…if it were not for him, we shan't have been able to be with her at the last…" Nicole's lip started to quiver.
"Yes, he is something of a gentleman indeed. This morning as he readied to leave…I am so ashamed…"
Nicole looked at Kathryn with such wonder, what could cause her to feel shame?
"My mother and I…we were in caring for the laundry, and he wandered back to inquire of his…" Kathryn was blushing heavily, she stammered. "Nicole, do you remember the man of which the other girls and I have been speaking for days?" Nicole nodded. "It was he, it was he that we saw that day at the mercantile…"
She spoke now with her eyebrows raised. "Not only a gentleman…but a handsome man as well."
Nicole frowned… "Kathryn, you know of his marriage do you not?"
Kathryn nodded. "Yes, yes, of course, I met his wife that day, she is as pleasant as she is beautiful, and gazed upon him with such admiration." Nicole looked at Kathryn, a bit of wonder in her as to the point of mention of it. Kathryn looked at her shaking her head. "Nicole, this morning after he arrived in our laundry, my mother brought his things to him. Then we went about our work and I was taking items to be put away, and I opened a door…and there he stood, barely dressed…it was quite unnerving."
Nicole looked at her friend in horror. "Kathryn….you do know what you are dabbling in it is…"
"Yes, YES, I know…but one cannot help what one sees." Kathryn looked more ashamed by the minute. The pair sat silently. "I've brought him into our conversation for a purpose," Kathryn finally said. "There's a bag, which he's left here. We can see to having it delivered when the weather clears a bit, but I thought you might like…perhaps you and your mother…. We can make arrangements for you."
Nicole looked at her with compassion, "that is most thoughtful of you Kathryn, I think we should like that very much…when the time is right."
Kathryn looked down at the floor, "I should tell you, he caused quite a stir before he left." Nicole looked at Kathryn, she'd heard a ruckus, but hadn't known what had been the cause of it. "They wanted to honor him, there was talk of sending word to Lady C, perhaps a bestowing of honor on him the day of our celebration. Really, it is but a few weeks off now. This is the very sort of thing she admires most….but now…he's all but shunned the thought of it….he considers himself no hero."
Kathryn looked up at Nicole whose eyes were wide with wonder. Kathryn continued, "he went on to chastise those who sat back and did nothing calling then feckless nebbishes, or something of the sort… declaring he did nothing more than any man ought do."
Nicole's eyes began to fill again. "He is a quiet man Kathryn, a deep man I'd dare say, it sounds to be what I'd imagine he would say of himself, and of those who do not act. He's never been so much as rude to my Grandmother, though she did puzzle him so…I do not know why he would leave his young wife and venture into a city to search for my grandmother…but I am exceedingly thankful that he did."
Kathryn nodded. "Yes, he seems wonderful, and now the entire city of Chauesser shall have his name on the tip of their tongues, though much to his chagrin should he find out." Kathryn looked around, there was no one in the hall. "The inn is so quiet as so many have been making their way over the drifts to the mercantile, not for want of goods, I dare say they've been eating and drinking like kings and queens, but to share of the gossip that they have by being first witnesses to the very events themselves."
Nicole felt the hair rising on the back of her neck. "The death of my grandmother ….fodder for fools…" Nicole rose from her chair walking back toward her room, Kathryn following close behind her.
"Nicole, I shall be here for whatever you need. Here, do take these, but a few nibbles. When the clock strikes four I shall bring you and your mother a proper supper, then the doctor will come to look in on the two of you."
Nicole nodded, taking the tray from Kathryn's hands. "Thank you, you have been most kind." Kathryn nodded as Nicole closed the door behind her.
Kathryn had known Nicole since the first day she'd come to the inn. She felt for her in a way she did not the others she'd befriended. There was simply something solid, something good, something true about Nicole. She was always and foremost honest in her dealings, a quality she and others had admired about her. How Kathryn wished she could do something for her, but alas, the only friend Nicole needed now was time.
XXXXXXX
Nadir sat holding the letter in his hands. A stray tear had made its way down his chin and dropped softly to the surface of the paper. He'd never dreamed that he'd find love again, not in this world, and now to be so close that he could hear it breathing was nearly more than he could endure.
Perhaps after a proper time, he'd make his way back to Chauesser, see if he could be of some assistance to Erik for a time.
He rose from the chair. He'd see to getting dressed and getting to the carriage house. It was time now. If it were not today, he'd be looking for an urn for Sara, not a final burial plot. He knew full well the offices in London would not be open for business, but he could still deposit Sara and go to her inn. Perhaps there he could learn more of this woman, find information that might help him to find that which he needed. Her children, and the plot of her husband.
XXXXXX
Erik woke. Christine had been right in her estimates, she did indeed produce a considerable amount of heat, as her flesh even now had a sheen from thin sweat that covered her. She had kept Erik safe and warm, for what he'd estimated was several hours if not more.
Erik inhaled, a strange scent greeted him. Looking down he saw that a large linen cloth had been wrapped about his chest, and one about his neck. They smelled of garlic and ground mustard seed, onion, and a few other putrid things he could not quite describe. He shook his head slightly. She was trying to treat him again…to dote on him. He would allow it, for no doubt it brought her comfort and satisfaction for the doing of it. He inhaled again. He had to admit, though its presence was most unpleasant, he did breath a bit easier, and each breath did not threaten to elicit a fit of coughing. That alone was worth enduring the less than pleasant administrations.
Carefully Erik extracted himself from Christine's arms, discarding the linen cloths in a basin by the hearth. He walked to the window peeking behind the curtain. The day was waning, and the overcast made approximating the hour difficult. Though Erik had suspicions from the glorious scents that wafted to the upper floor, that it was nearing the dinner hour. He'd not thought he would be have an appetite for days, but in truth he was rather hungry.
A fleeting thought of Chauesser crossed his mind, and he quickly dismissed it. He'd not have need for those thoughts today. He wanted only to focus on Christine, and on their children nothing more.
He turned round, moving back toward the bed when he noticed that the bust of Chopin had been moved a bit from its normal place. Erik walked over, thinking in his earlier haste to darken the room, that he'd perhaps jostled it from its place. He reached out pushing it back into place, but stopped as he heard the scraping of the bottom on the wood. He lifted the statue into his hands turning it over for examination only to find the small cover had been removed, and the keys that normally resided inside of it had been removed and returned in a very awkward position so as to make the cover not fit as it should. Erik remedied the position and returned the cover, placing the bust in its normal place.
He turned to look at Christine. She was the only one who knew of the key's location. The only one who knew how to remove the bottom of the statue to reveal the compartment which held the keys. He'd shown no other, not even Nadir. He'd specifically instructed Christine to use the keys, and all of the things she'd need to unlock, only if she found herself in a situation most dire, and quite without him to guide her.
His pulse quickened, and at first he felt confused. Had she thought he'd not return to her? Then he felt sad, had she doubted him? The last emotion was one he tried never to use, never to associate with Christine, nor anything that concerned her…he felt angry. Had she not trusted him, not listened to what he'd said?
He looked back at her. What could she have possibly wanted, possibly needed during his absence? They could neither have gone out nor have needed to defend themselves, nor any of those exceptions that Erik had specifically stated to her in his most explicit instructions and stern admonition. Was it simply her curiosity that had gotten the best of her?
Erik slipped on his robe, the one Christine had been wearing about the house in his absence. He sniffed at the lapel, it smelled of flora. What normally would have made him smile in enjoyment of the knowledge of her having worn it, had little affect on him, he did not even smile. He needed to know, for his own sake, what it was that she'd been looking for, and if she'd moved or removed anything, though he couldn't imagine why. Something had made her look for the keys, and while she slept, he needed to find out what precisely it was, but more importantly, where she'd been.
XXXXXXXX
Meg and Raoul walked through the opening in the briar. The pair held hands, and from a distance, Madame Giry thought she saw Raoul lean down kissing Meg on the forehead as she leaned into his shoulder.
Meg was most certain what her mother would be thinking at this very moment, and knew in her heart that her mother would be most relieved once her concern was alleviated. Meg's emotions swirled around, visiting each as if her heart were a rogue butterfly, flitting from one delectable stemmed bloom to another. She felt at once melancholy, exuberance, relief, and love. He loved her, he wanted her, he'd made that plain. Because of those very things, he was concerned for her virtue. If she was to marry Raoul he'd want no sideways glances when she traveled the isle in a dress of white. If she chose a life that did not include Raoul, he'd not want any future suitors to have question of their relationship or of her virtue. The thought of either made her admire him all the more.
The melancholy of knowing she'd no longer be waking to his arms, or to find him on the divan at the end of her bed, in truth frightened her. She'd not woken one singular morning since the incident that he'd not been there to comfort her. Now it would be more proper, and though he was as he said, but a few doors away, she couldn't imagine waking in the dark of that room with memories of an event she was trying desperately to purge from her mind. As long as he'd been with her, her protector, she'd not feared the dream returning. Now, her thoughts were less certain.
As they walked toward her mother now, her mind traveled to the location of the bottles of pills. She hoped she'd not need them, but if she did, she wanted to know they were there.
"Meg, it is entirely possible that your mother may have arrived at the incorrect conclusion during her absence. I've want to share this with her, but let us be discrete if we might. The driver in my employ has always been a most trust worthy man, but I shan't have want to entice him with information that others might eagerly try to solicit." He kissed Meg's forehead again as they came to the edge of the tree line.
"Raoul, I shall do as you ask. We shall wait until we've returned to your house Raoul, then we shall take mother to…perhaps to that room of yours…."
Raoul smiled. "That my dear, is an excellent idea, excellent indeed." In another dozen steps they were at the side of the sleigh. The driver had already escorted Madame Giry in, providing her with blankets and such for her comfort. He turned and was ready to dismount to assist Meg, Raoul, quickly issuing the order, "no need sir, I shan't mind assisting Miss Meg." The man nodded.
When he and Meg were settled in, the driver turned around, "Vicomte, the usual route sir?" Raoul nodded, saying "do not forget the one fresh grove on the western edge though, it should be most beautiful as the snow clings to the trees there." The man nodded. They were off again.
Madame Giry looked at the smiling pair. Something in their eyes looked so relaxed, that it in turn caused her to sigh in relief. She gave Meg a most inquisitive look. Meg smiled, Raoul kissing her on the cheek. Madame Giry wanted to blurt out the burning question, though she decided against it.
Meg sensed her mother's yearnings. She smiled as she pulled her left hand out from the muff that she used to warm her hands. Madame Giry looked anxiously at Meg before she could even look at her hand. She swallowed hard once and then looked down. There on Meg's finger was…nothing? She furrowed her brow. Meg smiled at her, whispering, "we shall explain it all…before dinner." Madame Giry politely nodded at Meg. She'd be patient though she'd not want to be so.
The sleigh made its way, further still away from the house. Raoul had a specific route he'd wanted to take, going to the farthest edges of his property, pointing out for Meg and her mother the many fine features that had finally culminated in an acquisition that he simply could not refuse. It had been a combination of three different properties, and an additional woods before Raoul was truly satisfied. But when he had finished, he'd purchased every nook and cranny of the streams, hollows, tree clumps and caves that his grandfather had spoken of. It was like buying a living storybook, and one could wander about the land of it, imagining you see ghosts of events long past. It was indeed like walking on hallowed ground.
They traveled passed a small waterfall from a cliff-like overhang It bled profusely of it's melting snow, a good sign that considerably warmer days were not far off. They'd passed a dead clump of trees where an old shallow boat still sat nestled in between them. They'd passed the area where his grandfather hunted, just at the end of the property. Raoul pointed out the rubs on the trees of the deer that had marked it as his territory no matter what any man said. Each little spot along the journey had a story, and Raoul remembered them out loud with great fondness, each and every one. He felt a bit like a tour guide having finished his story as the sleigh turned the last corner. They would be on to their house in a few minutes time and finally be in a position to speak with Madame Giry without hesitation. It was a recent development in Raoul to mind. He'd not taken as careful mind to his words or presence, before. But his father's words had not been lost on Raoul, though his father was no doubt certain that they had been.
Author's Notes:
PhantomsRogue: Yes, I too rather enjoy the fluff…but one cannot exist on fluff alone…although I must say it would be a rather pleasant journey for a time! LOL! There is much to develop in the other characters, and that does, as you pointed out, take time. For there to be a happy culmination, one has to have cared for the characters in the story, or they were simply taking up space. I believe everyone counts for something.
Now, on to that enormous stocking you and your friends will need….it will have to have three feet, we don't want them contaminating each other, as each has their own aura! I for one, only need one stocking…..Erik is all I've ever wanted….ahhh…sighs dreamily.
I think this evening I might actually have an opportunity to check that e-mail…then I shall reply…that is my vow!
Le bon jour mon âme-soeur, ma soeur !
WriterMuseoftheNight: I am very happy for Erik…he is finally letting down some of his walls. He wanted so to believe, was caught up in the euphoria of it, when they were first together….but the healing process is never that uncomplicated. He has experienced a range of emotions over his lifetime, but he'd never experienced true, unmitigated, unconditional love, and he really didn't understand it. He tried to pretend before that everything was perfect, but he was only fooling himself. He is healing much like a burn victim, layer by layer, day by day. He has, and will have relapses from time to time until one day he wakes up and feels whole….
Meg and Nadir…yes, they have so very much on their minds. They too feel torn, but for them it is the truth that eats away at them. The truth of wanting and needing love, but wondering if, when, how…..it can be. The truth, or what they believe to be the truth about Erik. They need so very much to find out, but it seems delay after delay has prevented them from moving forward…even Mother Nature produced a storm to keep everyone in one place.
Now, as for the doctor. Remember that he is the one that had been tending to Raoul since he was a boy. He is also the one who had been taking care of the innkeeper that was shot by the Crawlings boy. On his death bed he uttered those shuddering words… "Raoul is next." THAT is what the doctor needs to tell Raoul. He wants to warn him that Crawlings will be looking for him to avenge his brother's death.
To answer the other question, no, thank God, Crawlings has nothing to do with Nicole, though that would have been an evil twist wouldn't it?
Lady C….yes, you know me to well…I would plead the fifth wouldn't I! LOL!
Sebastian and Pyotr…they do have a very silent sort of reputation don't they…if I tell you, I'd have to hunt you down and sequester you so you shan't tell another soul…so for now….just know that they are as dark and sinister as one can imagine they might be.
Yes, the glen as you pointed out where Raoul and Meg are now…it may be more surprising than you think…it just might be…well….I don't want to spoil the surprise!
And yes, Raoul's attention to his heritage does make it all the harder for Meg…he is just the sort of man she dreamed of as a child….handsome, and focused on home and family.
I laughed when I read your thoughts on Erik being irritated about how similar he and Raoul would be…I think you are right…that would probably irritate him to no end!
And finally, you are right again. Madame Giry could only empathize with Erik's pain in losing something they both cared about. She could never match his fury…and truth be told…he'd trade his easy-to-anger personality, for a moment of pure peace.
Yes, Gustav. Those little details don't escape someone who watches the movie hundreds of times. I don't know if I mentioned it, but you will find the name in only place, and that is on the small picture of her dad that hangs in the small chapel in the lower level of the Opera House, and only once when Christine has gone down to light a candle for her father, and of course to meet her angel. In one second right after she lights the candle the camera moves down to his picture, and you see his name engraved in the frame…Gustav Daae. That would be a good trivia question if there was ever a POTO board game don't you think?
As for my trip…it wasn't really a trip per se. I spent hours on the phone in conference calls, and traveling from place to place…hard to explain…but I accomplished all that I needed to so that was a good feeling. Thanks for asking!
Have a good night!
Diveprincess: Wrapping the ankle will help, and keeping it warm, and raised on a pillow at night when you sleep will help. Vicks Vapo-rub (the lotion version) rubbed directly on the ankle before you wrap it will also help. A little ibuprofen or aspirin will help too. I hope you're not a broom-ball fanatic…ice will not be your friend this winter! Good to hear that you and Steve are on speaking terms, and that the two of you don't stay mad long. That's a sign of a true friendship!
That senior year can be a tricky one. It is the culmination of all that you've learned the years before, and a taste of what is to come in college. Enjoy every minute of it. Take time now before the end of the year to say hello to that person you might have "not seen" all those years before, or make amends with anyone you might not have always really liked. If you do it now, the rest of the year will be so much sweeter. Trust me, those high school memories last forever, and only you can determine if you will have any regrets!
Have a great day!
Nordygirl: I laugh and laugh when I read your review. I don't care that it doesn't rhyme exactly, it is the content, yes the content that is important. I am glad to hear that someone else can actually see the cast that played the movie version of POTO, walking through the chapters of our story. I picture them perfectly in my mind as each word is laid down on "paper." I see them all moving about as if I'm the director…ahhh…it feels a bit powerful…in a humbling sort of way.
Thank you for joining our Phamily….it wouldn't be the same without you!
Phantomlover05: Yes, it was about time that our dear Erik relaxed. I could just picture him going through the motions couldn't you? The ring…I think it made Meg happy, and feel honored at the same time…it was a commitment, but not a complete one…if that makes any sense at all! Have a great day!
Batteredchild: Let's see, I think Christine would be just entering her second trimester, so just barely over three months. Normally, she wouldn't be showing just yet, but since there are three…she won't be able to keep her secret under wraps for very long! Thank you for the compliment on the story. I hope the coming chapters will be enjoyable!
Faeriecatcher1: Good explanation on your name. It is easy to be consumed by something one enjoys isn't it? Thank you for your kind words about the story. It seems I just cannot get enough of POTO! As far as the "Great Love" reference…no…not from a movie…its from ancient literature…though I am certain it has been quoted in many movies as it is such a great way to describe a love that everyone admires. When they try to describe true love…they make reference to a couple, and everyone just understands what they are trying to say. Hope that makes sense.
Phantomphorever: Welcome to the Phamily! It always amazes me when we have new "adopted" additions to our Phamily! It is a very large time commitment to read this many chapters, and I can only imagine what it is like to come to a story and open it only to see 143 chapters! It is something like finding that really fat book in the library and looking at it…wondering if it will be worth devoting that much time to reading it. So, I am very impressed, and humbled, when it does happen!
No, the story is not near its conclusion, though I shudder to think how long it will end up being when it is finished! So much ground to cover…. I would never leave the story where it is now…lest I be hunted through cyber-space like a rogue writer!