Capturing A Phantom's Heart.
Chapter Fourteen: What Lurks In Darkness.
Four Months Later...
Time has passed.
Winter has turned to Spring.
London was booming with a very important ball on Saturday night that everyone was talking about.
Meg and her gentleman lover who is now called Mark, came to visit along with a big accouncement: they were going to get married in three months time.
Mother was overjoyed for her daughter, they spent that day constanly talking of what the wedding would be like.
Even Christine and Raoul came over after their romantic wedding in Rome two months ago, they were also pleased of the news.
But to Olivia, she was sinking into depression and despair.
Her growing stomach appeared through her clothing, something that disgusted Raoul and upset Christine on their visit.
Meg was happy for her, though Olivia could see right through her that she too was angry.
She remained in her bedroom for several hours, at times refusing to go out or even eat anything.
It deeply worried Mother who was now making a lot of friends and caught the eye of a American business man at a dinner party three weeks ago.
Though she knew the reason why Olivia was feeling like this, deep down she wanted her to move on from Erik and start living her life before the child came into the world.
Not even the doctor who fequently came to check on her couldn't help her, it was like she was forever lost in a grim world without that one thing that made her happy.
It was two hours to go before the important ball was held.
Mother added the finishing touches of her make-up, then she was ready.
Looking down on the two tickets on her dressing table, she stared at them with curiously.
What if Olivia could come with her?
"That might cheer her up a little, meeting other people and having a good time." She said to herself.
Getting up from her stool, Mother took her purse along with the tickets, blew out the candles and shut the door behind her.
Olivia was staring out of the window, watching carriage after carriage going pass their house.
She knew where they were going, it was the same place where Mother was heading along with her gentleman friend.
Images of happy couples, smiles on their handsome faces, flashed before her torrmented mind.
Then, there was one that made her gasp at it.
She could see herself, wrapping her arm with Erik, only this time he didn't have a mask and was proud to show his disfigurement.
Olivia slid to the floor, rocking herself back and forth.
Tears quickly fell down her face, whimpers came out of her mouth as she tried her hardest to erase that shocking image.
A simple light knock on the door made her jump and stare at it, then she uttered one word: "Come."
Mother entered the room, her kind eyes boring into Olivia's with sadness.
She stood up and admired the woman before her, wearing a beautiful golden gown and her long hair flowing down to her back.
Though Olivia could never forget what happened back in Paris, she secretly forgave Mother in the deepest part of her shattered heart.
"I was wondering if you would like to come with me to the ball this evening?" She asked, softly.
"Can't. London dosen't want to see a unmarried pregeant woman there, I would be constanly hounded with gossipers and whispers behind my back." Olivia replied, harshly.
A sigh escaped from Mother's lips, she tried but the look from the girl's face was enough for her not to aruge about it.
"Fine, I shall be out for a little while. Don't stay up for me and make sure you get a good rest." She explained.
Olivia nodded her head and turned away, without saying goodbye.
But what she didn't notice was that Mother placed the other ticket on her bedside table before leaving the room.
Hearing the front door open and shut again, Olivia went to the window to watch Mother being helped by her gentleman into the carriage.
She sighed heavily as it drove away, leaving her alone in the house.
The sound of fireworks boomed outside a little while later.
Olivia awoke from her nap, pushing off the sheets and rushed to the window.
She watched the night's sky lighting up with dozens of different colours and shapes.
"Must be one great ball," She said, with a sigh.
Turning away from the window, she noticed something on her bedside table.
Heading towards it, Olivia picked it up and studied the words written in beautiful handwriting.
The Spring Ball, Saturday Night At Seven Until Midnight.
All Are Welcome.
She looked at that sentence more than the first.
If all were welcome, was she allowed too?
Turning away from the ticket and staring at her wardobe, for the first time Olivia let a smile come across her face.
Standing before the building, nerves began to build.
After taking a good time to get ready, Olivia finally left the house and headed towards the ball with her head held up high.
But now that she was here, a voice told her to go back and stay in her bedroom.
"No, I have come this far. I'm not going home until the ball ends. If they talk about me, so be it." She said to herself.
Taking each step like it was a massive effort, Olivia igorned the nagging voice and made it to the double doors.
Two well dressed gentlemen opened them for her, she said her thanks and entered inside.
Lush music could be heard, a large staircase with red carpet stood and intresting paintings of different events were held on the walls.
Olivia headed to the direction where the music was playing, her eyes wandered around everywhere before her.
Whoever owned this place was rich and had a keen eye on art, she thought.
But for some unnevering reason, Olivia felt like she was been watched.
She tried to igorne it though she couldn't deny the constant shivers running up and down her spine.
Entering the ballroom, a gasp escaped from her lips.
Dozens of couples dancing, crystal tables where others talked and dinned together and a big band of muscians playing a fine melody.
Her eyes fell on Mother with her gentleman friend along with a few others so she headed towards them.
She noticed that other people were watching her, admiring her dress and not taking any notice of her stomach at all.
A smile appeared across her face, relief pouring inside of her though she couldn't get rid of the feel of someone looking at her.
Mother turned away from the conversation she was having to find Olivia before her.
She never looked so beautiful and elegeant in a pink, pale dress with her hair tied up in ribbons and a pearl necklace on her neck.
"Oh, you came after all!" Mother said, rising up from her chair and hugged her.
Olivia slowly moved her arms to return it, a bout of tears were about to form but she controlled herself from becoming a sobbing wreck.
"Yes Mother, I did." She said, pulling away from their embrace.
"Everyone, meet Olivia. My daughter." Mother said, proudly.
All of them smiled at her, not a single frown or digust on their faces.
"Hello, my name is Michael." Said the tall gentleman with sharp grey eyes and blonde hair.
He was around Mother's age, handsome and had a kind voice.
"These are my friends, Samantha and Robert." He showed her to a young couple who waved at her.
"And Eliza and John." Another couple who said hello to her.
"Very nice to meet you all," Olivia replied with a warm smile.
"Now, I shall get a extra chair for you, young lady." Michael said, dashing off.
Olivia turned to Mother who had a wide grin on her face.
She could see that she was falling for him quite quickly and for that, she was proud of it.
Olivia was happy that she came to the ball.
She was asked three times to dance by other gentlemen though they were happily married.
Michael's friends wanted to know the ins and outs about her life, inculding her forbidden affair but refused to name who the person was.
They were a little shocked that she was pregeant but understood that she wanted to keep the child instead of getting rid of it.
She listened to their stories, laughed at their jokes and even invited to their next dinner party in a week's time.
It was twelve o clock, they were just about getting ready to leave when Olivia decided she wanted to go to the toilet.
"I'll catch up with you, won't be long." She said, heading towards the exit.
Mother watched her go, then noticed Michael's warm hand into hers.
She looked at her, a beaming smile was on his face.
"I like her, she's a strong woman to go through so much in her young life." He said.
"She is and I'm proud of her." She replied, with a heavy sigh and followed him out of the ballroom.
Olivia headed up the stairs and went down the long coridoor of many doors.
Then she discovered a sign that said Ladies so she entered inside it.
Doing her business, she didn't notice that outside all the lamps and candles puffed out.
The last person left the building, also not knowing what was happening in the building.
Pushing down the handle, she went to wash her hands and then studied her image in the mirror.
Dark circles were under her eyes which were red and botchy from all the crying.
Pale cheeks which were hollow from not eating.
She had the look of a broken woman but if time was good for her, perhaps she could move on.
With a sigh, Olivia turned away and opened the door to find pitch blackness before her.
Shutting the door behind her, she blindly walked along the coridoor trying to find some light.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" She called out but silence replied to her.
Then she felt a gust of wind blowing hard against her, goosebumps was all over her body.
"Who did that?! Come out from the darkness, please!" She cried, begining to sob.
Suddenly, a light started to come up but it was very faint.
There at the end of the coridoor where the staircase stood was a dark figure with piercing eyes.
She gasped of how beautiful they looked, the way they entered her own and searched through her soul.
"Who are you?" She asked, breathlessly.
Suddenly, the figure disappeared like a flash.
"No wait, come back!" Olivia cried, running towards where it stood.
A door opened and shut again, she headed towards it and tried to open it but it was locked.
She banged her fists on it, yelling and screaming for it to be opened.
But it was no use, her strength wasn't good enough.
Olivia slid on the floor and began to cry, then by magic the door opened.
She slowly rose up and entered the room, there she saw the figure by a large window.
The dim light of the moon made a shadow appear on the floor, she studied it then let her eyes follow to the figure.
"Who are you, please tell me!" She asked, again.
"Why should I?" A male voice replied.
"Was it you that had been following me all night?"
"Perhaps."
Olivia went closer, frightened of what she was doing but she had to know.
"If you tell me who you are, I will leave you alone. I promise you that." She said, now standing very close to where he was.
The figure sighed heavily, then slowly turned around and lifted his head so that the light of the moon could reveal his face.
Olivia gasped in horror, terror written across her face but she didn't scream.
There before her was the man that taught her the meaning of love, the one she thought was dead or rotting in the cell of Paris, was Erik!
Author's Note: Sorry That I Haven't Updated This Sooner, Had A Bit Of Writer's Block. The Next Chapter Will Explain Everything, Hope You Like This One!