Here is the next chapter… and it didn't take three years either!!
B U Chapter 10 /B /U
U B Words: /B /U 1,112
B U Conversations /U /B
Meg Giry was very annoyed. She couldn't believe her maman had brushed her off so easily. So what if the Phantom was friends with her mother? She was a friend to Christine, and it wasn't as if she was planning to hand the Opera Ghost over to the police, or anything! She could understand her maman refusing to let her go down to his lair if that were the case, but she only wanted to make sure her best friend was safe!
She stomped her foot against the ground and sighed. It was rather annoying, really, she was worried, and waiting around for the Opera Ghost to let Christine go wasn't making her worry any less.
She sighed, and pushing every single one of her mother's warnings out of her head, she ran her hands along the edges of the mirror in Christine's dressing room. Because that was where she was. She had been staring at the mirror for the last thirty minutes, willing Christine to return. But she hadn't. And Meg felt she had waited long enough; so she was going to get Christine.
"Ah ha!" She cried when the mirror popped open, thinking she had worked out it's secret by herself. She screamed in fright when a figure came through towards her. "Oh, you opened it." She said sadly, when realizing the figure was not the angry Phantom, but her friend. "I was so worried!"
They came together in a hug and Christine laughed lightly. Mademoiselle Daaé smiled warmly as her friend let her go and laughed, "I am fine. There is no reason to worry!" She left the room, arm in arm with her friend. She didn't need to turn around to know that Erik was staring avidly after her from behind the mirror.
I XXX /I
The physician Monsieur Roux had gone straight to Madame Giry's room after his encounter with the angry Vicomte. He had told her everything Raoul had said, and then Madame Giry had shared the fact that Raoul had struck Christine. They still sat there, both refusing to sleep as they talked about protecting Mademoiselle Daaé from the aristocrat.
"What if we report him to the police?" The physician had suggested as Madame Giry prepared tea.
"Non, they will believe him. He will probably find a way to blame it all on the Opera Ghost." She said in her strong accent.
"Oui," he agreed sadly.
A knock came at the door and both turned warily. "Madame!" A voice called.
Followed by, "maman, can we come in?" Madame Giry sighed and opened the door.
"I did not expect you back so quickly, Christine." She said sounding rather worried even though she was relieved to see her pseudo-daughter.
"Oh, I needed to ask you something, Madame." She smiled and entered the room, followed by Meg. "Oh Doctor! I didn't expect to see you here."
"We were discussing your ex-fiancé?" He made it a question, to which she nodded and he smiled at her warmly.
"Madame, may I speak privately with you?" she blushed red, "about female matters?"
"Come now, miss Daaé, I am a doctor. Professionally, I cannot give a word of this outside this room." She bit her lip and looked to Meg. The blond crossed her fingers over her chest and pretended to lock her mouth shut.
"I did, you know – that! And I was wondering, is there a way to prevent conception?" She said the sentence rather fast, so all three others in the room spent a minute trying to decipher what she said before they could answer.
"Here," Dr. Roux said, pulling a few packets out of his briefcase. "I keep everything with me for emergencies. Take this one," the packet was green, "the day your bleeding starts. And this one," which was purple, "the day the bleeding ends. Once, each, every month." He gave her a box, which contained twelve packets of each color; one for every month that year.
"Thank you!" She said with a smile. Madame Giry nodded in thanks as well. Meg still looked rather stunned.
"With the Vicomte?" She asked breathily.
"No," Christine said, her nose scrunched up at the thought, "with mon Ange," she smiled again. Meg just blinked and fanned herself when she felt as if she might pass out. "Thank you again for your help, but I must be going. Oh, Madame," she pulled the sealed letter from her pocket. "He said to give this to you." Madame Giry took it and nodded politely. She tucked it away and waited until Christine left. Meg left soon after, probably to question her friend. Dr. Roux went into the kitchen and began to make tea.
She broke the wax seal and unfolded the vellum.
B I My friend,
It has probably been made known to you by the time Christine remembers to hand this to your person, but we have committed a faux pas by societies regulations. As such, I would like to remedy the problem, as it were. You, along with myself, have been taking care of my 20,000 Francs a month salary, so you should be able to withdraw from my savings.
If you would, I ask you to purchase me an engagement ring for Christine. I wish to make her my wife. If you have any objections to my actions – whether the timing or the fact that I have not asked her – please make them known to me. But do not object because you may believe I am asking so she will continue to sleep with me. I ask because I love her, and would have asked sooner if not for the Vicomte.
Many regards. And my eternal thanks.
The Opera Ghost /B /I
She sighed, folded the parchment back up and tucked it into a pocket in her skirt. She would go out later today. At the moment, she had rehearsals to get to.
"Goodbye, Doctor," she called on her way out of the door.
I XXX /I
Raoul walked aimlessly down one corridor and the next, thinking about how he could find Christine. His ideas raged from forcing the doctor or Madame Giry to tell him, to breaking down the walls of Christine's dressing room until he found the secret passage.
However, it turned out that he didn't need to do any of those.
At that second, none other than Christine Daaé walked down the corridor that led unto the one he was in. He smirked, and followed her. Meg Giry walked along beside her, and he strained his ears to hear their conversation.
"You, really, you did that?" Meg asked breathlessly. "You love the Opera Ghost?"
"Yes," Christine said with another smile.
And Raoul saw red.
B XXX /B
If you read it, please review it… I was contemplating not updating anything other than Harry Potter anymore, but it depends on a) whether I can write it and b) whether you all want to read it anymore.