Chapter 22-On a Mission
Emilie looked throughout her mother's closet without any luck. She glanced at the bedside clock and thought that she had about another half hour before her mother would be returning. Her mother was part of the Ladies of Fine Arts Society and on the last second and fourth Tuesday of the month they had their meetings, however Emilie thought it was just for the women to get together and talk, but her father thought it was wonderful, his wife singing with him every now and then and a member of a strong society for his opera house.
She came out of the closet and stood with her hands on her hips wondering where the information she wanted so bad could be. Determined, she went back in the closet and searched on the floor. There were boxes of old photographs and scrapbooks filled with newspaper clippings of when her mother was a famous singer at the opera house. She stopped looking to flip through one of them when she came upon a whole newspaper folded in the back of the book. Taking it out, she was startled when she unfolded it and revealed the front page. "Erik is Dead." It said in big, bold letters. Feeling a sinking feeling in her heart, she slowly read about how a body was found underground at the Paris Opera House and how the Vicomte never found his lover, the singer Mademoiselle Christine Daae. It was rumored that she was dead as well. Folding the newspaper back quickly, she put it in the back of the book as if it was a deadly poison. She didn't want to touch it. Her mother was in love with the Vicomte? Why did people think that her mother and father had died?
She quickly put the book back more determined than ever to find something from the Vicomte. Finally poking out of the corner a small box was partially hidden. She pulled it out and revealed envelopes addressed to her mother. Opening them she read a small letter from the Vicomte telling her that he would arrive before her wedding to take her away from "the monster". Hearing voices from downstairs she quickly pocketed the letter and put the box back exactly as she found it and quietly ran out of her parents' room.
When she made it to her own room, she sighed with relief and read the address on the envelope. She would find the Vicomte and she would get her answers, too many things were secret and she had to know the truth.
That evening, Jean-Claude arrived in his best suit. He didn't have a proper tuxedo with the white bowtie an aristocratic man would wear to an evening out, so he wore his black tie instead, more of casual wear instead of formal wear, but it was the best he could do. Nervously, he rang the bell and waited for an answer. Thomas the butler answered the door and greeted Jean-Claude with,
"Good evening Monsieur Merchand, May I take your hat?" Jean-Claude gave Thomas his hat and was shown into the front room where the family was sitting waiting for their dinner to be served. Emilie looked especially beautiful with her curly brown hair pulled up and a nice evening dress. Seeing Monsieur Moreau, Jean-Claude started to feel a little insecure about the way he was dressed for such the occasion. Emilie smiled and walked over to him while her parents stood up. They began to talk and Christine whispered to Erik,
"So this is the famous Jean-Claude?" He smiled at her and said,
"It is, however I thought the boy would understand that when meeting someone for dinner for the first time he should wear his best."
"Perhaps he doesn't have what we have. His father does only own the hardware store after all. Maybe we should make him feel a little more comfortable by you going upstairs and dressing more casually as well." He looked at her as if she had three heads,
"Are you crazy? You know what appearances mean to me." She placed a finger upon his lips and said,
"I think you could make an exception for one evening." He pursed his visible lips together and said with a smirk,
"All right, it won't hurt anything for tonight. We will just all look like we are going on a picnic instead of having a nice evening." She smiled and shook her head as he made his way through the back door of the room so as not to be noticed.
Emilie turned around to introduce Jean-Claude and asked,
"Where's Father?" Christine smiled and walked over to the two of them replying,
"He had to get something, he'll be right back. You must be Jean-Claude." She said taking his hand.
"I am; it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Madame." She led him over to the sofa where they all sat down talking about Jean-Claude and his father's hardware business when Erik walked in the room. Everyone stood up and he walked over to Jean-Claude and shook his hand.
"It's nice to see you again Monsieur Merchand." Jean-Claude nervously replied,
"It's nice to see you again as well." Emilie stared at what her father was wearing in puzzlement and he mother elbowed her to get her to stop staring and finally whispered,
"He's wearing that to make Jean-Claude feel more comfortable." Emilie felt her heart swell with joy. She really did have a wonderful father, but she still wondered about his past. The men were talking on one side of the room and Emilie gushed to her mother about how wonderful Jean-Claude was when Thomas called the family into the dining room.
Everyone was seated and began being served and it felt strange for Jean-Claude to be served his dinner. He was used to just asking someone at the table to pass him whatever he needed and not have to wait to be served.
Erik took a sip of his wine and cleared his throat,
"I think that I should finally fill you in why I invited you tonight." He said looking at Jean-Claude. A little more confident, Jean-Claude replied,
"All right Monsieur."
"As you probably know, Emilie is going to Paris on Thursday, I can't get away with opening night so close and I would like you to go with her." Jean-Claude's eyes grew a little wider and he started to respond when Erik started to talk again,
"I have told Emilie of my plan and I would expect that the two of you will not stay the night together or there will be serious consequences if I find out the two of you have." Erik gave Jean-Claude a serious warning look that sent a shiver up his spine. Emilie wasn't too worried about her father for she had never seen him use violence however Christine also felt the serious in Erik's voice and knew how serious he really was.
"Oh of course Monsieur I would never even think such a thing." Jean-Claude said with unease leaving a silent tension in the room as Erik took a sip of his wine. Looking around at everyone silently eating, Christine looked up and gave him a look across the table. He changed his tone from serious to lighthearted and said,
"Well it's settled then. Of course Jean-Claude I will pay for all of your expenses."
"That won't be necessary monsieur, I can manage the trip."
"Well I at least insist on paying for your hotel room. I will book you a room in a decent hotel so you won't have to worry about crime." Erik offered. Jean-Claude smiled knowing that he couldn't afford a nice room that Erik would have insisted on booking and replied,
"All right." Emilie smiled across the table at him and he gave her a slight smile back. It was really happening; she was going to find out the truth about her parents and most of all her father.
Thursday morning came quick and Jean-Claude and Emilie were at the train station with her parents.
"Now remember, do not venture out at night by yourself. If you are going to go to dinner after dark, make sure Jean-Claude is with you." Erik reminded Emilie.
"Father, he will be everywhere with me that he can be. We will stay together." She reassured him. The whistle blew and Jean-Claude took their bags and Emilie hugged her mother and father.
"I will be back on Saturday evening." Christine reminded her quietly,
"Don't forget about the money we gave you and make sure you have enough for your train tickets back on Saturday."
"I won't Mother." Erik made his way over to Jean-Claude and held out his hand.
"Thank you for doing this, however I'm sure you don't mind. If you need any money for the work you have missed, let me know." Jean-Claude hated that her father thought he was so poor and replied,
"It is all right, I won't need any money. But thank you for the offer." The two shook hands and Emilie and Jean-Claude boarded the train waving goodbye to her worried parents. When the train disappeared Christine and Erik walked back to their carriage and he asked,
"What do you think about him?" She replied fanning her face in the warm sun,
"I like him and I know Emilie does too. However my dear, I think you make him nervous. You're always offering him money and I'm not quite so sure that he enjoys that. He's trying to prove to us that he will be able to provide for Emilie." Erik sighed and said,
"I know, but Emilie doesn't know what it's like to not have enough money. She has always known to have more than enough."
"Darling I know that, but we have to let him try." She insisted. He sucked in a deep breath and replied trying to keep his temper under control which is something he had seriously worked on over the years,
"I will try very, very hard." She smiled and took his arm as he led her over to their carriage.
"Thank you." She replied and he sat down across from her,
"You do realize how much you have changed me over the years, don't you?" She smiled again and looked down at her feet blushing from the compliment. Over the years her husband slowly grasped the concept of still making her feel special, for it was times like this that she forgot about their ugly past for a brief moment.
She looked out the window and thought about her past and how when she was Emilie's age she was going through a hard decision and how she had to marry someone she didn't love. She forgave Erik the night that Emilie was born, for he had given her the greatest gift. Then she remembered reading in the newspaper a few years ago about how the Vicomte had finally married and his wife was now expecting their first child. Thinking about Raoul brought sadness to Christine. He had promised to wait for her, but she knew that he couldn't wait forever. She wondered if he was in love with his wife or if it was just for convenience to keep his family quiet about his not taking on a wife and keeping the family going since his older brother was killed by Erik. Then she switched her glance at Erik, who was turned around in his seat and watching the driver through the front window. How her husband who was so different now could have ever killed someone baffled her. If anyone was to meet him now, they would be astonished to learn of his past, especially their own children.
She touched his left ring finger that had a gold ring on and he looked at her and smiled. She remembered when she gave him that ring; it was right after their son was born. Christine had insisted Erik have his own wedding ring since she was the only one who wore one. Wedding rings were just becoming a popular thing for European men to start wearing, especially ones of higher society and since Erik had finally established himself in a new town, it was time he stopped wearing his black and gold ring and showed off that even a mysterious man in a mask had a wife too.
He was so happy when he opened the box, and it was the first time he had kissed Christine openly in front of their children. Emilie was only five, but Christine remembered her squealing and clapping her hands in delight as their foreheads touched after the kiss and they smiled at each other. It was their first tender moment of real mutual true love. Erik and Christine would have long talks after that about their children's futures and how they would only show them love and not allow them to see any of the pain of their parents' past. If only it could be that way forever and Emilie wasn't on a mission to find out the truth of what really happened between her parents.