Authors note: Thank you for all those wonderful reviews. However I have to say this: Sadly I don't own POTO or Casanova, FUCK! But enjoy!

"Now, that was new, sir. Since when do you hide from women?" Nadir asked as they made their way down toward the lair once more.

"Only when necessary and we need to broaden our horizons" Erik responded.

"Does that mean you will be leaving at least one woman alone tonight?" the Persian raised his eyebrows in wonderment.

"Absolutely not."

"I thought so, now that would be too new and different for both of us."

"Both of us?" Erik said as he looked down at the short man next to him.

"Yes, that would mean that I would actually have to make your bed everyday."

Erik laughed and slapped his friend on the back. As they moved out into the light of the city they were greeted by the sight of mademoiselle Daáe doing the same.

"There she is!" Nadir said and pointed at her direction and Erik's face looked up, she was even more beautiful in the daylight. She was wearing a blue dress and a hooded cloak in the same colour.

"Nadir?"

"Hmm?"

"Would it be improper to follow her?"

They both drew their eyebrows together in consideration.

"No, of course not."

"No, of course not." They both said at the same time and started moving.

"That would mean some more broadening to our horizons now wouldn't it, sir?"

"Yes, most definitely, Nadir."

They followed her inside a bookstore.

"The phantom!" a lady, which Erik remembered as a chorus girl, whispered.

"Hello, my darling" he whispered back.

"I left my door unlocked last night for you."

"Oh, my dear, there are so many unlocked doors and so little time" he winked at her, making her shiver in delight.

On the tables there were some new publicans. Christine picked one up and started flipping through the pages with a smile on her face. Erik noticed and picked up one too.

"What is this?" he mumbled to himself. 'A woman's right in the society' the title said.

"By Bernard de Guard" he mumbled later, putting the book down he turned around and bumped into a woman who dropped her copy of the book. He looked down and his eyes widened at the sight, it was Christine.

"My apologies, mademoiselle" he said as he bent down to pick it up.

"It's alright, thank you very much."

"Interesting choice of literature you have there" he said and looked down on the book in her hands, his eyes sliding over her cleavage.

"Yes, I too find it very interesting, have you read anything from Bernard de Guard before, monsieur?"

"No, I can't say I have but from what I've heard he is the sort of man who wants women to be educated and be a part of the court."

"And do you see anything wrong in that, monsieur?"

"Absolutely not, but I do think that a woman should consider that doing it could bring her permanent harm."

"I see, so you are one of those men who think that all women should do is to stay in their homes, have babies and please their husbands?"

"I never said that, mademoiselle, what I mean is that women should think about the consequences that may follow, I didn't mean to offend you, I'm very sorry if I did." Christine could see that the masked man meant what he said.

"You are a very caring man, monsieur."

"And you are a very kind lady, mademoiselle...? " he said and bowed.

"Christine Daáe" she said and offered her hand which he accepted and kissed, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Charming" he said and smiled and was surprised that she seemed unmoved by the gesture, this had never happened to him before. Normally the women would gasp and their eyes would flutter.

"And you are?"

"Erik Gautier" he said as released her hand.

"I admire your unselfishness, unlike that loathsome Phantom of the opera everybody is talking about." Nadir, who was standing next to Erik, couldn't help but snigger.

"Oh, forgive me, mademoiselle, this is my assistant and servant, Nadir Khan."

"A pleasure, mademoiselle" he said as he bowed before her.

They went out of the bookstore.

"The Phantom of the opera must have a good reason for seducing women all the time, I think what he really need is true love. Bernard de Guard, the philosopher, thinks that an unhappy and wretched mind is in need for true love."

"All love is true in different ways, mademoiselle."

"Ah, you are a philosopher too? I will not debate with you if you take the side of a man who's idea of love demands a female sacrifice every day."

'A deep mind' Erik thought.

"Christine!" the voice came from the woman, who Erik recognised as Madame Giry, running towards them with her daughter after her.

"He's coming tomorrow, your fiancée" she said and waved with a letter in front of her. Christine sighed and rolled her eyes.

"She has a fiancée!" Erik whispered in panic to Nadir.

"I didn't knew" he whispered back.

"Who is this gentleman, Christine?" Antoinette asked.

"Sorry, mother, this is Erik Gautier and his servant Nadir Khan. I met them in the bookstore."

"Oh, delightful! And I see that you have bought more things written by that Bernard de Guard. She is absolutely obsessed with him, Monsieur" she smiled. Erik nodded and gave her a look that made her hand crush the letter in her hand.

"Let me introduce you to my other daughter, Meg Giry."

Meg stepped forward and bowed and offered her hand to Erik.

"I'm honoured" he said and kissed it, making her knees shake and her cheeks flush.

"How do you do that?" Nadir asked and later winced in pain as he felt his masters foot land over his own.

"If you excuse us, Monsieur Gautier, Christine and I are in a hurry. Meg don't forget the fabric and see if you can get some more paper, ours is mystically disappearing all the time." Christine's face turned red for a second since she was the source of the paper.

"No problem, Madame" Erik said as Madame Giry and Christine went inside a lady's shop and they were left with Meg.

"Nadir, go and buy some fruit?" Erik said, looking at Meg.

"Fruit? But sir?" Erik turned his face towards him and gave him a look that said all he needed to know.

"I would be delighted to buy some fruit" he said and moved away.

"May I ask, mademoiselle Giry, is your sister happy about her fiancée?"

"No" Meg said, smiling. "She's never met him before and I don't think she'll ever be happy about him. She has a secret lover."

'As if this couldn't get any worse' Erik thought.

"How do you know, mademoiselle?"

"She sneaks out of the house all the time."

"Do you know who it is?"

"No, then it wouldn't be a secret, Monsieur."

"Yes, of course. A pleasure meeting you, mademoiselle!" Meg left him and headed of to the store where her mother and foster-sister had went.

"A secret lover?" Nadir asked, shaking his master out from his thoughts.

"Shall we give up?"

"Not today, Nadir!"