A/N: Thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 24

(A week has pasted since Adrian de Chagny's visit)

The sky became dark as the thunderhead clouds rolled that early evening. Christine was in her room taking a nap while Bernard and Madame Giry were in the living room, talking to each other.

"Did you talk to the Comte about Gustave's wishes are with Christine?" Bernard asked Madame Giry. Madame Giry placed her cup of mint tea on the table.

"Yes, but he isn't happy about Christine being able to marry anyone she wishes before she is twenty," she laughed.

"I didn't think he would be," he chuckled. "Why do you think the Comte is interested in his son marrying Christine?" he asked frowning.

Madame Giry's face became serious. She looked away from Bernard.

Bernard noticed her sudden change of attitude. "Madame? Are you alright?" he asked concerned.

Madame Giry's eyes snapped back on him. "Yes," she replied quietly.

"You know the answer, don't you?" he asked her. He moved forward in his seat so that he was sitting at the edge.

Madame Giry sighed. "I might as well tell you but, you must promise me that you won't tell anyone," she replied firmly.

"I won't tell anyone, Madame," he promised.

"Please call me Antoinette," she sighed.

Madame Giry got up from her chair and walked slowly to the window and watched the rain run down the window. She took a deep breath and stared, "Christine's mother, Nicole, had some royal blood in her. Not enough to rule, just enough to turn the heads of the Chagny family. I suppose what they like about Christine is that her family is rich. She will inherit a vast amount of money from her mother when she gets married. The Chagny's are always interested in getting their greedy hands on as much money as they can."

"Why aren't Christine and Gustave living in a mansion if they are so wealthy?" Bernard asked.

"Christine's mother wants a man to marry Christine for love, not for money," she replied. "Gustave doesn't know about the family fortune. Nicole died before she had a chance to tell him about it." (A/N: Nicole is Christine's mother)

"Why didn't she tell Gustave about the money after they were married?" he asked.

"Gustave and Nicole knew each other for two years before they married. She became pregnant during those two years. When she found out she was pregnant with Christine, she told Gustave and he proposed to her," Madame Giry explained.

"She could've given the money to Gustave in her will," Bernard replied.

"She could have, but she chose not to. I don't know why. That is something that has been taken to her grave, never to be answered," she sighed. Her breath created a small patch of fog on the window.

She turned around to look back at him.

"I will go upstairs to check on Gustave," she informed Bernard. She treaded to the stairs and stopped at the foot of them. She turned around to look at him once more. "Not a word to Gustave or Christine about this."

"Of course."

Madame Giry nodded sharply and climbed the stairs.

XXX

Madame Giry reached Gustave's door. She lightly knocked on the wooden door twice and paused, waiting for an answer. There was silence on the other side of the door, so she walked into the room.

"Gustave?" she called.

She gasped when she saw Gustave's still form lying on the floor.

A/N: I hope you liked the chapter. I will post the next chapter sooner then usual if you send a review. I'm talking to the people who read this story, but don't review much. I wanna hear from you people too. puppy dog eyes .

I was going to have the name Elizabeth, be Christine's mother's name. I then realized that it wasn't a French name so I changed it to Nicole. .

PLEASE REVIEW:D