Chapter 4 The city of Arts and Flowers
It was already dark when the train began to slow down. Though it was late in the night, the streets of Florence were shining brightly. Meg and Erik had been sitting the last hour in the banquette. Meg had been dozing off, fighting to keep her eyes opened; she wanted to be awake when the first buildings appeared. Erik on the other hand, had been reading a tourists guide of Florence he had found in the compartment. He wouldn't deny the excitement he was feeling at that very precise moment. How did Meg had managed to choose one of the places he had always dreamed of going? She always surprised him. Looking above the book, he could see how she was fighting to stay awake, her lovely head falling to her shoulders.
Erik had never thought that telling the truth was going to make him feel much better. He felt like a ton of bricks had been removed off from his shoulders. And what surprised him even more was that Meg had understood. Not just understood, but accepted him. He had never thought that the blonde girl, who had always walked behind the person who was to become his obsession, would herself become such a strong woman? He had never reached out to her, except for once:
Antoinette's husband had passed away, and that had caused little Giry to fall to pieces. The great and immovable Meg had become a weeping shadow. Her dancing skill had decreased and was always trying to be strong. But all of this had been in her loneliness. In front of all the people she put on a mask and smiled, while on the inside she was crying. No one had seen this…no one but Erik.
One day, Erik was passing through the hidden passage behind the chapel when he heard heartbreaking sobs. Moved by curiosity, he stopped and looked through the glass, only to find Meg on her knees crying inconsolably. Antoinette had talked about this with Erik, telling him the desperation she felt when Meg spent sleepless nights in the chapel. She had expressed her fear about Meg never being able to recover from her father's death. Erik hadn't known Antoinette's husband very well, but overall, he knew he had been a good man.
He went out of his hiding place silently, standing in the shadows behind Meg. He observed her patiently, feeling something he never thought he would ever feel: compassion. He felt sorry for the girl; he never imagined that such a strong girl would be destroyed as she was now. As if sensing his presence, Meg moved her head lightly to one side. And that was when she saw him. Her deep chocolate eyes were red and swollen, her pale skin glinting with the light of the only candle that was lit. Without knowing the exact reason, Erik walked towards her and lit a candle. Then, kneeling beside her, he wiped away the tears that were on her cheeks. He could feel even through his gloves that her skin was very cold. Then, he disappeared again.
He knew that his relationship with Meg was going to change for good. Not even in his wildest dreams had he ever thought of trusting someone as he now trusted Meg. He knew that she would never hurt him, not intentionally. The most important thing for Erik was that he knew that she was acting out of compassion, not pity. Were they friends? For the brief time they had spent together, they shared an intimate relationship, the kind of friendship that takes years to build. But with her, he felt different. It seemed as if they had known each other for a long time. Like old friends.
Erik assumed that they were getting closer to the station, as the train was slowly starting to reduce the speed. Without a warning, Meg jumped up and limped a little while she rushed to the window of the compartment. Meg pressed her face to the window while she stared with awe the magnificent architecture of Florence. Erik stood and walk to the window too, placing himself behind Meg.
"Oh my God! Look at this! It's so beautiful!" she whispered hurriedly, stretching her neck to get a better view of the city.
"That's the Church of Santa Croce" said Erik, pointing to a marble-façaded building that looked like the Notre Dame, but not as large.
Meg's eyes were wide opened, the sleepy mood quickly forgotten. She looked up to stare with silent content at Erik.
"It seems we finally made it, Erik" she smiled sweetly.
Yes they had. Erik never dared to believe, to dream, that he would be someday outside of the Opera House. His only hope had always been reading an infinite list of books to learn as much as he could of a world he would never be part of. And at last, it seemed that they had made it.
Meg tugged Erik from his hand hurriedly through the sea of people in the Florentine streets. They had been walking for about five minutes. The instant the train had stopped, Meg had jumped out of the train, eagerly to find someone to ask for directions. She knew exactly where she wanted to go first. She knew exactly where she wanted to take Erik. She talked with a young woman and soon she was back to Erik's side, pulling him outside the train station and into the somehow cool night.
It was difficult to walk quickly with the bags and the case that Erik held tightly, but Meg had insisted on taking her own bag to make it easier for Erik. The streets were full of people, considering that it was about to be midnight, it seemed like it was just the beginning of the night. Erik looked a little bit tense, not beeing accustomed to large crowds, but somehow , holding Meg's hand kept him from running away to the nearest shadow.
Meg knew they were close, she could sense the change in the air as they came closer to the water. The streets were shining brightly, creating a magical atmosphere around them "Come on, Erik! We are nearly there!"
"Where?" he asked, desperate to know where in the world she was taking him. Suddenly, Meg stopped and moved to stand behind him, pushing him behind his back. She wanted him to see it for himself, no one in his way. She was excited, adrenaline pumping in her veins. Would he be surprised? With a lump in her throat, she thought that probably no one had ever surprised him before, which made it even more special to her.
Erik came to a halt and Meg collided with his massive back, hurting her nose in the process. She was about to protest when she realized why he had stopped. She made her way to his side as he became mesmerized the view. They were standing on the Ponte Vecchio, a large bridge that crossed the Arno River with loads of shops that was specifically made to enjoy a nice stroll. The Ponte was brightly illuminated, and from where they were standing, they had a perfect view of Florence. The river shined with the reflection of the houses and the Ponte Vecchio itself. The view was breathtaking. A soft breeze hit Meg's face as she looked up to stare at Erik's reaction with a small smile.
Erik walked forward to the edge of the bridge, his visible eye sparkling with emotion. She hurriedly walked faster to stand behind him "Is this better than books?"
He slowly turned to face her, an indescribable expression written upon his face. The corner of his mouth turned up "Much better"
Meg smiled satisfied as she walked closer to where he was standing. They both stood there for a moment, taking in the beautiful view before them. Erik looked down at her and put his hand in the back of her waist, pulling her slightly closer. Feeling overwhelmed by the power of his touch and the scent of roses, she came closer.
"Thank you, Meg, for this…for all you have done" he whispered with emotion, his eyes filled with moisture. Meg stared at him biting her lower lip to fight back the tears.
She nodded "I could say the same"
He looked at her surprised "Me? Whatever for?"
She turned her gaze towards the impressive view of the river and he did the same "I haven't forgotten what you did when Papa…I never had the chance to say thank you"
Her voice cracked at the mention of her father. He knew what she meant "You have nothing to thank, I just did what every person would have"
She looked up at him quickly "Not everyone…I was a mess for months" she explained. He felt her tremble slightly after a cold breeze hit them. He moved closer, placing the side of the shawl that had fallen off, again over her fragile shoulders "You were the first one to come closer to me, even if you don't realize, what you did meant a lot to me"
He watched as her lower lip trembled slightly and he felt again that wave of compassion, he felt the need to protect this fragile and petite woman. It was then that he realized of the big difference in height between them, and that made her look even more vulnerable "You're welcome"
They stood up watching the river silently, the sounds of the crowd and the river splashing against the bridge. But none of that mattered, at that moment; they didn't care, they were just enjoying the beautiful view and each other's company.
Slowly, Meg laid her head on his shoulder, yawning tiredly "Erik?" his name left her mouth like a whisper.
"Hm?" he inhaled the fragrance of her hair that lately was intoxicating him, causing funny reactions in his stomach.
"Are we friends?"
Something inside of him stirred. He had never had a friend. Not a real friend. Maybe Antoinette was the only one, but she had never been this close to him. Yes, he knew that if it wasn't for her, probably he would be in prison or dead, but the bond with Antoinette was colder…not like the bond he had created with Meg. She had listened to him, comforted him, embraced him…
"Yes, ma petite, we are"
Meg couldn't believe both of them had slept the whole day through. After walking off the Ponte Vecchio, Erik had found a modest hotel where they could spend the night. The next day they would look for a permanent house. But they had wasted the day away, sleeping the whole day. She was standing at the window of the room, watching the people come and go. It was early in the morning, ten to be precise. She was waiting for Erik; she would have to help him put the bandages on again.
Maybe one day, he would realize that his face wasn't that bad, that there were plenty of people who had the same problem and just lived their lives without caring what the others said. Meg had seen worse things in Paris, and compared to Erik's deformity, they were far much worse and grotesque.
Erik took his bag and the case and walked out of the room. How could he have slept a whole day through? This had never happened to him…and now they have wasted away an entire day of exploring Florence. Checking that no one was in the hallway, Erik moved swiftly to cross the hall and knocked on the opposite door. He knew that Meg had been really tired, but he hadn't been that much. Actually, he couldn't even remembered a night where he had slept that comfortably…
Meg awakened from her daydream with the soft sound at the door and walked briskly to open it. She took a step back to let Erik enter the room. He was dressed with a simple black coat, white shirt and black cravat. Stunned at the impression he made in the small simple room, she smiled at him gently and stared up into his green eyes. He looked much better, the ghost of two days ago already gone. He looked like a new man, his cleanshaven face, and a curve lifting one side of his mouth. Gone was the slump of his shoulders that had been on the train. The tension and storm she'd seen in his eyes. He looked fresh, rested and more handsome than she had ever seen.
"Good morning" he greeted with his deep voice, slightly hoarse from the long hours of sleep. He entered the room; it really seemed a rather small room in his presence.
"Good morning, Erik" she answered with a smile "I trust you slept well?"
She tried to hide the humor in her voice, but he noticed it and raised an eyebrow with mock surprise "Slept? I believe we reached nearly hibernation, ma petite"
She giggled and motioned him to sit on the edge of the bed. He let out a soft chuckle while she started to put the first layer of the bandage. He closed his eyes, savoring the sensation of her delicate fingers running across his face, like a soft caress, a breeze of air. What would it feel like if she really touched his face in a loving manner? Stopping his thoughts, he came back to reality, knowing where his imagination would take him. He felt guilty for thinking about Meg in that way. He knew she deserved a great man; she would easily get any man she wanted, for she didn't lack for beauty or intelligence.
"I know where we can go today, and perhaps we could find someone who can give us information about houses for sale or something" her soft voice interrupted his thoughts, with a soft tap on the back of his head, she declared the bandage done and walked in front of him. He stood up, quickly gaining a head above her.
"Where?" she tilted her head up and walked towards her bag, taking it and then going to the door.
"I asked the receptionist in the lobby if he knew somewhere" she smiled playfully, hoping that he would be glad with her choice "Piazza della Repubblica" The name felt odd in her lips, not beeing accustomed to the Italian accent. Her father had taught her the language in her childhood, but it had been a long time since she had last spoken it, and it felt foreign in her tongue. She supposed that if they were going to settle down temporarily in Florence, she would have plenty of time to practice.
Erik knew exactly where she meant, for he had read about it. He smiled warmly, admiring the talent she had on understanding him and what he wanted "I know where it is"
He took the bag from her hands, and ignoring her protests that she could do it for herself, he held the door open and let her go out first, then locked it behind himself as he stood watching her still complaining about him carrying far too much. He raised a finger and placed it over her lips, silencing her instantly. "Let me be a gentleman this time, all right?"
With a low laugh he kept walking down to the lobby, leaving a stunned Meg behind him. She appeared next to him a few seconds later, and together they walked out of the hotel and into the bright morning of Florence. The streets were filled of people walking, coming and going. The smell of flowers and sweets invaded their senses and with a smile, Meg began walking into the streets and towards the Piazza della Repubblica.
There were signs of shops, bakeries, and thousands of other Italian words she didn't remembered quite well. She turned back to see if Erik was still following. He was looking everywhere trying to catch a glimpse of everything. Meg's mouth went dry; she thought he looked like a little boy the first time you take him to a fair or a playground. His eyes were wide with amazement; she could see his lips moving slightly as he read quietly the names of the shops. Surprisingly, he pronounced it extremely well. It had been at least 10 minutes since they had been walking, and she knew they were close, for every sign the receptionist had indicated her.
"Erik, do you speak Italian?" asked curiously Meg as he came closer. As if breaking from a trance, he looked down at her, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Yes I do, well…what I learned from books" his lips turned up in half a smile. Meg must have known that, feeling suddenly dumb for asking that.
Trying to erase the awkwardness she felt, she stood up beside him "So…what does that means?" she took him by the arm and turned him completely to face a little shop hidden among the other magnificent big stores. Erik stretched his neck to get a better view and smiled as he recognized the word.
"Pasticceria, a pastry shop" suddenly as to confirm his explanation, a wave of sweet scents came towards them. Meg's stomach growled in protest.
Erik took notice of it and chuckled softly "Hungry, are we?"
"Well yes, Monsieur" she answered defiantly trying to hide her evident blush "I haven't eaten nothing since we arrived, so excuse me if I go to get something to eat"
With that she lifted her chin, and in lady like manner, collected her skirts and walked towards the Pasticceria. She didn't looked behind to see if he was following her, and didn't stopped until she had arrived to the brown little shop, admiring the pastries that were displayed in the window. Her mouth watered at the sight of so many sweets, increasing when another wave of sweet smells collided with her face as the door opened. She stood there for minutes, just admiring the bright colors and wondering which one she would choose.
"Are we going in?" she jumped at the sound of his voice so close to her ear and turned around prepared to give him a murderous look, but she stopped in her tracks at the sight of the rose he was handing to her.
"Un fiore per un altro fiore" his Italian was flawless, making her blush even more with the look within his bright green eyes. She took the flower timidly and smelled it, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the aromatic scent.
"Grazie" she answered, taking the rose down "Erik I didn´t meant to-"
He put his hand up "It's nothing, I was just teasing" He smiled broadly, making her knees falter a little bit.
"Oh, is that so?" she asked raising an eyebrow "It seems you have found teasing me quite a funny pastime"
"Oh yes, teasing innocent persons it's quite an entertaining activity, you should try it" he opened the door of the Pasticceria and waited until she walked before him to enter, noting how she smiled quietly.
The Pasticceria was a little shop with pastries of all flavors and colors around. Meg ran to the counter, watching with awe all the pastries. Erik followed her and looked around for a pastry that would catch his eye. It had been a lot of time since he had eaten a sweet, not until the Giry's house. But he had wanted more; this was his opportunity to buy all the pastries he wanted. Meg asked for the pastries with marmalade and moved briskly to the shelf which read "Marmellata", Erik moved to the chocolate zone. After five minutes, they were sitting at a table outside enjoying their abundant purchase.
Meg was looking for her pastry with marmalade inside the huge paper bag, finding it with an exclamation of triumph and taking it into her mouth. Erik was looking over her shoulder to the streets, still trying to catch a glimpse of every store.
After swallowing, Meg poured two cups of dark coffee and handed one to Erik "Coffee?"
He turned his gaze at her and a playful smile appeared on his lips "What?" she asked confused, raising a hand to her face, surprising herself when she touched the sticky marmalade next to her lip. She blushed fiercely and stretched her hand to take a napkin, which wasn't there.
"Here" said Erik as he chuckled, grabbing one napkin from behind his cup and handing it to her. Meg took it quickly and rubbed hard in the spot "That's it Meg, you are going to leave a mark"
He took the napkin from her hand and handed her a cup with coffee, noticing that her cheeks were flushed He laughed silently and took a sip from his cup.
"So, are we far from Piazza della Repubblica?" he asked casually.
"No, we are really close, actually." She intended to go there because she knew that there they would be able to find someone who was in the house business. She also knew Erik would enjoy all the shops in there. Besides it was a place where musicians came together and played in front of the people.
"Marguerite? Marguerite Giry?" a woman's voice sounded behind her and she turned around.
"Arabelle!" Meg stood up and greeted the woman
She was and older woman probably a couple of years older than Antoinette, tall and thin, with long graying hair and light grey dress. He rested his elbow on the arm of the chair while looking at the emotional encounter between the two women. She looked quite familiar to him, but he couldn't say exactly who she was.
Meg turned around and extended her hand towards Erik, grabbing him by the arm and positioning him at her side.
"Erik, this is Arabelle Biasotto, she was the seamstress a long time ago at the Opera Populaire" Meg looked quite fond to the woman, and that was when Erik remembered that she had seen little Meg playing around and helping her years ago.
"Nice to meet you, Madame" he said, clasping her hand in his. Her face beamed and smiled.
"Please call me Arabelle, Madame makes me feel so old" she smiled lovingly and turned to Meg "So ma Cherie, what are you doing here? So far from the Opera?"
Meg's faced grimaced and Erik knew exactly what was going through her mind "I asked her mother if Meg would accompany me here while I settled down"
Arabelle's looked at Meg as to confirm what he had just said and smiled at Meg's nod "So you are his protégée?"
"Not exactly, but something like that" she answered, smiling again, the tension leaving her expression. Erik stretched his hand and put it behind her back to give her support. She seemed to welcome his touch so he rested his whole hand behind her back.
"Oh, but that's incredible, my dear! I always told your mother you needed to see the world! But please if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to tell me!" she said gripping her arm with a gentle squeeze.
"Actually Arabelle, we are looking for a place to stay and I was wondering if you don't know of a place where we could-"
"Of course! Why don't you come to La Medicea?"
"Is that far away?" she asked curiously, the name sounding slightly familiar to her.
"Not at all! It's the villa I run with Federico and we happen to have a spare house if you want it" Meg looked up questioningly at Erik and he nodded with a smile.
She had sacrificed so much for him, and if they were having the opportunity to be in a place where she could feel at home, he would give it to her. Meg smiled brightly and turned to hug Arabelle tightly. Erik turned and grabbed their bags, giving a meaningful look at Meg when she was going to protest. He walked at Meg's side, paying attention to their conversation. Meg looked really happy, and that was all that mattered to Erik, he wanted her to have a normal live, he had made a promise of making her happy wherever they were. Meg was slowly making his life a little brighter, she had been like a light in his despair and darkness. She deserved all happiness in the world.
"Un fiore per un altro fiore" -A flower to another flower