You all probably hate me right now, I know. Shame, shame, I haven't updated this story in so long. I'm so sorry, I've been busy with my last few weeks of school, AP tests, and plus this chapter was a challenge to write. I had major block. Yes, I know. Not really good excuses, but I'm back with the new chapter! Here it is. Thank you for all the lovely feedback from the last chapter it means so much to me. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Review Replies:
A Fan: Hello! Thank you so much for your review! Yes, don't worry, Erik and Theresa will be together in the end and Henri will be out of the picture... or will he? Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Anonymous: Thank you! I'm glad that you love it! :) And I love you for reading this story, lol. Hope you enjoy the new chapter, so sorry for the long wait!
turtle-sloth-gal: Oh, wow I keep forgetting that you are a Henri hater lol. You know what? I'm just a very mean author who enjoys to torture her characters, haha, but don't worry, Erik and Theresa's time will soon come ;). I will see though if Henri would be able to be shipped to Zimbabwe. Thank you for your review! Enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter XVIII: Dinner at the Fortescues
The table was very quiet in the Fortescue manor. The table they were sitting at was long and on top of it were plates of beef drowned in a dark gravy containing soaked bay leaves and vegetables over a bed of rice. The beef was tender and it had just enough salt on the top of it, but not one person touched their food. Theresa's eyes went from her food to Jean across from her. He looked almost desperate to get out of his father's manor. Monique sat next to him with a stiff smile, her hair twisted in a braided bun and her blue eyes looking almost furiously at Meg Giry, sitting next to Theresa. But Monique kept a smile on her face, as if she was pretending everything was okay.
Meg anxiously looked down at her hands and the cloth napkin folded on top of her lap, before looking up at Jean, who glanced over at her quickly. He nodded his head stiffly to her, to reassure her that everything would be all right, and though Meg knew that was his intention behind the nod, she wasn't assured. Henri was looking down at his plate, his left hand holding Theresa's underneath the table and his other hand rudely twirling the fork he had between his fingers. In his hand, he could feel how tightly Theresa gripped it. He could tell that it was from nerves.
When the fork fell from Henri's hand to the side of the porcelain plate, making a loud clinking sound, Theresa, Meg, and Jean jumped from where they were sitting. Henri's eyes widened for a moment and he suddenly felt small, after receiving a reprimanding look from Jean. He gently pushed his fork back to its place on the right side of his plate. Theresa glared over at him as Jean looked to his quiet father at the head of the table. "Really?" She muttered almost inaudibly. It was audible enough for Henri to hear.
He replied with a bored expression, not saying a word. He half expected her to move her hand away from his, but she kept a good grip on it still. Comte Gaston Fortescue sat at the head of the table, overlooking them all and with patience edged along his face. He looked like an older version of his son, and when Theresa met him, she could see that Jean really was his father's son. His face was aged greatly, wrinkles along his forehead and around the corners of his mouth were prominent, his brown eyes were sunken in, and he had thin lips.
When they all came to the manor, Gaston greeted them with a friendliness that Theresa hardly expected. He was extremely kind, much more so than what Theresa expected from what Jean had told her. She, however, didn't know that Jean's mother had passed a year ago, Jean always had referred to having both parents, not just having one. She learned that today when she asked Gaston where was she. He explained to her shortly how she died, apparently she was sick.
But Gaston didn't elaborate on how she had gotten the illness.
Across from his father, sitting at the other head, was Laurent. Jean's younger brother. Unlike the other Fortescues, Laurent was more arrogant, and rude. It was difficult to believe that they were even related. If they hadn't looked alike, Theresa would have never suspected. Laurent had a small face and a thin nose. His prominent, high cheekbones stuck out of his face. Theresa noticed a small scar like he had cut himself shaving before the dinner. His brown eyes were a lot darker than the rest of the Fortescue family.
There were two empty chairs at the table that they were waiting for still, this frustrated Jean more than anything right now. "The food is going to get cold." Jean remarked to his father, his tone sounding annoyed as he turned his head toward him with a tight, fake smile. Like Monique's, it was also a tight smile, but he made it look far more friendlier than hers.
"It's rude to eat without the last of our guests." Gaston reasoned with him, both of his elbows soon rested on the table and his head rested on top of the fists his hands made. "You know just as well as I do, Gaston." Jean visibly gulped at the sound of his name coming from his father. Theresa stopped Henri from snorting at it by stepping on his foot, sensing that he was about to do so. Henri tried not to acknowledge that at all.
Laurent decided that it was best for him to talk now. "I am eager to see who the other two are, father."
"You mean you don't know?" Jean asked his younger brother with his eyebrow raised, he picked up his wine in his hand, it shook somewhat in his hand as he brought it up to his mouth. He took a slow sip from it. Laurent shook his head at him. Jean's frown visibly deepened as he placed his glass slowly down. Silence had fell over everyone once again, Theresa thought that she would go mad if no one was to make any sort of conversation.
Then finally Gaston said something to Theresa, "When should we expect the next production at the Opera Populaire, Signora?" Theresa looked up from one of the empty chairs to the older man at the head of the table. Gaston had an easy smile on his face, that seemed friendly to Theresa. Reluctantly she had let go of Henri's grip on her hand to fold them over her lap. Henri tried not to show his disappointment. Instead of going for her hand, he rested his hand on the top of her thigh almost possessively.
"In two weeks, we are all coming together for it." She answered him, her smile tight and almost forced. She slowly moved her hand to push Henri's off of her thigh. It took a lot of her to not really scowl at him as she done so. Henri made it seem like nothing had happened, or tried to anyway. "It should be a wonderful show," Theresa added on with her tight smile almost becoming genuine, "we've all been working very hard to make it one of the best productions."
"I'm sure it will be," Gaston said to her, raising his glass up to agree with her. "Has Gaston told you that you are cordially invited to the wedding?"
"Yes, he has." Theresa said to Gaston rather shortly, it was difficult to call Jean 'Gaston,' to her that wasn't his name at all. At the mention of the wedding, Jean and Meg both visibly shivered. Monique tried to ignore it, glancing down at her untouched food. Theresa glanced over at Meg sympathetically. Why would Jean bring her here?
"And, of course, Gaston's friends at the opera house..." Gaston said, gesturing to both Henri and Meg now. Meg looked up briefly at him before looking down in the same moment. Theresa noticed how Gaston's face faltered slightly when he mentioned, "Monsieur D'Aubigne and... I apologize, mademoiselle, what is your name again?" Theresa looked over at Meg, seeing clearly the look of hurt cross it. She made a meaningful glance over at Jean sitting across from her, who was avoiding the eye contact of both Theresa and Meg. He seemed to be in deep thought.
Meg cleared her throat, looking up at Gaston while gathering up some confidence from the pit of her stomach, "Meg Giry, monsieur." She bowed her head slightly toward him. Theresa was almost impressed with how Meg composed herself suddenly.
Gaston tried to give her a gentle smile but it was difficult for him to hold. "Mademoiselle Giry, and... what are you in the Opera Populaire? An actress?"
"A dancer."
"She's actually the Prima Ballerina in the coming production." Jean interjected from across the table. His finger gently grazed over his bottom lip as he glanced up at Meg. Meg barely acknowledged him, it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was cross with him at the moment.
Gaston nodded his head toward Meg. Theresa could've sworn that she saw a look of disapproval crossed his eyes. She guessed that finding out the heir to your fortunes was smiting around with a dancer or even associating with one, was somewhat disgraceful. Theresa suddenly had a distaste of Gaston and maybe people who were like him and his beliefs that were a part of the upper class—a majority of the upper class anyway. He said to her, "Well, I am sure we are all going to be looking forward to your dancing in the next production."
"Yes, I know Gaston and I are both looking forward to watching it from our box." Monique stated to Meg with a smile filled with mockery. It took all the control in Meg's body to not look back down or have her face fall down. "Especially Gaston," she looked next to Jean who did not at all look back at her. He gazed at Meg apologetically, but with a bit of admiration for her. Monique weaved her arm around Jean's, but his arm visibly went stiff once she touched it. Theresa saw something cross Jean's eyes now that she had never seen before. Jean looked almost repulsed by Monique as he glared down spitefully at her hand touching him. Monique continued on, "he always muses about her abilities to me, do you not?" She addressed him now with the same look of mockery she threw at Meg.
Jean said through his teeth to her, "I do not." It was clear though, that he was lying. Maybe not to her, but he had mused about Meg to others in the opera house.
"You do so, you told me that you were so impressed with her ability to dance on our last outing together." Monique persisted. Theresa now felt Meg's eye on her, worried eyes. She glanced over at Meg and under the table she gently gripped her hand to provide some unspoken comfort. Meg gripped her hand tightly and when she looked into her friend's eyes, Theresa could tell that she knew something that Theresa didn't. Her brows furrowed toward Meg puzzled and now, she too, suddenly was more nervous for her friend than she was before.
Jean denied what Monique said, "I didn't say that to you at all."
"You did though. You told me that you are very fond of her." Monique said to him. "Why are you being so modest right now?"
"I'm not being modest." Jean told her almost with a scowl. Theresa could see a drop of sweat come from the top of his head and go down to his cheek. By this time, Meg's grip on Theresa's hand increased to an almost painful grip. Theresa actually winced, but she kept her hand there for Meg to hold. Jean was tense, Theresa could see just by how his jaw shifted and how his neck suddenly seemed strained. Monique still kept her mocking smile, it must have been there to torture both Jean and Meg. Theresa wondered what sort of game Monique was playing at right now. "Now, can we change the subject?"
"Yes, we can." Laurent said from his side of the table just as Gaston opened his mouth to speak. "How about we talk about the wedding, Gaston? It is in, September, correct?"
"I don't really want to talk about the wedding either, Laurent." Jean said to his brother through his teeth. A vein actually began to show in his neck, he was growing impatient and annoyed now with his family it seemed.
"Why not?" Laurent asked his brother curiously, but Theresa could hear an incredulous tone make its way through his voice. "It should be a happy day for you, being married to the woman you are in love with? What more could you really ask for, my dear brother?"
"N-Nothing more," Jean said to his brother slowly. His eyes flickered to Meg for a moment before he looked away from her quickly. Meg didn't even dare herself to really look over at him.
"So, why do you not sound so excited about it?"
"I am excited about it." Jean said to him irritated.
"You do not sound it."
"Well, why don't you shut it for now because you do not know anything?"
"I know a lot more than you think, my brother."
"You don't know anything."
"Sons!" Gaston nearly shouted for order at his table. Both Jean and Laurent immediately snapped their heads to their father who gave them both a reprimanding look. "You're acting like children in front of the guests," he stated to them, his voice commanding them like he was their commanding officer in a military. That was what it suddenly felt like. The tension didn't decrease, it only increased from where it was and steam was beginning to show and float above Jean's head. Theresa looked over at him carefully to see him lick his bottom lip before sucking both of his lips. "Now, let's have some decorum for once in this house."
"No, father, I think we can't have that, ever." Jean suddenly stated, standing up. Monique's hand slipped from his arm and her questioning gaze followed him, her hand fell down to grab his hand but Jean nearly growled down at her with a sneer on his face, "Get your hand off of me." He snatched his hand away from hers and looked directly at his father. Henri looked up from his food confused, only now paying attention, his fork scraped the plate quietly but it was the only sound in the room as of now. Theresa didn't even know that he had started eating without them all.
"What is the meaning of this?" Gaston asked his son with his brow furrowed, an angry looked crossed his face.
"I am not going to marry Monique, father." He said to him lowly. Everyone at the table was silent. Meg had let go of Theresa's hand and the absence of her good friend's touch caused her to look over at her. Meg was looking up at Jean suddenly with wide eyes, wide, worried eyes. Jean matched her gaze and shook his head, "I'm sorry, Meg." His father slowly stood up from his seat, he looked between his son and the dancer astonished before his face contorted in disgust. He shook his head in disbelief before he dismissed himself from the table. Jean didn't even look at his father as his shoulder brushed his back as he was passing. He looked away from Meg before he watched his father's retreating figure.
Laurent snorted at his brother as he broke into a slight jog to catch up to his father. Then, when two of the Fortescues left, the two remaining guests made their appearance. The butler to the Fortescues with his nose up in the air and almost oblivious to what just had happened, said to the remaining dinner guests, "I present, the Vicomte and Vicomtess De Chagny." Theresa's face couldn't have fallen further when she actually saw Christine Daae and Raoul De Chagny approach the dining room.
Henri gave her a questioning glare as Meg's face also had fallen when she laid eyes on her childhood friend. "Christine," she breathed. Christine Daae looked just as beautiful as the pictures Erik had drawn and painted. She had elegant and perfect curls going down from the roots of her hair, they were pulled back away from her face. She also had big, doe-like brown eyes that glistened and glimmered with a look of innocence. She did look older than what she did look like in the drawings, but Theresa could tell that it was the same woman.
Raoul was handsome. He had long, blonde hair that reached to about his shoulders and light eyes. His angular jaw and cheekbones showed on his face. Though he seemed foppish, there was something about him that actually made Theresa slightly fond of him without even speaking a word. It was the air of his presence, really. He didn't seem pompous, nor did he seem arrogant.
Hearing Meg, Christine turned her way, her brow knitting together in confusion. "Meg?" Raoul also looked over at Meg, and just like Christine he was surprised to see her sitting in the Fortescue manor. Meg slowly nodded her head before standing up slowly. Her eyes watered slightly as she and Christine actually inched closer to each other, ignoring everyone who was sitting there. "What's wrong, Meg?" Christine asked her friend slowly, but before Meg could even answer, she buried her head in Christine's shoulder and hugged her friend that she hadn't seen at all since she married Raoul.
Christine was reluctant to hug her back, but she did. She still had that confused look on however. Raoul looked around the room now, his puzzlement becoming more and more clear. "Where is Jean?" He asked us, seeing the two empty seats at the table. Laurent shook his head at Raoul before rising and going to where his family was.
"Does this mean dinner is over?" Henri asked. His question was ignored.
"You little slut." Meg sat there motionless as Christine had her arm now around her. The tears under Meg's eyes were dried up and she might have ran out. Monique stood in front of her in the sitting room where the remaining six people retreated after a half hour. Henri and Theresa sat by the fireplace, Theresa stared at the dancing flames inside of it. "Do you realize what you have done?" Monique asked Meg, her voice breaking. "You ruined my marriage!"
"Leave her alone," Christine said to Monique, looking up briefly at her as she rubbed Meg's shoulder. Theresa looked over at them and stood up, but Henri took her hand to get her to stay next to him. He knew that this could turn ugly quickly if Theresa suddenly became involved, witnessing her anger before.
"Leave her alone?" Monique asked Christine in disbelief. "He is my fiancé, that she took from me!"
"She did not do anything of the sort." Theresa said from where she was, thrashing her hand out of Henri's hold before going over there. Monique narrowed her eyes at the soprano. "He is no longer your fiancé now, obviously and I think it is time that you leave the manor."
"Who are you to say that to me, signora? I think you forget your place sometimes. You are no one except an untalented entertainer." Monique sneered to Theresa, causing her face to actually falter in front of her.
"Theresa—." Henri went to get her back to where she was. But he stopped when he saw Raoul standing in the archway of the sitting room with his arms crossed.
"I think Signora Baccelli is correct," Raoul said to Monique. Monique turned to face him with her brow furrowed toward him puzzled. "This is no place for you right now. I have to ask you to leave."
"You have no right to do that," Monique said to him, shaking her head at him.
"As a favour to both Mademoiselle Giry and Vicomte Fortescue, I believe I do." Monique rudely gawked at him, her face contorting as if she was just insulted. And she was. Monique wasn't about to take orders from a man who dishonoured his family by marrying an opera singer... She looked around herself, her eyes falling on Meg for a moment. An unladylike scowl showed on her face before she nodded her head, but she threw a scornful glare at each and every person in the room before she left it. Theresa stared after her with her lips pursed. Henri looked at Theresa carefully before coming up next to her.
He gently took her hand and told her, "I think it's time for us to go." He knew that it was going to be difficult now to get Theresa out of the room.
She looked over at him in disbelief before shaking her head, "No, I can't go now, Henri. I'm not going to leave Meg." She told him. Henri saw a look of determination in her hazel eyes and nearly faltered, having the sudden urge to take back what he said, but he wasn't going to. Now this wasn't any of their business and he didn't want to get Theresa into trouble that she might get into. She did have quite the mouth when she was upset.
"I think it's time." Henri insisted. Instead of saying what he wanted to, he said to her, "It's getting late."
"I have to agree with Monsieur D'Aubigne," Raoul said to her softly. Theresa looked over at him with her brow furrowed. "Meg will be fine." He told her, gripping both of her hands within his. She glanced down at them before she looked up at him confused. "There is no reason for you to really stay."
"But she's my friend," Theresa reasoned with him.
Meg spoke up from where she was, "I'll be fine, Theresa." Theresa looked sadly over to her and gave her a small smile. "I have Christine and Raoul, go back to the opera house. You need your rest." Christine, the woman she hadn't talked to in five years at least, the woman that cut ties with Meg once she married into the upper class. Theresa was slightly discouraged by hearing that her friend needed someone who basically left their friendship behind... instead of her. However, it was what she wished, and though discouraged, Theresa nodded her head to her reluctantly.
"It was a pleasure to have met you, signora." Raoul said to her, making it a point to get the soprano's attention. Theresa slowly turned her head to him. "Although I wish we met with better circumstances and had a chance to actually talk."
"Yes, I wish that too." Raoul picked up one of her hands and kissed it on top of her knuckles. Theresa kept her small smile on her face as he dropped both of her hands, she held them over her dress as she looked over to Christine Daae. "It was a pleasure, madam."
"Christine, please," she said to me with a gentle and warm smile. "I am sure we will see each other in the near future, signora."
"I am sure." Theresa replied to her shortly. She looked behind her shoulder at Henri, who was trying not to grin at Theresa. She nodded her head at everyone in the room reluctantly before walking ahead. She then waited for Henri to say his goodbyes to the other three people in the sitting room. When he came up to her finally, Theresa slowly weaved her arm with his and they both walked out of the manor.
"That was more awkward than the dinner we had with my parents," Henri stated to Theresa, hoping to see a small hint of a smile after mentioning that. Theresa kept her face straight and she looked behind her shoulder one last time at the Fortescue manor, before Henri opened the door for her. She couldn't help but feel worried for her friends as she left.
Henri and Theresa stood in front of her room for what seemed to be an hour or so. They were silent, not really looking at each other, but their hands were still held from when they entered their home away from home. Henri finally looked over at Theresa with concern, "I know that they are both of your friends, and you're worried for them." Theresa looked back at him. "But it's all going to be fine, Theresa. I know it will be, everything will work out."
"I do not think so," Theresa said to him slowly.
"I think so."
"How do you know?" Theresa asked him.
"Because, we may have our differences, but Jean and I have something in common." Henri began to look at Theresa meaningfully before he gently took both of her hands within his. Theresa smiled over at him gently as she felt his thumb graze over her knuckles. "We both care for the women that we love. It'll work out, everything will, don't worry about it. Understand?" Theresa gazed at Henri for a moment before she felt the corner of her mouth twitch up at him. She nodded her head at him slowly. "Brilliant." With that, Henri leaned toward Theresa and gently kissed her lips. Theresa felt her smile actually grow from the kiss.
When they parted, Henri said to her, "So, you know the ball that Monsieur Firmin is planning to throw for André in two months?"
"For his birthday? Yes, I do. They are saying it may be a masquerade. Exciting." Henri chuckled lightly when he heard the sarcasm come from Theresa. She really did not like parties being thrown at the opera house, did she? She had to leave the last one because she hated being with others.
"Well, I had hoped that may be I would be the one to escort you to the ball." Henri said to her with a smirk. Theresa smirked back at him.
"I was going to have someone else do that," she said to him playfully, taking her hands back from his before stating. Henri pouted his bottom lip at her before she said to him, "But I will settle with someone like you, I guess."
"So that's a... yay?"
"It's not a nay."
"Great then," Henri grinned at her brightly before he pecked her cheek. He then laid his hand there for a moment, stroking her high cheekbone before stating to her, "Now, get some rest. We have rehearsals in the morning."
"I will." Henri's grin then dropped and he smirked down at her before he took a step back. Theresa leaned against her back as her eyes watched Henri walk backward from her room to go to his own. She almost laughed loudly when he tripped over his feet turning around to walk away from her. When he was far enough away from her, Theresa wrapped her hand around the doorknob and turned it quietly. She picked up the skirt of her dress to walk inside of her room, closing the door behind her. Theresa walked over to her vanity, taking off of her shawl, but she didn't notice the figure standing near her bed.
Theresa went to light the candle on on her vanity, but she stopped herself when she heard a familiar, melodic voice call to her, "Theresa."
The unlit match fell on the vanity as she slowly turned her head to see the Phantom move into the moonlight shining inside of her room. He was holding a red folder, with a dead rose in between his fingers. His green eyes watched her like they were eyes of a hawk watching its prey. "Erik?" Erik nodded his head slowly at Theresa, he took a few more steps toward her before he outstretched her hand toward her. Theresa looked down at the hand pointedly, her lips falling into a frown.
"Come with me." He said to her softly. Theresa was silent for a few moments, confused about what was going on right now. But... Theresa lost her train of thought once she heard her voice and she was partly dazed by Erik being in her room after waiting for him for so long. She gently placed her hand in Erik's and he gripped it gently.
...So what did you all think? I left it off badly, didn't I? I bet you all want to know what Erik and Theresa are going to do, right? Well, until next time my beloved readers! The wait also wouldn't be as long as last time, I promise, now that I'm not as busy. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I did do some covers for this story on the facebook page if you want to check it out. I also started a new fanfiction (kind of going against my rule about one at a time) in the Sherlock fandom with an OC. You should check it out if you like Benedict Cumberbatch (*sigh*) and BBC Sherlock.
Also, I made my decision with the sequel. Since it really would be right after the 'ending' of this story and it would most likely be short. I think it would be better if it would be part of this one, it would go along with the same plot of course, but it would probably add six more chapters to this?
See you next time!
Tiana xoxo