Author's Note: Here is an update for all my lovely readers! This chapter (and the next as they go together) was not a part of my original outline so forgive me if it is disjointed. I couldn't help adding a few things in there!
Also, in case anyone missed it, read below!
UPDATE ON POSTING:
Quick update! Due to this author being extremely overwhelmed, I have decided to cut the chapter lengths. This does not mean that there will be less substance; it only means there will be more chapters so it will take a little longer to finish. I am not reworking the plot at all, it's all going to be the same, I just can't keep up with 7k+ word chapters and keep a decent posting schedule. I appreciate every single one of you for reading and bearing with me on this journey. This is a long story but I promise, the ending is worth it! Thank you all for the support and much love!
Chapter 20: Unexpected
A piercing whine jolted Christine from her sleep. Her drowsy eyes scanned the cavern for any sign of Erik and she realized the source of the racket was the portcullis gate lowering. She sat up in hopes of spotting him in the long passageway before the curve towards the steps, but the soft ripples on the surface of the water were the only indications that he had ever been there. Whatever affair that required his presence was surely important if he had left her alone after her illness the previous night.
Swinging her stiff legs over the side of the chaise, Christine pondered what had made her so ill as she hadn't consumed any spoiled foods. Perhaps she had caught an ailment from Madame Giry or Meg, or even Father Carriere. Regardless, it had more than dissipated and she was ravenous for anything she could get her hands on.
Arriving in the kitchen, she noticed a large platter of fresh pastries atop the breakfast table, which Madame Giry had no doubt delivered recently. Christine's stomach gave a resolute growl as she occupied one of the chairs and she quickly devoured two whole pastries. The first was a buttery pastry filled with decadent raspberry cream; the exact same she would purchase after Sunday mass at the bakery across the street. Second was savory with spinach and camembert. It was Erik's favorite and she now knew why. It was perfect! Though she had never had an affinity for the taste of spinach, she was oddly craving it.
Christine lifted a strawberry tart to her lips next, intending on it being the last one she consumed, but a foul stench invaded her nostrils and she retched. The pit of her stomach twisted, just as it had the night before and she threw the tart back onto the tray and fled the kitchen. She sprinted to the washroom and crouched next to the toilet readying herself for an assault of illness.
Several torturous minutes passed by, but she didn't lose her breakfast. Instead, she was perfectly fine, even a little hungry still, but she wouldn't dare enter the kitchen again. Not with the source of the atrocious scent still lurking within, waiting until she let her guard down. She would have Erik dispose of it when he returned.
Christine clutched the rim of the toilet and hoisted herself up, determined on returning to the lounge to pass the time reading. It was all she could do until Erik came back to her.
If he comes back.
Oh, God, what if he left her?! What if he decided that he didn't want to be married any longer? Would she be stuck down below the opera forever? She hadn't a clue how he opened the wall at the end of the mirror exit, and Raoul had ensured her safety from any of the traps leading to the surface.
No, he did not leave you! Don't think of it! she scolded herself, biting her lip and plopping down on the chaise. But even if he didn't leave her, he could still be discovered and captured! Tortured and murdered! No, he is safe. He designed the damned place. There was little possibility that he would be seen unless he wanted someone to.
With that reassurance, she moved to Erik's limited selection of novels which all sat on a small shelf beyond his organ. Having already scanned the top two shelves a couple days before, she knew they housed only architecture and medicine books, both of which made no sense to her. The third shelf was filled to the brim with fairy tales and romances, most of which were heavily worn. Thick books occupied the bottom shelf, though no titles were on the spines as per usual. Her fingers skated over the leather before she pulled a tawny book from its spot.
Typically, books were able to fit into her hands with ease, but this one was bulky and most definitely needed to be held in her lap. She hefted it up and carried it to the lounge where she sat and placed it atop her thighs.
The first several pages were completely empty, so she flipped faster, finally finding a page that–
Christine's eyes widened and she gasped, her cheeks flooding with a blazing heat. There was an illustration of a nude woman standing completely erect with her arms outstretched horizontally. What in the world was Erik reading?!
A terrible sense of shame came over her and she peeked over her shoulder to ensure the gate was still lowered. Of course it was, as she would have heard the rusty old thing if it had opened.
Taking a deep breath, she returned to the book, immensely curious as to what lay within. On the opposite side of the woman was a man in the same state of dress, but she couldn't look at it! Would gazing upon the naked man make her unfaithful to her husband? Surely not, but she couldn't live with the guilt of having laid her eyes on another man even if it was a drawing.
She quickly turned the page and was met with another illustration, this time of a man's private parts! Good God, why would someone read something like this?!
A shrill metallic clang dropped her heart into the pit of her stomach and she slammed the book shut, shoving it beneath the wool blanket. Her pulse thumped hotly in her veins as she watched the long passage beyond the portcullis, but after a minute or so, she was certain no one was approaching.
Calm yourself, Christine.
Cautiously, she pawed for the book, keeping her eyes on the gate. What would Erik think of her if he caught her reading such risque materials? And not just any risque materials, but his risque materials! Surely, he hadn't meant to leave them on the shelf, after all, he knew she enjoyed reading and would make use of his books. Leaving them there had to be a mistake.
Once there was no sign of Erik returning, she opened the book to the same page and continued reading. Below the illustration was several paragraphs explaining the mechanics of sexual intercourse. The margins were lined with annotations in Erik's pen, though it was illegible and smeared. Each of his sentences had arrows referencing underlined passages; all of which made her stomach flutter. It was all absolutely abhorrent, but she couldn't stop reading! Strangely, she was intrigued to discover what lay within, so she continued onto the next page.
Fervor crawled to her neck and chest, her skin flushing crimson.
Oh, Heavens…
There were more illustrations, but not of genitalia, though compared to exactly what was drawn, she much preferred the former. It was nefarious, downright sinful, but by God, she couldn't look away!
How could a woman sit backwards atop a man and find pleasure?! How could she fit her legs that far back?! Albeit, she was extremely flexible due to her many years of dancing, but she would be snapped in half if she even so much as attempted most of the positions she was seeing!
Wanting to rid herself of the infernal heat, Christine thumbed rapidly past as many pages as she could until something caught her eye. It was the chapter title that leaped from the page and gave her pause.
Maternity and Motherhood.
Christine smiled, elated that the book had at least one topic that didn't evoke lecherous feelings. She shifted slightly and clamped her thighs together to get rid of the source of pulsating need, wanting nothing more than to soothe the inferno.
It surprised her that there were no annotations on these pages. Did Erik not plan on ever having children? He spoke so little of it unless she initiated the conversation. Had he never wanted a family before…did he even want a family? Of course he did! He had said so himself!
Christine chewed on her lip and began reading, starting with the section titled "Conception". Her heart thumped wildly at exactly what the section entailed. Outlined in bold letters was a list of preventative measures to ensure no pregnancy occurred and she was quite certain that she and Erik had taken none of them.
But how was she to know of these things? She had no education in regard to sexual intercourse and Madame Giry had frightened her and Meg into believing sex would send them straight to Hell. Though, it had done nothing of the sort, rather it sent her to Heaven. What else had she been lied to about under the care of that woman? Was she going to Hell for cursing as well?
Nevertheless, Christine was disgruntled that she hadn't been properly informed of the aftermath of sex. Though, being with child would not be unwelcome at all, she couldn't give birth below an opera house. But was she even pregnant? How could she tell? Perhaps there was information available on the next few pages.
Christine flipped the page and then the next, until she found a section labeled "Pregnancy Indicators".
Perfect.
Everything was neatly laid out in lists for monthly symptoms. The most glaringly obvious indicator was a missed menstruation cycle. Christine thought back to the last time she had her menses and realized it was two weeks before she confessed her love to Erik. Holding up a trembling hand, she counted how long it had been since the morning of their union, determining it to be a little more than seven weeks. Heavens, nearly two months had passed and she hadn't bled. She had been far too caught up in her new life with Erik that she hadn't even noticed.
Christine roved over the lists, her chest heaving as a wide smile formed on her lips. "Illness, increased appetite and food aversions, elevated emotional state, increased libido…" she whispered, her voice trailing off as the reality of the situation set in.
The words blurred and tears plopped onto the pages but before they could damage the book, Christine gently closed it. There was a chance she could be pregnant with Erik's child, and she couldn't be happier. But how would she know for sure if she didn't see a doctor? Could she tell Erik she was feeling ill and he would fetch one? She couldn't do that to him! It would only cause him undue distress.
No, she would wait. If the symptoms continued and if there was a distention of her belly, then she would be sure and tell him. Perhaps Madame Giry would be able to help her determine it to be true. She would have to have Erik fetch her after nightfall and ask for privacy to discuss a womanly topic. That would ensure the secrecy of the matter.
Christine swiped her tears away with the sleeve of Erik's robe and rose with the book in her hands. She slotted it back into place on the shelf and grabbed one of the many worn fairy tale books, wanting nothing more than to have Erik back with her, holding her in his arms and whispering sweet-nothings in her ear. To tell him of her suspicions of pregnancy and share her joy with him…
God, she missed him and she hadn't even been awake for an hour. It wasn't healthy in the slightest, but she didn't care. He was her husband, she was allowed to want to spend every waking moment with him no matter what anyone else said. If she was to be called tenacious in her affections towards her husband then so be it.
Settling back onto the chaise, this time leaning against the headrest, Christine opened the book to the first page. She quickly became immersed in the tale she had read dozens of times, but after a few minutes, she started to feel uneasy, as if she were being watched. Had Erik returned?
Christine checked behind herself, seeing that the portcullis gate was still closed and catching no sight of Erik or an intruder. She faced forward, intent on brushing off the feeling, but just as she was lowering her eyes, she saw it.
A single chestnut eye was peering at her from behind a curtain at the base of the steps leading to the bedroom. She knew very well what that eye belonged to. The damned mannequin that Erik had sculpted to her likeness. Why was it still there? Hadn't he thought of removing it when he came to situate the place before she arrived?
Regardless, she could not have that thing watching her as it was, so she bolted from the chaise and tore the curtain away from the mouth of the alcove, revealing the cursed object. The sight alone twisted her stomach and she froze in place, unable to continue her initial plan of ripping it apart. Would Erik be angry with her if she destroyed one of his possessions? Surely not if it was bothering her, besides, it didn't matter if he became angry with her over it. He should have known that it would disturb her.
Tearing her eyes from its face, Christine hoisted the thing into her arms, surprised at just how lightweight it was, and tossed it into the lake. The splash resonated through the cavern and some icy water splattered across her feet, but she didn't care. The thing was gone and would no longer terrorize her. She watched as it bobbed and floated onto its stomach towards the gate and was pleased that Erik would see it as he pushed past it.
Christine pivoted on her heel and fell back onto the chaise, content with what she had done and continued her book, engrossing herself in it. She had nearly finished it when she heard the portcullis gate rising. Erik had returned.