Ch 131

"We are expecting Hermine, Gertie, and your brother at noon?" Julia asked as she handed me a plate to dry now that the house was quiet. "Plus Raoul is visiting Claude at eleven?"

"My invitation was extended to Gertie alone, but I assume Hermine Leach will attend with her. Regrettably. With Hermine and Raoul beneath my roof I wouldn't be surprised if the house was struck by lightning." I glanced out the window. "On a clear day at that."

Julia looked less than amused and I was surprised she didn't clobber me with the iron skillet before she handed it to me to dry and return to the hook above the sink.

"Gertie has mentioned your brother in every letter," Julia said. "She will be very pleased to see him again. What did Phelan say when you invited him?"

"That he would arrive promptly at noon."

"I meant about seeing Gertie."

I paused, my lips wordlessly parted. "Ah," I said at last.

Julia turned fully around to face me, her shoulders sagging. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"He was in a bit of a rush," I attempted to explain.

Julia pursed her lips. "Well, I do hope Phelan is as happy to see Gertie," Julia said. "Poor Gertie wrote to him three times and he hasn't yet responded to her last letter."

"He has been traveling quite a bit the last few weeks," I pointed out. "Between the university and his visits here he doesn't have much time to spare."

"I hope you're correct."

Julia stood with one hand on her hip and her finger tapping her chin as she scanned the shelves. "I'm not certain I have enough time to make more than tea and perhaps some small sandwiches for Raoul and the girls. There's still pie from yesterday..."

"You are not feeding Raoul de Chagny my pie, even if it's his last meal on this earth," I grumbled.

Julia shook her head at me. "There will be plenty of pie in your future."

Before I could reply, the doorbell rang. I looked at the clock in the kitchen and sighed. "He's a half an hour early," I said under my breath.

"Because he knows we have pie," Julia teased.

"Most amusing," I said before I turned and walked down the hall toward the front door where I could see Raoul's silhouette through the stained glass.

"Comte–" I said, stopping short once the door was open. "Marco?"

"Monsieur Kire," Marco greeted me, pulling his tweed walking hat off. He clutched it in both hands and shifted his weight. "May I speak to you?"

"Unfortunately, this is not the best time."

"I will be quick about it."

"Is the matter urgent?"

Marco made a face and shrugged. "To you, no, to me…yes."

"Marco–"

"Five minutes," he blurted out. "Five minutes of your time and I will be on my way."

I looked from him to the clock in the foyer and motioned him inside.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" the most obnoxious speaking voice I'd ever heard screeched from across the street before Marco had stepped into my home.
"For God's sake," I said under my breath.

Inwardly I shuddered and looked past Marco at Hermine Leach, who stood waving her gloved right hand as she trotted toward my home while shouting, "You-hoo! Hello there!"

As if anyone aside from the deaf and the dead were unable to hear her irritating speaking voice.

"It simply cannot be!" Hermine said. She shielded her mouth with her hand, but nothing stopped her from releasing a hair-raising squeak. How she managed to have such a well-trained singing voice while her normal voice for speaking was like a dying beast was beyond me. "Marco Fabienne, is that you, my dear? I haven't seen you in ages!"

At least someone was fortunate to have spent ages without Hermine Leach invading their lives.

Marco was clearly tone-deaf as he turned, offered a wide grin, and held out his hand to Hermine. "Mademoiselle Meanie!" he exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing here in Paris? I thought you had left us for the Americans."

How fortunate the Americans were to be free of this woman screeching like a weasel.

"I left New York City not five days ago," she said. "I have auditions here in Paris."

"I'm deeply saddened you did not accept my invitation," Marco said.

"Oh my! I don't recall an invitation. My apologies!"

"Of marriage," he said with a sly grin. "I would have liked to have accompanied you to the other side of the Atlantic as your adoring new husband."

I rolled my eyes at their exchange.

"Oh, my darling, I am not the marrying type," she said, posing dramatically with the back of her hand pressed to her forehead while she tilted her head up. Her other hand rested on her hip as though she wished to be drawn by an artist. "However, I would be glad to have you accompany my brother and I the next time we voyage across the Atlantic. As long as Mother Florine doesn't mind me borrowing her precious only child."

"Mum has no say when it comes to what beautiful women I choose to spend my time with."

Hermine released a giggle that very much sounded like a horse neighing. "She would if there was gossip regarding Madame Fabianne's son and the Leaches."

"Scandal is like an old friend to us by now, isn't it?" Marco looked Hermine over, his smile beaming. "Now, what are you doing here? On this side of the city?"

Hermine looked past him at me. "Visiting my good friend Monsieur Kire!"

"Good friend indeed," I grumbled.

"How do you know Monsieur Kire?" Marco asked.

"Oh, my dear boy, we met when I sold him a phonograph in the spring."

"You most certainly did not sell me anything," I protested. "You conned my son into that contraption."

"Perhaps he will play something on the phonograph for us later," Marco said, ignoring my words. "They are very lovely to have in the parlor, aren't they?"

"Never," I said under my breath.

"Now I must ask the same of you, Marco. What are you doing here?"

Marco hesitated. "Monsieur Kire is the patron for a friend of mine."

"Remarkable," Hermine said. She turned to me. "I do hope you don't mind if Gertie and I are here a little early?"

I had not seen Gertie Leach until Hermine gestured toward her cousin, who had walked across the street without a bit of fanfare and stood quietly off to the side with her hands clasped. She was dressed in a lilac colored skirt and white blouse, her choice of clothing quite subtle when compared to Hermine's outlandish red dress with its oversized sleeves and large brass buttons.

"The door is open," I replied, hoping they didn't notice the sarcasm in my voice.

"Erik, is that Hermine I hear?" Julia said from the kitchen.

Hermine shrieked in delight and I jumped at the irritating sound. "Julie Dear! Oh, how I have missed you!"

Both Marco and I were forced to step aside as Hermine, with her giant sleeves and oversized skirts, squeezed past me.

"Your brother, Monsieur?" Gertie started to say as she approached.

"Not here yet," I replied.

"Thank you," Gertie said before she walked into the foyer while my wife trotted down the hall and embraced her two friends. The three of them all spoke at once, complimenting each other on how well the other one looked, asking how they had been, and whatever else they managed to fit into their initial greeting before they all headed to the dining room.

"Monsieur," Marco said. "Have I used up my five minutes?"

"End of the hall, to the right and first door on the left," I said, sending him into the parlor. "I will be there shortly."

"Thank you," Marco said. He placed his hat on the hook in the foyer, then navigated through the group of women blocking the hall and disappeared around the corner.

I turned to close the door and found Raoul approaching with his daughters at his side. "You'll be on your best behavior," I overheard him say. "Understood?"

"Yes, dada," they said in unison. "To the home of the masked man!"

"Girls," Raoul warned. "I said best behavior. If you cannot follow directions you will sit in the hotel room and wait until I return. No dolls or books either. You will sit quietly until I return."

"Comte," I said. "Claude is in the study. If you and your children would be so kind as to wait a moment in the dining room, I shall have my wife retrieve Alex and Lisette from their lessons."

"I would like to see Claude's sister as well," Raoul said.

"Of course."

Once they were inside, I took one last look at the street, wondering if anyone else would care to intrude upon my once quiet and solitary home.

To my utter dismay, the messenger boy that I had sent to the theater came running back down the street. "Urgent, Monsieur!" he yelled as he approached.

"What now?" I grumbled.

oOo

The messenger boy impatiently tapped his foot as he waited on my doorstep for me to return from situating everyone within my home. His arms were crossed and he whistled to himself while unabashedly peering into the foyer.

"Well?" the boy asked as I approached.

I stood with the note from Antonio in my hand, the envelope addressed to me with 'Urgent' written on the outside several times, all of which were underlined and contained multiple exclamation points.

"Tell Le Blanc I shall visit him personally tomorrow morning to discuss the contents."

The messenger boy shook his head. He could not have been much older than Alex with his pin straight, dirty blond hair, stained shirt and overalls sliding off his shoulders. He looked like a miniature scarecrow in his ill fitting attire.

"He said not to leave without a reply."

"Tomorrow morning is my reply."

The boy looked confused. "But you haven't opened the letter."

"And I will not until later in the day. If you want a more elaborate response, I suppose you will be sitting out here for quite some time," I snapped.

The boy furrowed his brow. "I can't. I have more messages to deliver."

"Then deliver your messages and return later."

"I need your reply or they won't pay me."

"Come back at four."

"But–"

"Four," I said. "For your troubles." I handed him five francs and closed the door.

Alex and Lisette began screaming from the dining room, their shrill tone raising the hairs on my arms. My first assumption was that Raoul's children were terrorizing mine, which I would not tolerate.

"Elvira!" Lisette shrieked.

"Uncle Phelan!" Alex shouted.

I turned on my heel and briskly walked down the hall, brow furrowed as I had not expected my brother an hour early and most certainly not through the back door.

"Who are these children?" my brother asked before I reached the dining room. "You two were not here the last time I visited, were you?"

"No they were not," Alex said. "This is Isabella and that is Domini, my part sisters, and they are visiting with their father."

"Your part sisters?" Phelan said.

"Yes. We are only partly related."

"Lan," I said, interrupting their exchange once I finally reached the dining room. "You've arrived early."

"One is never early when nieces and nephews are involved." He looked at the two girls who were seated at the table giggling to themselves as they observed the macaw on my brother's shoulder. "And whomever these two might be. Honestly, Kire, are you growing children in the garden? Behind the hydrangea, perhaps?"

"Comte de Chagny's daughters," I answered. "Isabelle and Domini."

"Ah." My brother offered an exaggerated frown. "You poor creatures," Phelan said with a shake of his head at the two confused girls.

I looked him over, noting he was still in the same clothing from the previous night. His face was covered in stubble and the dark circles beneath his eyes indicated he'd not slept well, if at all. "What have you been doing since you arrived?" I asked. "You look…exhausted."

"I beg your pardon?" Phelan asked, sounding quite offended.
"Your suit," I said. "Have you been walking around the city since you left our cousin's home?"

"Walking? No. Not walking."

"Monsieur Kire? If I may–" Marco said as he walked up from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw his gaze was pinned on my brother. "Monsieur Kimmer. I'm surprised to see you. I thought you were staying at my home for breakfast. If I'd known you were on your way here we could have walked together."

For the first time since I'd been reunited with my brother, he was speechless. He reached up toward Elvira, a dried apricot between his thumb and forefinger, and absently fed it to the macaw. I stared at him for a long moment, then at Marco and back at my brother.

Not walking the city indeed, I thought to myself.

"I did stay for a delightful breakfast and even more delightful conversation," Phelan answered.

"Breakfast? With who?" Alex asked.

"That is a matter that does not need to be addressed at this time," I said.

Alex looked from me to my brother. "What matter?"

"Nothing, Alex," I said, knowing that was an answer that never satisfied my son.

"Mum isn't with you?" Marco asked as he stepped into the kitchen and stood beside me.

"No, she is not," Phelan answered, his eyes narrowed with annoyance. "She had matters to attend to this morning."

"Isn't that Claude's friend?" Alex asked no one in particular. "How does Uncle Phelan know Claude's friend's mother?"

"Alex, no more questions," I said, growing impatient.

"I'm glad you finally paid Mum a visit after all this time," Marco dryly said. "I'm certain it was quite the pleasant time for you."

"It isn't what you–" Phelan started to say.

"Monsieur Kire, forgive me for interrupting," Marco said. "I shall see myself out."

"Wait," Alex said as he hopped out of his chair. "May I ask what your name is?"

Marco looked as though he considered simply ignoring my son's inquiry and walking away, but he sighed to himself and nodded. "Marco Fabienne, little Monsieur."

"I'm Alexandre Jean Kire," Alex said. "We met in the park. Do you remember? My father played the violin for you and your friends."

"Of course I remember. Lovely to see you again."

"Marco?" Alex furrowed his brow and looked at Marco, his head cocked to the side. I could tell by the way he studied the man before him that his mind was swiftly at work. "Has anyone ever told you that you resemble my new uncle? Well, like a much younger version of my Uncle Phelan? I have two uncles and you don't look anything like my Uncle Charles, but…" He gave my brother a once-over. "You and my new uncle are very similar."

Marco's jaw twitched, his tongue rolling along the inside of his cheek.

"Are you his brother too?" Alex asked, his eyes wide with the possibility. "Father, do I have another uncle?"

Elvira stepped back and forth on Phelan's shoulder and screeched so loudly that Domini and Isabelle hid beneath the table, giggling quietly, while Lisette clapped in approval, clearly more engaged with the bird's antics than the conversation at hand.

"Marco is not your uncle," Phelan answered.

Marco took a step back, his head tilted down. "This was a mistake," he said under his breath.

"Alex." Phelan switched Elvira from his right shoulder to his left. "Alex, this is your cousin."

Alex and Marco had the same look of astonishment on their faces. Every time I had gazed at my son from the time he was an infant, I saw only Christine. I didn't want to see myself in him as I feared he would inherit the ugliness inside of me, the anger and resentment I had carried for as long as I could remember. But as I looked from Alex to Marco and Marco to Phelan, I saw the resemblance in all three of them–and for the first time I clearly saw myself in my son.

"I have more cousins?" Alex gripped his head with both of his hands, a wide grin stretching from ear to ear. "And a cousin for whom I don't have to change a diaper?"

Marco chuckled to himself. "Thankfully no diapers."

"Cousin Marco, would you come to supper?" Alex asked before the young man turned away.

"I…I don't think so–"

"Please! I would very much like to speak with you now that we are cousins," Alex begged. "Do you like trains? I have a whole set I'd like you to see. Unless you don't like trains, then I have other things to show you." His eyes bulged and he inhaled sharply. "Like our dog and cat. Do you have a dog? Or a bird like your father?"

"I hope he has all three," Lisette chimed in.

"We sit for supper at eight if you would like time to consider your answers for every question my son undoubtedly has in store for you," I said. "If you are not otherwise preoccupied, that is. Claude would also enjoy the company." I briefly looked at my brother, who seemed more preoccupied with Elvira than addressing Marco.

"I would appreciate your time as well," Phelan said.

Marco took another step back. "I appreciate the invitation."

"Cousin Marco!" Alex said, relentless as ever. "Please."

"I will make an appearance if time allows, Cousin Alex." He took one last look around the dining room. "Good day to you all."

Marco paused briefly, looked Phelan in the eye, and forced a smile. "Enjoy the time spent with your family," he said.

My brother nodded once, but said nothing as Marco awkwardly turned on his heel. He was halfway down the hall when I gestured toward my brother, silently urging him to follow Marco out.

Before Phelan could react to my urging him forward, the pocket door from the kitchen opened.

"Do you think he's here yet?" Gertie said as Julia walked into the hall, followed by her friends.

"Oh!" Hermine exclaimed once she noticed my brother. "That's a very large bird on your shoulder!"

Gertie gasped at the sight of Elvira. "But a beautiful bird at that," she said under her breath.

"Hello, my love," the macaw said, bobbing her head up and down at Gertie.

Gertie turned nearly as red as the parrot while my brother chuckled to himself.

"Elvira talks?" Lisette asked. Isabelle and Domini emerged from under the table, more fascinated than frightened by the bird's phrase.

"Not really," Phelan answered.

"But she just spoke," Alex pointed out.

"She imitates the sounds she hears. When I return home, what do you think I say to her?"

"Hello, my love!" all four children said at once.

Phelan smiled. "Yes, precisely. Elvira associates the door opening with those words and has learned to repeat them."

"What else can she say?" Lisette asked.

My brother thought for a moment. He stepped to his left and knocked on the dining room wall.

"Now who could that be?" Elvira said, her tone matching my brother's familiar grumble. Her feathers ruffled as well and she shook her head.

The de Chagny girls burst into laughter while Elivra nibbled her master's ear and rubbed her face against his, making soft vocalizations.

"She is very fond of you," Gertie said, still blushing. "It isn't difficult to see why she is enamored."

"Because he's feeding her," Alex interrupted in terribly pragmatic fashion.

Phelan grunted. "The feeling between us is mutual, Alex."

Hermine and Julia exchanged knowing looks while Gertie took a slight step forward.

"What a lovely coincidence seeing you today," Gertie said to my brother.

"I must admit there is no more exquisite surprise than seeing you."

Julia bumped Hermine with her shoulder. "I should show you the thing," my wife said.

Hermine gave Julia a quizzical look. "I beg your pardon?"

"The thing," Julia whispered loudly.

"I want to see the thing too," Alex said.

"Mademoiselle Hermine, I believe my dearest sister-in-law is attempting to leave the dining room with you in tow," Phelan said without looking away from Gertie.

Hermine snapped her fingers. "Oh, don't be silly," she said. "Now I remember the thing Julie dear was trying to show me earlier. Gertie, you don't mind if we step out for a moment, do you?"

If Gertie turned a deeper shade of red, I feared the poor woman would burst. "I'll be there in a moment."

The front door opened and closed and my brother turned his head to the side, his jaw working in silence. He sighed and closed his eyes briefly.

"I must step out, I'm afraid," my brother said.

He was halfway down the hall before the women could react. Julia placed her hand on Gertie's shoulder and gave me a questioning look.

"It's a matter of importance," I said, hearing the front door open again.

Phelan was at the front door when Marco walked back into my home. "My hat," the younger man said without looking at either of us. "I forgot my hat."