Erik's P.O.V~
As we entered the room everyone had their eyes laid on us, I suppose from their view we looked like an odd couple. However, I was horribly wrong. Out of nowhere Mathew looked at us from his seat and smiled smugly at us.
"You two make a good couple… If I were a stranger I would imagine you two were married," Mathew stated with a bit of humor but at the same time seriousness. The rest of the adults agreed while Rebecca stared at me as if she had just won a huge teddy bear. I stared at Elena briefly and saw her face flushed.
"Mathew," Elena warned the boy sternly.
"Elena, I believe your suitor is just jesting," I said with a bit of annoyance.
All of a sudden the room was filled with the laughter of Mathew, Meg, Rebecca and Elena. My confusion along with Madame Giry's confusion kept us from laughing as they were. Then the laughter started to die down and the boy started to speak again.
"Oh Monsieur, I am not Elena's suitor! The mere thought of Elena and I being a couple would make us commit the ultimate pecado (translation: sin)," the boy claimed.
"Elena a sin? How exactly is Elena a sin?" I asked a bit shocked with the wording Mathew chose.
"Well to me viewing Elena that way is a sin, especially in the catholic church! I would be flogged for having those thoughts of my sister back in Spain! In their view even thinking about it would be committing incest… besides my sister, as beautiful as she is, is not the type of woman I would be in a courtship," Mathew retorted.
Oh my God Mathew and Elena are siblings! How could I be so blind! The resemblance is as clear as day! The look on their faces the day of their encounter was of love but a different kind… it was a sibling's love… I feel so foolish. I thought as I faked a smile.
"So Monsieur you are Elena's brother… then why has she been on her own all this time? Where were you when she was striving to get this little one and herself a decent life?" Madame Giry inquired a bit harshly.
"Madame, I was not aware of my sister's location and situation until the performance of Hannibal. I was still studying in London while my sister was (without even realizing it) working in the Opera House I am the patron of!" Mathew stated as he served to the others in the party a plate of rice and some sort of fish. Elena then quickly helped Mathew serve the plates and I was waiting for her to sit down. Once she was done she was about to go to her seat near her daughter when Madame Giry grabbed her arm and with pleading eyes as if asking her to sit next to her. She smiled and nodded and just as she was about to sit, I help her by pulling her chair out and then tucking it back in. I quickly took my place next to Rebecca and began to eat the dish in front of me with a bit of precaution. After a few bites I concluded that the cook who made this dish was an excellent one.
"What is this dish, Mathew?" Meg asked with a smile at her soon to be courtier.
"This is Paella. It's rice dish with mixed seafood. It's a typical Spanish dish," Mathew answered.
"This is magnificent! The rice is very good and the seafood cooked to perfection," Madame Giry beamed at Mathew, "I give the greatest compliments to your cook."
"Thank you Madame but we don't have a cook… We actually just hired a girl but she is starting tomorrow," Mathew said a bit taken with the comment.
"Then who cooked this?" I asked intrigued with the meal.
"My mommy did! She is the best cook the world has ever known!" Rebecca praised as she looked at her mother from the other side of the table and coughing a bit. I stared at Elena who blushed at the comment but still not spoken a word.
"Well as mentioned before it is delicious," I said as I kept eating. The dinner went by a bit more animatedly. Mathew started by retelling childhood stories and very pleasant jokes, and for a Spaniard that man has a good sense of humor. I attempted at some jokes some failed while others were very successful. I even managed to make Elena laugh, and eventually she began to be a part of the delightful conversation. We had finished dinner and started eating dessert, a Tarta de Santiago (pie filled with ground almonds, eggs, and sugar, decorated with powdered sugar) and Elena was telling a time when Mathew was upset with her. I watched her animatedly tell the story laughing at certain parts of her story and using a high pitched voice for Mathew's diction.
"So then Mathew and I were there finishing Romeo and Juliet when Mathew starts to cry at the end saying that is not the way it should end. He stomped his foot and demanded me to tell him how it truly ended. He called me a liar and then began wail like a banshee still demanding me to tell the true ending! I did not know what to do so I began to make up that pirates and gypsies helped Juliet and Romeo reunite and escape from Verona… the ending was really ridiculous but my brother believed it and I nearly died when he started to tell my parents the story with the new ending," Elena said between gasps and giggles. Everyone started to laugh at Mathew's innocence including Rebecca.
"I was six years old Lena! I did not want a sad ending! No seria husto (It wouldn't be fair)!" Mathew exclaimed with his cheeks red, "besides at least I'm not the one who sung at the town square forgetting the lyrics to the song she was singing!"
Everyone started to laugh then all of a sudden Rebecca had begun to cough a bit which alarmed me. I quickly check her temperature and gave Elena an "it's okay" look. She looked slightly bit relieved and then Mathew checked his little niece.
"Nothing is wrong your temperature isn't high and some color is returning…but you still need to take your medicine," Mathew stated with a bit of humor.
"Tio (Uncle) Mathew! Do I have to take the medicine? It tastes horrible!" Rebecca said while pouting and giving him a puppy eye look. The illusion almost made me plead with Mathew not to allow her to take the medicine but then she started to cough and shiver and the illusion broke.
"Don't you Tio Mathew me young lady. I'm trying to make my favorite niece get better," Mathew responded.
"Uncle Mathew I'm your ONLY niece," Rebecca said with a few giggles escaping her.
"That gives him another reason to protect you little one… then again you could have another thing instead of that nasty medicine," I stated remembering the leaves I had brought with me.
"What other thing Erik?" Elena asked as she looked at me and then at Madame Giry for answers. As I was about to answer, there was a knock at the door. Mathew excused himself and went to answer the door. Everyone waited for Mathew to return and when he finally returned he had company.
"I hope you ladies and gentleman don't mind but we have another unexpected visitor," Mathew said as he then made a signal and the other Spaniard came in. My new hate. Miguel Iglesias.