Part 1
"Christine?" "Yes?" The young woman turned around to face her fiance'.
Her cheeks were
red, her eyes wet with tears. "I came to see how you were feeling today.
Your little maid let me in."
"Well. I'm fine, Raoul,"she lied very plainly. Christine had
put her luxurious, dark ringlets in a tight updo, tendrils of curls fell
lazily about her features. Nervously, she fidgeted about, her hands
wringing the fabric of her modest, black dress.
"No, you're not. I can tell that you have been crying. Why are you so upset? You should be happy-we'll be married in less than a week!" "I'm so confused, Raoul." "About what?" She immediately hung her head and lowered her already soft voice. "Erik."
Raoul's heart skipped a beat, as he became hot with anger and jealousy,
at the sound of that man's name."What's there to be confused about, Christine?
The man tried to kill me, and would have, if you had'nt bribed him!" "Raoul,
that's just it," the diminuative girl faced the opposite direction and
walked to the window. It was a sorrowful, gloomy day. "I'm
not so sure I kissed Erik just to win your life." She awaited the
young man's coming disappointment.
"Don't you think you should find out, Madamoiselle Daae?!" His words chilled her like an arctic wind. "I plan to, that is why....I must give you this." Without taking any steps towards him, Christine outstretched her palm to the vicomte, his engagement ring, gaudy and light-catching rested there. He snatched it away childishly.
"You are going back to the Phantom,then?" "For the time being,yes. Please understand and forgive me, my dear. I need to know." "What do you need to know, that's what I want to find out?"He yelled, very hurt. "I need to know if I am in love with Erik. So, I'm going back to him,tonight, if he will have me..."
Raoul de Chagny rushed out of the room, slamming the door loudly behind him. His girl, his intended, was leaving him to find out if she was in love with a murderer-not just a murderer, a monster, he thought in disgust.
Part 2
She found herself in the house upon the lake--alone. All the candles had burned until they were nothing but lazy, cracked pools of wax. Christine had made a smart decision in bringing a lantern. Shining its flames revealed to her the vacant rooms of his home. Making the way to the closed door of her bedchamber, she opened it and gasped. A few candles lent their light, showing Erik asleep on her bed. She'd never watched him sleep before, and it had been a month since she had seen him at all. Christine carefully set her lantern down upon the chest of drawers, as that she no longer had a need for its luminescense. He stirred a little, as his protege' sat on the side of the bed, over him. "Erik?" The woman shook his shoulders ever so slightly. He awoke with a start..
"Christine!" He did not try to mask his surprise and joy at seeing her,but he wondered if he was merely dreaming. She took hold of his wrist. "Erik, you're so very thin, you're not well!" "I'm fine, my dear child," he cajoled her as he attempted to sit up. A great weakness and pain overcame his strength, and he fell back onto the pillows.
Christine screamed, placing her hands over her mouth. "I guess I'm not as well as I thought.' his voice was at a loss in trying to comfort the young soprano. "How long has it been since you've had any decent food?" "Well, I find it unnecessary to dine more than once a day, as long as water is taken." "Erik," she demanded, "Tell me, how long has it been since you've had solid food?" "Only a week. As I said, It's not necessary when I drink plenty of water."
She put her hand to his forehead, to discover it burning. She'd
suspected this. "You are running a horrible fever! Lay down,
I'll take care of you. However abhorrent you remember my cooking
to be, you are going to eat. Stay there, I'll be back with some food
for you. I'm glad I came when I
did, I don't want to think of what condition I might have found you
in, had I come a week later!"
The sweet girl arose and started to walk out of the room, before his voice stopped her. "Christine?" She turned around, meeting his gaze. He'd propped himself up into a sitting position upon the fluffy pillows. "Yes?" "Why did you come back?" She came to sit beside himon the bed once more, timidly entwining his fingers in with her own. "I.....," Her breathe became heavier and more frequent. "Maybe, you can help me answer that question." With all the uncertainty one can possess, her lips came upon his bare cheek.
This action startled Erik quite abit, and he did'nt know what to make of her stranhe behavior. He allowed himself to lanquish in this moment, feeling her hair against his skin. She touched his white mask, rubbing her cheek to it.
As if restored to her earlier manner, Christine spoke surely and confidantly. "We shall, I hope, both learn of my reasons for returning. Hurriedly, her mood changed to the task at present. "Now, I'll go fix your dinner. Eat well, I don't want you dying on me." "Thank you." She got up, and left the room, more confused than ever before.
Part 3
Fixing his food, she sighed and took some very lengthy deep breathes."Christine
Daae, what are you doing? What am I thinking?" She questioned
herself in a fast, mumbling tone. She took the tray and went
back to the room where her chosen patient rested. Despite her worries
for him, Christine produced a smile when she met Erik's gaze. She
placed the tray in his lap, and fetched a chair from
underneath the vanity table so she might sit by him near the bed.
He admired her small frame and little arms.
"It seems that I've acquired a nurse," Erik stated with a touch of cynicism. "Well, I'm happy to take care of you. I can't wait until you are well enough to play the piano. You will play for me, won't you?" Her eyes looked hopefully at him.
"Of course. May I ask how long you are to be staying with me?" He dreamed that she'd tell him that she would never leave, that she loved him---but, although he dreamed of these things he would never let himself hope for them.
"I have'nt decided when I shall go, but I plan on staying for at least two weeks." "What does your lover think of all this?" Erik's voice became snide at the very idea of the handsome Vicomte de Chagny. "Raoul is not my lover!" "But, my dear, you've convinced me otherwise." "He is not my lover. Would I have given him his engagement ring back if he were?"
There was a deep silence of shock between them that went on until, at last, she spoke. "Erik, Raoul and I had planned to marry tommorrow morning. If your accussation was correct, then why am I here?" Angry tears began to wrench themselves from the large pools of young Daae's eyes.
Erik took a bite of bread in his astonishment, hesitating with his answer.
"And, why are you here, Madamoiselle?" "I came to find the answer
that's been eluding me for quite some time
now. I came to...."
"To what, Christine, to what?" "I came to find out," Why was this so hard for her to say in front of him, but so easy to say to herself?"I came to find out if I am in love with you, Erik! That's why I'm here, I think I'm in love with you." Her hands cupped her face as she wept. The amazed man put his meal aside, reaching over to hold Christine.
He cherised the trembling body nestled against him, loved the sweet pressure of her head upon his broad shoulder. He allowed his fingers to come up under her chin, lifting it towards him. Christine's gaze turned upwards to his, she realized he emant to kiss her. This mysterious, powerful man looming over her, eyes intense and burning, holding an arm around her slim waist, was going to kiss her, surely! Her lips parted, anticipating his on them, but just as the connection was to be made, he paused. "Christine," he removed the mask, placing his distorted features in her view. "Is this what you want?"
Weakly, she nodded. Erik moved so close, that she felt his breathe upon her naked cheek. Christine, once again, offered him her lips. He gently wiped a tear from her chin. Grasping her head in his large, elegant hands, he kissed her. The soft, moist skin of her mouth joining with his made Christine anxious and excited. Little electrical shocks raced through her body, and she found herself placing her arms tightly around his neck, her breast against his solid chest.
The fire of newly discovered passion made emotional highs in her heart. The intensity of Erik's embrace caused the ingenue to become lightheaded. This embrace was wholly different than any she had shared with Raoul. Although their kisses had been sweet, they were short and lacked the burn Christine was sharing now. After a long while, they pulled away from each other, and Christine felt that she must tell him.