Then, in an effort to banish his fears, she told him, "When I was a
little girl growing up, I
used to dream of my shining knight, as all girls do, who would come
galloping up to rescue
me from a dragon, or an ogre . Well, although I have never seen a dragon,
the dream is
now reality. My knight is here beside me, the most handsome and gallant
knight there ever
was!"
Erik face lightened, and he said, laughingly, "The only trouble is that
your knight has
rather a decrepit white charger! My poor César is too old to
carry me on daring missions.
And the fastest he can charge is if the tunnels are more than usually
damp; then he is sent
headlong, at an ever increasing speed on hooves grown suddenly very
slippery!"
Christine hugged him, delighting in this whimsical description of dear
old César, one of the
horses in the Opéra stables. She made him laugh further when
she said, naughtily,
"Perhaps after all I have seen a dragon - one who breathes fire down
her nostrils at me -
Madame Carlotta!"
He chuckled, and said, "Minx! César and I certainly came in the nick of time!"
His arms tightened around her as his face came down against her hair.
Again, Christine
whispered, "Trust me, darling, you will always have my love."
"Trust, my Erik, trust your Christine as you trusted me. Above all,
trust in the love of le
bon Dieu."
The echo of Dominie's voice, as if in support of Christine's plea, was
all around them as
they stood in each other's embrace.
**********
"Dominie!", Erik looked up, his smile banishing instantly any lingering
lines of worry from
his face. "Angel-child, forgive me! How could I doubt you now? How
could I mistrust my
Christine's love? I will never forget your trust in me, Dominie. I
love you, and I thank God
with all my heart for all He has given me."
"My Erik, that is all I wanted to hear. Never lose faith, and remember
I love you. Until we
meet again, my dear ones. Be happy!".
Christine threw her arms around Erik's neck and brought his face down
to hers. She kissed
him, and then kissed him again, a long, warm, passionate kiss. When
at last she drew away,
she looked up at him, a mischievous glint in her big blue eyes.
"There, my darling. That is one more little deposit as proof of my love.
Soon, when we are
married, you will receive payment in full!"
She twinkled up at him, and he caught her in his arms, laughing. "Then
we must be married
very soon, chérie, for I am an impatient man!" He looked down
at her beautiful face, and
said quietly, "Forgive my doubting you, Angel. It is just that love
is so-- so new to me. I will
never doubt you again, I swear to you."
Tears pricked her eyes as Christine gazed at him. Oh, but he was a wonderful
man and she
was fathoms deep in love with him.
"Thank you, my Angel", she whispered, and held him close. Then she asked
if he would do
something very special for her.
"Why, anything you ask, darling. Anything at all."
"Then come up to my dressing-room, my Erik. There is something I want you to see."
**********
Erik swiftly poled the gondola across the underground lake; helping
Christine out of the
craft, he moored it to an iron ring. He had draped his cloak around
Christine's shoulders
for the journey up through the chill cellars to the Opéra House.
Leading her along a dim corridor, his lantern held aloft, they came finally to a door.
Erik worked a hidden latch, and the door swung slowly open. Taking her
hand, they
stepped inside her dressing-room. The mirrored door closed automatically.
Christine noticed that Erik kept his gaze away from the mirror. She
knew that this request
of hers would be a test of his trust in her.
On leaving the Phantom's lair, Erik had, out of habit, placed the mask
upon his face. Now,
Christine reached up and gently removed it, smiling as she did so.
"My Angel, this is where our story began, oui? This is where I first
saw you in the mirror.
Now, I want you to look in the mirror, here, beside me." She took his
hand as he started to
shake his head, half-fearfully.
"Trust me, Angel", she smiled.
"Trust, my Erik. Believe..... and trust."
The angelic little voice echoed all around as Christine led Erik towards the mirror.
"Look, darling. Look at your reflection," cried Christine. "See how handsome you are!"
Erik took a deep breath, and looked straight into the mirror.
**********
What he saw there stunned him into awestruck silence.
Standing before him was his mirrored image; it was that of a tall, lean
man in his middle
years, immaculately dressed. The shoulders were broad under the elegant
suit, strong
chest tapering into a slim waist and hips; the hands long-fingered
and well-shaped. The
stance proud, upright; the air distinguished.
But most of all, the face ...... was whole.
It was still a thin face, with finely-chiselled cheekbones, but every
feature was perfect. The
dark eyes were set regularly underneath fine, straight brows. The chin
firm beneath a
well-shaped mouth. The skin was smooth and of a light olive complexion.
Thick dark hair
sprang back from the forehead; it glinted with auburn lights. And the
nose .... the nose was
firm and straight and patrician.
Each profile was in perfect symmetry. It was a face as beautiful as
a Greek God........ or an
Archangel?
As Erik stared and stared, with Christine standing close beside him,
her arms around his
waist, the mirror began to shimmer.
A radiance issued all around the room as the vision of the Archangel
Michael slowly
materialised behind them, his angelic beauty reflected in the mirror.
"Well, my children?", his glorious smile lighting up the serene features.
Erik and Christine turned from the mirror, hand-in-hand. The shining
beauty of the vision
before them held them both utterly spellbound. For a long moment, they
could not move, so
bewitched were they by this heavenly creature.
Then Erik sank to his knees, with Christine beside him. They bowed their
heads, and Erik
said, his tone heartfelt, "Dear Angel, thank you." Christine said shyly,
"Archangel
Michael, I do truly thank you."
The Archangel Michael laid a hand on each head, saying, "May the good
Lord bless and
keep you, my children. Put your trust in Him and all will be well.
Be happy, my brother -
your happiness is well deserved. Be happy, little sister. Remember
always that love is the
greatest gift of all."
Christine and Erik looked up, their faces radiant. The Archangel smiled
down at them, and
bade them farewell. "Adieu, mes enfants. Until we meet again."
And then the shimmering vision faded and was gone.
**********
Erik slowly rose to his feet, and gently pulled Christine up beside
him. Standing before the
mirror where Christine had first beheld her Angel of Music, they held
each other close.
Tenderly kissing his lovely young future bride, Erik drew the gold ring
from his hand and
placed it on Christine's engagement finger.
"Until I buy your own ring, darling", he smiled.
"Let it be soon, my Angel. Let us be married very, very soon. I long
to be your wife."
Christine's eyes were like stars as she gazed up into his wonderful
face.
"And as your husband, I shall be the proudest man in the universe, my
love", whispered
Erik, and caught her in his arms again.
"I hope you will invite me to the wedding, my Erik!", sang out a little
voice, bubbling with
laughter, as it echoed all around them.
A huge grin spread over Erik's face. He called to his little guardian
angel, "Dominie, little
rogue! Of course you will come to our wedding, and I hope you will
play a special wedding
tune on your harp!"
"It is already composed, my Erik!", answered Dominie, joyfully.
**********
"Oh! One more thing, my dear ones..." Came another infectious chuckle...
"Will you name your first daughter for me?"
Erik and Christine collapsed with laughter, and then he called out...
"But what else, my sweet! Of course we will have a little Dominie. You
can be very sure of
that!"
END