Chapter Twenty-Seven: Confessions of the spiders.


It's a scandal that'll
pack 'em in the aisles!

"Your son?" Raoul said taken back. Had he really been gone that long for her to marry and have a child? He didn't know what to think, what to feel about this information. Was she happy? Did he ever return at a terrible time, barging in on her life like this.

Nevertheless, what did he expect? He did not love her, so why did he expect she would wait for him? There was no need for her to wait. He just never pictured her getting married and starting a family of her own. He never imagined anyone getting married and being happy after the sudden death of the ones he loved so true.

"My son, would you like to meet him? He is waiting for me in the cab." She said and began to walk in the direction of the only carriage left in the area.

Slowly Raoul picked up his feet and ventured towards his fate. He was most likely about to meet her husband as well. Did this man deserve her? Was he worth Meg's time and devotion? He would soon find out.

She stood by the door and waited for him to peer inside, however all he could see the child's plump little legs for they did not extend to the bottom of the floor and were kicking back and forth hitting the seat making a faint bumping noise.

Finally taking a breath, Raoul looked in to see a beautiful blonde boy sitting by himself in blue formal wear. He wore a little white shirt underneath the suit and a cap to cover up his golden curls. He was staring out the opposite window into the sunlight before he turned and looked over to Raoul, revealing large blue eyes.

"Ello," The little boy said shyly.

"Hello," Raoul said in awe of the child. He had not been around one in so long he forgot that they could talk at this age.

"Where's maman?" Adrienne asked him.

"Right here precious." She said and Raoul moved out of her way so she could ascend into the carriage beside her son.

"Maman! Can we see Grandmere?" He asked happily as she sat down.

The small request make Raoul's heart break. It seemed the young boy did not understand this Sunday outing. He looked over to Meg who didn't seem surprised by the request.

"Honey, I told you, we cannot go see grandmere anymore. Grandmere went to go live with the angels." She said placing him in her lap, leaving an empty space in the carriage.

"Angels." Adrienne repeated quietly.

"He doesn't understand yet... This has all been so very hard for him to deal with." She said and looked to the empty seat and back to Raoul.

"Do you need a ride anywhere Monsieur? As you can see we have enough room."

"Actually, I would not mind a ride, to where I have no idea though... Hey I have an idea, why don't we go to the park?" He asked Adrienne only to get a large smile in return.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh.... to see DUCKIES! May we maman? Please?" He said making the word please sound more like, "Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease".

Meg looked at Raoul in surprise. "I had other plans, but how can I refuse you that love?" She said whispering into her son's ear. "All right, driver? Take us to the small park near the opera house."



___
_/___\_
(*)_*

Those who speak
of what they know
find, too late, that prudent
silence is wise.

"He's beautiful Meg." Raoul said as they sat on the park bench in the warm afternoon.

Like Adrienne had said there were many ducks flying around and waddling towards the pond. The little boy waddled behind a family of the birds imitating them.

"I know." She said proudly watching him and fell into silence once more. She waited for Raoul to continue to try and make small conversation, but it was to no avail. The only sound that filled her ears were the sounds of her child's laughter and the ducks quacking. She figured that the man she hadn't seen in four years was waiting for an explanation.

Sighing, and wondering while she felt obligated to explain herself, she began her tale of woe.

"His name was Audric, he promised me a bright new future and love. He was poor, I knew it as well when we started together. However I couldn't help being drawn to his bumbling charm. He was the first man to ever notice me.... really," The last word came out almost a whisper.

"What happened to this Audric?" He asked.

"He asked my hand in marriage, he was so sad. He said he had done many things wrong in his life, but I was the one thing he got right. He had always been haunted by something for he would cry out in sleep and I knew he had a horrible life. What he had done, I did not care, for I was in love. I couldn't refuse, so I said yes. Things were tight, but I still had my career as the Prima Ballerina in the Opera Populaire, so Audric and I wed. Well a bit after that, he began..."

Raoul waited as he watched Adrienne, but Meg didn't continue, slowly he looked over to her and saw the tears swell in her eyes. It dawned on him that she was reliving something very traumatic. Taking her hand in his, he urged her to continue.

"He began to get... rough. At first it was little things, the lack of money I was making, the burnt supper from by carelessness, but it increased until I didn't know how to hide it. When I found out that I was pregnant, I told him it was over, the marriage, everything."

She turned to Raoul then and pleaded her eyes for his approval over the matter. "It was one thing for me! But I couldn't have a child grow up under those conditions! I couldn't let him hurt Adrienne, I just couldn't do it!" She said holding onto the lapels of his coat and crying.

"Hush Meg, it's alright, you did the right thing." He said taking her in his arms and holding her as her body shook.

"He wasn't happy, but surprisingly he left. It was rather odd, as though he were not leaving because I had demmanded it, but for another purposes all together. I didn't care how queer it seemed for I was extremely relieved. That is, until I realized the scandal I had caused for myself." She said releasing herself from his embrace and turned to watch her son once more.

"So I went to Maman, and she told me she would help me take care of everything. She left that night and did not return to me till the next morning. I don't know how she did it, but she told me she had found some help in an old friend. She told me to tell everyone that Audric was dead, which I did with much ease. It is amazing how easily lying can come to people." She sadly sighed.

Even if it is to ourselves, she thought.

Oh how she had missed Raoul, it was only after he left she realized her Maman had been right. Such advice would be forever lost in her death, Meg thought sadly.

She was an old mysterious one, with a soul like a bottomless pond, filled deep with secrets of others.

She could not get those last words her mother spoke unto her out of her mind.

"Remember my child... things are not always as they seem. The Opera Ghost may be dead, but he lives on." She had said.

"He has helped you more then you know, and always will, from beyond the grave. When the time comes, you will come to know Erik."

Erik? Who was Erik? Meg always had thought. Was he someone else who knew the opera ghost?

"You will have to make a choice between two truths, one falsified, and the other is absolute. Megan, I love you, as I love Adrienne, I tried to give you a life my child, I only hope you do better then I." She said proudly holding her daughters hand on her deathbed.

Those were some of the few words Meg still held dear to her heart. It was rare that her mother ever truly did praise her, and this was one of those times, she could tell the true feelings of her maman had come to show themselves.

"So your mother helped you lie to the managers and everyone at the opera." He said concealing his anger. Meg did not know what he was angry from however. Was he upset with her mischievous ways or that a man had hurt her? What could he possible feel for her after all this time, still the companion to share the grief of Christine's death with?

"Yes, he has never returned once in the last three years. He knows nothing of Adrienne and I intend on keeping it that way. However, I fear everyday for his safety." She said.

"I will never let anyone harm you again Meg, ever. I am back, and back to stay for good." He said smiling at her and brushing a curl out her face.

"So will you tell me why you are back here to stay?" She asked nicely.

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