Chapter Eleven A/N � Steam I�d like to thank you for your support. You�re my champion (lol). Still, I do hope just a tiny bit that you won�t be the only one reviewing from now on, however much I love your feedback. (Snuggles) Well it doesn�t matter that much really. If it�s only you that�s reading it, that�s fine by me � though I have faith in other readers, even if they don�t post. I�m just the over-anxious type who gets to any appt at least 45 minutes early. ////////////////////---------////////////////// Charles paced in the study anxiously, amusing Raoul to no end as he simply sat in a chair by the fireplace, a tumbler of brandy in his hands. He�d never seen his son act like this. Although he himself was a little excited about the arrival of their guests, he certainly wasn�t half as excited as his poor flustered son. �You�re going to work a groove in that floor.� he said quietly, well aware that the floor was marble. �Can�t you sit down for five minutes, Charles? She�s going to get here eventually, and you�ll have her here for a whole month. No rush to have her in your arms at this very instant.� �He just might!� Raoul turned as his daughter threw open the door in a rather unladylike gesture. Usually she was so composed. She wore the dress Charles had given her that year for her birthday, of white pearl silk, the bodice dotted with counterfeit pearls. Charles turned to look at her with excited questioning. �The car is here!� Katherine continued, which had Charles charging for her in the doorway. Giggling, she turned to hurry down the hallway with him, and Raoul was almost right on their heels. Now that the guests were there, he couldn�t exactly let his children greet the guests without him, or he�d seem terribly impolite. The family car pulled up in front of the stone steps just as all three of them assembled outside. The back door nearest the building flew open almost before the car had even stopped. Two seconds later, Allyriane had both feet on the ground. She looked like a slightly older woman; in a dress with skirt that sported a smaller cage, to make barely a noticeable hoop of the layers. The bodice she wore was of a more adult cut, which was usually seen on women who were middle aged. Her hair was tucked up under a burgundy hat that matched the color and velvet material of her dress. Katherine could hear her brothers� sharp intake of breath, and smiled understandingly. She could well see how her beauty might strike him breathless. She watched as Allyriane looked about in wonder, as her parents stepped from the car behind her. Allyriane�s gaze met and held the eyes of Charles for a long moment. Isabelle came out first, auburn hair pulled back into a thick braid. She wore a sapphire dress of modest wool. She wore no hate; but held an antique looking parasol. Astonishing amethyst eyes looked to her hosts immediately, and her smile greeted both Charles and Raoul with obvious recognition. Erik stood from the car finally, his stance regal as any king. Both Charles and Catherine found his manner of dress odd, but made no real judgment on it. He was the only one not in some amazing color. In fact, he wasn�t even wearing daytime attire. Katherine recognized his black and white evening suit. He was almost foreboding. He towered over the top of his daughters� hate, as he stood just behind her. �Good morning, Charles.� He greeted softly, being the first one to speak. That seemed to snap the Vicomte into the real world again. He tore his eyes away from Allyriane�s beautiful face. Turning, he bowed to Erik quickly, politely. �Monsieur!� He greeted with a smile. �How wonderful to see you here! Lyre wrote that you�d be joining them, but I wasn�t entirely sure whether or not to believe her, with how your business must be run.� Erik chuckled, shaking his head. Slowly, his eyes turned to Katherine as his daughter moved forward to hurry into Charles� gentle and welcoming embrace. Raoul smiled, seeing the young woman his boy seemed so smitten with. As Charles gently kissed her forehead and cheeks, it was obvious his son was being very considerate of the new uncertainty she felt while being touched by a young man. Still, she was utterly affectionate and happy while returning his embrace. Erik was staring at Katherine, as Isabelle looked between the two of them in mild confusion. Certainly, she could see the resemblance that Raoul and Erik knew existed between the daughter and Christine. Yet Erik seemed paralyzed by the resemblance. Even having learned in the past years that her husband had once been very much in love with the deceased Prima Donna, she had no idea why he was so struck by Katherine�s young face. �You look so much like her . . .� Erik whispered, reaching into the cloak he kept over his shoulders to pull out a white rose. Approaching the steps, he held it out to the fourteen-year-old girl, and bowed slightly. �Perhaps you�ll allow me, Mademoiselle Katherine, to see how much you may take after her? She had a beautiful voice.� �My father says my voice is like hers, though not as finely trained as hers was.� Katherine replied. �It�s a great honor to meet you, Monsieur. I�ve been looking forward to speaking with you.� Her eyes turned to Isabelle. �Welcome, Madame.� Raoul finally cleared his throat, gaining the attention of both Erik and his bride. Allyriane would have looked up to him, but she seemed a bit too lost in Charles� gentle eyes. Quickly, Erik stepped away from the daughter of his lost beloved, and held his hand out to Raoul, shaking his in a firm grip. Isabelle gave a little bob of her head in greeting to him. �Monsieur Comte de Chagney! It has been ages!� Erik greeted enthusiastically, although his eyes burned intently on his former rival. �It�s good to see you looking so well, although I think your hair could use a good dying.� Raoul reached up to run his fingers through his slightly shaggy white hair. Yet he grinned sheepishly. �Well, I wasn�t expecting to stay young forever.� He replied, giving into the teasing tone his deceased wife�s friend used. Poor Isabelle was the odd person in the group. Raoul and Erik could keep company while Charles, Katherine, and Allyriane kept each other occupied. Yet Isabelle couldn�t decide what to do as they all moved in separate directions. Finally, as Charles escorted Allyriane towards the stables so they might go riding, Katherine turned and hurried back to her. �Madame! Want to go riding with us?� She hadn�t been riding in years, but Isabelle smiled. What was the harm, she figured. It seemed Erik and Raoul had a great deal to talk about, the way they moved into the building. It only showed how little she knew. She had no idea the different items that Erik had tucked away under his cloak � including secrets. ////////////-------------///////////// The six of them were all sitting around the grand dinner table in the extravagant dining room of the de Chagney mansion. Charles and Raoul sat at the head and foot of the table. Katherine sat to Charles� left, and Isabelle sat beside her, to Raoul�s right. On Charles� right sat Allyriane, and Erik sat between her and Raoul. Allyriane couldn�t seem to get over the crystal and china that she was using. Although they used very nice plates at home for special occasions, Raoul had insisted that the dining set they now used were not the most expensive they had set aside for parties. �Did he show you the opera yet, Katherine?� Allyriane asked abruptly, her voice rising above the rest of the conversation at the table. Raoul looked down towards them questioningly, halting his own tale in mid-sentence, which he�d been telling to Erik. �Yes. We�ve already started working on one of the songs. I can�t believe he has refused to show it to you until now! It�s sublime!� Erik looked towards the girls slowly, ignoring Raoul�s confusion. �Well, Katherine, I wrote that for a very special person in my life, from before I ever met Isabelle. Your voice is a great deal like hers.� Raoul�s eyebrows rose. To his knowledge, this was the first he�d ever heard of this man having liked his Christine. �You and Christine are the only ones who ever could have played Aminta.� Erik continued, glancing at Raoul from the corner of his eye, finally. He realized that Raoul did not recognize the name of the character, but that wasn�t so surprising. �Perhaps we can sing a part of it for everyone tonight.� �Oh, I�m not ready yet!� Katherine protested. �Please, Monsieur Erik! Let me practice a bit more!� �Of course; if that is what you wish.� Erik grinned at her gently. �You remind me so much of her, I see what your father sees. Very charming, quite beautiful, and one heck of an amazing talent.� Everyone around them chuckled, and continued to chatter and dine until there was no food whatsoever left on the table, and the wine glasses (for those who chose to drink) had been emptied several times. ////////////////-------------------//////////////////////// �Monsieur G�nie? What are you doing in here?� Charles grinned as he rode his fathers� white horse into the large stable house, and dismounted in order to more politely greet the gentleman who stood stroking the flank of an older mare. Erik looked up casually, having heard the horse arrive as the hooves pounded the floorboards of the stable. Charles certainly seemed in bright spirits. �I was admiring the collection of horses that you have.� He admitted with a dismissive, graceful, flick of his wrist. �I haven�t seen such fine animals as these in years. Even this one is still quite beautiful, though I think the poor girl is too old to bare the weight of even a child anymore.� �She�s stronger than she looks, Sir.� Charles said quietly, moving up to stand opposite him. Smiling, he reached up to stroke between the eyes of the mare, and she seemed to close her eyes in pleasure. �There you go, Babette. That�s her favorite place to be stroked, Sir, if you care to know.� Erik chuckled, and turned to grab up an apple from a small pile he�d apparently brought out from the house. It had been years since he�d been able to just sit back and enjoy little things like this. A family could easily keep a man busy � and add to that a career with a very demanding schedule, and you have almost no time for yourself. This visit out into the country was just what he�d needed, even if it would be quite abbreviated. �Sir, I�d like to ask your permission about something.� Charles said suddenly, bringing Erik�s eyes to the lad quite sharply. �You�re going to sing with Kat tonight, aren�t you? In front of all of us so that we can finally all hear the results of the work you�ve been doing?� �That�s the plan.� Erik turned and walked towards the door to the stables, Erik following closely. �She wants to spend this last day rehearsing with me. I�d better get to that piano before she does, or she may become upset with me.� He laughed. �She gets frustrated a lot faster than your mother did, I dare say. Must have your fathers� temper.� �True, Sir.� Charles laughed outright. �Well, anyway, I have something I�d like your blessing to give to Lyre.� |