Through Phantom Eyes: Volume Five - Christine

by Theodora Bruns

  I found the red evening dress I wanted for her, and I also found a jeweler who could make the hair combs and necklace I had in mind out of the rubies I’d brought with me. While I was there, I looked over his selection of ladies watches and decided to get one for her. The jewelry would take a couple of days to finish, but the engraving I wanted on the inside of the watchband he did while I waited. Then I went to my favorite restaurant and ordered our special dinner. From there, I went to see Joubert.

  “Have you found out how much Dominick needs for the paving of the street?” I asked as I walked into his kitchen.

  “Yes, and he didn’t look suspicious when I asked him. But I don’t think that will be the case when I give him the money.”

  “Just do the best you can. If the truth comes out, I’ll deal with it at that time.”

  I gave him the money, and he made us hot chocolate, and then we talked. He willingly answered more of my Bible questions and even gave me scriptures to look up when I returned home. He was such an easy man to talk to, and I would have stayed longer but I wanted to visit with Lapierre and Geanne before I left the area.

  They were pleased that I’d returned so soon, but they weren’t pleased that I hadn’t brought Christine with me. Geanne insisted that I have a piece of cherry pie and tea while we talked about their new grandchild. As usual, their company made me feel warm inside and helped to erase my vengeful feelings towards Raoul.

  I stayed there until an hour before sundown, and then I headed home. It was dark by the time I’d returned the sorrel and made it to the opera house. I was thinking it would be easy to slip in through my secret door, it usually was after dark, but it wasn’t that night.

  I’m not sure what had happened, but there were police patrolling the walkways circling the opera house. I couldn’t help but wonder if Raoul had had anything to do with it. I stayed a block away, leaning against a corner, and watched the patrols. Again, the actions of the police department were absolutely absurd. They made it so easy to evade them.

  After a half an hour, I had their patrol pattern down and moved in closer, waiting for my chance to sneak behind their lines and into my secret door. Their presence made it more of a challenge for me, but it didn’t stop me by any means.

  Since I smelled like sweat and horses, I decided to take a bath in the tub as Christine had ordered, and, at first, it was relaxing. But since I was surrounded by all her things, it made me miss her, so my bath wasn’t a long one. While I dressed, I realized the next few days were going to be extremely long and lonesome. To overcome that problem, I decided to spend them working on Don Juan, and, so I wouldn’t lose myself in my music and forget to eat, I made a plate of food and a pot of tea and took them to my music room.

  Before I got started, I took Christine’s watch out of my cloak pocket and put it in my armoire. While I was there, my sight fell on the green, velvet bag with my mother’s locket, so I opened it and looked at it. Memories of my conversation with Celeste visited me, and I felt even more alone.

  I was in that thought process when I heard something behind me, and I instantly dropped the locket and turned. There was someone on the other side of my secret door, and I automatically reached into my pants pocket for a lasso, but it was empty. I grabbed the one from my other pants, the one I’d used on Raoul, and another one in my cloak. Then I faced the door, and, with a coil in each hand, I waited.

  By then the door was opening slowly, and the tapestry over it was swaying. Triggered by the happenings of the day, with Raoul and so many police on the premises, many scenarios flashed through my mind. Had Raoul found his way down? Had the police found my passage? Had Christine betrayed me?

  Thirty-Eight

  With the coils steady in my hands and my heart beating steady in my chest, I was prepared for whatever awaited me behind the tapestry. It moved, and I heard Christine’s concerned voice.

  “Erik, are you there?”

  Without moving, and preparing to see or hear Raoul, I answered guardedly, “Yes.”

  “Then could you please help me?” she asked, with frustration growing in her voice.

  I moved toward the tapestry and cautiously pulled it back; what I saw made me laugh softly. She was flattened between the heavy tapestry and the wall with her hair all a muss and in her face. While chuckling, I slid my lassos into my pockets and released the hanging from the wall.

  “Perhaps I should leave this down, yes?”

  I laid it over my coffin with the other one. When I turned back toward her, she was still by the invisible door with her hands on her hips and her hair in her face.

  “I still need your help, Erik,” she said, as she gestured toward the floor on her right side.

  Then I saw the cause of her frustration. The hem of her dress was closed in the door, and, from the position she was in, she couldn’t reach the latch to open the door again. I went to her rescue, trying not to laugh as I removed a few gold tendrils from her face and opened the door.

  “Thank you,” she huffed.

  “You know, Christine, I warned you about trying to maneuver those steps in a dress.”

  “You men,” she snapped, taking me aback. “You think we can’t do anything on our own. Don’t forget, I’m a dancer, and my legs are as strong and as steady as a cedar tree. In addition, women can maneuver quite easily in a dress, we’ve been walking in them from our first steps, so it’s natural and not difficult by any means. Now, you men, on the other hand, I’m sure you would be completely helpless in a dress. That would be an interesting experiment, don’t you think? I’d like to see you in my dress and then try to climb those stairs. I bet you wouldn’t be your powerful and agile figure for long, and you wouldn’t be laughing either.”

  “It’s all right, Christine. I’m sorry. Calm down. I have to agree, you’re probably right, but, even though I’m fond of experimenting, I think I’ll pass on this one.”

  Still not satisfied, she continued her angry defense. “Besides, it wasn’t the stairs or my dress, it was that ridiculous tapestry. Why do you have it hanging there anyway?”

  “I like it. I think it’s a restful scene, don’t you?”

  She shook her head and snapped again. “Perhaps, but that’s a preposterous place to hang something that large. For a man who’s supposed to be intelligent, you didn’t show it when you chose that wall for it to hang on. Why don’t you put it somewhere else—out of the way?”

  “Christine! Calm down. What’s wrong? This isn’t like you. I have a feeling this isn’t about the tapestry or the steps or your dress or men. What’s happened?”

  She sighed and sat down on the piano bench, looking quite dejected. “I don’t know. I think I need to visit Mummy more often. I suppose she’s just getting old. She looked so frail in her bed, and it reminded me too much of my . . . of my father before he died. I hate the thought of losing her. Oh, I’m only being a baby,” she said softly, while looking at the ribbon on her dress sliding between her fingers. “I should have stayed with her longer, but I needed to come home to you and your encouragement.”

  I gazed at her with a heart full of love. Once more she used those words. She considered my home her home and she said she needed me, which was almost as important as saying she loved me, or maybe it was more important.

  “Christine,” I said as I picked up my plate of food and the teapot. “Why don’t I get you a cup of tea and we can sit by the fire? Then you tell me more about your visit?”

  Once we got settled, the real reason why she was so troubled was revealed.

  “I enjoy looking after her, that never bothers me. I think what really disturbed me was Raoul showing up. He was so accusatory.”

  My heart quickened, and I prepared for my defense. I felt for sure he must have told her about our encounter by the lake and probably accused me of trying to kill him again. But if he had, she didn’t mention it, and it goes without saying that I didn’t question her about it either.

  She gazed into the fire while twisting my rin
g on her finger, and her voice expressed the degree of her hurt and anger.

  “When he saw this, he became so angry. Then, when I wouldn’t explain what it meant and that it was none of his business, he said such hurtful things. He accused me of horrible deeds—and you too. I don’t know how he could think such awful things. They were even worse than what he accused us of at the ball.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “All I could think about was coming back here. He can’t find me here. I’m afraid to go back there, but I know I need to for Mummy’s sake.”

  By then, I was also gazing into the fire and trying to put out the flames in my thoughts. I wanted to find him and give him a stronger lesson. But the only stronger lesson would involve death, so that wasn’t an option. I was also tempted to use her anger with him and bring out more of his bad qualities, but, knowing Christine the way I did, I knew she would only come to his defense, so, for a while, I remained quiet on that subject.

  “Christine, I want you to know that my natural inclination is to find him and give him a lesson in proper decorum. But . . .”

  “Oh, no, Erik. Please don’t,” she begged. “I shouldn’t have said anything to you.”

  “Christine, listen to me,” I said softly. “What I was going to say was that I couldn’t go to him because I know you don’t want me to. You have nothing to fear on my part. Besides, I highly doubt he would listen to anything I’d say anyway. Please, don’t hold back from talking to me on that account. I want to be here for you.”

  She nodded. “Thank you. Now I just need to decide what to do.”

  “Would you like my advice?”

  “Yes, that’s why I came back.”

  “Then tell me—if Raoul weren’t in the picture, what would you be doing right now?”

  “I’d be taking care of Mummy.”

  “Then, if that’s what your heart is telling you to do, you need to do it.” She laid her forehead in her hand and shook her head. “Christine, let me tell you something I’ve learned during my life. Money has a strange power over most people. The rich think they’re better than those without money, and the poor think they’re worthless because they don’t have it, when, in reality, they’re no different. If you stripped the clothes from both sets of people and gave them a bath and a haircut, you couldn’t tell one from the other—they’re all the same. It’s only their money or lack of it that sets them apart.

  “Now, you may not want to hear what I’m going to say, but hear me out. Raoul, through no fault of his own, was born to parents who had money, so he was brought up believing he was better than those without it. Along with that belief comes a domineering spirit. I’m certain he was taught from an early age how to order servants around. His word became law, so when anyone opposes that law he doesn’t know how to conduct himself.

  “You’ve shown Raoul that you have a mind of your own and don’t necessarily want to live by that law, and his only way to express his frustration is to get angry with you. I’m not saying he’s right in doing so, but that’s why he’s doing it. If you stick by what you believe in your heart and don’t back down from him, he’ll do one of two things. He’ll either learn to respect you for having your own will or he’ll despise you because of it. You need to be ready for either outcome.

  “Don’t let Raoul stop you from going to Madame Valerius and caring for her. You have a right to do that, and he shouldn’t be a reason for not doing it. Don’t back down from him, Christine. Remember, without clothes we’re all the same, so don’t let him make you cower just because he shows a superior attitude. Show him your strength. Show him he’s no better than you are.

  “Don’t let him hurt you by the things he says. I know that may not be easy, especially for someone like you who holds your heart on your sleeve, but it’s the only way to deal with someone like Raoul. If you don’t want to talk to him, then tell him so and show him the door—or don’t let him in to begin with. If he doesn’t show respect for you, he doesn’t deserve to be in your company.

  “And, one more thing. Watch out for a repeating scenario. If he hurts you and then comes back on bended knee, that’s a good sign. But if it’s repeated over and over again, it’s a bad sign, and it will never change. If that happens, you have to decide if you’re willing to put up with the hurt or leave it.

  “In the end, all the choices are yours to make. Don’t let him or anyone else make them for you. Not even me, Christine. It’s your life, and you only have one to live, so don’t live it in fear or in hurt.”

  She agreed and thanked me, and then I heated up our tea and gave her chocolates to her. We talked for hours after that, and she decided to go back to Madame Valerius’ home in the morning. Eventually, she started yawning, and we decided to call it a night. She headed for the music room to get her cloak, and I took our plates and cups into the kitchen. When I came out of the kitchen, she was walking toward me, looking down at her hands.

  “Erik, I found this on the floor,” she said as she looked up at me. “I’m not being curious—honest. I just didn’t think you would want this on the floor.”

  By then we’d met in the dining room, and she handed me my mother’s locket.

  “You’re right. I must have dropped it. Thank you,” I replied while heading for my armoire to replace it, but then I glanced over my shoulder when I got to the door. She was still standing in the dining room and watching me, and I knew she was curious, regardless of what she said, so I asked, “Do you want to know about this locket?”

  She nodded and started walking toward me. “This is a locket I gave my mother when I was just a boy. When you and I made that trip to Perros, the friend I told you about gave it to me. Does that appease your curiosity?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  When I put the locket back in its velvet bag, I saw and remembered Christine’s gift. “Here,” I said as I handed it to her, “this one is for you.”

  Her eyes widened, but then she shook her head. “You really need to stop buying me things, Erik.”

  “You give me one good reason why I shouldn’t buy you trinkets, and then I’ll consider it.”

  “Because you’ve already given me too much, that’s why.”

  “No, I said a good reason. That’s not a good reason.”

  She smiled and opened the box. “Oh! Erik! This is gorgeous. I’ve never seen such a beautiful watch. This had to cost you a fortune.”

  I was smiling from ear to ear while she examined it. It was stunning, and that’s why I wanted it for her. Its face was delicate and was surrounded by two rows of diamonds that sparkled and made the white gold also sparkle. The band was nearly solid, with only one section that expanded to fit over the hand. The inside of the band is where I had the jeweler put the inscription.

  “I’m glad you like it. Now you won’t have to ask me what time it is so often. Look at the inscription.”

  She turned it toward the light and read it. “Until the last hour of forever~~my heart is yours.” She looked up at me and barely shook her head. “Oh, Erik, what can I say? I love it. It’s perfect.”

  “Just like you, my dear,” I replied softly while running the back of my fingers down her cheek.

  Then she started bubbling over like the excitable schoolgirl she became from time to time. “Oh, I can wait to show Mummy—Oh, and Meg. I can’t wait.”

  When she finally calmed down, we retired to our respective beds, and then, during breakfast the next morning, she told me her decisions.

  “I thought a lot about all you said last night, and you’re right. I don’t like confrontations—they hurt, but if that’s what it’s going to take to make Raoul understand my position, then that’s what I’ll have to do. These weeks I’ve spent with you have been like a fairytale, and I’ve felt like the princess in it, but it’s time to close the book and come back to reality.

  “I’d like you to take me across the lake again so I can wear this dress. It’s one of my favorites, and I also think it’s dignified, and I want to look dignifi
ed when I talk to our new managers. I’m going to tell them I want lead roles or I’ll be leaving.” She scrunched her face and shoulders, and asked, “Do you think that’s too strong? Would you suggest a better approach?”

  I smiled at her. “No, my dear. That approach is perfect, and the dress is also perfect for the occasion. I’m proud of you. It’s time you stood up for yourself, and I’m pleased you now realize it.”

  “Good. Then that’s what I’m going to do. If they accept my demands, I’ll be starting back in rehearsals soon, but I want to continue my lessons with you, if that’s all right.”

  “You know it is and always will be.” Then, taking a chance, I asked her, “Have you thought any more about Raoul?”

  “Yes. I’m going to give him one more chance. I’m going to tell him exactly what I want out of my life. I’m going to tell him I want to stay at the opera house and perform. I’m going to tell him about you and how I feel about you, and that I’ll be visiting you just as often as I want. If he doesn’t like it, then he doesn’t have to see me anymore. I’m also going to let him know that I’m not his property, so he has no right to accuse me of any wrongdoing. I simply won’t put up with it any longer.”

  Nodding in thought, I replied to her decisions, “I see. I hope he doesn’t give you more problems. And while we’re talking about your life and decisions, there’s another special evening I’ve planned, but, if it interferes with your new schedule, I can change the night.”

  “I’ll know more after I talk to the managers and Gabriel. When I do, I’ll be able to schedule my time with Mummy and you. Can I let you know then?”

  “Certainly. Well, my dear, it sounds as if you have it all worked out. I’m proud of you.”

  She thanked me for the encouragement, and we began her lessons. After that, I took her across the lake and part way up the stairs. Then I kissed her fingers and the ring and told her I hoped her day went as planned. She turned and started up the stairs, and I turned and started down, but I was much too curious and concerned to continue. So I slipped into one of my passages and went to our managers’ office and waited for Christine’s appearance.