Erik and Christine: Loves Secret (A Phantom of the Opera Story)

Chapter 10

The following morning, Christine is brushing her hair and putting on her jewelry for the day. A servant enters the room and says, "Mademoiselle, there's someone here to see you." Christine turns her head and replies, "Please, send them in." The servant nodded his head down and said, "Yes, mademoiselle."

A few minutes later, Christine is touching herself up before her guest comes into her room. Suddenly a gentleman enters the room and leans against the door. "You look more and more beautiful every time I come to visit," the man states. Christine turns as she recognizes that voice. She smiles and says, "Uncle Gabriel!"

Gabriel walks into the room, kneels down and hugs her. "Hello, Christine!" She let's go of their hug and says in a happy tone, "I haven't seen you in five years." He leans back against a wall and replies, "I know. You've grown into a beautiful woman." She turns around and asks, "So what are you doing here?" Gabriel crosses his arms and replies, "Well, I've come to see my lovely niece since I haven't seen you in so long." Suddenly another man and a woman enter the room. "And we came too!"

Christine turns and is shocked and happy to see her cousin. "Charlotte!"

Charlotte is tall, has brown eyes, and has lushing beautiful hair. She runs towards Christine and gives her a big hug. Christine sighs and says, "Charlotte, I've missed you so much!"

"So have I Christine!" Charlotte replies. A tall, handsome man named Alexander enters the room. He smiles at them and says, "So this is your cousin. The beautiful and famous soprano in all of France."

"Why Charlotte? Who is this young gentleman?" Christine asks as she lets go of Charlotte. Alexander nodded his head down and said, "My name is Alexander. Alexander Mason." Christine stands up and walks to Alexander to shake his hand. Alex however, takes her hand and kisses it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Mason," she said. Alex smiles and replies, "Please, call me Alexander." Christine smiles again and looks down as she says, "Alexander." Charlotte smiles at her cousin knowing how polite Christine tends to be.

"So how do you two know each other? Are you a friend of the family?" Christine asks Alex. He smiles, looks down, turns to Charlotte and replies, "Actually no." Christine turns her head knowing that she is now curious to know how they know each other. "Your Cousin Charlotte and I met a few years ago, and we are married." Christine's eyes show an expression of excitement and happiness for her cousin. "Oh yes. I remember Charlotte mentioning that in a letter that she was getting married," she said with a smile on her face. Christine puts a hand on Charlotte's shoulder.

"Yes, technically we are still engaged in everyone else's eyes. Especially your father's Alex," Charlotte implied as she turns and raises her eyebrow at Alex. Gabriel walks and stands next to Alex, puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "I personally don't care. Engaged. Married. You are still considered my son-in-law." Alex turns towards Gabriel and replies, "Thank you, sir." Christine turns to Charlotte, takes her hand and asks, "So when is the wedding?"

"We are getting married in a month. I sent you an invitation to you and your fiancé to come," Charlotte replied.

"Oh. I'm sure he will want to come," Christine implies.

Gabriel notices that Christine is hiding something. "Christine, is everything alright?" he asks gently. Christine looks at her uncle with concerning and sad eyes. "Uh..." she emphasized with a look on her face. Gabriel, Alex, and Charlotte notice that Christine wants to finish her sentence but is uncomfortable to talk about whatever is on her mind. "Charlotte, Alex, do you mind if I talk to Uncle Gabriel in private, please," she politely asks. Gabriel nods his head. "Of course," Alex replies. He walks to Charlotte and gently takes her hand. "Charlotte," he slightly moves his head to gesture to her to leave the room. Charlotte and Alex silently leave the room. Gabriel suggests to Christine to sit down on the sofa.

"So. Tell me. What's wrong?" Gabriel asked. She is a little hesitant to speak, but replies, "Uncle. Things haven't been fine between Raoul and I lately." He slightly leans his head and asks, "What do you mean?"

"Well. At first, he was not comfortable with me composing music let alone singing," she said. "I do not know why. But he was saying that it reminded him...of my Angel of Music." Gabriel raises his head up as Christine begins to explain the situation. Knowing that he is about to hear the crucial detail to why Raoul acted cruelly towards her. "I told him it was ridiculous, for him to think that my music would hurt him so much. But honestly uncle. I never knew that it could hurt him so much, that...that..."

"That he can lock you in your room until you learned to obey him," he interrupted. Christine is shocked and slightly scared and curious to know how her uncle knows about what happened to her that night. "How did you know that?" Christine asked. "I went to visit Madame Giry, and she told me," he replied. Christine looks away as she feels embarrassed and sad that her uncle had to find out from Madame Giry and not from her. Gabriel glances down for a moment and moves a little closer to her. "Christine. May I ask you a question?

"Of course Uncle," she replied.

"Do you think Raoul when he finds out that your Angel of Music is alive, that he will get angry at you?" he asks. She glanced down and acknowledged, "Probably." Christine looks back at him, wondering how he knows about her Angel of Music. Gabriel looks down and takes her hand. "Reason, why I'm asking, is because I care about you. And I don't want you to get hurt. Now may I ask you another question?" Christine smiles looks at her uncle and says, "Yes."

Gabriel tilts his head slightly and inquires, "Do you love Raoul?" Christine pauses, blinks several times, as she is confused yet, more like surprised that her uncle asked her that. "I beg your pardon?" she asks.

"Do you love him?"

Christine smiles and replies, "Of course I do." Gabriel tilts his head again. "Why do you love him?"

Christine stands up and responds, "Well...because he's been there for me when I needed him." She stops and turns around to face him. "And he loves me for me." Gabriel hunches over as he knows that Christine has feelings for Raoul. "Are you sure?" he asks. Christine pauses, knowing that even though she does, there is a question of how much and why she truly loves him.

Gabriel stands up and walks towards his niece. "You don't have to answer now. We can talk more about this another time. Besides Charlotte will want to go try on her wedding dress today since her wedding is in a month," he said.

"I'll see you at the wedding, yes?" he asked. Christine smiled and replied, "I will be there." Gabriel smiles and says, "Excellent."

Gabriel looks down smiles and pulls out a package that he had put on a table when he first entered the room. "Oh, by the way. I am giving you your wedding gift to you now because I feel like now is the best time to have it," he said. Christine gently takes it from him, looks down at it and smiles. "What is it?", she asks.

"Open it and see," he said with enthusiasm. Christine glances at it once more, then looks back at her uncle. "Alright," she said. Christine opens the box and is breathless. It is an antique mask that her family has kept for many generations. "Oh, uncle! It's so beautiful!" she proclaims. Christine leans towards her uncle and hugs him. "I knew you would like it," he responds with a smile on his face. She let's go of him and smiles at him. "Anyway. I must be going. I will see you soon," he said. He smiles, kisses her on the cheek, and heads towards the door. She looks down at the masque again. Gabriel stops at the door frame, turns around and says, "Goodbye Christine," he said.

"Goodbye Uncle and thank you! Tell Charlotte goodbye for me," she contented.

"I will. Goodbye darling," he said.

"Goodbye uncle Gabriel," she shouted as Gabriel leaves the mansion. Christine was delighted that she had received a present from her uncle that was so beautiful. She sits down and admires the craftsmanship. "The structure on this mask is so beautiful. It reminds me of..." She blinks several times as she comes to realize that it reminds her of someone she cares about. She puts the mask down and says silently, "Oh my god!"