"Raoul, I was trying to have a conversation with you as two adults do occasionally. I do not need to you to remind me of the fact that my husband is dead," she said, desperately keeping the tears at bay. She turned to leave but Raoul grabbed her hands, halting her. There was a look of total remorse on his face but it did not quench Christine's anger.
"Christine, I am sorry, I was out of line. Please sit down," he pleaded gently. For a moment Christine did not move, thinking about whether or not she should continue to be in the same room with this man. Finally she nodded and sat down. Raoul sighed in relief and sat himself down as well.
"Remember when I kissed you?" she whispered. Raoul nodded. How could he forget that moment when the woman he loved granted him the gift of her kiss? Even with the fact that Erik had nearly beaten him senseless it was still a moment he treasured. They had had this discussion about Raoul's feelings before, but at the time Christine had not been in love with Erik. Now not only was she in love with him, he had died and she was pregnant with his baby. Things had definitely changed.
"Of course."
"Erik-he-he had this passion about him...he made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world."
"You are the most beautiful," Raoul said. She smiled and shook her head. She needed to make a point, she wanted him to understand that she was not meant for him. There was someone out there for him.
"Raoul, what I am trying to say is that when I kissed you...I did not feel that. Erik is the only man I could ever love. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, believe me when I say that, but I can never be with another man, ever," she said. Raoul knew that this had to be what getting your heart broken must feel like. He felt as if she had reached into his chest and torn his heart right out and then stomped on it for good measure. He felt like such a complete fool. That kiss had meant more to him then it had ever meant to her. He really was pathetic.
"Well, since we have that cleared up," he said standing. Christine could see the hurt expression on his face and she quickly stood, blocking his exit from the room. He had a pained look on his face, cursing the fact that she was so close and yet so far away.
"Please, Christine, this is hard enough," he whispered.
"Tell me you understand," she pleaded. This man she considered a brother and she did not want him to turn his back on her because of conflicting emotions.
"I understand," he whispered walking from the room. Christine sighed and put her head in her hands, wishing Erik was there to comfort
Christine was rather tired of talking to everyone. She felt like she had had discussions with everyone, some more difficult than others. All she wanted was a few days to herself; where she could just be alone. But that was not going to happen any time soon. Her father was sitting across from her and he had yet to speak a word, and he had been there for ten minutes. She had not talked to him in quite a long time and she had missed him.
"Anthony knows about Nadir?" Gustave finally said. Christine sighed.
"Perhaps you should ask him?" Christine replied. That discussion was between her brother and her father. Gustave seemed upset with her answer.
"Do you think he-"
"Papa, I really do not want to talk about this," she interrupted, not wanting to be rude but needing to be alone. Besides, she knew all to well what he wanted to talk to her about.
"What do you want to talk about then?" he demanded.
"What did you come here to talk about?" she said, answering a question with another question. Gustave sighed, his daughter was a smart woman and he could get nothing past her. Before he could answer she began to answer her own question.
"You came here to tell me that you want me to go back with you to Paris," she said. Gustave could only nod. Christine immediately shook her head. She wished this would not turn into an argument but knew it was inevitable.
"I cannot do that, Papa," she whispered.
"Yes, you can, you are pregnant," he said, as if that explained everything. Christine frowned.
"What does that have to do with anything?" she demanded.
"I want you close so I can make sure you are alright," he said. Christine sighed in exasperation.
"I can take care of myself and my baby, Papa, I am a grown woman."
"I know that, but where else would you go?" he asked. He made it sound like she was pregnant out of wedlock and no one would take her into their home.
"I am going home," she answered. Gustave sighed in relief.
"Thank you, that is what I wanted."
Christine shook her head.
"Not your home, my home. The one that I shared with Erik," she said. Gustave looked angry for a moment but Christine continued talking.
"I need to go home. That is another piece of Erik, that house, and I want to raise our baby in his home and I want to fall asleep in the bed I shared with him."
Gustave could see that his daughter was close to tears and he pulled her into his embrace. He understood now how much she loved Erik and he could only imagine how she must be feeling at that moment.
"Then would you permit me to stay with you until the baby is born?"
Christine had never been happier to hear him say anything in her life. It would mean a lot to her if her father were to stay with her, because although she wanted to be alone for a few days she did not want to be alone for the nine months of her pregnancy. She began to cry and nodded through her tears.