by Kailin Gow
“Really?” His eyes definitely read of skepticism.
“Really.” My voice came out a little more defensive and argumentative than I’d intended.
“You knew which room to go to.”
I shrugged, refusing to accept where he was driving this conversation.
“You automatically turned to the left at the fork back there.”
“Left.Right. I had to choose one,” I said with pragmatic logic. “I could just as well have taken the right.”
“But you took to the left. And the left led us to this very spot.”
I gave him a quizzical look that was quickly becoming irritated. “What’s special about this spot?”
“What does Kristine say about it?”
I gasped and my hand went to the ruby cross as I swayed on my feet. Thoroughly confused and afraid to find out more, I turned to look at Aaron. Where was this line of questioning leading us? “What did you say?”
“Kristine no doubt remembers this particular portion of the riding path.”
“But…”
“Hasn’t she told you that this is where Rupert was to be killed?”
“Aaron…” Baffled, I couldn’t say more.
“Did she not share with you the plot she’d so meticulously put into play?”
“What are you saying?”
“Kristine did take over you, did she not?”
“I thought…”
“Of course I believed you’d been possessed. I’m not blind, Annette.” His smile was warm and reassuring. “I’d come to know you quite well the weeks prior. You were demure, naïve, at times reserved. While I knew you had a depth of sensuality lying beneath this shy façade, the wildcat that exploded into your dressing room could never be you.”
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
A chill shook me. “I don’t enjoy being here,” I said, pointing to the ground. “Could we move on?”
He nodded and led me to an outcrop of rocks where we could sit and enjoy the view that went on for miles.
“I found Rupert’s journals a while back and have been spending many evenings reading through them. His mention of Kristine is intense and frequent. His love for her is mentioned in virtually every entry. She drew something out of him and he felt powerless to fight it. Some of his entries were filled with the love and passion he had for her. The visions of the future he foresaw. He wanted to give her the world and was prepared to do virtually anything to make her happy. But increasingly his entries were tortured and pained.”
Stunned, I just stared out towards his home. Fearing what more he had to say, I daren’t question him.
“His torment came in the form of the Phantom whom Kristine spent so much time with. Hideously disfigured, he appeared only under concealment of a mask. It was evident Rupert was jealous of the relationship between Kristine and this Phantom.”
He looked at me, but I kept my gaze on the horizon, unable to face him.
“The Phantom had a name.”
My heart skipped.
“Eric.”
I feigned ignorance.
“Eric’s love of the opera is well known. Not so well known was his love of Kristine.”
He knew everything. He knew more than everything.
“What I’ve not been able to comprehend, and believe me, I’ve tried to figure this out, is why Kristine chose to possess you. What is it that she was trying to accomplish by going to New York? And why had she been hanging around the Met?” He turned to me and tipped my chin with his fingers to bring my gaze to his. “What is your part in all this, Annette?”
My eyelids were suddenly heavy with denial. I didn’t want to discuss it and didn’t want to dig any deeper into this sorted story. “I look like her,” I finally whispered.
Aaron nodded thoughtfully. “I should have known. Rupert did describe her as unbelievably beautiful. He even tried sketching her but claimed to be incapable of capturing the fragile, yet intoxicating beauty.”
I cast my eyes down and added, “And I’m related to her.”
“The plot thickens.”
Glancing at him I saw all the questions, intrigue and accusations in his eyes.
“And Eric, of course,” he said. “Rupert did succeed in sketching him quite well. Though the man in the sketch was partially obscured by a mask, the portion that was visible held an odd resemblance to the man I’ve seen at your side on more than one occasion.”
It was impossible to look at him.
“Isn’t it odd that the vocal coach who put so much importance into perfecting your voice is a virtual look-alike to the greatest admirer of opera in all of Paris?”
“It is odd.”
“In addition to your relation to Kristine and the resemblance of your Eric to Kristine’s Eric, I’m sure you're aware of the similarity between Rupert and I.”
“I don’t really know what Rupert looked like, but I can easily imagine.”
“Yes. So why would it be that the three people involved in a dark and murderous love triangle over a hundred years ago would reunite, as it were?”
“I can’t fathom.”
“And to what purpose? What must we relive or re-enact? What business has been left incomplete?”
“Kristine seems to be the instigator.”
Aaron’s chuckle was dry and eerie, a sound I’d never heard before. “She would be.”
“I don’t understand what she wants with all this.”
“She duped Rupert and tried to have Eric kill him.”
“Yes.”
“Though she led Rupert to believe she loved him, all along her true love was reserved for Eric.”
“That’s what I’ve been told.”
“Is history repeating itself, Annette?”
“I don’t know what’s happening, Aaron.”
“You're sweet and innocent, but you're not stupid. You know very well the comparison I’m making.” The underlying darkness of his tone was growing with every statement, every accusation.
I tried to turn away, but his finger gripped my chin, refusing to allow my gaze to escape his scrutiny.
“Are you and Eric more than coach and student? Is this relationship you have with him simply platonic or do you love him as Kristine once did?”
My lips fought to form any kind of argument. I couldn’t admit the love I had for Eric, for a man who didn’t even belong in this century. But I knew my eyes couldn’t entirely conceal the truth.
“Do you love him, Annette?”
“Aaron.”
I instantly saw in his eyes his realization of the truth. “What are you doing here with me?”
“Everything is so confusing.”
He bit down on the pain and I could see the effort it took him to contain his anger. “Everything is so confusing? I’ll say. You come to my country, my home, and I introduce you to my family… my family! All the while you're in love with some hundred year old Phantom.”
“Aaron, you're making this sound so…”
“Sorted?”
“Don’t make me the villain, please.”
“I’m not the one who held you in my arms while my heart belonged to another.” Bitterness took over.
“Aaron, you’ve confused me from the beginning. You were my boss. I didn’t know what to do. You had me going out with you every night.”
“Are you implying that I coerced you into this relationship with me?”
“No, I…”
“Did I also coerce you into coming to Paris as well?”
“My feelings for you grew,” I argued.
“How delightful to hear.”
“You have no right.” My anger slowly grew to match his. “You’re not innocent in all this. Yes, you pushed me to go out with you, and yes I was intimidated. I’d just arrived in the city, I’d just left my parents’ home and I’d just begun a new career. You swept in out of nowhere and used your practiced and worldly ways to…”
“To what?” He stared at me, his nostri
ls flaring and his jaw grinding. “To what? To seduce you?”
“You showed me the life of high society and introduced me to important people; people who can do so much for my career. And led me through throngs of fans and paparazzi, always there for me to lean on, always protecting me. It didn’t take long for me to come to rely on you, Aaron. To long for your strength and your knowledge. Your expertise.”
Aaron turned away and took to the riding path.
“Don’t you see, Aaron? I met Eric. I met you. I got the role of Adelle. I had pressure from all around me. Eric wanted me to sing perfectly. You wanted me to meet important players. I’m just a girl from Louisiana. It’s the first time I’ve lived away from my parents, been on my own. I’ve never dated anyone seriously before. You, Eric…showered me with such love and care…I couldn’t help caring back. Both of you believe in me so much. How can I not love you back? Everything came so quickly. I didn’t want or expect all this attention. And you expect me to know exactly what I should do and who I should love?”
He turned suddenly, cupped my cheeks and kissed me, breathlessly and urgently. His lips covered mine and I felt his need to draw an emotion from me; any emotion. My mouth was reluctant to respond, but when his tongue swept in skillfully among the best of the French kissers, and his lips teased and played with my lips, when his arms wrapped around me and pulled my body tightly against the length of his, I succumbed. I moaned in spite of myself, kissing him back, pulling his him closer to me. I knew he was a good man…he wanted the best for me. As much as I cared for Eric, Eric had left me…gone from my life, leaving me with only his music.
When he pulled away, his face was flushed with passion and relief. He smiled, though tentatively. His eyes remained on mine and his hands seemed reluctant to release their hold of me.
A strong wind pushed through the forest and brought a fresh wave of cold air. The rattling of the branches above us increased, crackling and creaking with the threat of breaking over our heads. I suddenly felt so small. My first experiences at love were all such miserable failures. It seemed no matter what I did, no matter who I was with, pain became the center of the relationship.
Unperturbed by the swaying tree limbs, Aaron pulled out a small velvet covered box from his jacket pocket. “This is for you.”
He held it out, urging me to take it. “Please, open it.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and reached for the box, dreading the contents. If I’d been confused up to this point, whatever lay in the box would surely add to the enigma my life had become.
I snapped the lid back and gasped. I knew little of jewelry and lesser still about gems, but the stone that stared at me was larger than I would have ever thought possible.
“It’s a yellow diamond, very rare. It once belonged to my great, great grandmother.”
Surrounding the huge stone were smaller pink diamonds. The ring was exquisite in every way and my hand shook from simply holding an item of such value.
“Aaron, I can’t…”
“You’ve no idea the depth of my affection for you.”
“This is a treasured heirloom. The diamond is huge.”
“Over fifteen karats.”
“There’s no way I can possibly…”
“I didn’t bring you here just for a fanciful visit to the countryside. I didn’t introduce you to my mother simply as the new star to the most successful opera New York has ever seen.”
“Aaron.” I was stunned and wanted to beg him to stop speaking. Inhaling became increasingly difficult as I saw where he was leading. This was too much. It was all impossible to take in.
“Maman liked you very much. She told me such as I escorted her inside. Never has she liked a woman I’ve brought home. Never.” He pulled the ring out of the box and took a tender hold of my left hand. “She warned me not to let you slip away,” he whispered.
Despite the cool breeze that continued to carry the scents of fresh air and endless horizons, I felt suffocated and choked by the intense heat.
“My true purpose in bringing you here was to ask you to marry me.”
The breeze ceased and the air hushed. The very forest surrounding us was holding its breath and it seemed the earth was being taken away from beneath my feet.
I gulped down the ball of air that caught in my throat and my eyes widened, though with horror or surprise, I couldn’t be sure. The thought of marriage was preposterous. Not only was I far too young to even consider such a thing, but my relationship with Aaron had not had the proper time to grow and flourish as it should. My emotions were still scattered about.
“I know it’s sudden and you’ll need some time to contemplate…”
“We’ve only known each other…”
“I know, my darling. And I have no intention of rushing you. But I desperately wanted you to know just how much I love you. I wanted you to know how deeply I care for you. I’d give you my world. You could lead the life of a true princess in your own chateau and it would be my life’s work to keep you happy.”
“I still don’t know how I feel about you. About all of this.”
“Kristine came in and confused everything for you. Her bitter love for Eric was used to turn your heart upside down. Don’t you see? What you feel for Eric is truly the remnants of her own attraction. Eric is little more than a ghost. He has no place in this space and time. He belongs in the past, in a relationship that is dead and over.”
Tears suddenly filled my eyes at the sound of Eric’s name. Hearing him referred to as a ghost was horrendous, but I knew Aaron was partially right.
“The present is here and now, Annette. With me. I am a real man with blood pounding from my heart and a love for you that has not ceased to grow.” He slipped the ring on my finger. “I’d give my life to protect you from Kristine and the torturous games she enjoys playing.”
He pulled me into his arms, and I could feel the weight of his emotions. Deep in my heart I knew he was a good man and I knew he would indeed do everything he could to keep me from harm.
But love?
Though he held me tightly and brushed warm kisses on my temple, there remained a cool tension in his arms. The passion he showed for me was restrained and held in check in a way that left me uneasy.
And the sudden proposal.
What was he expecting an eighteen year old girl to do?
Chapter 17
Returning to the great mansion left me in a somber mood. While Aaron smiled and seemed content with the outcome of our stroll, I felt more perplexed than ever. Why couldn’t he have allowed me a few days of peace and tranquility before throwing such a huge decision my way?
“Aaron,” Francoise greeted as we approached the terrace. She nodded at me. “Annette, I do hope you enjoyed your visit of the grounds.” Before I could say anything she turned to Aaron. “You’ve only been here a few hours and you already have a visitor.”
A frown came to his forehead and he instantly showed his displeasure. “No one knows I’m here.”
“Well, word apparently got out. He’s waiting for you in the parlor. Jean Paul is keeping him company.”
I had trouble keeping up with Aaron’s long and determined strides as he held a firm grip on my hand and headed inside the house. His footsteps echoed and resonated in the hall, each step becoming angrier. By the time he reached the parlor, his face was red and his fist tight.
Jean Paul had a polite smile on his crinkled face while he sat watching the visitor. Tea and treats had been served and the visitor seemed quite at ease as he sipped from the fine china cup. The delicate clink of cup hitting saucer as he set his cup down was incongruous with the massive size of the man, his hands and his fingers. His broad shoulders hunched over as he perused the yellowed pages of an old book sitting on his lap.
The moment I saw the tousle of dark curls I knew. Though turned away, I saw the strength of that chin I’d come to know so well. I thought I would never see him again. My heart immediately jumped out to him and it was all I
could do to keep from running to him. He was incredibly handsome in a fine suit and his face cleanly shaven.
How had he known I was here? How had he found me?
I was elated to see him again.
Oblivious to the heavy footsteps that had announced our arrival, the visitor remained intent on the pages of that book.
“Aaron,” Jean Paul said as we entered. “Look who we have visiting us today.”
Eric turned to us with a smile in his dark eyes, while Aaron visibly blanched then quickly turned crimson. His eyes took on a murderous gloom and his breathing was all we could hear for those first few seconds.
When Eric turned his charismatic yet guarded smile to me, I felt the tension mount in Aaron’s hold of me. His hatred for Eric was palpable, though Jean Paul seemed oblivious and continued to smile happily.
“What,” Aaron let out through gritted teeth, “are you doing here?”
Eric’s smile didn’t falter.
“Aaron.” Jean Paul rose on shaky limbs and came to Aaron’s side. “We’ve just been going over the family tree and Eric here appears to be a long lost member of the Aragon family.”
“That’s impossible,” Aaron let out.
Jean Paul chuckled. “My boy, as you grow older, you come to accept that few things in life are impossible. It’s not really that uncommon for family relatives to come out of nowhere. Aragon men didn’t always show the restraint they should.” He nudged Aaron with his elbow, but Aaron was far from amused.
“What are you trying to prove?” Aaron spat at Eric.
“Eric even brought a seal, showing his consanguinity to our family. This is indeed a long-lost cousin of yours, Aaron.”
Eric set the book down and rose to his impressive and imposing height. The breadth of his shoulders made the room seem suddenly small, while the charm in his smile battled with Aaron’s cool stance.
“Liar.” Aaron stood his ground and looked straight into Eric’s eyes.
“My relation is to Rupert’s mother, Veronique,” Eric said. He eyed me intently, though his emotions were nearly impossible to read. His gaze held a blend of pleasure and surprise at seeing me. When his eyes dipped down to my hand still clasped in Aaron’s, he showed only a hint of a frown and quickly resumed his grin.