A Little Christmas Spirit Never Hurt Anyone (Adina

[Adina Gillespie]

Adina nodded in hearty agreement. She was indeed very frightened when she had awakened in Erik's lair. But now that she was going back to the gentleman's home, she felt much more at ease. No longer afraid or worried, the maid now greatly looked forward to spending part of Christmas day with Lenoir. She gripped his hand as they crossed the bridge. It swayed a little with their footfalls and Adina tried to keep her focus on Lenoir to keep her mind off of the sound of the creaking ropes.

The light from Erik's lantern gave the maid an inward warmth and sense of protection as she felt the solid ground beneath her feet again. She didn't mind the dark of the cavern as long as Erik kept the lantern aglow. The two finally approached the gondola and Adina courteously took Erik's hand to steady herself as she stepped into the gondola before taking a seat. She watched as the gentleman took to the prow and then the two began the short crossing of the lake to Erik's home. Adina saw the lovely candles in the distance and smiled, savoring the warmth around her and exhaling with relaxation.

Adina beamed with delight when she saw the lovely colors of the different candles, the flames faintly giving off a glow of the colors. It was so beautiful! She happily took Erik's arm in her own, her other hand gently resting on his forearm as they walked. "It's so lovely, Erik. You did all this?" She felt as if she wanted to dance again but held back her spontaneity.

The garland, candles, Christmas balls, everything was so beautiful! So merry! She inhaled the delicious smell of the pine and giggled. She loved the smell of pine; it was so warming and soothing to her soul. She watched as Erik went to the Victrola- the one he had mentioned earlier- and the sound of Christmas music filled the air. Erik apologized for the sound of the instrument. Adina smiled and shook her head. "Non, it is beautiful, Erik. I find it much more appealing than the other music that Ana had playing during our time in the kitchen." She graciously curtsied again as Erik pulled out a seat for her and sat at the table. He truly was quite a gentleman. "Merci, Erik. I thought that once I had come into this century, all chivalry had died out. But I am glad that there are such mannered people still around in this time, like you." Then Erik offered her some hot cider. "Oh! Please, if you don't mind. That sounds rather delicious." She remembered the one man who had been serving eggnog at the Christmas Eve party. But she was looking forward to tasting the cider and the food as well. And to share a pleasant meal with equally pleasant company.

[Erik Lenoir]

Erik warmed the cider on his wood stove and then put the food in the oven. It was cooked, but needed to be warmed. He took the cider out in two cups and saucers made of find china and placed them both on the table, a cinnamon stick in each. "I enjoy this very much, Adina, and if you wish more after you are done, there is plenty. I am waiting for the food to warm."

Erik saw Adina looking at the various decorations Erik had put about the lair. "I found most of that in the opera house, in some boxes behind the stage. I decided to decorate a bit to make it look festive." He blushed a bit. "This is actually the first time I have ever decorated my home for any holiday..."

Erik sipped on the hot cider. It had turned out perfectly. But what was bothering him was the little gift he had for Adina. Would she like it? He hoped so. "Excuse me, dear, I need to bring out the food now. Oh, would you wind the Victrola and put on another record? Whatever you would like..."

Erik went to the kitchen where he had made baked ham with sauce, a potato dish, mixed vegetables, and croissants. For dessert he had French cherry tarts. He brought them out one by one and then set a large candle on the table for more light.

He brought out some fine china and silverware and a pot of tea. "I hope it's too your liking, Adina."

[Adina Gillespie]

Adina smiled and graciously took up the cup and saucer. "Thank-you, Erik," She brought the cup to her lips and sipped the delicious hot beverage. It was delicious! Like apple pie but in liquid form. She took another sip, letting the sweet golden fluid trickle down her throat.

She looked around Erik's home and admired the decorations. He explained that he had found them in the opera house and then… Erik blushed?? Adina couldn't help but find it sweet. She giggled a little and took another sip of the cider. "Perhaps you could make it a new tradition? To decorate your home like this every Christmas? It's very beautiful; I like the candles and garland very much."

"Mm!" She exclaimed and put down her teacup. "I almost forgot about your gift, Erik! I…." She frowned sadly. "I left it back in my room. Is it alright if we go back after we sup so I can give it to you?" Then Erik asked if she would like to put on some music while he went to check on their meal. She nodded and got up to look through the small pile of records. Some had labels and others did not. She picked up one that was titled 'O Little Town of Bethlehem'… It must be a modern song for she had not heard it before. She put the record into the machine and then noticed the crank on the side. She turned it and the disc began to spin, the little needle coming down as the lovely music began to play.

"Oh! Do let me help you, Erik," Adina said just as she was about to take her seat again. She moved to the little kitchen and saw all the delicious looking- and smelling- food. "And don't say otherwise. You already know how stubborn I am." She couldn't help but giggle happily as she helped Erik bring out the last of the dishes.

Then Adina eyed the tarts and she nearly cried out with joy but restrained her excitement. She had not had real French cherry tarts since she was very young. "Of course, Erik," She said with much joy. "How could I not enjoy everything? But, really, Erik, you should not have gone through all this trouble just for a little supper. It seems you've prepared an entire Christmas feast!"

[Erik Lenoir]

As he pulled out the chair for Adina again, he said, "I have not had occasion to celebrate a holiday before...before I came here, it was quite bereft of anything living, except myself of course, and there were times I had doubts about that myself." He said the former with a smile.

Erik wasn't used to eating anything fancy, so it was a pleasant meal for him too. "I have butter for the croissants also, Adina and marmalade if you would care for some." As they ate, Erik spoke again of his hopes for the opera house. "There has been some work done there already now. It is slow going, much slower than I could have anticipated. They have replaced the old chandelier, the one that was half coming down and frightening some of the women. That one had been electrified probably a hundred years ago, in my time, with early electrics. But the wires were corroded and I hired a company from the village to replace it all. So now it works amazingly well. And the chandelier is quite beautiful. The next to be done will be carpentry. I was hoping some of the residents would help, but I suspect they don't care to. I have again hired some men from the village, but they shall be completely working from my drawings for a new wooden stage, new trap doors and all. The wood there is rotted in places and I am concerned someone may fall through. Especially when dancing."

Then Erik thought about the gift he had for Adina. He had carefully wrapped it and it was ready to give her, but he would wait till after dinner. "How is the food, dear? Can I bring you anything else?"

[Adina Gillespie]

Adina smiled and thanked Erik when he graciously pulled out the chair for her. He really was so gentlemanly and she was so grateful to have met him. She knew that this was a friendship which would possibly stand the test of time. "Well, I am very pleased that you are attempting to celebrate now, and I am glad that you no longer doubt your state of living." She gently took his hand for a moment before releasing.

She looked upon the feast before her and politely took just a little bit of everything. The ham smelled so sweet with the glaze over top, the croissants were warm, flaky, and rather buttery. It was all so decadent and the cider still rather warm as she sipped it some more. The French tarts were sublime and a perfect ending to the extravagant dinner. Everything was utterly perfect and overwhelmingly delicious; the most delicious meal she had eaten in a long time. She covered her mouth with one hand as she chewed and listened to Erik. He spoke of the opera house and the repairs that had taken place recently. She gasped when he told her of the chandelier that had come partway down from the ceiling. He mentioned that he had done drawings for a new stage floor. "You are an artist then, Erik?" She asked, beaming happily. "I know it will be a beautiful design. I look forward to seeing the work completed one day. Perhaps you can show me the progress when it is a little less dangerous?"

"Que manifique!" Adina exclaimed with a sigh of satisfaction. Erik asked if he could bring her anything else. "Oh! No, Erik. I fear I may this has all been too much. What a feast indeed; It was simply delightful!" She finished her cider and set down her fork and knife. "Thank-you for this supper, Erik. It was simply delightful, and so was the company." She smiled again and licked the last bit of cream from her fingertip. This was the best Christmas she had ever had.

[Erik Lenoir]

"I am an architect. My drawings in this case are architectural, the ones for the stage. But I also dabble in fine art, portraits in particular. If you would like me to do your portrait some time, I woul dbe delighted."

Erik enjoyed the dinner and was glad that Adina did also. After he cleared the table, he brought out a bottle of sweet red wine. Would you care for a glass of wine after our dinner? " He brought out two glasses and an expensive bottle of wine. He left it on the table as he went back to one of his rooms to retrieve something else. "I have a little something for you too, Adina." He handed her a package wrapped in silver foil paper tied in a purple bow. Underneath the paper was a velvet necklace box, which, when opened, revealed this:

Erik handed her the gift and sat down and sipped his wine. "I do hope you like it..." It was getting a bit cold and he built a fire in the fireplace which vented who knows where in this place. But somehow, it still worked. Then he pulled out his violin and began to play Christmas music for Adina.

[Adina Gillespie]

Adina's eyes widened in surprise. "An architect?" She was completely in awe of Erik even more now: first she had heard his incredible singing voice, heard how beautifully he played the piano, and now he was an artist! Was there no end to this man's genius? Then he offered to do her portrait. She was taken aback; she smiled and nodded. "That would be wonderful, Erik. Though I do not feel worthy of having my portrait painted."

Erik cleared away the table and brought a bottle of wine and some glasses. "Wine? I have never partaken of wine before but, yes, I would love to try some." She looked at the bottle of wine and saw it was many years older than the current year that she was in. She looked back up at Erik and smiled. "This is too much, Erik. You should not have done all of this just for dinner. But I am very grateful that you did." She watched Erik leave the room a moment before he brought back a wrapped box, a gift!

She took the box and looked at it. It was wrapped so beautifully that she dared not damage the bow or the paper as she slowly removed them. The paper crinkled as she set it aside only to see a black box now in her hands.

"....... Oh, Erik," She sighed as she opened the box to see the necklace inside. "It is absolutely beautiful. I don't know what to say." She got up and hugged Erik, tears in her eyes. "It is extraordinary. Will you help me put it on?"

This truly was the best Christmas the young maid had ever celebrated. Perhaps she was wrong about there not being a god. Maybe there was someone looking out for her up there. She reached behind her neck and lifted up her hair so it was out of the way when Erik were to attach the necklace for her.

[Erik Lenoir]

"Yes, my dear, that is my profession. I waas trained overseas and designed many unusual buildings. When I came back to Paris, I designed the Opéra Populaire and my underground quarters, of which this is an exact representation. There are many ways in and out and around the Opera House; many more than most could imagine.

He looked at Adina quizzically, when she said she thought herself not worthy of having her portrait painted. "And why not, my dear? You are exquisitely beautiful and I love to paint beauty, just as I love to create beautiful music. There has been so little of beauty in the past...oft I must create it myself."

"You have never had wine? Well, I rarely indulge in it myself, but a glass of wine to celebrate is not a bad thing. And it warms and cheers you from within.This is a good vintage and a sweet wine; I am sure you will enjoy it."

After Erik handed Adina the gift, he watched in anticipation as she slowly removed the paper. He hoped she would like the gift. Then he saw her look and he could see that she liked it. She arose and hugged him, then asked him to put the necklace on her and pulled up her lovely red hair so he could attach it.

"It looks beautiful, Adina. The colour seems perfect...I did have a hard time deciding what colour you might like."

Then, pulling out the violin, tightening the bow and rosining it a bit, he tuned the strings and began to play some Christmas music.

[Adina Gillespie]

Really?? Erik was an architect? Adina listened with almost child-like amazement as he spoke of his work for designing the Opèra Populaire. "You mean-... You actually designed the work for the Opera House?? I had absolutely no idea, Erik. You really have extraordinary talent. I only wish I could have such abilities."

He really was so nice and he even flattered her, calling her beautiful. The maid blushed and looked down at her feet for a moment. "Me?" She paused and looked back up at Erik. "You think me..... 'beautiful'?" She could barely get the word out. She felt such a fluttering of her heart that she thought it would burst. "No one has even said such lovely things to me before." She finally agreed to let Erik paint her portrait one day.

"Non, I have never had wine before now. I will admit it tastes very nice but now..." She paused and looked at her fingertips. "I think it is having a slight effect upon me. I feel a slight tingling in my fingers... Does that usually happen?"

She was so overjoyed with the gift that she could barely get her words our properly; she felt like the luckiest woman to be given such a lovely gift and to be treated to both a delightful supper and beautiful, live music. Tears blinded her eyes before she blinked them away and touched the necklace. It was a lovely amethyst colour and it contrasted against her pale skin and red hair beautifully. "Cèst beau... Oh, très beau."

Adina was so filled with joy and happiness that she nearly lept from her seat and began to dance, just as she had in the snow earlier. Her red hair flew around her shoulders like strands of fire and the skirt of her dress swirled outward like the petals of a flower. Nothing could take away her joyous state; her heart was swelling with such ecstasy that she suddenly broke out into song, singing along to the music that Erik played.

[Erik Lenoir]

Erik smiled. "Yes, I am an architect," he repeated. "That is my profession, how I made my living in the days before I came here. And yes, I did design the opera house in Paris. I still have the final blueprints, but I have always kept them under lock and key, for they contain the secret passageways and panels and trapdoors that only I know about. The earlier ones did not contain such information, and that was done on purpose, by me." He smiled a little wickedly. "It probably doesn't matter anymore, but I never wanted anyone to know, for in that way I could come and go as I wished without being seen. My home below the opera was a dream come true. I could live my life in close proximity to the the place where the most beautiful music in the world was played."

Then Adina admired again his talents and said she wished she had extraordinary talents like that. "Adina, I know that you do have extraordinary talents in some way...I am sure you do. You must simply find them. And yes, then, we shall make a time to do your portrait. Perhaps when all the festivities and the Masquerade are over."

"Yes, I have always had wine with my meals, but never before was I drunk until the night that dastardly little Vicomte urged me to drink so much I was quite out of my mind. I shall not let that happen again. It was not a good feeling. I don't know how he manages to be quite drunk most of the time. It must be most unpleasant. He tends to say things he would not ordinarily say. And never again will I trust him, at least in that way."

"You may feel a bit tingly if it is your first time drinking wine. But don't worry, it will wear off in a bit." He smiled at her enthusiasm over the gift. "I am quite pleased that you like the necklace, Adina. Very pleased."

When Erik picked up his violin and started to play, suddenly Adina got up to dance. She was very enthusiastic and he smiled, playing ever faster, keeping up with her movements. She was so joyful, he enjoyed watching her.

[Adina Gillespie]

Oh?" Adina said, tilting her head a little. "Trapdoors, passageways? Trying to stir up some trouble, Erik? Perhaps make the Opera seem haunted?" She giggled to herself; no, certainly Erik would not do something like that. Perhaps it was just for a bit of fun, like a prank. But she did think it truly would have been extraordinary to see the real Opera house and Erik's real underground home with all the passages and hidden doors and tunnels. "I do enjoy it here, Erik. It is a lovely place; here and the opera house. Oh! Speaking of the Opera, I still need to know when I can obtain the materials to sew the curtains for you, Erik. I simply need more work to do since there is so little around the manor."

The maid looked down at her feet and sighed before looking at her hands. "When I was a ghost, I did seem to come to realize that I was a healing spirit… I met a very nice girl named Meg Giry. She saw me in the gardens; I went to touch one of the withered strawberry plants and it seemed to burst back to life! It was incredible!" She smiled when Erik said that they should make time one day so that he could do her portrait. It sounded like a very wonderful gesture, to have one's portrait done.

She looked at her still tingling fingertips and then began to feel a similar tingle in her rosy lips. She brought a hand to her mouth and listened to Erik as he spoke of that terrible evening when she had found Erik drunk in the bar. She lowered her eyes and wished to forget that night. She really had hoped that he wouldn't bring it up; she really despised Raoul and thought him to be a very rude and callous man who only thought of himself.

"Oh, Erik, how could I not like the necklace? It is so beautiful and the gemstones catch the light wonderfully. I can tell this is very fine craftsmanship. And to be given such a generous gift from a very kind and- if I may be so bold- handsome friend?"

Adina felt a wave of joy wash over her as she danced to the music Erik played. He truly was talented and it seemed that Adina's very happiness was affected him now. She spun around and then stopped, stumbling to take hold of her chair. "Oh, gracious! Thank-you for that, Erik. I really felt a strong urge to dance. I'm sorry for my spontaneity as of late." She flushed a little and looked down, a joyous smile still on her face.

[Erik Lenoir]

Erik grew a bit quiet when Adina asked if he built the secret passageways simply to be a prankster at the opera house. "It was more than that Adina. Yes, there were times when I would become a prankster and tease the people at the opera house and try their patience, but it was a necessity for me really. I wished to see the opera, but how could I mix with the crowds of people looking as I do? I had to have my own vantage point where I would be able to see the operas and not be seen. And considering that it was in truth, my own opera house, I wanted to make sure everything went well. There were many times I had to call them out for not producing the operas correctly or for not hiring people with good voices, and many more things. So I became a Phantom and lurked about watching." He looked at her with a serious glance. "People sometimes respond better to a bit of fear that is mysterious and hidden, than something fearful that they can see. In my younger years, I was laughed at, spat upon or else they screamed at me in bloody terror. I truly didn't wish to be seen."

"When I first saw Christine, I knew I must make her the main star, the primadonna of the company. I taught her to sing without her even seeing me. But then de Chagny, a childhood friend, came into her life and all would have been lost had I not become more than just a disembodied voice to her. Alas, in the end, it was lost. But then for some odd reason, I came here. And things have become much better for me." He looked over at Adina. "I am sorry for the long-winded explanation..."

She mentioned the curtains. "Yes the material has come in, Adina. I had it brought to Box 5, the velvets and gold trim and all the threads and other things you will need. You may start any time you wish. I have done some work on the wood in the box myself, and had upholsterers come to fix the seats. So the only thing needed is the finishing touch, the curtains."

"You know Meg Giry? I know there are several. Probably not the one I knew. The one person I wish would arrive is Madame Giry. I do miss her. She took care of me...she rescued me..."

Adina said how much she liked the necklace and he smiled. "I am glad you consider me kind, my dear, but handsome...I shasll never be handsome. The mask helps me look a bit more normal, but I shall never be normal and I shall never be handsome. It is simply a fact of life. I have learned to live with it. And since coming here, I have feel that I am among others like myself...I mean the Eriks." He paused and smiled at her. "But I appreciate you saying so, dear."

"Your dancing is quite lovely," Erik said when he put down his bow. Your joyful spontaneity in dancing was quite lovely and unexpected." Erik smiled.

[Adina Gillespie]

Really? Adina had only been joking when she asked if he was a prankster. But for him to confirm it? Perhaps he had to do it for a reason… "Oui, I understand what you mean, Erik. I do, however, wish that you could have had the opportunity to walk among the crowd with out fear of ridicule… The people who would dare to think such thoughts are themselves hideous for they do not see your beautiful heart." She listened as he explained how he became a 'Phantom' watching over the Opera house- more like an angel as Adina thought. "A Phantom of the opera? How interesting…" Then her thoughtful expression turned to one of sympathy as he told her of his younger years, when he was laughed at or shunned by people. Again, she felt such anger inside her. "It is very troubling that people can be so cruel towards others because of simply how they appear or act." She heaved a heavy sigh and shivered. Was she cold? No, it couldn't be cold, it was quite warm in Erik's home; then why did she shiver? Perhaps from recalling how cruelly she had treated others at the manor? She frowned again and looked down. "Perhaps I am no better than you, Erik, because of how I treated that cook or even M. de Chagny."

"Christine? Do you mean Christine Emilie or….?" There were many Christines as Adina had already found out. Perhaps he meant a different Christine? Goodness, if there were more than the few she had already met-! She sighed and only listened to Erik. She thought it a bit romantic that he had taught the woman to sing. But then he mentioned de Chagny and she knew that things would surely take a turn for the worse. Then he said that things became better when he came to the Manor and apologized for the long explanation. "Oh, no, not at all. I'm glad you told me. It gave me a little insight into who you are: a truly great man. I understand you have had a problematic past, but now I hope the future holds great things for you, Erik. For both of us."

Adina beamed with happiness. Yes! The curtain material! Something a bit for uplifting to discuss! "Oh! I am very pleased to hear that you have the material at last. I shall go to the Opera house and take the material back to my room so I can get to work on them right away." She was looking forward to working more. "It has been very quiet around then manor and now I finally feel useful now that the curtain material has arrived."

"Madam Giry? Perhaps she is Meg's mother?" That was the only conclusion that Adina could come to because the Meg she had met was quite young. Erik told her that he missed Madame Giry… That she had rescued him. Adina wanted to ask from what had the woman rescued him from but thought it best not to stir up the past.

"Oh, Erik," She sighed again, her fingers still tingling from the wine. She reached out and touched his hand. "You are a handsome man, on the inside. As I have told you before, from my heart, I see you as a very handsome man. I do not wish to upset you at all, so I believe I should now- how do you say?- drop the subject?"

When Adina finished dancing, she felt lightheaded and took hold of her chair a moment before regaining her senses. "Perhaps the music stirred something within me; it was so beautiful." She flushed a little when Erik said her dancing was lovely. "Non. I just felt so happy I needed to do something or else I feared my heart would burst."

[Erik Lenoir]

"Adina. I have not always behaved in the most ...virtuous of ways. You don't know everything about me, and I dare say you would have a different opinion of me if you did. No, I don't consider myself a monster as some do. But neither am I handsome. However that has nothing to do withwhat's inside, for what you said is true. But indeed, I have done things that would make my soul appear to you quite hideous, to rival and perhaps overtake the ugliness of my facial deformities."

Erik could see that Adina was becoming angry at the people about whom he spoke, the ones that had done him wrong. "They are ignorant, Adina. They have no idea that how a person looks is not necessarily how a person behaves. I fear however, that in my case, my ugliness may have affected me in some ways, for I became bitter. However when I came to the opera house, things began to change. I discovered that when I was near the music I loved, my heart would soar. I was alone, it is true, but I felt safe in the womb of the opera house, music surrounding me."

"I ran the opera house like a benevolent ruler. But then another change, when Christine came. I fell so madly in love with her that I would resort to nothing to have her. I shant go into the details... But then I came here. And again I have changed, largely in response to meeting all of the other people here and feeling safe, not hunted, not hiding like an animal..."

"And it was Christine Svenna with whom I was in love...perhaps I still am. I don't know. My emotions are sometimes at a breaking point. I don't quite know how to rein them in..."

Then he smiled. "Speaking of pranks, I was quite a prankster as a child, and I expect I never got over it." He laughed. "There are certain people who I rather delight in teasing."

Then Adina mentioned that she had treated that cook and even Edouard de Chagnybadly. "My dear, everyone has occasional fits of temper or times when they act as if they later wish they had not. Mine, I fear was of a bit more sinister nature." After Erik said this, he really wished he hadn't. He didn't want Adina to know about the nurders and undoubtedly she would ask.

"The problem of the duplication of Eriks, Christines, Raouls, Megs, Carlottas, and possibly others who were at the opera house has been a subject of puzzlement to me ever since I learned about it. The similarities are more in topical things like the various masks worn by the Eris, the facial deformities in various degrees, the backgrounds being somewhat similar, the Christines, most of them having the same last name and being of Swedish background, the Raouls being of noble birth and vying for the Christines...all of these similarities, and yet we are in truth so different. The similarities are all on the surface. It is Christine Svenna who is the one that I knew from before. I have been trying to reacquaint myself with her again. She was terribly afraid of me at first, for the pranks I enjoyed at the Populaire terrified her quite a bit."

"The curtain material...I am afraid you cannot take it back to your room to work on it. It must be worked on up in box five because it is so thick and heavy, and there is so much of it, that I had to employ two young men to carry it up thre. The floor is very clean now and the seats are all movable, so you can put it on the floor to cut it. Anything you need should be there, thread and so on. If there is more that you need, then please come to me and I shall see that you get it. I will be able to hang the curtains myself, I believe. Perhaps with your help. But I know they will look lovely."

"Yes, Giry is Meg's mother. I find it strange that she has not shown her face here yet. And, again, I expect there are more than one of them..."

[Adina Gillespie]

Adina visibly swallowed as she listened to Lenoir… Perhaps she should not have said anything. See? As always, opening her mouth when she should keep it shut. When will she learn? She shrank back just a little and looked back down at her shoes once more. Her heart sank a little as she looked at the ground; she hated to think that anyone was really evil, especially not Lenoir. He was so nice to her and kind; could she really think any different of him if he told her of his past?

She looked away when she realized how critical she was being. She began to feel a bit better when Erik told her how much joy he felt when he heard music coming from the Opera house. The maid smiled and let her shoulders relax. "It is good that you were around something that you enjoyed so much, Erik. I have heard that music can have a very strong effect upon one's soul and soothe the heart. I felt the same way when I was making your gift- which I hope to give to you very shortly."

She tilted her head a little when Erik spoke of Christine… I fell so madly in love with her that I would resort to nothing to have her. Perhaps that was what Erik meant when he had told her about the ugliness of his soul. But perhaps it wasn't as ugly as he said. No, she could never think of Erik's soul as ugly; he had such a beautiful passion for music and that was enough for her to know that he was truly a good man inside. Maybe he just didn't realize it.

"Then perhaps you should tell her, Erik," She took his hand and squeezed it, smiling kindly at him. "Perhaps I am one of those 'hopeless romantics', but I believe love is a very special thing. If you feel something for her, tell her."

"Like M. de Chagny?" Adina laughed with Erik. In all honesty, she didn't mind if Erik got a little hotheaded, she thought that if anyone deserved his temper, it was indeed Raoul.

She lowered her eyes and bit her lip when Erik mentioned his temper had a 'sinister nature'. She thought it best not to ask and just let it be. Curiosity did kill the cat, didn't it? "Yes, I understand, Erik, but I still think I should apologize to him as soon as I am able to catch him when he has not been drinking."

Adina listened to Erik as he explained about the multiple Eriks, Christines, and the other people who resided within the manor. It really was beginning to confuse her. She had already seen or met at least five Eriks- one of whom she had not properly acquainted herself with- and already three Christines. "Oh? They are Swedish?" She asked with curiosity; she had never met anyone from Sweden before. She only knew her friends she worked with from France and then the American woman, Lu Dallas.

"Oh, that is not a problem, Erik," She said, smiling. "Perhaps it would be easier for me to work in the Box." She began to beam with joy. She loved working with her hands to create something special for someone. Her fingers began to twitch with anticipation; she could barely contain her excitement as she thought and wondered what the material would look like and how it would feel. "I really am very excited to work on them. When would you like me to start? I can begin first thing tomorrow morning." She felt like a happy child again. Oh, to be working on something that filled her with such joy!

After Erik spoke about madam Giry, Adina suddenly remembered something that she almost forgot about: Lenoir's gift! "Erik," She turned towards him and smiled. "May we go back to my room now so that I can retrieve your gift for you? I simply feel terrible that I forgot, but at least I can give it to you now."