Post by Raoul Edouard de Chagny on May 6, 2013 18:46:29 GMT -5
29 Avril, 2013
These words are written for my son, Gustave, so that if anything should happen to me, he will at least understand that I have not abandoned him of my own free will.
Today has been a most disturbing day, after a distressing one yesterday, as well.. I arose as usual, in my suite, the sun coming in my window. I had forgotten to close the curtains last night. I am somewhat negligent of such things, for I am used to servants. Having to do all of these things for myself is quite the bothersome enterprise.
The sun hurt my eyes and having a morning headache as usual, I arose with a groan and shut them quickly. I was planning to speak to Emilie this morning again concerning the situation of the evening last. It was Lenoir. Always Lenoir! Why cannot that man keep his non existent nose out of my business?
I don't remember every detail, but what I do remember is that I found him in a sitting room with Emilie, and not just talking with her, which would be bad enough, and which I had expressly forbidden, but kissing and hugging her in much more than a merely friendly manner. I fear we came to blows, although I don't believe either of us were hurt. It was also witnessed by Ana Goodwin-Hart, who I expect is rather on his side. But she did seem surprised also.
I raised my fist to him but he knocked me over and fled. Emilie of course was her kind and loving self, but I knew something had happened between them. She brought me back to my suite and I demanded that she tell me. The pleasant feeling brought on by a glass or two of brandy was all but gone now.
Emilie confessed that she and Lenoir had been speaking of divorce, hers and mine and marriage to Lenoir. I was furious and began to throw things about the suite. I raised my voice in anger so loudly, I expect everyone knew our business. But they already do, I fear, so I was not telling them anything new. Emilie fled to her own suite, but she must have returned later when I was asleep and tidied the place, for there was nothing out of place in the morning and the broken items had been swept and removed.
After taking a headache remedy with a bit of brandy, I went to the kitchen and took a bit of breakfast. I decided that I must speak to Emilie at once this morning and forbid her once again to see Lenoir. I would then threaten him, probably with being locked up in the village for violence against me and intended wife-stealing. Not that that last would have much teeth, but the first would.
After breakfast, I went at once to Emilie's suite. When I arrived, for some reason, I couldn't find it immediately. Then I realized that the name plate had been removed from her door. Had she run off with Lenoir so soon? I knocked gently, for I did not really wish to startle her, but there was no answer. The door was unlocked and I opened it to a suite of empty rooms. The large mirror in her bed chambre was ajar. So he had stolen her! Perhaps even against her will!
Was this really another way to the Phantom's lair? It had been at the opera house, although the mirror there had been in her dressing room. Here I found steps leading into the darkness and I carefully descended to the unknown below. In a short time, I found the more familiar bridges and crossed them. Since I had been at the Manor, I had been to Lenoir's lair only once. And in Paris, also only once. In the darkness, I reached the bottom of the bridges and found it difficult to see, for there was no lantern. I stumbled about a bit in the darkness and almost stepped into the edge of the lake that separated the caves that Lenoir lived in from the other shore. There was no boat. Obviously he had it on the other side.
What should I do? I knew if I swam, that I would reach the labyrinthian gate that he had constructed to keep out intruders, of which I surely was one. I had risked my life for Emilie years ago, swimming through this lake to his lair. And I had been blocked by the gate. Only he could raise it. The second time I had come, it had been here at the mansion. I had been with others and we had called across the lake and he had come to meet us on the shore with the gondola. I did not expect he would come for me if I called. I also wasn't sure if I were up to swimming the lake at the moment, but I must try. I expected that he had taken Emilie and I must fight for her once again. I wondered why they had taken all of her belongings if she were simply going to be here living with him in the lair. The thought sickened me. I had tried to be friendly with him before, and it had been to no avail. He was an evil man. And I had to find Emilie and take her back.
Sighing, I removed my tie, coat and waistcoat and my shoes and stockings. I placed them back from the shore, certain they would not be disturbed. I hated to go into the water with my good trousers, but I had no choice really, unless I went back to the mansion. I jumped into the cold clear water and swam in the darkness, hoping I remembered the way.
It seemed longer than last time, but then I was more than ten years younger. Had it really taken that much out of me? I continued on and at last saw the glowing candles he always had burning and the dark criss-cross of the labyrinth gate. I climbed up on the shore and grabbed the cross bars of the gate as I had done before. I was surprised, there was no music. I would have thought there would be music. The candles amazingly, lit up his living area quite well, I saw him hunched over the organ, writing something.
I called, "Lenoir?" There was no reaction from him. Was he ignoring me? I called louder and this time he said, without turning, "What the bloody hell do you want with me, de Chagny?"
"Would you be so kind as to let me in so we can discuss something important!" I was trying not to let the anger that I felt be heard in my voice. "I'm wet, Lenoir, I just swam your bloody lake." Lenoir turned then and walked over to the gate, his hands on his hips in a defiant stance. "So, What do you want, de Chagny. We can talk from here."
"Emilie's gone! You took her!" I accusingly pointed a finger "What are you talking about?". He frowned. "What? She's gone? Gone where?" Then apparently he saw what I was getting at. "You think I took her? No, I didn't. I should have, long ago. But I didn't."
He waved his arms and the gate slowly rose. I entered, dripping. "Emilie's not here." He went into one of his cave rooms and came out carrying a blanket which he tossed to me. It was not cold in the lair, but I was wet and the water was cold and I was rather miserable. But the disappearance of Emilie was what was making me even more miserable. "So if you didn't take her, where is she?" I was becoming confused. Was he telling the truth?
"She's nowhere to be found, Lenoir."
"Where have you looked?"
"in her suite. Her name is gone from the door and the rooms are completely empty. I know you and she were planning to run off and marry as soon as you could have my signature on a writ of divorce, but that has not happened and it's not likely to happen."
Even in the strange glowing, flickering light, I could see Lenoir's left face pale a bit. "What is it?" I said. "Tell me what you know of this."
"Nothing. I don't know a thing about her disappearance until now, until you told me. But ... the missing name plate on her door and the belongings gone...it speaks to me of something more sinister." He sank down in a chair and waved me to do the same. "One of the spectres, King William, told me that if a person wanders too far from the mansion and the village, they will simply disappear. They will be no more." He looked at me. "Perhaps that's not what happened. Perhaps she is still here."
Of a sudden, he became a flurry of activity, pulling his hat on and his cape and leading the way to the gondola. "Come, de Chagny, we may be enemies, but we both love Emilie. We must find her."
I was convinced now that Lenoir had no hand in her disappearance. But the alternative was almost worse.
The whole day, the Phantom and I searched for the woman that we both loved. We searched everywhere humanly possible. We spoke to many other residents and no one had seen her. And it appeared that there were several other people missing...Ana Goodwin-Hart and her friend Billie Cristofersen.....they could have gone back to American. Lenoir told me that they were not bound to stay at the mansion. But Erik Castagne told us that Maria Gianelli, with whom he had made a bit of a friendship was also gone.
It was strange. Only a day before, the Phantom and I had been mortal enemies. Yet today we were bound by a mutual bond, that of the love of Emilie. I had treated her so cruelly yesterday and all the yesterdays before that. I could see that this was difficult for Lenoir also. He was quite upset by it. I realized then, as I had seen before, that he really did love Emilie. Perhaps she should have stayed with him back so many years ago. But those were all moot points. Nothing could be done about that unless we found Emilie again.
After searching everywhere possible, we parted ways. I had forgotten how much I missed her before her arrival at the mansion. And I thought of Gustave, who now only had me again. I must try very hard to be a good father to the boy.
I wondered where he was, and with a pang of fright in my heart, hoped that he too were not gone. I started to search for Gustave...
These words are written for my son, Gustave, so that if anything should happen to me, he will at least understand that I have not abandoned him of my own free will.
Today has been a most disturbing day, after a distressing one yesterday, as well.. I arose as usual, in my suite, the sun coming in my window. I had forgotten to close the curtains last night. I am somewhat negligent of such things, for I am used to servants. Having to do all of these things for myself is quite the bothersome enterprise.
The sun hurt my eyes and having a morning headache as usual, I arose with a groan and shut them quickly. I was planning to speak to Emilie this morning again concerning the situation of the evening last. It was Lenoir. Always Lenoir! Why cannot that man keep his non existent nose out of my business?
I don't remember every detail, but what I do remember is that I found him in a sitting room with Emilie, and not just talking with her, which would be bad enough, and which I had expressly forbidden, but kissing and hugging her in much more than a merely friendly manner. I fear we came to blows, although I don't believe either of us were hurt. It was also witnessed by Ana Goodwin-Hart, who I expect is rather on his side. But she did seem surprised also.
I raised my fist to him but he knocked me over and fled. Emilie of course was her kind and loving self, but I knew something had happened between them. She brought me back to my suite and I demanded that she tell me. The pleasant feeling brought on by a glass or two of brandy was all but gone now.
Emilie confessed that she and Lenoir had been speaking of divorce, hers and mine and marriage to Lenoir. I was furious and began to throw things about the suite. I raised my voice in anger so loudly, I expect everyone knew our business. But they already do, I fear, so I was not telling them anything new. Emilie fled to her own suite, but she must have returned later when I was asleep and tidied the place, for there was nothing out of place in the morning and the broken items had been swept and removed.
After taking a headache remedy with a bit of brandy, I went to the kitchen and took a bit of breakfast. I decided that I must speak to Emilie at once this morning and forbid her once again to see Lenoir. I would then threaten him, probably with being locked up in the village for violence against me and intended wife-stealing. Not that that last would have much teeth, but the first would.
After breakfast, I went at once to Emilie's suite. When I arrived, for some reason, I couldn't find it immediately. Then I realized that the name plate had been removed from her door. Had she run off with Lenoir so soon? I knocked gently, for I did not really wish to startle her, but there was no answer. The door was unlocked and I opened it to a suite of empty rooms. The large mirror in her bed chambre was ajar. So he had stolen her! Perhaps even against her will!
Was this really another way to the Phantom's lair? It had been at the opera house, although the mirror there had been in her dressing room. Here I found steps leading into the darkness and I carefully descended to the unknown below. In a short time, I found the more familiar bridges and crossed them. Since I had been at the Manor, I had been to Lenoir's lair only once. And in Paris, also only once. In the darkness, I reached the bottom of the bridges and found it difficult to see, for there was no lantern. I stumbled about a bit in the darkness and almost stepped into the edge of the lake that separated the caves that Lenoir lived in from the other shore. There was no boat. Obviously he had it on the other side.
What should I do? I knew if I swam, that I would reach the labyrinthian gate that he had constructed to keep out intruders, of which I surely was one. I had risked my life for Emilie years ago, swimming through this lake to his lair. And I had been blocked by the gate. Only he could raise it. The second time I had come, it had been here at the mansion. I had been with others and we had called across the lake and he had come to meet us on the shore with the gondola. I did not expect he would come for me if I called. I also wasn't sure if I were up to swimming the lake at the moment, but I must try. I expected that he had taken Emilie and I must fight for her once again. I wondered why they had taken all of her belongings if she were simply going to be here living with him in the lair. The thought sickened me. I had tried to be friendly with him before, and it had been to no avail. He was an evil man. And I had to find Emilie and take her back.
Sighing, I removed my tie, coat and waistcoat and my shoes and stockings. I placed them back from the shore, certain they would not be disturbed. I hated to go into the water with my good trousers, but I had no choice really, unless I went back to the mansion. I jumped into the cold clear water and swam in the darkness, hoping I remembered the way.
It seemed longer than last time, but then I was more than ten years younger. Had it really taken that much out of me? I continued on and at last saw the glowing candles he always had burning and the dark criss-cross of the labyrinth gate. I climbed up on the shore and grabbed the cross bars of the gate as I had done before. I was surprised, there was no music. I would have thought there would be music. The candles amazingly, lit up his living area quite well, I saw him hunched over the organ, writing something.
I called, "Lenoir?" There was no reaction from him. Was he ignoring me? I called louder and this time he said, without turning, "What the bloody hell do you want with me, de Chagny?"
"Would you be so kind as to let me in so we can discuss something important!" I was trying not to let the anger that I felt be heard in my voice. "I'm wet, Lenoir, I just swam your bloody lake." Lenoir turned then and walked over to the gate, his hands on his hips in a defiant stance. "So, What do you want, de Chagny. We can talk from here."
"Emilie's gone! You took her!" I accusingly pointed a finger "What are you talking about?". He frowned. "What? She's gone? Gone where?" Then apparently he saw what I was getting at. "You think I took her? No, I didn't. I should have, long ago. But I didn't."
He waved his arms and the gate slowly rose. I entered, dripping. "Emilie's not here." He went into one of his cave rooms and came out carrying a blanket which he tossed to me. It was not cold in the lair, but I was wet and the water was cold and I was rather miserable. But the disappearance of Emilie was what was making me even more miserable. "So if you didn't take her, where is she?" I was becoming confused. Was he telling the truth?
"She's nowhere to be found, Lenoir."
"Where have you looked?"
"in her suite. Her name is gone from the door and the rooms are completely empty. I know you and she were planning to run off and marry as soon as you could have my signature on a writ of divorce, but that has not happened and it's not likely to happen."
Even in the strange glowing, flickering light, I could see Lenoir's left face pale a bit. "What is it?" I said. "Tell me what you know of this."
"Nothing. I don't know a thing about her disappearance until now, until you told me. But ... the missing name plate on her door and the belongings gone...it speaks to me of something more sinister." He sank down in a chair and waved me to do the same. "One of the spectres, King William, told me that if a person wanders too far from the mansion and the village, they will simply disappear. They will be no more." He looked at me. "Perhaps that's not what happened. Perhaps she is still here."
Of a sudden, he became a flurry of activity, pulling his hat on and his cape and leading the way to the gondola. "Come, de Chagny, we may be enemies, but we both love Emilie. We must find her."
I was convinced now that Lenoir had no hand in her disappearance. But the alternative was almost worse.
The whole day, the Phantom and I searched for the woman that we both loved. We searched everywhere humanly possible. We spoke to many other residents and no one had seen her. And it appeared that there were several other people missing...Ana Goodwin-Hart and her friend Billie Cristofersen.....they could have gone back to American. Lenoir told me that they were not bound to stay at the mansion. But Erik Castagne told us that Maria Gianelli, with whom he had made a bit of a friendship was also gone.
It was strange. Only a day before, the Phantom and I had been mortal enemies. Yet today we were bound by a mutual bond, that of the love of Emilie. I had treated her so cruelly yesterday and all the yesterdays before that. I could see that this was difficult for Lenoir also. He was quite upset by it. I realized then, as I had seen before, that he really did love Emilie. Perhaps she should have stayed with him back so many years ago. But those were all moot points. Nothing could be done about that unless we found Emilie again.
After searching everywhere possible, we parted ways. I had forgotten how much I missed her before her arrival at the mansion. And I thought of Gustave, who now only had me again. I must try very hard to be a good father to the boy.
I wondered where he was, and with a pang of fright in my heart, hoped that he too were not gone. I started to search for Gustave...
