Night made it’s way into Raoul’s life, he wasn’t sure how it had consumed him but here he was in a tavern drinking his sorrows away again. He spent most of his days sleeping off the drunk. His family was quickly losing patients with him and his money was wearing thin. “Another.” he shouted to the bar maid. She filled his glass and hurried away, he’d had her once, she left him cold and wanting. “Ah Christine” he muttered into his draft, feeling the cool of death surround him. “Ah Meg, I wish I’d have loved you more.” he downed his draft and tossed the glass. He stood and left the tavern to stagger home. His loft was small and cold he poured himself a drink and sat at his desk. The lights were dim as he wrote.
“A sad state Viscount.” the voice shattered through Raoul causing him to drop his pen and turn.
“Erik.”
“You haven’t been doing well I see, become a drunk. What kind of father figure is that?” Erik’s voice echoed off each wall. Something Raoul had grown accustom. He wouldn’t look for Erik, it would be of no use, when Erik wanted to be found, he’d come to Raoul.
“The hell you know what a good father is.”
“Oh tsk tsk Raoul, I’d say giving your child away at such a young age to the arms of a mad man is not considered good fathering. Wouldn’t you agree?” Raoul could sence the sarcasim in Erik’s voice.
“What would you have me do?” He shouted into emptiness.
“Fight for her, as I am. Try and take her from me Viscount and you’ll lose more then your daughter.”
“What else do I have to lose dear phantom? Tell me.” Raoul jumped to his feet. “I have nothing, the love of my life is courting with a disfigured psychopath, my wife died giving birth to our children taking our son with her and my daughters face was to much for me to take so I begged Christine, I begged her phantom to leave you and stay with me. To care for Gia-Marie with me, told her we could raise Gia-Marie together, and the baby would never know. Do you know what she said to me Erik? She told me I was hurt, I was greiving and I didn’t know my own head. She told me that I was not in a good place and that if I wanted she would take the baby and raise her. But that she would do it with You. I’d just killed my own wife for her and she turns me down for you.” Raoul took another drink.
“Killed your own wife?”
“Well you don’t think she went and died on her own do you? Jesus man, you’re not the genious everyone thinks you are. No of course she wouldn’t just die and leave me alone with Christine. I gave her a little something to help with the labor, the witch doctor assured me that it wouldn’t harm the baby but it would take care of the mother nicely. Load that was, killed my son. “ Raoul refilled his glass “My plan was perfect after Christine and I had kissed in the library I was more then certain she’d lost all affection to you, the fatherly beast she’d come to some how adore. I was sure the game was over, she seemed so willing, I avoided her daily so not to make her uncomfortable with her feelings and in doing so slowly slipped Meg some elixer the witch doctor had conjured. No one would susspect me if I wasn’t even in the room when she gave birth so I made an urgent trip to my family estate in Paris. When I got the call about Meg I knew it was only a matter of time, no one would miss her Erik, no one but Christine but she would forget after we raised Gia-Marie and had a life together. My plans were going well until Christine told me she was leaving to go home, home to you. I didn’t want the kid alone. I wanted Christine!” Raoul fell into the chair “Damnit Erik can’t you see that, I only want Christine. You can keep the child, it’ll be a fair trade.”
“For years I thought of myself as being savage and evil, now my dear viscount I see that I was not. Merely misguided.” Erik left then his world in pieces. Raoul would no doubt continue to fight for Gia-Marie, and Erik would protect both of his ladies at any cost.
“Where have you been?” Christine asked as Erik closed the door to their bedroom.
“I really can’t say.” he answered kissing her softly on the lips.
“Erik.”
“Honestly love, I can’t say. Please don’t force the issue.” he held her close to him “I love you, good-night.”
