tsk, tsk, tsk, erik. don't call raoul names. it must have been quite a sight: the phantom of the opera, the angel of death, talking softly to a goose.

our erik is a romantic hero.

wow, erik took fanchon's reaction quite well in fact. i'm surprised, quite a feat!

poor nadir, an honest man working for a corrupt government, he wouldn't have stayed alive very long i'm sure.

sadly nowadays the french have the same attitude towards foreigner. maybe perceval can help nadir out.

aww, erik and his love of animals. he's such a good man. baron samedi, indeed!

he made quite an impression on fanchon. hmm, our mirielle, married while pregnant! naughty girl! lol

this is the finest unmasking i could ever imagine. done with respect and love by erik and mirielle together. it fits them. it's so romantic.

ah! in the stairs! really, those two are insatiable. erik's face has never been touched, the skin must be very sensitive.

hehe, erik is giving love advice. who'd ever believe it. he's so happy with his mirielle. she's the right one for him.

Oh my, I suspect the goose is going to reappear at a most inopportune moment during dinner. ;D

Loved the little flurry of unexpected activity as Erik and Mirielle were trying to be good hosts, and especially liked your description of Madame Aulin. You made her so easy to picture - especially since we probably ALL know someone just like her.

Can't wait to find out what happens next!

Barb

I liked the way you started us off with Catherine, who we haven’t seen much of lately. Her musings on her situation let us know that she doesn't see Nadir as a way out of her small apartment or lonely life. She is a woman who can sew a ‘drab day dress’ into suitable dinner engagement attire and she is a woman who knows she will have to look for a new reliable roommate soon to make sure the rent gets paid. If Nadir knew this side of her, he might not fret so much about his own dismal financial situation and appreciate a woman as crafty as Catherine for something other than her beauty. The two of them just getting out of the apartment was like some old vaudeville routine. They should add to the delightful, chaotic event that is to be this dinner party.

I had to chuckle at how astounded Christine and Raoul were at the normalcy of Erik’s home. It was nice to see Christine happy for Erik in that he got what he always wanted in a wife and home. I still can’t completely figure out her feelings toward Erik just yet, but I know you will give me more to go on as I see the two of them interacting together. I had to admire the way you wrote Raoul as he fought his own memories and sense of mistrust toward Erik to make his wife happy and even went as far as feeling jaded because he couldn’t forgive Erik as his loving wife had. At least he was honest enough with himself to know that he was intrigued by Erik’s new way of life and if that put him in the ‘knight in shining armor’ role in his wife’s eyes, then it was all the better for him!

I loved the subtle awkwardness you bring to the situation of having Christine and Raoul in Erik’s home. Mirielle does a wonderful job of keeping the conversation going despite her nervous energy, but Erik still notices the way Raoul does not shake his hand (not that he wanted to touch the Fop anyway!), how Raoul watches him while the women chat, and how odd it feels hearing the boy’s voice in his home. I knew the moment Augustin showed up that strange things were going to transpire. I liked the feisty Madame Aulin and I enjoyed the little details Erik noticed about her look, dress, and smell. It was also the perfect chaotic moment for Nadir and Catherine to arrive. I had to laugh at the way Nadir puffed up and used his ‘chief inspector’ credentials with the old woman to help the situation.

My favorite part of the chapter though was Raoul seeing an entirely different side of the man who had only shown him rage and violence in the past and who Raoul referred to as an ‘intense and tyrannical genius.’ Finally Raoul could see “... a glimpse of the patient, diligent teacher who had taken aside a lonely young woman and groomed her to be the toast of Paris” and get an idea of the Erik his wife knows and loves in her own way. It was also obvious by the way Raoul reacted to Erik turning his attention from him as if Raoul was beneath his notice, that Raoul is still afraid of him on some level and still very much sees Erik as the Phantom. I have no doubt that this is the first of many interesting events that will happen as these six people sit down to dinner. I look forward to seeing what ‘tempest’ needs taming next!

-Jax

This was a charming chapter. The musing of the guest as they head to Erik and Mirielle's for dinner. Leave it to Erik, to have an event filled evening. His older neighbor lady, a goose, the gardner, one housekeeper and one hired evening help, and three sets of guests. You've mixed them all together and made it fun to read. Raoul can't get over the domestication of Erik, neither can Christine. Nadir may have lost his heart to Catherine, because he is getting very clumbsy when around her. The man should never wear a hat. LOL> More please.,

Fannie finally found her voice after seeing Erik. I'm glad he was kind to her. It seems that preparing for this dinner party is really nerve wracking to Mirielle. I hope it all goes well. Nadir is very nervous as well. I'm anxious to see how the dinner turns out. Wendy

Well, I was very pleased that Erik’s quick reflexes saved the bottle of Champagne and it was fascinating watching him deal with Fannie’s response to his appearance. He had the mind to notice her beauty, the compassion to treat her with kindness, the ability to smile at her, and even the manners to welcome her into his home after she was so startled by him. The old Erik Vachon would never have acted anywhere close to this! I’m glad you went on further to explain that Erik took no offense to Fanchon’s behavior because he realized her religious beliefs caused her reaction to be so severe. Meeting the Baron would have quite an effect on the girl and I liked how Erik explained her response to Mirielle, who seemed very concerned about both the new maid and her husband. I was pleased that Erik realized how much he has changed over the last year and how that was due to Mirielle’s presence in his life.

I loved your line about how Mirielle realized ‘it was important to take in every aspect of his bearing’ and how she is good at doing just that, from the way she admired Erik’s impeccable dress to noticing how his graceful hands moved. Poor Mirielle seems to be suffering from the stress of this upcoming dinner party more than she is letting on. Mirielle is usually so calm and collected, always knowing what to say and what to do. However, she is wise enough to realize that if things go sour during this dinner, it is she that will have to keep the peace between Erik and Raoul and that in itself is a huge responsibility. Now she will also have to deal with a maid who is looking at Erik like he is a deity of some sort and all of that situation’s possible scenarios. There is only so much a hostess can deal with! Of course, Erik teasing her about sharpening stakes in honor of Raoul’s presence isn’t helping her nerves either! You did a wonderful job showing us Mirielle’s nervous energy and how there wasn’t a lot she could do to dispel her feelings of anxiousness. It was sweet that Erik’s music was able to calm her nerves in a much better way than cooking sherry ever could.

The scene with Nadir and Darius was very charming as the Daroga worried over his appearance and his servant/friend tried to reassure the nervous man. Nadir has been such an integral part of this story, I sometimes forget that he is a foreigner, not from around here, and might not be comfortable with the customs, dress, and language of where is now resides. I also liked seeing this sensitive and vulnerable side of Nadir. He has always been such a rock for Erik and always bolstering Erik’s self-confidence that it is interesting to think he might have some self-esteem issues of his own and that he doesn’t have all the answers to life. It was fun to see Darius in the Nadir role and the usually unflappable Persian taking on Erik’s old place. Catherine could indeed help Nadir, not only in learning customs and language, but maybe in showing Nadir that his prospects are not as dim as he thinks!

You have been quite the tease, making us wait for this dinner party... but I’ve enjoyed every chapter. Hopefully, this event will take place soon though. I’m letting my imagination run wild with all the different situations that could occur. Though, I’m sure whatever you come up with will be much better... ;->

-Jax

Another good chapter. You have me on pins and needles waiting for this dinner. It should be very interesting.
Keep up the hard work!
Until next time,
Llandaf

Loved Fannie's reaction to Erik. :D

Looks like EVERYONE is rather nervous about this dinner. Wonder if the goose is going to disrupt things? (snicker)

You know, after re-reading the previous chapter, I've got to wonder what Christine and Raoul would even need Erik "the Baron" for? Doesn't seem like they need ANY magic potions to kick start their love life.

Barb

Erik dispatched that disaster very well and saved the wine. I'm all for that. Don't want to waste Champagne. LOL> Instead, I'd rather drink it. Mirielle taking a drink of Sherry in that closet. Erik did know how to handle his wife, helping her to relax on the side. His music and voice do the trick. She has fussed the evening away waiting for her guests and hearing Erik's voice does the trick. Someone has just arrived.

Nadir worrying about the hat he and the look of his clothes when the lady of his sights likes him anyway. Darius is very light hearted as his employee. It's good they can get along.

More please.

It was lovely to watch Raoul coax Christine into a little ‘Afternoon Delight’ and it brought about a feeling of playfulness and anticipation that encompassed this whole chapter. It is obvious that Christine wants to be her best for the dinner at her teacher’s house and Raoul did the perfect thing to relax her and ease some of the tension. I also liked seeing this randy side of Raoul who seduces his wife and wants her to be naughty by leaving her stockings on! Christine’s response had me laughing, but for some reason, I do think she WILL leave those stockings on and Raoul WILL look! ;->

Fannie seemed like a nice enough girl and was very respectful toward Mirielle. I enjoyed the way you had Mirielle reminding herself to stay out of the young girl’s business, even though her years of experience could turn into good advice for Fannie. I am also glad Anais brought up the ritual that Erik wants to perform for Christine... I can’t wait until the superstitious soprano gets her first look at the world of Voodon. Anais did a good thing by trying to warn Fannie of Erik’s appearance and manner, but I don’t think the knowledge did much good when faced with the real article staring her right in the eyes. Fannie’s reaction to Anais saying he even looked like Baron Samedi seemed a little extreme, even with Anais’ words of praise, so I had a feeling she wasn’t going to hold up under a real encounter. I just hope the shocked girl didn’t break the bottle of Champagne... that’s alcohol abuse!

I’m not sure how this goose is going to play into the upcoming dinner... but knowing you- you wouldn’t just introduce a goose unless it was going to cause some sort of high jinks at some point! You made me love Erik and Gus all the more by the way both are going out of their way to help the lame bird. You gotta love a guy who loves animals! I also appreciated the way you had Erik kick some branches so he wouldn’t startle poor Gus. Erik is becoming the most considerate of men on many fronts. So now we’ve got a skittish maid, a lame goose, and a variation of all sorts of trouble that could happen at this dinner... I look forward to what comes next!

-Jax

Christine seems to truely love her husband, but still has some feelings for Erik - although I doubt she understands them. The new is as superstitious as Anais. However, that is their culture and how they have lived their lives. I love the way they talk about Erik as the "Baron". Poor Frannie - dropping the chamgpage as he comes in. I also like how caring both Gus and Erik were to the goose. So who needs the ritual who is attending the dinner, Christine I assume? Wendy