Even hurried and anxious, Raoul still behaved as the noble gentleman he was, offering his arm and concerns, leading me to the couch when I entered the room, claiming I wasn't feeling well. He took care of dimming the gas lamp upon the entrance door as I said the light was contributing for my headache.
"How are you feeling, Mademoiselle? Any better?" He kneeled at my side.
I nodded, looking as ill as I could.
"My poor friend! Even you are suffering with this damnable spirit!" He moved his hands on the air, disturbed, as he talked. I asked him for a minute to recover myself, and watched him as he looked around, checking out the place, totally lost in his thoughts. He was a very handsome man, quite young and boyish looking, but doubtlessly a handsome man. Slowly an evil, insane idea was entering my mind. I had to detain him, and in consequence the Persian as well.
"So, Mademoiselle Giry, please tell me what was this information that Christine gave you in the letter! I beg you! I know you are indisposed, but we need to rescue her!"
"Of course..." I replied with an exaggerated calm. "Can I possibly offer you something to drink? Some coffee, perhaps?" I raised from the couch and paced towards my mother's cabinet with unsure steps, "Oh, there is this very fine wine here..." I offered, looking at the dark bottle. "Would you care for a glass of wine, Raoul?"
He shook his head, his forehead sweating cold, thanking me.
"Oh, forgive my manners, Raoul! I should have known that you, so used to the most precious and expensive wines, couldn't possibly care for this cheap beverage." I said apologetically, adding some humbleness to my tone.
"Please, Mademoiselle! It has nothing to do with that! I don't hold the habit of drinking at all, to tell you the truth! I so seldom drink wine!" He was embarrassed, and defended himself vehemently.
"So then you would accept a glass!" I said enthusiastically, with a wide smile, pouring the wine in the glass before he could say anything at all. When I came back to my room, I brought the glass and a very small container with me.
"Thank you." He said, taking a sip of the wine. "It is indeed very good. So please...what did Christine say in the letter?"
"Well, it was a rather strange letter...She left it in my mother's care while I was at my dancing lesson. Because it's true, I'm having dancing lessons again, and actually my trainer said that..."
"Please, Meg. I'm very glad you are having your lessons again, but I would really be thankful if you could tell me everything you know, so we can go fetch the monster right away, and rescue Christine!"
I took I deep breath. This was going to be harder than I expected. Stubborn boy.
"Raoul...I'm not feeling well at all..." I moaned, closing my eyes and covering my face with my hands. "I'm sorry, I...I don't know what is wrong with me. Would you be so kind as to fetch me some water from the kitchen?"
"Absolutely." And he left the room.
Now I had to move fast!
I opened the lid of the container I had hidden in my dress, accidentally spilling some of the liquid on my white skirt. Fortunately it was very volatile, and didn't leave stains that could warn my companion of what I was up to. It smelled like pure alcohol, with a light hint of herbs that were mixed in it. I quickly poured half of the bottle into the wine. It was a fairly large dose in comparison to the few drops my mother used to take before sleeping, advised by Jonathan. I prayed silently that its taste wouldn't be so strong as the smell.
Raoul returned immediately after I had closed the lid and put the bottle away under the furniture. He handed me the water, sitting across from me on the couch.
"Thank you, Monsieur" I said, swallowing the water with a far away look, "I feel better already."
I just hoped the Persian wouldn't go on without Raoul...
Raoul drank almost half of his wine at once, and I felt my heart pounding at the thought of him realizing something. All worries were in vain, the boy was so preoccupied with Christine he wouldn't know the difference between wine and tea.
"Well...so...the letter.... the letter worried me a lot. Christine started it saying she is very confused...that it was time for her to do what her conscience told her to. I don't know what she meant by this. You know, even her writing showed she was not in the right state of mind for making any kind of decisions! Her handwriting is usually so well shaped, so pretty, and in this letter it was all ugly and disordered. A girl like Christine doesn't have the habit of using such a bad handwriting for a letter, especially to a friend. It is not proper, you know. I, for example..."
Raoul swallowed the rest of the wine furiously and slammed the glass violently on the nightstand.
"Mademoiselle, if you have something to tell me please do it at once, otherwise I'm leaving now. I don't have time to lose with chatting!" He threaten, standing up.
Just a little longer, Raoul, just some more minutes until you feel the effects of the medicine! God, how long would it take? Yes, I would indeed have to do what had regretfully crossed my mind....
"Alright, Raoul. I'm sorry I was not more straightforward with you, but I didn't want to hurt you."
He looked deeply in my eyes and asked fearfully, briefly. "What do you mean?"
"Christine wrote me a rather long letter. She said she has been trying to deny it, but she couldn't any longer. She doesn't love you, Raoul. She never did."
I felt so bad for doing it, and yet it was my only chance of saving Erik! I couldn't possibly allow Raoul to leave that room and take his monstrous troop of policemen underground to hunt Erik, it didn't matter what it would cost me!
"I don't believe you."
"That is up to you to decide, Monsieur." I bluffed.
"What else was in the letter?" He asked, after pondering a moment.
"Christine said she liked you, it's true, but that you would never be more than a friend, the very same boy she shared her games with when she was a child." How good that I had been her confidant, just how convenient that I had to hear her talking of Raoul so many times. It couldn't have helped me more at that moment.
"That she tried, but she failed in seeing you as a man, a man she would wish to marry and have children with, someone that would truly protect her."
I had hurt him, I knew. He looked away, swallowing hard.
"And what did she said about the monster?" He finally asked, terribly, bitterly and jealously.
"She likes him."
"What else?"
"That she needs his tutoring."
"What else?"
"I don't know, Raoul!" It was my turn to outburst. "What does it matter what Christine feels for him?! Will it change something? No, it won't! It's over Raoul!"
"No, it's not." He said determinedly, hitting the arm of the chair with his fist, with a look in his eyes that scared me. "I will rescue Christine, only because I know it's my duty. That cheap little whore...I will save her, and when she realizes what she's done, I hope she will feel as much disgust for herself as I feel for her now." His pride was wounded, his voice was terrible. And yet it was of no good for me, for he was still going down looking for Erik!
"Raoul" I called as he had walked to the door, "Come here."
I got rid of the cloak I had been wearing, while he turned around, staring at my thin and tight white dancing clothes.
He inquired with his eyes, completely confused.
I walked towards him slowly, allowing my hair to fall freely over my shoulders. I looked up at him and smiled.
"Forget Christine, Raoul."
"But I don't understand..."
"Forget her!"
And I kissed him fully on the mouth.
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