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A New Beginning	By : Lum Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 5783 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Disclaimer: Please see the prologue.

A New Beginning

Chapter 18

Trouble

Not Censored

Madison was standing under an apple tree at the border of her father’s and the Appleton’s property. She was absently rolling a fallen apple under her newly polished black boots, gazing at the newly constructed house.

In the past four weeks the construction had been completed, the walls and floors installed, the pillars cast and placed, the roof shingled, and now the workers were painting the outside. White, with green shutters and trim.

Her hand knotted the fabric of her dark blue skirt, wrinkling the fabric. Because of the rapidly cooling weather her wardrobe had shifted from breezy cotton blouses and skirts to heavier cottons and silks with long sleeves and lace embellishments.

It was nearly complete, only needing to be furnished and wallpapered, and in two weeks time they would hold the ball for her to meet all of Raleigh’s eligible bachelors. She did not know what to think anymore, her head swam with thoughts of Erik, of their secret rendezvous and stolen kisses.

He seemed perfect, and thoughts of him brought a light nervousness to her stomach and made her heart beat faster. Her body responded to him in every way, and her mind reveled in the thought that he might be a perfect match intellectually.

But no matter how perfect he seemed to be for her or how enlightened he was she was plagued by small doubts that gnawed at her constantly.

He was at once a gentle, unsure man and an intimidating, argumentative perfectionist, and he confused her. Over the months that they had known one another she had seen many sides of him, but she was still unsure of who he was as a person.

Madison recalled the stories of the great adventures he had had, of the places he had traveled and the people he had met, but in the weeks of their new relationship she had learned little about him as a man.

If she did not know any better she would think that he was distracting her.

She looked once more at the house, at Erik directing the few builders that were left, and turned to walk back to the house. Passing by the now harvested corn fields she spotted one of the hired workers and waved a friendly hello.

It was Alandro, one of the gypsy boys that her father frequently hired for the harvest season. Now that their work was done the dozen boys would return to their camps and families and prepare to move south for the winter months.

Often she stopped to talk to him or one of his younger brothers when they were done working for the day, now she stopped to say goodbye to them for the season. He stood at the edge of the field, one hand resting at his side and the other leaning against the sickle that was propped against the ground, the curved blade pointing away from them.

She stopped when she was close to him, looking over his shoulder to his youngest brother Jan who was six years younger than Alandro’s twenty two. His face was tanned from the burning sun, creating an exotic appeal with his dark brown hair and eyes.

“When are you going this winter?” she asked him, raising one hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun.
He smiled charmingly, revealing a row of straight white teeth as he answered, “We are going further this year, down below Charleston I believe.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. It was true that the winters had been harsher these past few years but she had not thought that they would go so far south this year. The extra distance would add a month to their journey, two weeks down and two more back up, which meant less time to work the fields in the harvesting months. They might not even return so far north in the future if they could find good work near the North and South Carolina border.

She wanted to hug him goodbye, restraining herself just barely by reminding herself that it would be too brazen.

Her thoughts flickered to Erik and her recent, scandalous behavior and she blushed faintly. Madison never noticed as Alandro’s smile widened, his eyes crinkling in true pleasure, at her blush, mistaking it as a reaction to his presence.

“We will have one last celebration while we gather supplies and ready. You should join us, I know that mama would love to meet you.”

Madison balked, “oh, I do not think that I should. But thank you for the offer. I hope that your journey will be a good one this year.” She turned to leave but was stopped by his hand on her shoulder.

“With the shifting of the seasons we may begin settling elsewhere for summer work. Every year I ask you to come and celebrate with us, to meet mama and my family yet you say no. This year, I insist, she has been begging to finally meet and thank you.”

She shifted from foot to foot weighing the choices. It was true that she had known Alandro and his brothers for many years, and she did not want to be rude. But she also knew that her father, who was usually lenient, would forbid it if he knew. It was not that Alandro and his family were bad people, they had been working for them for years, but they were gypsies.

He saw that she wavered between decisions and released her shoulder while smiling reassuringly.

“Think of it as an adventure, before you are married and begin to raise a family,” he insisted.

“I promise to think about it,” she said, and listened while he gave her directions to their camp. Once she had them memorized she waved goodbye to him and his brothers and began walking back up to the house.

Erik seethed. First that farm boy, now this gypsy scoundrel. He had seen Madison’s exchange with the vermin, his blood boiling as the young man dared to lay a hand on what was his.

He clamped his hands into fists for fear of punching the newly painted exterior. From his vantage point up the slight slope he had seen her talking to the field hand, saw as the boy touched her and she did not shy away from him. He was not close enough to hear their words, but he saw her perfect lips moving and knew that they were conversing.

He closed his eyes in frustration, ignoring the looks from the frightened workers as his rage became apparent with every passing moment.

Hot loathing cooled to quiet anger as his fears settled in his stomach in a lump of dread. Everything had been going wonderfully, for one of the first time in his life, now all of his carefully laid plans would be ruined again, and by another foolish boy who thought that he could claim what was clearly his.

He released the workers from their day’s work, barely noticing their quick retreat as he was consumed with thoughts and worries. He barely remembered making the long walk from the new house to the main one, barely
remembered climbing the stairs to the second floor, or opening his door and collapsing on his bed.

Erik peeled off the white leather mask, reveling in the sensation of cooled air touching hot, sweaty flesh for the first time that day. As the scarred, deformed side of his face cooled so did his anger until the knots of the
dread that had settled in his stomach lessened and he was able to think again.

He would need to do something, talk to her. She was a rational woman and would understand why she could never speak to that foolish boy again. Yes, she would understand; she had to. A plan formed in his mind and the worry
smoothed from his brow, his blood pressure settling.

Madison balled her hands into fists at her side; it was all she could do to keep from hitting the irritating man. “And what do you mean I can never talk to Alandro again?”

Erik took a calming breath, attempting to cool his rage. He had tried to explain to her, tried to appeal to her rational nature, but something had gone terribly wrong. “Exactly what I said, you will not talk to him again.”

She stared at him, mouth dropping in unladylike speechlessness. Her ire cooled until it was a calm anger that settled inside of her. Unfortunately for Erik he did not know Madison’s moods, that when she was yelling or stomping her feet she was upset but not truly angry. But when she was silent and calm but her eyes burned with angry was when you needed to be fearful.

Her eyes narrowed, arms folded across her chest as she cocked her head to one side and asked of him icily, “and what makes you think that I have to do what you say, that you can control me?”

He paused a moment, his rage halted by uneasiness. He sensed that the icy tone of voice was a dangerous one and he did not know what to do. If it had been Christine she would have cowered at his feet by now, promising to obey so that he would not be upset with her. Madison acted like no woman he had ever known, not that he was acquainted with very many, and he was unsure of how to proceed.

“You have not answered me, Erik. Why should I do as you say? You are not my father, my brother, my husband, or even my fiancée. So why should I do what you tell me to?”

He did not like the chill in her voice or the soft, even tone with which she spoke. Her sudden control, he was ashamed to admit, frightened him a little. What could he say, what could he tell her to make her see reason?
Madison eyed him up and down, lips pursed as he stood still, body ramrod tight. A minute passed between them, then another. She shook her head and turned to leave the room, “that is what I thought.”

But she was stopped as his hand grabbed her left arm and turned her back to him.

“Let go of me you, you barbaric man!” she yelled at him as his hold on her arm refused to loosen.

“You must listen to reason, Madison…” he began but was interrupted.

“Reason, I must listen to reason. But you haven’t given me any reason, haven’t asked me. No, you just demand! Like you have some claim to me because we have kissed. Well I won’t be controlled by an insufferable lout!” She jerked her arm from his grasp as she brought her foot down on his instep, crushing her heel into the soft leather of his walking shoes and the arch of his foot.

He yelped in surprise, loosening his grip, as pain exploded, barely registering her flee from the library and him.

Erik leaned one hand against the wall, focusing on breathing in and out. His teeth were clenched against the pain, his breath hissing through them as he attempting to regain control of himself. “I will not strangle her, I will not strangle her,” he repeated under his breath to himself as he tried to calm his rage.

In the distance he heard the slamming of a door, the door to her bedroom most likely, and he groaned. How had he
ruined the trust that had grown between them in mere minutes?

Madison slammed her bedroom door, a resounding bang as it hit the doorframe and nearly bounced back before the latch caught. Ummi’s head peaked out of the wardrobe, the last silk shirt slipping from her weathered hands. “Good heavens child, you nearly scared me to death.”

Ummi peered at Madison, studying the young woman and taking note of her flushed cheeks and the angry twist to her face.

“What’s got you in such an uproar?” she asked while picking up the fallen shirt and refolding it, sliding it into the drawer and shutting the cabinet.

Despite her anger tears welled in Madison’s eyes as she blinked them furiously away, refusing to surrender to them and instead focused on the cool rage that seeped into every corner of her soul. “He thinks that he can own me, that I am like some property that he can control. I thought that he was different, that I had found someone who would understand, but he does not understand anything!”

Ummi took Madison into a tight embrace, arms wrapped around her shoulders as she let the young woman sob into the crook of her neck.

When she was done Ummi handed her a clean white handkerchief and patted her hand.

“Ummi,” Madison began tentatively, “the gypsy boys invited me to their camp for an end of harvest celebration and I am going to go tonight. Could you please help me?”

The housekeeper looked startled and uneasy, “you know that I don’t like lying for you miss Madison, it ain’t right.”

Madison took Ummi’s hands in hers and looked at her beseechingly, “The house is built and being furnished any my days as a free, happy woman are numbered. I want one adventure before I settle for a life I never wished for. Is that too much to ask?”

Ummi shifted from one foot to another, debating these words, “I understand miss, I do, but I don’t like lying to your father. It ain’t the decent thing to do.”

Despite her protests Madison knew that Ummi would reluctantly agree to aid her, and after a few minutes of debate she gave in. Madison smiled and kissed the woman’s cheek.

“At least take a shawl with you, and a lantern, and don’t be too late! I’ll cover for you until two hours after sundown, and if you’re not back by then I’m telling your father.”

Madison smiled and grabbed her thickest wool shawl, wrapping it around her shoulders to ward off the November chill and made her way to the stables and the little chestnut colored gelding that was hers.

Ummi watched her leave, a sense of foreboding settling around her as she sighed and wondered what she had just agreed to do.

Author’s Note:
Ooh, looks like some trouble in paradise. Well, it had to happen sooner or later that Erik’s possessive and controlling personality would throw them for a loop. Who knows, maybe Madison is the girl to change that. She certainly won’t put up with it. As always, constructive criticism and praise is welcome.
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A New Beginning