𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝘼𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 | 𝙋𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖

xxviii. Raoul, Please

Two months later...

"Gustave, can you go get Angelina for me?" Charlotte asked from the kitchen. "Your father is working and Nadir is preparing to go back to London."

"Mother, I'm doing my homework," Gustave replied with a sigh.

"And I'm making dinner. Please?" Charlotte asked softly.

With another sigh, Gustave put his pencil down and walked to the parlor, returning with a squirming Angelina in his arms. "She's not pleased about this," he said.

"Just put her in her chair," Charlotte nodded. "Thank you."

"She won't be happy about that either, but I'll try," Gustave replied as he lifted Angelina into her high chair.

"No," Angelina whined, grabbing onto his shirt with her little hands.

"I told you," he said as he lifted her back up. "Now what do I do? I still have to do my work."

"Can you hold her while you finish it?"

"Mother..."

"Gustave, please," Charlotte sighed.

Gustave took a deep breath, but nodded. "Okay, fine. You're cooking, I don't want you to get hurt," he said as he sat back in his chair. "Okay, Angelina, you have to sit still so I can work."

Angelina nodded, smiling up at him before she pressed a kiss to her brother's cheek.

"Thank you," Gustave said as he started to work again, only to have to pause when his sister started trying to grab his pencil. "Angelina, please."

Angelina began to whine as her brother gently pushed her little hands away, looking up at him with wide eyes.

Gustave sighed, abandoning his homework so he could pick her up and stand up to bounce her. "Will Papa be done his work soon?"

"I believe so," Charlotte smiled. "Thank you for watching her."

"Sure, sure." Gustave glanced down at Angelina when he noticed that she had stopped fussing. He noticed that she was resting her head on his shoulder, her eyelids heavy. "I'm going to go into the parlor. She might fall asleep."

"Alright," Charlotte said softly, kissing his cheek. "You're a wonderful older brother."

"Thank you," Gustave replied as he walked out of the room, still bouncing Angelina as he walked.

Nadir returned downstairs just as the boy was leaving the kitchen, giving Charlotte a smile. "Alright, my darling, I'll be off."

"I wish you didn't have to go," Charlotte sighed. "How long will it take you to collect the rest of your things in London?"

"It should be just about two weeks, my darling," Nadir said with a nod as he kissed her forehead. "You'll be alright."

"I know, but I'll miss you," Charlotte smiled. "Erik, please come down here to say goodbye!"

"He's busy, Charlotte, you don't need to bother him. It's fine, really."

"He's probably just composing another opera or something," Charlotte shrugged. "Erik, get down here now!"

Within a moment, Erik walked into the kitchen, his hair a mess after running his fingers through it while he worked. "I was in the middle of a composition," he said with a sigh. "What is it?"

"I told you," Charlotte chuckled before turning to her husband. "Papa is leaving to go back to London."

"Ah, I see. You're off, are you?" Erik asked, giving his friend a firm handshake.