Welcome back to Angels and Phantoms! If you remember, when last we left off, I introduced you to some of the main characters in this story: Angelique, Meg, Madame Giry, and Gérard. This chapter has the same goal: exposition. Again, let me know what you think and leave your suggestions and constructive criticism in the comments below!

Angels and Phantoms – Chapter 2

“You must be completely mad, Gustave!”

The grand dining room is a stark contrast to the little church. Gold and pewter adorn the entire room, smartly dressed footmen stand at the oak doors, and a family of finely dressed nobility sits at the table.

The de Fontaines, the family in question, wrapped in their adornments of brocade and silk, are the very picture of the French upper class. The patriarch of the family, Monsieur Devereaux de Fontaine, sits at the head of the table, but that does nothing to disguise what a powerful figure he is. His broad shoulders and angular jaw give him the commanding appearance of a Roman general. The mother of the family, Antoinette, is as lovely as her husband is commanding. Whilst her beauty has somewhat diminished since the days of her youth, she still carries herself with the air of a woman who is accustomed to getting what she wants and nothing less. To her husband, she has borne three sons, the hope of every mother in that time. All three are accomplished, well-educated, and genteel, a result of nearly thirty years of tutors and scholars. The two eldest—Devereaux II and Laurent—both possess the physiognomy and tastes of their dear mother and father. Any mother would be proud to call these athletes and hunters sons.

And then, of course, there is the outlier: soft spoken Gustave. The baby of the family. Whilst his brothers are the very essence of their parents, Gustave is quite different. When they hunt and go out for sports, Gustave paints in the sun room and practices violin. While they spend the family fortune gabbling, it is Gustave who strives to put it toward nobler pursuits, such as the one he is putting forward at this very moment.

“Why not, Mother?” he exclaims. “Imagine how this would help them!”

Antoinette rubs her temples as if warding off a headache. “You wish to throw a party for a group of gypsies, vagrants, and hussies?”

“They are performers, Mother! Participants in the arts!”

“Whatever they are, they are vulgar.”

“Gustave,” says his father, “what on earth do you think this would accomplish?”

“Accomplish? They have nowhere to go for employment since the Opera Populaire burned to the ground. What choice do they have but to turn to less noble pursuits? Imagine how this would help them get along!”

Devereaux II, lounging on the sofa nearby, snickers. “My, my, petit frère,” he chides, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say you actually cared about them.”

“If I don’t, Devereaux, who will?”

“Certainly not us,” sniffs Laurent as he turns a page in his novel.

Gustave flushes with emotion. “That is exactly the point, Laurent!” he ejaculates. “If we care about them—show them the charity they do not receive on the streets or in the pubs—then other noble families will take the lead and help them as well! Don’t you want to be the example that they follow?”

Devereaux Sr. presses his lips together, his dark eyes calculating under his thick brow. If there is one thing a nobleman cannot resist, it is the chance to outdo another of his class. Setting an example? It’s a delicious opportunity, indeed…

He sighs through his nose. “Very well,” he says. When his bride begins to protest, he raises his hand. “We will honor your wish, Gustave…for now.”

Gustave nods. Not quite the answer he was searching for, but at least he has consent. Now, to begin writing the invitations…