Epilogue - I'm Safe

                                    

                                          
(Three years later)
                          
Dearest Alice,
                          
I told you when I was going to run away that I would write when I was safe. Well, I ran. And now, I'm writing to tell you that I am very much safe. I'm a married woman now and will be a mother soon enough, though my husband doesn't know it yet.
                          
Where do I start? I suppose you heard about what happened to Andre and my father. Well... I had a bit to do with that. I ran away from Andre and in all the suspense and danger, I stumbled upon the man of my dreams - literally. You've heard of the Phantom of the Opera. His name is Erik. And it's his ring that I wear now.
                          
......
                          
Alice fell into a chair in her living room. Her family looked up, concerned when they saw the color drain from her face. She looked around and then looked back at her letter, reading out loud. Her family set down whatever they were doing and paid full attention as Alice read Lunette's account of all that had happened in Paris.
                          
.............
                          
So that's it. There isn't much else to tell. Erik and I returned to Paris after traveling for three years. We enjoyed a season at the Garnier, where Raoul and I persuaded him to make an appearance as the public owner of the House. Ticket sales have tripled and the number of patrons have doubled as a result. Erik isn't sure how happy he is about his renewed fame.
                          
We'll return to the Garnier from time to time but we live in a town just outside of Rouen now, where he was born. It's a very poor town now, mostly small time farmers and such. Erik asked the family heads if they would be amendable to him buying the land. They run it as always but he's helped them bring business back and he's rebuilt quite a bit of the town. They're very kind, God-fearing people. Erik doesn't have to wear his mask anymore; they didn't mind after a while. 
                          
I've sent you five tickets to come see a show in the coming Season. I'm desperate to see my best friends again, after all. Will you come? I'll take care of all the expenses, I promise. Just say that you'll come.
                          
Well, that's all really. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write. But I'm safe now. Safe and very happy.
                          
With much love,
                          
Lunette
                          
--------------------
                          
So that's the real end! What do you think? It didn't go the way I wanted but I still kinda like it. 
                          
For those seeking a sequel: 
If you go to my profile and find The Show Goes On, there are two shorts for Erik and Lunette. Basically, they go into detail about what Lunette wrote in the Epilogue. They're called Settling Down and Perfect. And the sequel has (finally) been posted as a separate book: The Imitation Phantom. Enjoy!