One Week Later

The door to the office opened after one knock and a stern looking woman appeared. Nicole retreated behind Berthe and the woman smiled slightly. "This is the child then?" she asked, then, without waiting for an answer, went on. "She looks much like her parents. Please, come in." Nicole thought to herself that the woman seemed much more pleasant that she first appeared and was far more interested to know how this woman had known her mother and father.

The woman seated herself behind her desk and motioned to two chairs that Berthe and Nicole then sat in. "Now, I understand that you have not found a will. Is that correct?" asked the woman.

Berthe nodded. "That is correct Madame. We are still searching the house but so far we have found nothing to indicate their wishes on Nicole's placement," she explained.

The woman sighed. "They were too young to believe they would need one yet I suppose. Very foolish of them considering what they both experienced in their lives." She sighed again and then looked to Nicole. "Nicole?"

Nicole had been looking at all the paintings in the room and had not been paying attention to a word that had been said, but snapped to attention when she heard the stern woman address her. "Do you like to sing or dance? Or do you perhaps play an instrument?" she asked.

The girl smiled. "I always liked when mama would sing for me," she said.

The woman smiled. "Yes, I am sure you did, but do you like to sing?" she asked again.

Nicole nodded. "Yes, but I am not as good as mama was," she replied sadly.

"Oh but you could learn to sing like your mother child. There are wonderful voice instructors all over Paris who would be more than happy to teach you," the woman told her.

Nicole smiled again. "Mama said an Angel taught her to sing."

Berthe laughed. "Nicole that is just a story your mother was telling you."

"Oh no," said the woman, "she was indeed taught by an Angel. The Angel of Music she called him." The woman nodded. "He taught her very well; very well indeed." She stood and crossed to a window and stared outside, apparently lost in thought.

"Madame?"

"Oh, excuse me. I am sorry. I was just thinking about your mother Nicole," she said softly, tears glistening in her eyes. She cleared her throat and sat down once more. "I have no problem with the child staying here at the Opera. I can train her to be a dancer as her mother was and find her a voice instructor as well."

"I want Mama's Angel!" Nicole exclaimed.

The woman smiled wistfully. "Sadly Nicole that is not possible," she stated.

"Why not?" the girl asked sadly.

"He…only teaches the ones he chooses to teach. I cannot tell him to teach you. Besides, it is very difficult to speak to an Angel."

"Could you please ask him?" Nicole pleaded.

The woman sighed softly. "I will try Nicole." Nicole smiled brightly, an action that made her look ever so much more like her mother in this mysterious woman's eyes. "You are a very beautiful girl Nicole. You look just like your mother did when I first met her."

"Really?" the girl asked excitedly. She had always thought that her mother was the most beautiful woman in the world so to be told that she looked just like her was a very great compliment indeed.

"Oh yes. She had that same long, dark hair and those wonderful big eyes. Hers were darker brown of course, but yours are every bit as beautiful. You have some of your father in you as well," the woman mused. "However, it is your mother that I see the most. If you inherited her talent as well you will be a splendid talent here at the Opera. Now, come child. I will show you to the dormitories."

The woman rose and strode to the door and Nicole looked to Berthe nervously. "Oh love, she will take good care of you. She raised your mother you know." When Nicole did not look convinced, Berthe spread her arms wide and Nicole ran to her. "Everything will be just fine dear, you'll see. You are going to just love it here, I know it," she whispered as she held the softly crying girl tightly. "Now you be brave just like your mother and father would want you to be hmm? You are the daughter of nobles; make them proud. Now run along girl."

Nicole stepped back and wiped her eyes. Berthe was right; her parents would want her to be brave like they were. Her mother had told her not to be afraid and she would do as her mother had said. She looked to Berthe and smiled. "Thank you for taking care of me Berthe," she said quietly. She then turned and walked to the woman. "I am ready now."

"Very good child." The woman held out her hand and Nicole grasped it tightly as they walked out of the office together. "I will give you a proper tour of the Opera sometime Nicole, but for now I will just take you to your room. You look tired."

"I am a little tired Madame," Nicole replied.

"You can meet my Granddaughter. Her name is Paulette, and my name is Madame Giry. I am the Ballet Mistress here," the woman told her.

"It is nice to meet you," Nicole stated.

"I will take good care of you Nicole." Once they reached the door to the dormitories Madame Giry stopped and crouched down before the girl. "Your mother was like a daughter to me and I know that there are many things about her life that you still do not know. When the time is right, I will help you to uncover the secrets of her past, but that time will not be until you are much older. For now, rest and tomorrow I will show you your way around." Madame Giry stood and kissed Nicole on the top of her head, smoothing back her masses of black hair. With that she strode off leaving the girl even more confused than when she had first arrived at the Opera.