Bonpetitepoodles-the flaunting it remark was more of Christine "flaunting" her marriage in front of Erik, not her voice
AcrobaticButterfly: thank you so much for the feedback! Hopefully I'll be able to update every few days for the next couple of weeks!
"Are you sure you have to leave now, Mother?" Camille gripped both of her mother's hands and stared at her anxiously. The tour of the Opera Populaire had taken longer than the group had anticipated and it seemed now that if Lydia didn't leave now, she wouldn't be home before nightfall.
"Oh hush Camille, I'll return to see you in your very first production soon. Raoul and Christine are going to take wonderful care of you. You won't even notice my absence." The older woman squeezed her daughter's hands reassuringly before pulling her in for a tight hug.
"Promise I'll see you soon?" The teenager asked, nervousness lacing her voice.
"I promise, my love." Lydia replied, kissing the top of her daughter's head before releasing her. She quickly hugged and thanked her niece and nephew in-law before exiting out the large doors of the theater. Camille stood and watched her mother disappear into a carriage before turning her attention to her newly discovered relatives.
"Is there anything else you'd like to see here? Or shall we go to supper?" Raoul asked, hoping to put the young girl at ease. Her anxiety about the situation was quite obvious to him and the man hoped taking her in wasn't going to put too much stress on the girl.
"Whatever the two of you would like is quite alright with me." Camille answered politely. Christine and Raoul exchanged a glance before shrugging.
"To supper it is then. By the time we get there, it should be nearly ready." Raoul decided, smiling warmly at his wife and then nodding his head towards Camille. With his hands full, he couldn't escort the young lady as well. Christine took the hint and looped her arm through Camille's, leading her towards the door. The trio made it out onto the street, where a light rain had just started, and Raoul hurried to put his niece's bags away and help both of his companions into the passenger compartment.
"So Camille, tell us, have you ever visited Paris before?" Raoul questioned, noticing the way Camille glanced at the passing buildings with wide eyes. The girl turned her attention away from the window and shook her head sheepishly.
"No. It's quite a lot bigger than I had imagined. Father had always spoken of coming here, but we…we never got the chance." She admitted. Christine offered a sad smile, recalling what her aunt had told her. Camille's older sister had passed away when the girl was only 9, and ever since then the girl had not quite come back all the way. That was part of the reason Lydia had suggested Camille spending some time away from home.
"Well I'm very excited you're getting the chance to with us. We both are." Christine said softly, hoping to catch her cousin's eye. She did briefly and to her relief, Camille at least attempted to return the smile. It was small and it was brief, but it was there.
"It's very kind of you both to be so hospitable. Mother was delighted to receive an invitation to the wedding. She speaks very highly of you." Camille responded.
The next few hours passed with somewhat forced small talk as the trio reached Raoul and Christine's newly purchased home. The house, or mansion rather, was warmly and extravagantly furnished, focusing mainly on shades of red and gold. Supper was served by the kitchen staff and although Camille's attitude was polite and willing to answer whatever was asked of her, she also seemed quite content to sit in silence. She left both of her new guardians a bit unsure of whether or not they were being taken to.
"Just go in Christine. You can't blame her for being out of her element. She's just a child." Raoul pointed out quietly, rubbing his wife's arms comfortingly. He had suggested she go in and try to speak to her cousin before she went to bed for the night. Christine had some reservations about the idea, specifically the claim that she "had never had any experience with relatives".
"What if she just doesn't like us Raoul? What if this was a mistake?"
"She's just nervous, Christine! There's nothing to dislike about you either way. Go in and talk to her." He encouraged, pointing Christine towards their guest room's slightly ajar door. Sighing reluctantly, Christine gathered herself and knocked lightly.
"Come in." The soprano took a deep breath before letting herself into the room. She found Camille perched on the bench near the window. The girl gave her a tiny smile and Christine managed to build up enough nerve to cross the room and sit next to her.
"Camille, I hope you're…you don't feel uncomfortable or forced into visiting us. Surely if you don't want to stay here you don't need to. Raoul and I want only to be of service and to get to know you any way we can." Christine's voice was strung with anxiety and she searched her cousin's eyes for a response desperately. She just wasn't any good at this and had absolutely no idea how to be.
"I'm sorry if I've seemed rude or cold ma'am. This is just quite a change for me and it's all happened so quickly. But I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet you." Camille replied quickly, worry painting her features. She hadn't meant to come across hostile or upset about her situation.
"Your mother told me about your sister, Camille. She spoke of how you never recovered from her passing. I lost my father several years ago and I understand how hard something like that is. And I want you to know that I want to be there for you if you should ever need to talk about it." Christine offered carefully. The younger girl beside her was quiet for a few seconds before sighing.
"There's no reason to talk about it. She's gone and she isn't coming back. If you don't mind, I think I'd like to go to bed now." Camille averted her eyes and Christine could immediately tell that she had struck a nerve. Nodding apologetically, the singer stood up and tentatively squeezed Camille's shoulder before exiting the bedroom.
So the story is still pretty open to suggestions. I have a rough outline of where I'd like it to go, but I'm always open for requests and feedback! Thank you for all the views on the first chapter!