Chapter 6

"No, I do not like Justine coming onto the stage from there." Laurette was in the Music Room leaning against one of the walls with her arms crossed, looking at Erik. He was sitting at the piano, his hands folded in his lap.

"I assure you, it will make more of an impact," Erik said.

"Justine makes enough of an impact on his own," replied Laurette smiling.

"That he does."

"I actually think his entrance should be…more, shall we say, balanced to the entire scene."

She wants everything to be well balanced it seems, he thought. "The appearance of Masinello from behind the building will draw the audience attention away from Alfonso and Elvira which will be the goal for them to hide," Erik said, trying to be patient.

"I want him to enter from center stage."

"The set Philippe has designed will not allow for that in this scene."

"Then he can re-design it."

Now Erik felt like strangling her. Well, no, not really. But he did find it rather daunting with how she asked for his advice only to constantly refute it. In fact, Erik wasn't quite sure why he even bothered giving her feedback. She argued with everything it seemed.

"You know that will take too much time," he said looking at her frowning.

She gave a frown right back at him. "Well we haven't asked Philippe yet, have we? He might be able to come up with a very quick solution. You should not underestimate him."

"I am not underestimating him by any means. All I am saying is that it will still take more time."

She walked over to the piano bench and sat down next to him in somewhat of a huff. Although Erik still stiffened at her being so close, he was getting somewhat used to it from the last few long nights. He had thought to only visit her in the evenings once in a while, but this first week had proven him wrong. Erik was seeing her every night. There was just too much to do and she asked him to come back after every evening they talked.

Erik sighed, looking at the music in front of him. "Alright then, if you can find a way for Philippe to change the set, then we can use the same background for the dance number."

Hearing this, Laurette placed her head down on top of the piano, burying her face in her arms in an exasperated way.

"What?" Erik asked, as she shook her head on top of the piano. He was secretly laughing as he knew this was the reaction she was going to give. He had been after her for the last few nights not to cut out the dance scene like she wanted to.

"Oh, Erik please," she said, her voice muffled in her arms.

"It would not be that difficult," Erik said back to her.

She raised her head looking at him. "You know that it will be. I thought you just said you wanted to take less time."

"Not if it means sacrificing the beauty of the performance."

"I am not sacrificing anything!" Her face was growing red.

"Are you sure of that?"

"One cut dance scene does not mean we sacrifice the meaning of the story!"

She was so keyed up now that Erik had to stifle himself from laughing at her. Of course he knew she would never sacrifice anything for a performance. But Erik had to use this sore spot to his advantage. Laurette scowled, but Erik did not retreat from her eyes like he normally did.

I will sit here firm until those damn eyes burn my soul or I get what I want.

"Why is this so important to you?" she asked in an exasperated tone.

"If there is one thing you do have in this young Company, it is natural talent. It would be a loss not to use those dancers."

"But I am not a choreographer and it is certainly not likely that Monsieur Garier will be allowing us to get one."

"You did fine with the last production," Erik said quietly.

Laurette closed her eyes, now her turn trying to be patient with him. "If you want to have the dance scene, it cannot be as simple as in the last production. This Opera calls for a much more complicated performance. That is something I cannot do." She opened her eyes and looked back at the music. Obviously, she was hoping this would convince him to drop the subject.

"Then use Nicole."

Laurette looked at him questioningly.

"You said yourself she has natural talent to move to the music. Let her try to put something together." He glanced at the clock. It was already early morning and Laurette needed to sleep. There might not be enough time left in the night to win this argument.

"How do you expect her to take on such responsibility, especially leading the other more experienced dancers? We have many dancers besides her, even younger with more talent I think."

"Nicole is in fact the youngest dancer and probably most talented," Erik replied, knowing full well this would infuriate her.

"Erik!"

"What?"

Laurette laid the side of her head back down on top of the piano, looking at him. She seemed very tired suddenly.

"Fine."

"Really?"

"I said yes."

"I am quite at a loss. Let me take the time to savor this moment."

"Oh hush," Laurette said. She suddenly got up from the piano walking over to the chaise and sat down. She wasn't really angry, was she?

Erik was quiet for a moment. "Laurette, you do not have to, really. I apologize for taking it so far. You are the director."

She smiled wearily back at him. "No, I will ask Nicole tomorrow."

He watched as she lifted her legs up onto the chaise and was surprised as she kicked off her shoes. For some reason, it caught his attention that she had very tiny feet. But then Laurette saw him looking at her feet and she quickly retreated them underneath the skirt of her dress.

Erik turned his head back to the piano. "You need to get some sleep," he said and stood up.

She only nodded in response, apparently too tired to say anything else. He looked down at the music from the scene they had been working on for a moment, still thinking.

"You will let me know tomorrow evening how Maurice does," Erik heard her ask.

He looked at her and this time slightly gave her a smile.

"No," he said amused as she responded with a confused face.

"Why?"

"You do not remember do you?"

She still looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"You have an appointment with the dressmaker after rehearsal tomorrow."

Laurette rolled her eyes and sat up, letting out a resentful sigh. Erik bit his lower lip to keep from smiling again. "Well, I am glad someone finds it so amusing," she said in a gruff tone looking up at him.

"Well I thought having a dress made would be something most women would like." Knowing what he had observed with her when it came to such things, Erik could not help suppress a light laugh when he said this.

"Well, most women also do not direct opera either do they?" she snapped and stood up from the chaise.

"This is true."

"Well, it is a perfectly good waste of time when we could work on the production if you ask me. I will see you the night after tomorrow then." Erik bowed his head politely and she left the room.

He walked over to the mirror to leave and then saw something in the reflection that caught his attention. Erik turned around looking at the floor underneath the chaise and shook his head.

Two small shoes remained toppled over each other on the floor.

Two weeks passed by quickly, too quickly. Erik was working just as hard as Laurette it seemed. During the day he watched from the balcony, sometimes even moving about the back of the theater to watch from different vantages. This sometimes proved even more challenging when it came to remaining hidden. Only Box 5 had a secret entrance and Erik had to very quietly slip in and around the different areas of the theater seats so not to be seen. He had a few close calls, even some minor glimpses from members of the Company. This of course just bolstered the phantom tale, which satisfied Erik so long as it went no further than gossip.

He hoped his agreement with Laurette would not doom his secrecy within the Opera House. Despite the traps and deadly weapons prepared to be tripped should anyone near his home, Erik still worried that giving into his weakness to be a part of this production may bring him a premature ending. If there was one wish Erik had, it was to end his life when and where he chose. The thought of anyone putting him on display either in life or death haunted him more than any opera ghost tale.

When he did move about the theater during rehearsals, Erik was constantly writing down thoughts that he later shared with Laurette. As he grew to know her more in conversation about the production, Erik was finding that she became more willing to use parts of his ideas, though she still had to have a good argument with him before agreeing to anything.

He still had learned little about her past from a personal standpoint. Since the agreement was that she could not ask him any further questions, Erik found it hard to push her for personal information despite his growing curiousity. But this evening, Erik found an opportunity to link what they were working on to see if he could find out more.

"Nicole is coming along nicely with the choreography, yes?"

"Yes, I have to admit that she seems to have natural leadership ability. The other dancers seem to follow her with little question surprisingly," said Laurette as she scribbled down some changes to the music in a scene they were working on. She was sitting at the piano while he sat in one of the arm chairs in the room.

"I saw you reviewing some of the different movements she had written down and then you changed a few of them."

"So?" She was eyeing him suspiciously as if she were preparing herself for his criticism.

He laughed. "Nothing, I just meant that even without actually seeing the steps, you seemed to be able to picture the movements from what she wrote down."

"Oh. Yes." Laurette looked back down at the music.

"You seem to know ballet well. Were you a dancer?" Erik asked knowing full well the answer to this question. He remembered the conversation he overheard with the dancers in the first production.

"Well no. …," Laurette paused glancing at him, then looking back at the music. Was she actually nervous around him suddenly? "My…my mother was a ballet dancer," she said a bit awkwardly.

"Oh, I see. Did she teach you ballet?" Erik asked, now intrigued that he was finally learning something personal about her.

"No, not really, I would not say she had the time. However, I had to…I watched a lot when I was a child." Laurette was still looking at the music sheets in front of her.

"She took you to rehearsals?"

"I lived at rehearsals."

Erik almost laughed at this. He thought about asking more questions to see if she would answer.

Laurette must have sensed this as she looked up at him slowly and then quietly put the pen down. "So now it is fair for you to ask me questions?"

She was onto what he had been doing immediately. Laurette seemed to be extremely aware of him, even if no harm was intended. "You are right, it is not fair of me to ask you such questions," he said looking at her. He looked at the floor for a moment then back to her. "Why don't we begin Act III? There are a few areas that we need to think about with the first song."

She stood up and walked around to the side of the piano and leaned against it, looking at him. "I have to admit that you deserve some answer in regards to my skills as a director. I am unsure what it is you know about my background to lead such a Company. Though I do appreciate up until now you have not made me feel like an inexperienced, or perhaps a more descriptive word would be, a woman director," she laughed almost bitterly.

Erik was quiet for a moment. "Are there any other directors that are women?" he finally asked.

"None that I am aware. Or at least, none that are public." She had what appeared to be a sad look on her face.

"Well, I must say," Erik said, suddenly wanting to lift her spirits, "Although I admit that I was surprised when you were first announced, your talent as a director was proven to me very quickly. I have no doubt there are male directors with by far less talent than you have demonstrated."

At this, she gave way to a small smile. "Thank you. And I do appreciate your sincerity. I would not say others are so generous in their words. I am not compared to other directors, only to women in general."

"Why is that?" Perhaps this question was a little naïve of him with his social skills. He really had not recently observed women outside of the Opera House other than when he had late night walks. And women out that late were by no means from upper class society. He knew it appeared that being matched in marriage apparently was important somehow, at least from what he surmised with the men appearing to show off the women almost like property. But that was the very little he knew.

"Because I am not what society, specifically the upper society, expects," Laurette said.

"And what is it that they expect?"

"Certainly not an Opera director." Laurette shook her head slightly and sighed. She must have sensed he was still slightly confused by this as she continued. "Women do not hold such leadership type positions. Perhaps the highest position would be for a head maid to be in charge of a staff of women, but even that type of work is part of traditional domestic chores that is expected. Though God forbid a task such as cleaning would ever be performed by a woman in upper society."

"Then what do they do?"

She laughed at this question making him feel self-conscious that perhaps it was something he should know. But her answer surprised him.

"I do not know."

"They have to do…something," he said to her. At least raise children was a thought, but then Erik remembered overhearing the women in the audience in regards to servants doing this.

"It is not a life I have aspired to be, so I do not know. I can tell you, women in upper society hold a great deal of respect depending on their husband's position. The wealthier the man, the higher level the woman is viewed."

"What about opera singers?" he asked suddenly thinking of Christine.

"The world of the arts and those in it are usually highly respected. Once successful, they are automatically adopted into such an upper class world. Everyone wants to be associated with them because they draw such a crowd," she finished.

"And would you not say that you fall into that category?"

She frowned slightly. "Yes and no. The fact that I am a woman in a leadership role brings a certain amount of disrespect. And yet the fact that I am a curiousity, especially now given the success of the first production, they are forced to place me on a higher level. Although I believe this perspective comes more from the women than the men. I have not encountered that nearly as many men appear to look down on me for being a director, although they do seem slightly amused at times."

Erik thought to respond by saying she was most likely viewed as a threat by other women as he specifically remembered the incident between her and Madame Bovie. But he changed his mind as such a comment might be too personal. Not to mention it would confirm that he had witnessed Monsieur Garier kissing her. However, this conversation was still personal in nature, at least for him, as it confirmed to Laurette that he lived in seclusion from the type of questions he asked. She had not asked him anything, and yet it was his questions that now were providing insight to her about him. She had to know who he was by now. Then Erik heard Laurette speak ever so softly.

"I knew why Monsieur Garier wanted me here." She smiled slightly, her eyes meeting his for a moment.

Was she referring to the publicity of the opera house or his condition of intimacy?

"How was it that you learned opera so well?" he asked.

"My stepfather…," she paused for a moment, "My stepfather is Monsieur Mortimer Beaumont. Have you heard of him?"

Erik did recognize the name. He was well known for the direction of performances in an opera house southwest of Paris, near the city of Versailles. Erik himself had studied any details he ever found in news reports and reviews of productions held there.

"Now I see where you get your attention to such detail. He must have been a good teacher," Erik said impressed at this news. Her reaction however, slightly puzzled him as she almost winced at his words.

"Yes, you could say that," she said glancing away to the side, then looking down. "He was…is…very sure of what he wants."

Was this a characteristic that was bad? He did not think so as she certainly seemed to know what she wanted. It was a confident demeanor she portrayed in her style of directing most likely learned from Monsieur Beaumont.

"My mother married him when I was a child. She of course, was one of the ballet dancers in the company."

"What happened to your real father?" asked Erik.

She looked a bit apprehensively at him with this question. Maybe things were getting too personal now. But she answered him.

"Apparently he died when I was only a few years old. I never knew him."

"And where is your mother now? Does she live near Versailles with Monsieur Beaumont?"

"No," she said quietly looking back down. "My mother died several years ago apparently caused by a fever of some sort. She was ill for quite a few years when I was growing up."

"I am sorry," Erik said. He moved his hands from the arms of the chair to his lap where he folded them, continuing to listen intently on what she was finally telling him about her past.

Laurette must have been getting tired of standing as she hopped up on the piano to sit on it. This was a habit of hers he was getting used to seeing.

"And so Monsieur Beaumont continued as a stepfather and teacher to you I assume," Erik asked.

"Yes…I guess you could say that," she said looking down as she let her legs and feet sway back in forth under the skirt of her dress.

He noticed suddenly that the skirt of the dress had fine detailed lace. While the deep blue dress was somewhat plain looking which was to her taste, this dress looked as if it had been lovingly stitched with intricate patterns of detail when looked upon closely. He noticed earlier that it had a small sweeping train, again, something she did not usually wear as it was inconvenient for her during rehearsals. Did this mean Monsieur Garier was paying a visit today?

"How was your meeting with the dressmaker?" he asked suddenly thinking of this. Laurette scowled at him and Erik laughed lightly, hoping she would bring up something in regards to the dress she wore today and if Monsieur Garier was going to stop by. He thought about saying something in regards to the dress she was wearing, but that was too…well, intimate might be a word. Erik didn't want her to think he so closely paid attention to what she wore giving her any wrong impression that he liked her in some romantic way.

"So…," Erik said wanting to return to their conversation about her past when he realized she was not going to say nothing further about the topic of dress, "Monsieur Beaumont must have seen the talent you had which made him decide to take you on as a student."

She laughed. "As a child, I hated opera."

"That, I cannot see," he said a bit surprised.

Laurette sighed. "While other children went to school, my education was assisting in any way I could at the Opera House. I was, shall we say, free help and that was my job. I did everything from washing the floors to sewing some of the costumes. He certainly at first did not treat me like I had any talent."

"But something must have changed," Erik said tilting his head at her.

"Yes. Gradually, he began to use me to help in voice warm ups with the cast." She suddenly smiled. "Like Justine, I hated the singers practicing scales. It was I who forced them to practice, a task not very exciting."

"Oh come now, I am certain that Justine loves singing warm up exercises slightly more than walking in circles," Erik said smiling. Laurette laughed at this and it made him feel somewhat better in lifting her spirits.

"Yes, well, I will say that I did eventually learn how important it is to warm up one's voice. In time, Monsieur Beaumont, my stepfather, expected me to rehearse some of the songs before he even arrived. Fortunately, I seem to pick up playing the piano fairly quickly as a child and this impressed the chorus, even the stars of the show. For someone who had never studied music, it seemed very natural to me. When I had suggestions, they began to listen and even began to ask for my opinion. I have to admit, that this made me feel, well… wanted…that someone actually cared about what I had to say."

He nodded. Erik could sympathize in the feeling of being wanted. In a way, that was why he was here. There was no way society would ever accept what was hidden beneath his mask. But keeping to her word, Laurette never asked him why he wore it, though he was certain she must know by now from the Opera Ghost stories he heard the cast discussing. Erik appreciated that she seemed to only care about what he thought, not what he looked like. Or at least this is what he told himself to feel better. He wasn't really sure how much she had thought about his mask, but Laurette did genuinely seem to not hold such a thing against him. Their conversation made him feel like a normal man with no mask, no history of murder, and no secrecy. Though Erik knew these thoughts were only a fantasy and not real, he enjoyed the feeling of it.

"So Monsieur Beaumont began to let you lead other areas of the performances," Erik asked, now turning his attention away from his thoughts back to her.

"Yes. I was given larger responsibilities as I grew older. Monsieur Beaumont began to use me for set design, transposing music, even filling in as understudy to any role in the performance as needed." Erik noticed her voice quivered slightly as she said this. He could not figure out why this conversation was making her appear so nervous.

"I began to direct small productions for shows during the day," she said continuing. "It was a good way to make me responsible for an entire show, making me practice my directing skills before I began with any main production."

"So eventually you began to assist him in directing the major performances. I must say, that if you worked alongside him for a number of years, it certainly must have taught you quite a bit," Erik said. He was still impressed by her having such a mentor.

Laurette sharply looked down after he said this, making him wonder again what was wrong. But before he could ask anything, she hopped off of the piano and stood leaning against it once again.

"I did not assist him in the main productions," she said quietly.

"But you just said…?" Erik asked confused.

She raised her head slowly and her eyes looked into his. This made him feel a bit self conscious as usual, but Erik did not look away.

"I did not assist him. You see, it was me who solely directed all the performances for the last three years."

"Only you?" Erik asked incredulously. His mind was rapidly thinking of all the performances he read from critics on Monsieur Beaumont. They hailed him as a great director, being able to put together very complicated performances. Even composers competed to have him direct their creations as they knew he would make it a success.

But now, Erik suddenly realized with her words that no one knew it was actually her. For the last three years, she was Monsieur Beaumont.

"How is it that such a thing was kept so secret?" Erik asked, still taken aback from what he had just learned.

"I had a very dedicated company. They seemed to…want me to stay. While everyone else thought I only assisted my stepfather, the company followed only me. My stepfather had the free time he wanted, able to enjoy a somewhat early retirement much to his delight. The company seemed to go out of their way to keep it a secret as time went by. They knew if anyone were to find out, not only would it destroy Monsieur Beaumont's reputation as a director, but that I also may not be allowed to direct anymore. Although they still keep the secret today, there was one man who found out. For three years, the Company worked very hard at maintaining the façade."

She suddenly laughed again. "Do you know, that when they brought in guest opera singers, especially any famous diva, they would always arrange some grand excuse as to why my stepfather was not directing? I always 'filled in' because he was sick, or had some important engagement. He of course, would always make a point of visiting any such star wherever they were staying. My stepfather always made sure they knew he so greatly appreciated them and sincerely apologize for his absence. They always believed him and the rest of the company."

"Until someone did find out," Erik said. He had a pretty good idea who this was which was why Laurette was here.

"Yes, until someone found out." She placed her arms behind her back slowly walking over to the piano bench and than sat down.

"Monsieur Garier," said Erik flatly.

Laurette nodded.

"Yes, Monsieur Garier," she said sighing again and lightly ran her fingers across the keys in caressing way. "He was of course at the time working on plans for the restoration of this Opera House. He came to visit one day wanting to study some of the ornate details inside the theater, most likely to make sure the Opera Populair was one step better." She took her hand away from the keys and turned herself on the bench towards him.

"We knew he was there, but he was just like any other visitor to us. However, chance had it that he came upon a very damaging conversation. Monsieur Garier and a friend were looking around backstage when they passed by one of the dressing rooms. Unfortunately, the door was cracked open. Two members of the cast were discussing the details on how to explain Monsieur Beaumont's absence to a visiting singer. Their discussion gave away that my stepfather was outright lying to a well known diva."

Erik nodded knowing what she was going to say next.

"Upon hearing this, Monsieur Garier immediately went into the dressing room. Caught, the two cast members were helpless to deny what they had been discussing. Monsieur Garier demanded to see my stepfather. When he did, Monsieur Garier threatened to expose his deception to the particular visiting diva and the public. With his friend as a witness in overhearing the conversation, it was hard to dispute what had been said, especially as this friend was well known and held a great deal of respect.

But then my stepfather made another mistake as he assumed Monsieur Garier knew this had been happening for quite some time. He told the two of them that I was just as capable as he in all the productions these past years. It was then that Monsieur Garier demanded that my stepfather hand me over as the new director for the Opera Populair or he would tell everyone that a woman had been directing instead of him."

Laurette shook her head. "I could have refused of course. I had not even met the man and so it was obvious to me he cared little in regards to actually admiring my directing skills. I knew he wanted to use me for…publicity."

Erik heard her pause in saying this. She had to be thinking about what else Monsieur Garier wanted. "He put you in a position where it would have betrayed your stepfather," he said a low tone.

She looked at him with what he thought was almost a surprised look on her face, but then she quickly turned her head away from him looking at one of the mirrors on the wall. "Yes…that is…true." Laurette suddenly smiled almost shyly at him in the mirror. "However, I would be lying if I said it wasn't more than that. I could not possibly pass up the opportunity to direct the Opera Populair. To think that I had such a chance…I just could not refuse. I guess that makes me somewhat selfish, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. This is one of the most famous Opera Houses in the world, its history well known. Its revival would intrigue any director," he replied.

"Yes, well, it was the opportunity I had been waiting for. It was my dream," she said in an almost far away sounding voice.

Laurette's comment made him think of Christine again. His dream had been her. Since Erik was a child, he dreamed of her voice and someone who could save him from his solitude. An undiscovered talent, Erik had trained her voice to become that of the angel of his dreams. Now that dream was gone. Yet the monster underneath the mask still remained. Erik turned his head away from Laurette, now looking at himself in one of the mirrors.

"Erik?"

He realized Laurette noticed his sudden quietness, his lack of attention. Erik looked back up at her. "I am sorry, I was listening. I was just…thinking of how dreams can be real," he finished quietly, although he was only saying this for her. From his experience, there was no reality of dreams, only pain.

"Perhaps," Laurette said seeming uncertain.

"Why do you say that?" asked Erik. "Look how far your dream has come."

"And when will it end? How will it end? I am not sure what to do when that time comes," she said looking down again.

Erik knew exactly how she felt.

She sighed yet again and looked back up at him. "It is funny how you should enjoy dreams if they finally do come true. And yet it seems like most of us just cannot believe it is either real or we worry when it will be over. We should just live within the moment and appreciate it."

"Maybe those feelings make us continue to think of new dreams. One might not be able to live for just one dream," Erik said, though he felt like a hypocrite saying this to her. The only "dream" he had left within him was to finish his music and die peacefully. But could that be true if he was here with her now? Maybe it was just that he wanted to help someone else achieve a dream, unlike his that failed.

Laurette said nothing, her gaze falling onto the piano keys. The grandfather clock was chiming, bringing a light melody into the silence. It was already past midnight. She looked very tired.

"It is late," Erik said. "There is no rehearsal tomorrow…unless you have decided to make them work even on Sundays."

At this, she gave a slight smile. "Maybe I should," she said still looking at the keys.

"I am not sure you will continue such dedication from them if you do not give them at least one day off," Erik said. "And you should take a day off too."

"And just what would I do?" Laurette asked looking at him.

Erik thought about this for a moment.

"Shop for a dress?"

He quickly moved aside before the pen she threw could hit him. For some odd reason this satisfied Erik that he had just made her do such a thing.

"Very funny," she said glaring at him. But then she couldn't help laughing.

"Well, maybe you could just read a book," Erik said thinking of the one night he saw her doing this.

She shook her head. "Reading just makes me more tired."

He was about to say "yes, I know" and then stopped himself. How would she feel if she knew he watched her sleep? No, probably not a good idea to volunteer that, Erik thought. Not that he had done anything wrong. Erik had still never ventured near her suite to observe anything. Even though he knew when he watched her unknowingly in the music room was still spying, he had still not crossed what he considered an even more private boundary.

"Well, I am sure you will think of something," he said. He stood up slowly and walked to the secret mirror. He was about to turn around and bid her good evening when she suddenly spoke.

"Do you know who the two cast members are from my stepfather's opera house that is now here?"

He looked at her in the mirror and then turned around. "The two cast members that Monsieur Garier overheard?" he asked.

"Yes."

He thought for a moment, trying to remember any of the cast in how they acted around her. "Well, it could not be Justine or Andre. Or at least I would hope not."

"No, I think not," she said smiling at him.

"And Julia is certainly too young and inexperienced to have been in a production before this one. Maurice appears to locally be well known. Wait…Dion must be one of them."

"Yes," she said clearly surprised. "How did you know?"

"Because while he is very quiet, Dion appeared to know your style very early on when you became the director. I watched him from the beginning giving you more assistance than the others. He seems almost…protective of you."

"And the other cast member?" she asked.

"Of that, I am not sure. I'm afraid you will have to tell me."

"Should I?"

"You brought up the conversation."

"Yes, but you were so quick with the first answer. Perhaps you need a new challenge in your observations. Why should I?" Laurette asked.

Oh good Lord she was arguing again! And of all things, she was arguing over this. He did strangely find it annoying and amusing at the same time. He sighed, shaking his head at her.

She was still smiling at him. "I am irritating you, yes?"

Now Erik realized she was actually teasing him. This was definitely not a side of her he had seen. Tonight was certainly a revelation for him.

"Yes, you seem to do that well," Erik replied.

Laurette smiled even more, not saying anything.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well, what?" she asked.

Amusing or not, Erik very suddenly had enough and feeling quite annoyed turned back around to the mirror to leave.

"Wait, I'm sorry," she said. "You are just so…serious sometimes."

Me? Compared to how you act as a director?

But why should her teasing suddenly anger him? Here he wanted to know who she was more personally and tonight she was letting him in. Then Erik realized his irritation was most likely due to his lack of social skills in conversation. He was taking her teasing personally. Although she made him feel quite capable in discussing music, Erik did not feel as confident in more personal exchanges such as this, especially these types of comments and how he should react. Why would he? Aside from Christine, he had rarely talked to anyone. He only had his observations of people in conversation, but not the ability to interact with anyone himself.

Erik lowered his head and sighed as now he most likely had made things awkward for her. He turned back around and faced her.

"No, I apologize. I truly did not intend to be so reactive. I am just not used to…" He wasn't sure how to finish this sentence as it would admit such a weakness that bothered him. She raised her hand up bidding him to stop, shaking her head and looking away. But he had made her feel uncomfortable, just when they were getting relaxed with each other.

"Armond."

"What?"

"It was Armond. He was the other cast member," she said now looking at him once again.

At least she had continued the conversation. If she had felt that badly, she would have just bid him good night. He put forth a new effort. "I would not have guessed Armond, although when I think of it, he does seem to talk quite a bit," Erik said.

Laurette smiled again, making him feel more at ease. "Yes. But in a way, if it were not for them, maybe I would not be here today."

"That is true. Did your stepfather force them to leave after the incident" asked Erik, placing his hands behind his back.

"Actually, no. Both of them felt so badly for what had happened that they decided to make sure and stay with me. They gave up very good roles in their career to come here and join such an inexperienced cast," Laurette said. "And I do admit, although no one else knew, seeing two familiar faces did help me. They were the silent leaders in the background, even encouraging Justine to follow me. They were instrumental in bringing him around and helping him with his confidence."

"You should give yourself more credit for Justine. I strongly think that it was you alone who brought out such talent." He saw Laurette blush slightly as his compliment. Feeling like the earlier situation had been smoothed over, Erik glanced at the clock.

"You really should get some sleep," he said.

"Me or you?" she asked smiling. This time Erik took her words and tone much more lightly.

"Definitely me. I need tomorrow for a full day of recovery from trying to keep up with you."

Erik was satisfied when Laurette laughed lightly at this. When she stood, he bowed his head and said good night. He was waiting politely for her to leave the room first as usual, but she remained standing.

"It is alright for you to leave. I am going to stay here for a while," she said looking at the piano and then back at him.

"As you wish," Erik replied. He turned and tapped the mirror walking through to the secret passageway, glancing back as she sat down at the piano. Erik shook his head.

He returned later that night to once again place the throw over her as she slept on the chaise.