Dreams of a Wounded Heart©
Chapter Ten: A Taste of Sunshine
By: Genevieve Lee

--

Finally, after what seemed like hours, we emerged from the scene shop cellar where everything had begun. I smiled to myself thinking of how different things could have turned out if I had simply stayed in here. Erik probably would not have even bothered with me. It was all because of me wandering into his secret passageway that he kidnapped me. I followed Madame up the stairs and she cautiously looked around the hallway before beginning to lead me towards the dormitories.

"Was Erik kind to you?"

"Yes, he was a wonderful host." I paused and shuffled my feet to get closer to Madame Giry. "How do you know him?"

Madame gave a tired sigh as she stopped outside the dormitory door. As she set her hand upon the doorknob, she looked at me. "That, my dear, is another story for another day."

I sighed in disappointment but did not press the matter. Perhaps she would tell me sometime soon.

She opened the door and ushered me inside. All the other chorus girls were in here and I found myself not really wanting to talk to them. I walked over to my bed and Madame set my trunk down at its foot. She leaned over to me and whispered, "Remember, you were visiting your family for your sick cousin."

I nodded then turned to unpack my things. Suddenly I felt someone wrap her arms around my abdomen and squeeze the life out of me. I gasped for air as I struggled to turn around. Finally, when my captor allowed me to, I saw it was Brenda.

"You're supposed to hug me back!" she said in a false whiney tone.

"Brenda!" I practically jumped on her as I threw my arms around her. Out of all my family and friends, she was probably the person I had missed the most. Soon, my other friends surrounded me.

"How is your cousin?" Avril asked as I sat down on my bed.

I smiled as I smoothed my skirts. "She is quite alright. I am sorry I had to leave so abruptly, but when I was in the scene shop, my mother came for me so Madame Giry found me and I left. I missed you all terribly!" I added in for good measure.

Brenda eyed me from where she sat on her bed, and my heart froze. I knew she could see through my lie.

"How are rehearsals going?" I asked to avoid Brenda questioning me in front of everyone. I would rather just her to know.

"They are splendid!" Adele said with a sigh as she fell upon the bed beside mine.

"We open next week!" someone else said.

I frowned. That meant I had been gone too long to be included.

"Alright girls, time for bed!" Madame Giry said, after we visited a little bit more.

Everyone scampered to obey her and soon everyone was fast asleep, tired from rehearsing earlier that day. At least, I thought everyone was asleep, until someone appeared at my bedside.

"Maddy? Are you awake?"

It was Brenda.

I sat up and nodded.

"Follow me."

I sighed as I disentangled myself from the sheets before following my friend to the door, luckily not waking anybody.

We made our way silently down the hall of dormitories and continued going until we got to the stage. We had done this many times before, so I suppose you could say we were quite adapt to it. We soon found ourselves seated in the lush seats of a private box. I sighed as I looked around, waiting for her to question me.

"What really happened? I know Susan does not live with you and I saw your mother come here looking for you yesterday."

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and saw she was studying me. "You will think me a fool."

"Maddy! I am your closest friend! Please? I promise not to tell anyone else!"

"Alright, only if you swear."

"I do!"

"When you and everyone else sent me down to the scene shop, I wanted to bring back something and make up some wild story of how I had found it, so I began exploring." I paused, trying to recollect memories. "I leaned on something when I was beginning to get tired and it opened up this secret passageway!"

"You went in?" Brenda asked, wide-eyed.

I nodded. "Not the smartest thing I suppose, but as soon as I went in there, the door shut behind me and I could not figure out how to open it again! So I had no choice but to walk down it." I felt oddly like I was entertaining her with nothing but a fictional ghost story. "I will not bore you with the details, but the Opera Ghost captured me." Brenda gasped, and I continued. "He said he could not trust me with knowing where his home was, since I had almost stumbled upon it. So, the past eleven days, I have been with him."

"Was it terribly awful?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No, it was actually quite pleasant. He was...very kind."

"So the ghost is actually a man?"

"Of course he is a man, you ninny! Just a very sly one!"

She shyly hit me and laughed. "I am not a ninny! I am simply trying to make sense of the situation."

I nodded, and then proceeded to tell her about everything that happened while I was there. The chess lessons, the singing lessons, our dinners together, his terrifying bedroom, and the sometimes frightening way he could become angry so easily.

"How did you get out?"

"Well, Madame found me."

"She knows the ghost?" I gave her a stern look and she stumbled over her words to correct herself. "I mean, Erik."

I smiled and nodded, deciding I did not want Erik to be referred to as the Opera Ghost any longer. Not that I planned on telling anyone else besides Brenda. I leaned forward and smiled, loving this part of the story. "She would not tell me. But I knew I needed a moment alone with Erik, without Madame Giry there, so I came up with quite the clever plan while I was packing."

"What did you do?"

I smiled. I quite liked the attention I was getting from Brenda. "Well, I set down one of my necklaces on the night stand and when I came out I pretended as though I had forgotten it and asked Madame to fetch it for me."

"Did she?"

I laughed along with Brenda as I said, "She did!"

"So what did you say to Erik?"

"Well," I sighed, "I asked him if we were going to ever see each other again. He looked shocked that I would even ask, and he questioned if I wanted to. I said I did, that I thought of him as a friend. He then said if I wanted to, I will. I then questioned him how we would, but that was when Madame Giry came back."

"Do you think you will ever see him again?"

"He said I would but honestly," I dug my toe into the thick carpet, "I do not know."

It was quiet for a few moments before Brenda asked a question in a very timid voice. "Did you ever see under his mask?"

I shook me head, not looking up from the ground. "No, he never offered to take it off, and I never pressed him. He is wearing it for a reason I suppose, and it is none of my business."

"What do you think he is hiding?"

I looked up. "Well, you know those rumors that say he is deformed underneath?" I did not wait for Brenda to reply. "Well, I do not think they are rumors. It would explain a whole lot if it was true."

"Madeleine, do you care for this man?"

"Well, yes. I mean..."

"No," Brenda cut me off, looking into my eyes. She always did this when she was asking a very important question. "Do you really care for him?"

I looked down from her intense stare and into my lap. I did not know the answer myself, so I decided to try and explain what I felt. Who but my dearest friend would understand me? "I do not know. Would it even matter? You and I both know what happens on my next birthday, so all feelings are tossed aside."

"Forget about Jason. Forget about what is to come."

"Well then, yes." I breathed the answer, as if I was afraid someone was going to hear me. "Yes, I care about him. He was so kind to me, and oh Brenda! He did not make me feel inferior at all! We discussed politics and books! He taught me chess and I had so much fun there. I kind of did not want to leave..." I looked down.

"What? You mean you did not miss me?" Brenda acted hurt.

I swatted her playfully. "Of course I missed you!" My tone became serious. "Just knowing it could have been the last time I saw him..." I felt myself shiver. "I do not know if he is as fond as me as I am of him, so I could just be getting my hopes up for nothing." I shrugged.

Brenda nodded and suddenly she wrapped her arms around me. "You will see him again Maddy, I'll make sure of it!"

I laughed as I wrapped my arms around my friend. "What could you possibly do to make him see me?"

"I will write him a threatening letter, of course! I'll be sure to seal it with a red wax skull."

We both giggled, knowing that was his signature seal. We sat for a few moments more, and I almost told her about Susan moving in with my parents, but decided tomorrow would be better. Like Madame had said, it was a story better left for another day. We sat in silence for a few moments before I finally stood.

"I suppose we should get back to bed before we are found out."

Brenda nodded as she stood beside me. "Yes, we would not want to break our lucky streak this time!"

I laughed and took her hand as we began our decent from the dark auditorium. Both of us were oblivious to the shadow that followed swiftly behind us, making sure we made it safely back.

--

I watched as Madame Giry yelled at my fellow chorus girls, trying to regain their attention after a break.

"Funny. I thought she said a ten minute break," Brenda said as she left my side to resume rehearsal.

I was not required to participate in the next show, but I was required to sit through every rehearsal and "observe" which caused long days of doing nothing. I secretly think that was Madame Giry's way of keeping an eye on me.

"Mademoiselle Taylor!" I hunched my shoulders as I heard my name being called. I looked behind me to see one of the managers, Monsieur Firmin, approaching me. I stood quickly and gave a little curtsy to him.

"Monsieur?" I questioned politely.

"Good afternoon mademoiselle. A Monsieur Jason De'lorme is here to see you!"

I sighed. I knew it would only be a matter of days until I had to see him. I put on a false smile. "Splendid! Where may I see him?"

Monsieur Firmin motioned for me to follow, and I did. I was lead down the rows and rows of seats and we soon found our way into the brightly colored lounge.

"Madeleine, darling!"

I cringed at his voice but forced a smile on my face anyways. "Jason, how do you do?" I gave him a quick curtsy.

Jason laughed at my formalness, and then scrutinized my appearance. "Oh no, my dear! That dress will simply not do!"

I bit the inside of my lip to keep from saying anything sarcastic. I happened to be wearing one of my best dresses, and him insulting it made me fume all over. I was about to ask what he suggested when he spoke first.

"Lucky for you," I noticed for the first time a servant behind him holding a box, "I bought something suitable to wear. Now go to your room and change, then we will leave."

"I will go quickly in the dormitory and be right back. Thank you, Jason." I motioned for his maid to follow me, so she could assist me in changing.

"A dormitory?"

I turned around and stared at him evenly. "Yes, where I live."

"You live in a dormitory?"

"Yes, just like everyone here besides the prima donna and the prima ballerina."

"That will not do either. No fiancée of mine will live in a dormitory."

I sighed and without responding, I turned around and walked away, the maid at my heels.

"Oh, does he make me angry!" I mumbled as we entered my room. Everyone was still at rehearsals, so it was empty. With the maid's help, we unlaced my current dress and it fell at my ankles. I gingerly stepped out of it as the maid extracted the new dress from the box. As the top fell to the ground, I looked over at the dress that I would be wearing today.

Well...it was pretty...

It was baby blue in color and had black lace everywhere. The collar was high, reaching up to my neck. I never particularly enjoyed wearing dresses like this, for I usually felt like I was being strangled all day. It had black lace around the chest area that dropped to little black buttons down the bodice. There were then stripes of black lace wrapped around the rest of the dress, and it also had black-laced sleeves.

I stared at it as if it was a slithering snake rather than a high fashion dress. I sighed as I stepped into it and pulled it over my chemise. I lifted up my hair off my neck so the maid could begin lacing up the dress. I stood still as she began fastening it, making me short of breath with every tug.

"I am sorry, Mademoiselle Taylor, but I think we may have to tighten your corset."

Of course.

I nodded, letting down my hair as she unfastened the dress and it fell down, pooling around my ankles. I braced my hands against the wall in front of me as the maid gripped my corset strings and tugged. I gasped as I let my head fall into my chest as I waited for her to finish. Finally when she announced she was done, she bent down and shimmied the dress over my body, since I could no longer bend in any way, shape, or form. The corset was too tight.

Finally, I was dressed and I left to go meet Jason.

I arrived back in the lobby within a few minutes and Jason smiled as I approached.

He reached out his hand which I reluctantly took. "Better, much better," he observed as he pulled me beside him.

I smiled. "Thank you, Jason."

"Of course, my dear."

I cringed at his fake well-practiced act.

"Well monsieur, if you will excuse my fiancée and I, we will be on our way."

I turned I turned my attention forward and I noticed one of the managers standing in front of us. I gave him a sweet smile as Jason's arm snaked around my waist.

"So, you will do what I asked my good man?"

"Of, course Monsieur De'lorme, we will take it into great consideration."

Jason then led me away towards the door.

"What was that all about?" I asked, glancing back over my shoulder curiously.

"Just business, Madeleine. Do not worry your simple head over it," Jason replied as we exited.

--

I returned that evening feeling depressed, frustrated and angry. After lunch with Jason, he took me to his home for afternoon tea. There I had asked if he would care to play a game of chess. I was very excited to put my chess lessons with Erik to the test to see if I could beat Jason. To which he had simply replied, "Madeleine, do you not remember the last time we tried a game? You simply could not follow along."

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Jason had finally announced that it was time for me to return. He had escorted me to the carriage to which he told me he would not be accompanying me, because he had a business meeting to go to. I knew it was not proper for a gentleman to not escort a lady back home. I had heard horrifying stories of unescorted ladies, but I paid them no heed. I would rather have him leave me now than hear his voice the entire way home. So I sat in the carriage alone and rode the forty-five minute drive alone.

As I entered through the front doors, Monsieur Firmin was next to me in merely a second.

"Good evening Mademoiselle Taylor."

I gave a shaky smile. "How do you do, Monsieur?"

"Well I just wanted to let you know your new room is ready."

I stopped, mid-step. "My new...what...?"

"Did your fiancé not tell you?" He gave a tight smile, and when I did not respond, he answered my silent question. "Monsieur De'lorme did not like the fact that you lived in a dormitory so he used his...," he paused. "...persuasion to get you a new room."

"His money, he used his money." I sighed. "Where is this new room?"

"It is the old Prima Donna's room."

"The one Carlotta uses?"

"Yes, well, we moved her to a bigger room. So her old room is now yours. All your things are now in there."

I sighed again. "Thank you, monsieur." I then began walking towards what I suppose was my new room. I took in a shaky breath.

Why did he do this to me? Control my life without me having the slightest input. I did not want a big room to myself! I wanted to live with all my friends. As I contemplated this, I did not notice Brenda until she was right in front of me.

"Maddy! We don't live together anymore!"

I looked at her. "I know! This is so dreadful!"

"Would you like to hear an idea of mine?" I smiled and nodded at my friend, glad she was there to cheer me up. "Maybe...I mean, if you want, I could live in that big lonely room with you!"

I gasped. "Brenda, you are simply the most brilliant woman I have ever met!"

She gave a mock curtsy. "Well, I hoped you felt that way, so I consulted Madame Giry and she said it was a good idea. So, she moved all my things there already."

I giggled and grabbed her hands as we spun around. "We will be roommates! Just you an me!"

"Come on! Let's go back to our room."

I took her hand and we began our decent down the hall. Soon, we found ourselves in our new room, which was surprisingly very large. Brenda immediately went behind the dressing screen to change into her nightgown. My eyes caught on a piece of paper that sat on my dressing counter.

"So how was your day with Monsieur Awful?"

I paused as I reached forward and grabbed the piece of paper. My name was written neatly on the front. I slowly unfolded it and smiled as Erik's print stared back at me.