A/N: Wow! Up to twelve chapters already! Hard to believe (at least for me). It feels nearly impossible I could get this many chapters out in such a short period of time. Hope you all are still enjoying it! Please review! I love hearing what you guys think of this.
Angeline stepped out of the carriage with conviction written on her face and utter fear in her heart. Not only was this the first time she would be teaching anything, or even that she would be meeting someone new, but Erik had also decided not to join her. His grand excuse was that he had some business to attend to not far from where Monsieur Martin lived, and would come to pick her up in a couple hours. She had tried to hide her sinking stomach and pure abject terror in her eyes as she quietly agreed.
She had been far calmer that morning as she showed Erik the address on the card she had been given. He knew where it was (of course, he seemed to know where everything was) and agreed to take her there that afternoon. He had seemed more resigned ever since she had decided to take this job. She wondered what he found fault with in it, but did not dare ask. Every time she came close to approaching it he got a slightly dangerous glint in his eye that told her not to push the subject.
Walking up to the door, she caught her hand as it strayed to her hair for the hundredth time that hour. She had just barely managed to pull it back; its short length proving this task exceedingly challenging. She had been grateful for the hairpin Erik had somehow found for her. Knocking on the door, she was surprised to find Monsieur Martin answering it. He paused briefly as he saw her face, but quickly broke into an excited smile and bubbling conversation. He kindly ushered her inside the townhouse with polite eagerness. She looked back just as she went in, hoping against hope to see Erik beside her, but the carriage had already left.
The interior of the house was full of soft mint greens, rose pink, and ivory. She was lead into a modest sitting room just off the main hall. It was like springtime. The street facing wall had two white rimmed windows to let in the friendly daylight. There were a few cherry wood chairs, a matching forest green sofa, and a few tables each with a fresh bouquet of flowers of varying size based on the scale of the table it rested brightly on. In the far corner of the room, illuminated by the soft white light of the morning shone a chestnut coloured piano. At this beautiful instrument sat a gracefully elegant young woman. She looked about 16 with long strawberry blonde hair and oceanic eyes. She had tiny freckles gently dotting her round, milk white cheeks. She had an oval face and long neck that lead into softly sloping shoulders. She was wearing a white dress with patterns of flowers in the same colour as her eyes.
'Mademoiselle Roux, this is my sister, Cecilia.' Monsieur Martin introduced, smiling and watching the women's reactions to each other. 'Cecilia,' he held out a hand for her. 'This your new teacher.' He said it slowly and waited for her to nod.
'It's a pleasure to meet you.' Angeline said in Gaelic.
Cecilia's face lit up in surprise and happiness at this. She looked between her brother and Angeline in disbelief.
'And you as well.' She answered back. When she smiled it felt like a warm summer breeze.
'That is a beautiful instrument.' Angeline continued, nodding to the piano.
Cecilia nearly giggled. She could not believe they had finally found someone she could talk to. 'Yes, my brother bought it for me when I came.' She said, walking over to it and touching it lovingly. 'Do you play?'
'It has been a very long time since I tried. I doubt it would sound like much.' Angeline answered, inhaling uncertainly. 'I mostly sing.'
'Then let me play for you.' She quickly took her seat and pulled out a small stack of songs before Angeline even had a chance to answer.
'She wants me to sing.' Angeline explained to a very confused Monsieur Martin.
'Ah, well I cannot say as I blame her. I tried to explain how wonderful you sounded the other day, but I don't think I fully did you justice. It only made her more curious about you.' He explained, taking a seat in one of the chairs facing the piano.
Angeline and Cecilia sifted through her selection of Irish songs, talking in eager tones in their mutual Gaelic. Finally they settled upon a piece they were both relatively good at. Cecilia took her position with perfect poise while Angeline somewhat nervously took her place beside the piano.
I wish I were on yonder hill
'Tis there I'd sit and cry my fill
'Til every tear would turn a mill
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
Suil, suil, suil a ruin
Suil go sochair agu suil go ciúin
Suil go doras agus éalaigh liom
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
I'll sell my rock, I'll sell my reel
I'll sell my only spinning wheel
And buy my love a sword of steel
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
Suil, suil, suil a ruin
Suil go sochair agu suil go ciúin
Suil go doras agus éalaigh liom
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
I wish I had my heart again
And vainly think I'd not complain
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
Both applauded when Angeline had finished. She took a few modestly smiling bows and thanked Cecilia for playing for her.
'Well,' Monsieur Martin said finally. 'I will leave you two to your teaching, if that's alright Mademoiselle Roux?' He was already halfway out of the door.
'Yes, that will be fine,' she said, grinning excitedly to Cecilia. 'And please, call me Angeline.' She urged just before he could fully leave.
'Only if you will return the favour and call me Phillip.'
'I will, thank you.' Angeline smiled somewhat proudly at this.
'Now,' she said, switching to Gaelic. 'How much do you know already?'
'Très peu.' Cecilia admitted, hiding a bit in a cringe.
'Well, let's start with the basics and go from there.' Angeline said reassuringly.
Two hours passed very quickly with Angeline laughing, smiling, and thoroughly enjoying her time with Cecilia. She found her new pupil a very fast study with a childlike enthusiasm that helped her through the more challenging areas of learning a new language wholly different from her own.
They had made excellent progress when Phillip remerged with a cautious smile. 'How's it coming? I heard a lot of laughter, so I assume well.' He asked, a hopeful shine in his blue eyes.
'You assume correctly, Monsieur.'
Phillip was amazed when he heard the words come not from Angeline, but from his own sister. She had to confer with her teacher, but she said it all the same. He could not keep from laughing in happy surprise.
Cecilia only giggled like a wind chime. She spoke a few words of Gaelic which Angeline dutifully translated.
'She says she has never seen you look so funny.' She said, suppressing a laugh herself.
'I have never heard her speak more than a hello and good bye before. That was wonderful!' Phillip said, coming over and sitting with the young ladies. He looked between the two with pure happiness as they continued to confer in their little secret language, mixed with the occasional laugh, they looked like a pair of beautiful birds. But angel was the only suitable word that came to mind when Angeline looked at him, her eyes gleaming with joy.
'Cecilia,' he put in at a lull in their private conversation. 'Would you like to continue your lessons with Mademoiselle Angeline?' He doubted he really needed to ask, given the smile on his beloved sister's bright face.
'Oui!' She nodded eagerly after thinking through his words a moment.
'Then so long as Mademoiselle Angeline agrees, she will remain your teacher.' He addressed Angeline with the somewhat question.
'It would be my pleasure. She is truly a bright young woman, I am sure she will continue to excel as she has today.' She answered with her own form of excitement. It was more refined and subdued than Cecilia's but still pleasing to see.
'Wonderful! What would you say to coming here three times a week? Say, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday?' Phillip offered in a more business-like tone, but still with a smile in his eyes.
'That sound fine, thank you.'
'No, thank you for helping my dear little sister. I don't know what we would've done if chance hadn't let me meet you.'
The intensity of his compliment made Angeline feel oddly singled out. She had to fight the urge to look down at the floor. It felt strange to be praised so liberally when she did not feel she had done enough to earn it.
An awkward silence formed in the room, in which Cecilia started to fully notice the way her brother looked at Angeline. He observed her every motion like she was an angel or at least rare species of bird. She also noticed how uncomfortable it made her teacher. Thankfully, the silence was quickly broken by a knock on the front door. Phillip reluctantly released Angeline from his gaze to go to answer it.
'Oh, that'll probably be for me. Erik said he would come for me around this time.' Angeline said, quickly rising. The relief on her face was clearly seen by the silently attentive Cecilia.
'Is he a family member?' Phillip probed weakly.
'No, just a very good friend who's letting me stay with him.' She brushed off as if it were a perfectly normal situation. 'I'd better be going, patience is not his strong suit.' She smiled apologetically, heading to the door.
'It isn't for most of us.' Phillip conceded with his smile once more in place. 'We shall see you on Wednesday, then?'
'Yes, I look forward to it.' She smiled up at him as he led her to the door. 'It was a pleasure meeting you, Cecilia.' She called back in Gaelic.
'And you, Angeline!' Came the cheerily musical reply.
'I'll pay you at the end of the week, if that suits you.' He said, opening the door for her.
'That sounds just fine.' Angeline said, waving her good bye as she climbed into the coach, taking the hand offered to her from within.
Phillip watched them drive off, wondering at the kind of man this Erik must be if he did not feel the need to leave the shadow of the inside of the carriage when retrieving the jewel that Angeline undoubtedly was. Something about her fascinated him beyond belief. He would eagerly await their meeting in a few days.
A/N: Sorry there isn't as much Erik in this one. I wanted to give myself a break from trying to find new and exciting ways to describe the subtlety of a glance. So much of him is just his body language and eyes. I hope you liked it despite this, though. I promise there will be more between he and Angeline in the next chapter.
