Accelerando:

Matthew did not watch any of Gabriella's performance that night, though he wanted to see her sing so desperately, he had to force himself to carry on with the plan. Once back in his house on the lake he went straight to work on a stack of letters that needed to be written. The letters would put most of the final preparations into action. The ordering of cars to come to a spot on the Rue to take cases to his country home, where he would, soon after the disappearance, whisk Gabriella away too. He was also in the motions of making it know that he himself was not the phantom and the plans of a meeting between himself and his parents and the manager of the singer would have to occur. He also finished a letter in reply to Gabriella that he planned to place on her pillow with a rose and black ribbon as the phantom had done before him. Once finished his letter he raced back through the theatre to place them strategically for the paranoid public to find. He had only enough time to place the letters in Gabriella's dressing room and disappear again before Gabriella was thrown into her room by her manager, who was followed in by the nurse and another aid.

"So where was your phantom tonight?" Fauxvoix asked as Matthew watched from behind the mirror.

"I did not see a phantom tonight," Gabriella said as she sat down at her dressing table and her nurse began to take the pins out of her hair.

"He thinks a little joke will stop me from what it to happen around here. He obviously doesn't know what is the value I place on you," Fauxvoix laughed, "you have made me a very rich man you know."

Gabriella didn't answer as tears began to roll down her face again.

"Oh it has been a fantastic day for us wouldn't you say Maria?" Fauxvoix asked.

"I beg you pardon sir?" Maria asked as she struggled with a flowered clip that had become tangled in Gabriella's hair, "I was not paying attention."

"It has been a prosperous night for us!" Fauxvoix said happily.

"How so?" Maria asked.

"Ah it was a full house tonight," he beamed.

"As it is every night," Maria stated.

"Yes and there have been no signed of the phantom of the opera," he said.

"That is a relief," Maria answered.

"Gabriella's voice has landed her another wonderfully expensive gig in Germany after Australia to sing the solo soprano role in Brahm's Ein Deutsches Requiem," he stated proudly.

"Ah I am sure you will have a wonderful time singing that Gabriella," Maria said as she finally got all of the young Diva's hair free and began to work at her bandages.

"Certainly," Gabriella said trying to seem interested.

"The publicity for your being here has been amazing, this wonderful stunt of the phantom of the opera has provided us with even more public interest than would have hoped for," Fauxvoix said excitedly.

"Even though some has been bad publicity?" Maria asked.

"Not bad publicity for Gabriella," he laughed, "and I got wonderful news today from Canada my dear," he said moving closer to Gabriella.

She turned toward him her eyes wide in hopes of news from her mother.

He smiled sweetly too her and whispered into her ear, "your mother has passed away peacefully in her sleep. Now there isn't a living soul on this earth that stands in my way of owning you forever. Let you phantom friend threaten me all he likes, for when we leave Paris you will see the real extent of my anger!" he stood, smiled at Maria and walked to the door, "have a good evening ladies!" he said and walked out.

Gabriella was in absolute shock, she couldn't stop her tears from falling and yet she couldn't tell her poor nurse what had happened. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed and sobbed.

"Gabriella, please I beg of you, tell me what it wrong," Maria pleaded with the young woman.

Finally, though the tears keeps falling, Gabriella motioned for the door to be locked. Maria did as she was told and was quickly back at her side. Gabriella looked deeply into her nurses eyes and collapsed into her arms, "my mother is dead. My only link to anything outside this hell is gone," she sobbed and at these words the mirror was opened. Matthew ran to the woman's side. She jumped as she felt his hands on her shoulders, "oh Erik what am I to do now?" she sobbed.

"I will still take you away from here, we will hide till things calm down and then we will find a way to prove what has happened," he said as she shifted from Maria's arms to his.

"There is no way," she sobbed, "Fauxvoix has reign over everything in my life. I am certain that all aspects of my mothers life will now be controlled by him. I wont ever even know where she is layed to rest!"

Matthew could say nothing to the girl to comfort her. He had no idea as to what he could do or say to what she had just confessed to him. Maria finally broke the silence, "what she tells you Monsieur le Phantom is not entirely true," she said and watched Gabriella look stunned at the old woman.

"What do you mean Maria, you know this is hopeless," Gabriella said.

"No child, not completely," Maria said as sifted through her small purse and pulled out an old envelope, "your mother and I had been in contact after the temper and chains of Fauxvoix had first fallen upon you. I stole the address from Fauxvoix one evening while cleaning in his chambers and wrote to you mother for any help that she might provide. She also believed it impossible to go against the power of this man but with much work she started to take action to save her belonging and the money that she had received, should you ever be free. There is a man in Montreal who has taken to the family estate. He is a kind and very trustworthy man, and so he will take care of all that is left in your mothers life," she said showing Gabriella the old letter.

"How do you know he is trustworthy?" Matthew asked finally.

"He is my brother monsieur," Maria stated, "here is his address, you are also a very trustworthy man and I am certain that it may be of use to you in your cause. Contact him as soon as you can and tell him of the dilemma. I will also write to him this evening and leave a letter with Gabriella that you may add to yours, telling him of how trustworthy and noble you are. Have him send you all that he can from the safe that is set aside for Gabriella, for if it goes to you it will never have to pass through the hands of Monsieur Fauxvoix as everything that is outgoing among us does."

"How did you come into contact with my mother if everything was sent to you thought Fauxvoix?" Gabriella asked.

"The first letter I managed to slip into a box unseen in an airport. In that letter I told your mother how to get a letter back to me. They were addressed to me from my brother and as Monsieur Fauxvoix knows nothing of the relationship between your mother and my brother I was able to regain the letters without going through the process of having Monsieur read them." she explained, "you can be sure monsieur that everything you will need to free Mademoiselle Gabriella from Monsieur Fauxvoix my brother will have access to, including the first contract signed and my testimony to your mother as to how you have been treated," she said as she caressed Gabriella's hair, "I only wish I could have done more for you petite."

"Oh Maria," Gabriella cried as she embraced her nurse again, "you have done more than you know for me. Not only have you provided me with the most wonderful news pertaining my freedom but you have put me at ease knowing my mother did not suffer the pain of not knowing what was happening. You are a true angel madame I am indebted to you!"

"Oh my dear," Maria said as she too began to cry, "you know you mean more to me than the world I see you as my own child and it breaks my heart to see you as I have. This was the least I could do and I only wish I could have told you about all of this sooner."

"Madame, truly this is wonderful insight into the plan," Matthew finally said as the two women sat and cried together, "I thank you for allowing me to have such information."

"Oh monsieur, I had already began to draft a letter to you this morning to tell you of all this to aid you in the easy flight of Gabriella. I knew that it would benefit your cause more than any others," she said and, through her tears, smiled up at him.

"I should leave," he said quickly, "but I will return in one hour with a draft of a letter to your brother."

"I will return then as well with my letter," Maria said as she let Gabriella sit alone on her bed, "Will you be alright by yourself for that time Gabriella?"

"Yes," She said softly, "I would like a moment alone to morn and pray. I look forward to your return, both of you. You have both brought great peace to my mind in this my darkest hour."