A/N - Thanks Kimberly84 for the review. It's nice to know people are still reading this. When I get an idea I kinda have to run with it or I get a bit obsessive, hence the regular updates atm.

I have all the major parts of each chapter mapped out till the end - I may have to split chapters due to length, but I'm looking at around 35ish chapters rn.

--xxx--

Dust. There was dust everywhere. It didn't matter how often he had the staff clean, the dust seemed materialise within an hour. It was made worse by the awful English weather, the constant rain was not only taxing but it meant that whenever anyone entered the rainwater mixed with the ample amount of dust creating a watery mud. What he didn't understand aas how the dust seemed to travel from where the renovaovation work was happening - the auditorium - to the foyer

Gilles didn't pretend to know anything much about domestic chores. He had become an accountant's clerk's pprentice at age 9, meaning he spent barely anytime in his childhood home. He had married young, at 18, and his wife had seen to the domestic duties and eventually the direction of their house/chamber maid. When he was widowed at 34 following an outbreak of cholera,the maid had continued with the various chores his wife had assigned, adding to them whenever she felt necessary.

Wiping a fresh layer of dust off his spectacles he checked his pocket watch; forty minutes had past since he had left Richard and Raoul alone in the office and he really felt the need to return and take a more detailed look at their accounts to ensure there was enough money to fund, what he was certain would to be, an extragevagent and expensive production curtesy ofnthe Opera Ghost.

He was just about to leave the foyer when he noticed a rather striking young blonde woman in a burgandy outfit. It took him a moment to register who she was before he silently cursed Frimin for not informing him of her upcoming arrival. ut then, he also knew Fermin wanted to create as much tension and gossip as possible to ensure there would be a spectacal.that would sell seats, so he also suspected his omission had not occured by chance.

When Gilles approached Marguerite Giry the expression and sudden pallor of her face made it clear she did not expect to see him. He had assumed her fiancé, the Opera Ghost, would have told her of their identities, yet her appearance clearly indicated he had not.

"Monsieur André?", Meg asked looking confused but offering her hand. Not only did her appearence relfect her shock, the pitch of her voice was uncharacteristically high.ancer

"Madomsille Giry, it is a pleasure to see you again. You are looking well", he spoke while accepting her gesture in the standard gentlemanly manner.

"Thank you. English weather has done wonders for my health and complexion", iffering thinly veiled sacrasm in response.

"Ah, the English weather; delightful is it not?"

"I see you are a proper English gentleman discussing the weather".

Although their conversation was brief it was clear to Gilles that Meg Giry was both delightful and witty, with an air.of confidence that could only be found among performers. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why Destler would wish to pursue the Vicomtess when this woman wore his incredibly garish and flamboyant ring.

"It is a pleasure to see you Monsieur, but I have a.meeting with the managers, and I would hate their first impression of me to be of a flighty thing who is unable to keep time", he noticed her coy smile and couldn't help but respond,

"Allow me to escort you, for I know the managers well".

As the pair travered the hall and corridors of the theatre they spoke briefly about her tike in the USA and her accident. Meg didn't want to furnish him with too many details because she feared her contract would be withdrawn if the managers believed she couldn't dance effectively.

Ince they reached the.doorway she read the names upon the plaque and looked at her companion quizzically.

"Surely you guessed?" he asked in response to her stare. He didn't want to insult her intelligence, because if what Raoul had said about her relationship was true it was possible he may have a chance to court her himself.

"I had assumed. I just hoped you would have told me". He mentally cursed himself following her response, noting he will need to be more open with her in future. "And Raoul? I am assuming he knows about all of this?".

All he could do was nod.

--xxx--

As André had led Meg through the theatre she had made small talk tonhide her growing anger at Erik. They had soent the entire morning together, yet he didn't take the opportunity to inform her of who their employers were. She came to two conclusions: one, his warped sense of humour thought it would be ammusing, or two, he was planning something. What she couldn't understand was why André and Fermin would work with Erik after the events at the Populaire; she had assumed they had been left in ruin.

It wasn't until they reached the manager's office that it dawned on her that Raoul must also be involved in whatever was going on. He had secured her a job, meaning he knew who the managers were.

She spoke briefly with André before entering the office, her tone sharper than she intended.

Sitting at a large oak desk was Richard Firmin and opposite him Raoul de Chagny. Upon seeing Meg the Vicomte spilt his whisky down his woollen trousers in surprise and Firmin had a rather devious looking grin across his face.

"Ah Madomsille Giry, soon to be Madame Destler, please take a seat", Firmin spoke with an exuberance that was not needed, "I take it your fiancé has shared his plans?"

Meg shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She had travelled across the ocean to take her new position and the first thing she is asked when she enters her employer's office is about Erik. During her time atbthe Populaire she had always felt overlooked; her mother refused to promote her for fear of accusations of nepotism, Christine had a "mysterious tutor" whose expertise had led to her accession to prima donna, and she had been courted by a member of the nobility, all the while she worked hard, practised and was overlooked by the patrons because she did not freely give her wares.

The worst thing was that Erik hadn't told her much about his plans. She knew she was to dance and help choreograph the routines, and she knew he didn't want her dancing en pointe or doing, but beyond that she knew nothing. Thinking about it pained her somewhat as event though she knew that their engagement wasn't 'real', regatdless of how many times Erik would throw "your my fiancée" at her when he didn't get his way, as her friend she would've exoected him tonshare his aspirations with her.

"I am to dance the lead" was all she could muster while subconsciously twisting the ring in her finger. It was once again a heavy symbol of nothing, doing nothing but preventing her from finding someone who wanted to be with her.

"And apparently Christine is to sing the lead" Raoul added looking at her qith pursed lips. Meg could see he was angry, and understandably so from her perspective, but she didn't feel like he needed to take his anger out on her.

"I wouldn't know. We don't discuss Christine",

"Of course not dear", Firmin said looking at her with fake sympathy, "we all fully understand why. It must be very hard for you to know your bethrothed loves the Vicomtess so passionately. Sorry, I meant 'loved' - just a slip of the tongue".

Meg smiled and made a mental note that Firmin was as slimey as she remembered. He may bit have been lecherous like Bouquet and some of the stagehands, but he certainly made her skin crawl when he would look at her. She knew his misplaced wording was not a 'slip of the tongue and was a strategically chosen word placement to try and incite her, but he under estimated her. Onstead she accepted his apology and outlined that she would be helping choreograph the routines. She tries to aviod the topic of Christine, as only Erik knew what his plans were and she didn't dare speculate on what he was upto, but Raoul was very persistent.

At the end of the Meeting Meg had left confused by Raoul's persistence over his wife's singing ; she couldn't understand why he repeated himself so frequently, surely everyone in the room understood the first time.

On her journey back to the hotel she felt her anger directed towards Erik return. She needed to know the plot of his revue and she wanted to know about his plans for Christine.