"He wants you to what?" asked Erik in a stunned tone.
It was now the next morning and Erik came to see Catherine before she had to get on with her duties. The whole night, Catherine barely slept because of all the excitement after hearing Cholet's offer and wanted to tell Erik so badly. But since Erik informed her last night that he would come to see her in the morning she had to be patient and, in the end, she managed to get a few hours' sleep.
"Sing Margarite in 'Faust'" she said excitedly.
"When did he ask you this?" asked Erik as he circled around her.
"Last night, before Christine and I went to bed. It was so unbelievable that I wanted to tell you right away. Though I am glad you have come now like you promised" said Catherine with a beaming smile.
"Well, that's certainly wonderful news. We have a lot of work ahead of us" said Erik as he walked a few steps away from her then turned to look at her.
He was excited for Catherine but kept his emotions in check.
Catherine couldn't stop smiling and she looked at Erik with admiration.
"Oh Maestro, I don't know how I could ever thank you. From our very first lesson you've been encouraging me to follow my dream and now it is coming true" she said.
She began walking towards Erik.
"And to think, none of this would have ever happened without you" she said as she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him.
Erik stiffened, feeling Catherine's arms around him, for he had never received such affection from a woman. After a few seconds he began to relax and closed his eyes, taking in her warmth.
XXX
A month soon past and it was now the night of Catherine's Opera debut. During the entire month Catherine and Erik met every night in the music room to practice her arias for the Opera and during the day she would be at rehearsals with all the other members of the company. Ever since the night at the Bistro, Catherine had the support of every member for they saw she was talents as well as a sweet soul, so they all took her under their wings. And now that opening night was upon them, Catherine prays with all her heart that her hard work would make her dream of becoming a great singer come true.
As the Opera House began to fill with patrons, Catherine was in a private dressing room, given to her by Monsieur Cholet, applying her make up. Her hair was licked back into a tight bun and she was wearing a white under dress.
There was a knock at the door.
"Yes?" she called out meekly.
The door opened and revealed it was Phillippe and Christine. Phillippe was dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and bow tie, in his right hand he held a single red rose. Christine was wearing a navy dress with a military style top.
"Oh Chrissie, Phillippe, is this really happening?" sighed Catherine.
"Of course, it is we have always told you you're wonderful" said Phillippe as he took her by the hand and kissed it and then gave her the red rose.
Catherine looked at the rose and admired it's beauty then sniffed its soft petals.
"You will shine like a star tonight Cathy. Like you were always meant to be" said Christine, resting her hands-on Catherine's shoulders.
They looked at each other's reflections in the mirror and smiled. After giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze Christine let go of her shoulders and left with Phillippe. After they closed the door behind them, Catherine continued to get ready.
XXX
The theatre was now full, all of the patrons took their seats and talked amongst themselves while they waited for the curtains to rise. In Box 7 on the left-hand side of the stage, Phillippe, and Monsieur Carriere were taking their seats.
Inspector Ledoux was sitting in the box below them, surveying his police officers covering the exits and every now and then he would glance up at Box 5.
Soon the lights began to dim, and the Orchestra began to play.
XXX
Meanwhile, Carlotta was making her way through the dressing room corridor to Catherine's dressing room. When she say the name plaque on the door, she spat at it and sneered before knocking on the door three times.
Inside, Catherine was now in her costumes and all she had left to put on was the Strawberry Blonde wig with braids in it resting on her dressing table. When she heard the knocking on the door she turned and saw Carlotta enter.
"Madame" she greeted her while curtsying.
Carlotta approached her with a thin smile on her face.
"Just wanted to wish you well" she said, giving Catherine a kiss on both cheeks.
"Oh, thank you can't believe this is all really happening" said Catherine.
"Oh, it is! Very much!" said Carlotta with a clinched smile as she surveyed the room a moment before sitting down on a chair on the left side of Catherine's dressing table.
"You really have been so generous" Catherine complemented as she too went to sit down, on the chair in front of her dressing table.
"Nonsense! Opera is my life and you my dear have the greatest voice I have ever heard" Carlotta reassured her.
She then took a sip from the metal cup she had been carrying with her.
"What is that?" Catherine asked, curiously.
"Oh, just a little something made of herbs. Most Opera singers use it before going on. Helps steady those nerves" chuckled Carlotta.
"I'm a bit nervous too you know. How you do tonight affect my reputation as well as yours" she continued.
Her words made Catherine's face drop dramatically.
"Please" she whispered before turning away then reached for the strawberry blonde wig and held it in both hands.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I did not mean to worry you. You are going to do splendidly!" chuckled Carlotta.
Her comforting words made Catherine smile a little.
"Oh, I am so nervous for you. Without this I don't think I would be able to talk" laughed Carlotta before taking another sip from the up.
Catherine eyes the cup with longing.
Then there was a knock at the door.
"Five minutes!" called out a man's voice from behind the door.
Catherine's nerves shot up, but she plucked up enough courage to ask Carlotta.
"Do you think I could have some?" she said in a meek voice.
"Why? Are you nervous?" asked Carlotta.
"Yes, very much" admitted Catherine with a small smile.
"Oh, well then. It would probably do you good" said Carlotta and handed the cup to Catherine.
Catherine took the cup eagerly, raised it to her lips and drank the rest of its content.
Carlotta watched as she drank from the cup with a sinister smirk on her face.
XXX
Back in the theatre, as the Opera was well on the way Monsieur Cholet joined Inspector Ledoux and looked anxiously up at Box 5.
"I can't tell if he is up there. Sometimes, he hides behind the curtain" he said in a nervous tone.
"She! Patience" said Ledoux shushing him before turning back to watch the performance.
Cholet looked at him but said nothing then left to go back to his own seat.
XXX
Backstage, Catherine was waiting for her queue. She was now fully dressed and wore the Strawberry blonde wig and white veil on her head. A woman with light, curly brown hair, wearing a dark green floral dress who worked with Catherine in the costume department was helping her with a few last-minute adjustments before she had to go on. The women wished Catherine good luck by giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze and a smile then Catherine got in to position.
XXX
Whilst the Opera was between scenes, from the Orchestra pit Christine looked up at the stage while she was playing her Violin and awaited her sister coming on stage with excitement.
In Box 7, Phillippe and Carriere were waiting for Catherine's debut with anticipation.
And in Box 5, Erik had arrived keeping himself in the shadows. His eyes were fixed on stage awaiting Catherine's appearance on stage,
XXX
The Opera was now at a scene of a village and all of the members of the company dressed in medieval clothes, including the actors playing Mephisto and Faust, were dancing and singing merrily. During this Catherine made her entrance on stage through a doorway at the top of three steps. She looked out at everyone with a beaming smile then climbed down the steps to join everyone. The actors playing Mephisto and Faust watched Catherine weave in and out of people dancing as they sang their duet. Catherine was stopped in her track by a woman in a grey dress, the women took her by the hands and the actor playing Mephisto came up behind her and took the woman's hands, trapping Catherine in the middle. They danced around her until Catherine got away. She then saw the actor playing Faust coming towards her and turned away as though she was shy. The actor then sang to her and Catherine went to sing back to him, whilst keeping her back to him, but when she tried to sing her throat all of a sudden felt dry and scratchy making her cough a little.
The music stopped and everyone of stage turned to see what was wrong.
Catherine was mortified and tried to sing again but the same thing happened again with her voice.
The audience were confused and not pleased by this.
Carlotta, however found the incident funny from where she and Cholet were sitting in one of the boxes on the private sitting rooms on the ground floor.
The Orchestra started playing again to try and keep the performance going but no matter hard Catherine tried she still couldn't sing.
XXX
Erik stood from his chair looking shocked at what was happening with Catherine.
He was so focussed on her that he failed to see Inspector Ledoux had spotted him and signalled a few of his officers to move in and corner him.
XXX
Carlotta looked at her husband with a smug smile.
"I knew you shouldn't have hired her" she gloated.
XXX
The audience were now in an up brawl, shouting and booing at poor Catherine while she looked out at everyone feeling mortified and heartbroken and could feel the stinging sensation in her eyes from tears making an appearance. The actor playing Faust put his hands on her arms to comfort her while the other members of the company on stage were trying to calm the audience down but no matter how hard they tried the audience grew even more angry and even started throwing their programs at the stage.
XXX
"She had no experience" Carlotta said to her husband with e triumphant look on her face as she rubbed her husband's chin with her left hand.
XXX
Erik watch the chaos unfolding and couldn't believe this was happening to Catherine, sweet Catherine who didn't deserve any of this.
"No" he mouthed as he kept his eyes fixed on the audience.
XXX
The actor playing Faust had left Catherine's side to try and help calm things down, but it was still no use. Catherine couldn't stand the shame and embarrassment anymore and started taking steps backwards while her eyes filled with tears.
XXX
Phillippe and Carriere rose from their seats. Carriere glanced toward Box 5 and saw Erik and feared their might be more trouble brewing.
XXX
"No" Erik spoke louder but no one heard him over all of the booing and shouting from the audience.
XXX
Catherine kept walking backwards with tears spilling from her eyes, wanting so desperately to get away from all of the chaos,
XXX
"NO!" Erik shouted at the top of his lungs before disappearing from Box 5.
XXX
On the other side of the stage Carriere was shouting repeatedly.
"Bring down the curtain!"
In hopes that the stagehands backstage would hear him, but no one did so he left abruptly to get backstage whilst Phillippe stayed behind.
"Bring it down!" Phillippe shouted but his efforts were fruitless.
XXX
With almost the speed of lightning, Erik was backstage in the area where the pulley's that changed the scenes were. He pushed a stagehand out of the way as he went until finally, he came to a rope marked 'Chandelier' then draws his sword from his belt and starts slashing at the rope.
XXX
The Chandelier starts swinging a little.
XXX
Erik kept slicing at the rope over and over again, determined to make it snap.
XXX
The Chandelier began swinging back and forth more and more which caught some people's attention, some people even screamed. Carlotta and Cholet were amongst those who noticed it moving.
XXX
Carriere made it backstage.
"Get the curtain!" yelled a woman's voice.
"Get that curtain down!" Carriere echoed in a demanding tone.
"Yes sir" said one of the older stagehands as he began pulling on the rope to get the curtain closed.
Erik still continued slashing at the rope.
Carriere could hear the swishing sound of a sword would make and turned and saw what Erik was doing and went to approach him, to try and stop him, but after only taking one step Erik had succeeded at snapping the Chandelier's rope.
The Chandelier dropped to the ground with a crash.