VI

It was a small, soft tap.

I looked up from the book I was reading and steadied my hearing because surely, I was imagining things. When I heard it again, I placed my book down on the table beside me and rose from my armchair. I must have been reading all night as I felt the need to stretch. Ayesha too stretched her little, fury body, giving a small yawn. As I heard the foreign tap noise again, I silently made my way to my bedroom and stood in front of my bedroom door.

After Elizabeth had fallen asleep, I had decided best to seek refuged in my music room, away from her. The thought of having such an unordinary creature sleeping in my bed, was mind numbing. No woman had ever so freely felt to intimate with me. Hell, no one for that matter. I admit, I started having complex feelings for Elizabeth I did not understand. I knew in my mind my heart belonged to Christine, but Elizabeth filled my thoughts each second of the day after our first meeting.

I did not know whether to open the bedroom door for fear Elizabeth was still asleep and I might wake her. Another small, yet desperate tap, reached my ears and my attention was to the end of the small hallway. Someone was knocking. Someone was knocking on my front door. The thought seemed absurd, and I shook my head knowing it was my imagination playing tricks however, Ayesha heard it as well and hissed at the door.

I cautiously made my way to the door and slowly, but sternly, turned the knob.

"Thank goodness!" A frantic Christine pushed the door open. "Erik! Erik, you must help me!" Christine placed her lantern on the ground and removed her blue hood. She seemed anxious and extremely worried.

"Christine, how did -"

"Erik," the frantic girl interrupted, "Oh, Erik, my friend. She, oh, I knew I should have taken her with me. She is lost and God only knows where she is. It is terrible! My young friend, new in the company, she, we, I, we can't seem to find her!" Christine sobbed.

I had little time to process the spectacle in front of me and when I opened my mouth to speak, Christine and I heard a small voice behind me.

"Christine."

I turned to see a sleepy Elizabeth standing behind me. Her hair disheveled, sleep in her eyes, and holding Ayesha in her arms.

Christine's mouth gaped opened as her eyes traveled to Elizabeth then to me and back to Elizabeth. She blinked profusely, trying to make sense of the situation laid before her. "Erik! What did-" Christine asked enraged.

Elizabeth placed herself between Christine and I, "My precious, Christine, your friend, Monsieur Phantom, let me stay here for the night. I know you made plans for me to stay with Madame Giry, but I felt uneasy, and he let me stay here." Elizabeth looked back at me with a smile. "Please don't be mad at him."

Christine scooped Elizabeth into a tight embraced, I was sure she would smother the poor fragile girl. "You…you silly girl. I was beyond myself when I received a telegram of your disappearance. I hurried back and was about to go with Madame Giry to the inspector's office to file a report. I knew I couldn't do that, so I came here to seek help from…" Suddenly Christine's demeanor changed, and she glared at me with something, maybe hate. "Lizzy, did he?"

Understanding Christine's question, Elizabeth gently pushed Christine off her. "Christine, Monsieur Phantom is a good man and would never hurt me. You are his friend and should know he is but a kind man."

I felt enraged. I was a murderer in Christine's eye and now a potential rapist. How dare she! "Please, I pry, continue your thoughts, Christine. I might be a lot of things to a lot of people, but I have always conducted myself as a gentleman above all else. Perhaps you think, no everyone, thinks I deserve all the depravity this world has to offer."

"Gather your things, Lizzy."

"But Christine-"

"Young lady, though I am relieved you are safe, you had me worried sick. Not to mentioned what you put Madame Giry through. You owe her a deep apology. Now go gather your things and I will hear no more protests from you." It was as if Elizabeth was scolded by her big sister for having meddled with an unwanted child in the playground. As soon as Elizabeth was in my room, Christine motioned me to follow her outside. "I am not sure how you two met and became fast acquaintances, Lizzy will inform me later, you do not know anything about her. Erik, I ask you to tread lightly with her."

I chuckled at what sounded like a warning. Did she think me capable of hurting a young lady? Christine saw nothing human in me but only saw that of a lowly, vile creature with no morals. "You, my dear, should tread lightly as you seem to forget who you are speaking to." I seethed through my teeth.

"Erik, you know nothing of Elizabeth."

"You amaze me, dear Christine. You barely speak a word to me when we are alone and if not for our lessons and musical interest, you would never speak to me at all and yet here you are disrespecting me in my own home. I do not take to well of being accused of any immoral doing by an uninvited guest." I lowered my head to be parallel to hers. "Where did you find this fire in you? How dare you speak to me in such a tone."

"I admit I am naïve at times and yes slightly immature to many things however when it comes to Lizzy, I will protect her from everyone and anything and if it means defying you, my angel of music, then so be it. Again, Erik, let her be. God knows she had been through enough. She deserves a normal life."

"Dear Christine, Elizabeth is the one who approached me, ask her yourself how this unlikely 'friendship' came to be. Regardless, I would never lay a hand on her!"

Christine must have seen I meant every word for she nodded in agreement. "May I request you take us back above? It took me hours to get down here and several times I almost fell victim to your traps."

After escorting both lovely ladies above, Christine scolding Elizabeth through most of the way, I decided to stay in my home for a while. I needed to process these past weeks. My feelings mostly. I opened my bedroom door and the silence engulfed me. Before I did not notice such silence, perhaps it has always been there, but now with Elizabeth gone, it was a driving force. I was perplexed by my swirling emotions. Having Christine at my door, willingly, should have made my heart leap with joy. Instead, I wanted nothing more than for her to go away. What was happening? It is not possible to fall in love with someone at first glance. I had seen Christine before she sang, and she seemed somewhat ordinary. It was not until she sang that I knew what love was.

Love.

Did I love Elizabeth? I had pondered this before countless times. I did acknowledge before that I had grown some strong feelings for Elizabeth but was I admitting I loved her? I was immensely comfortable the first time I met Elizabeth. I did not give it a second thought of what would happen if I stood in my box as she worked on the floor. I could have easily convinced her she was dreaming of phantoms but no, I let her see me. Every passing day since that encounter, she crept inside my soul. The times she touched me so freely were like venomous poison, extremely dangerous. Yet, I found myself seeking the poison she presented me. Elizabeth's eyes were in my dreams, her beautiful hair, I felt it in the air when I reached for nothing. Her whole being was incredible.

My feelings were tormenting me. Mere months ago, I would have given the world to Christine but somehow, I am found myself wanting to give Elizabeth the whole universe. I sighed heavily and it was when I glanced at my black, canopy bed, I noticed a note.

Erik,

I thank you for a lovely evening and I do wish Christine is not too crossed with you. I will clear the air with her today. I have come to love her as a sister and know she only wishes to protect me. I hope I was not much of an imposition for you. I am glad I met you and can call you upon you as my dearest friend. I, myself, am aware I am a but peculiar but do not hold it against me. I will let you in on a secret I not dare tell you in person, you made me feel a strange, yet not unwelcomed, felling from the moment I met you. I apologize for any forwardness I have had in the past with you but there is something about you. Listen to me carry on. Perhaps when you visit Christine, you may want to visit me as well? Your presence would be most welcomed and needed. I could not sleep last night as my mind was plagued with thoughts of you. I wrote you a melody, meant for a violin of course, to commemorate our… friendship.

Your dear friend,

Lizzy

As I reached for the second page where the melody was written, I felt a glorious grin on my face. She wishes me to visit her and welcomes me just like that! Hah! What incredible joy! If only she knew her presence near me was needed as well. Yet, she regarded me as her friend. Well, it was something.

I quickly made study of Elizabeth's melody made for me and walked to my music room where I found my violin. I started playing the melody and found it to be one of longing, sadness, depression and yet the ending was different. The tempo was upbeat as if it had a smile in the end, a happy ending. When I finished playing, a sob escaped me for she had somehow captured and essence I could never in a million years express with words. By some means, Elizabeth had reached into my soul and plucked this melody out into the world for her and I to share. A melody she properly named "La Musique de ma Fantome".