Chapter 5
True to my word, I went up to the opera house stage the next day, though I wanted to stay home with Erik. Well, we'd have the night together, and he'd be up later to oversee the rehearsals. I walked in the front door and onto the stage, looking around for any sign of intelligent life. I got a sign of life pretty soon, but it wasn't intelligent.
"You! You are dee von 'oo tinks she can just come out of novrere and just take my place! Just like Christine!" Carlotta ranted, and then continued to babble on in Italian, including a few rude comments directed at me. She probably thought I didn't know Italian. I could fix that.
"Signora Pig," I said slowly, as though I was speaking to a somewhat simple person. Carlotta shut up and stared at me in shock. I smiled as I continued, "I'll thank you to keep your lazy tongue behind your teeth if you cannot speak civilly to me. I understand perfectly what you are saying, even if it is in Italian, and I do not have to take it, and will not take it. It's not my fault that you deserted the opera house and I happened to be singing in the right place at the right time. So you can keep your comments to yourself." The managers walked in as I was finishing and noticed Carlotta's expression. I swear, I thought she was going to start wailing for her mommy.
"Ah, Signora, I see you've met Mademoiselle Duquesne?" Firmin said. "Yes, she sang well last night, at least there were no refunds. But you have not been replaced. Miss Duquesne was just kind enough to take your place for one night, that is all!"
"Indeed, Signora, we would never dream of replacing you," Andre added, "You are our star! And always will be."
'Jeez, history is really starting to repeat itself.' I thought. 'Either that, or everyone else is,'
"Vell, as long as you are clear on dee fact dat it vas just vun night, Miss Duquesne," Carlotta said, saying 'Miss' as though calling me by a title like that was an equivalent to sucking on a lemon, "Den dere is no problem dat I see."
"Fine." I said coldly. "I only came here because it was requested of me, but I see no further reason for me to stay. If no one minds," not that I cared if they did or not, "I wish to be heading home. My brother promised to spend the day with me, and I want to do so."
"Very well then, Mam'selle, we have to continue with rehearsals for the next opera to be performed." Andre said. Aside, though, out of earshot of Carlotta, he whispered to me, "Though if we should ever need an understudy, we'll be most pleased to have you back."
"I'd be pleased to come back, Monsieur." I replied and left. I entered the theater from the back and went home. I was surprised when I saw Erik's boat still at home, I thought he was up in the catwalks watching us. I figured he had some reason for staying home, so I didn't think about it. I tied up my boat, raised the portcullis, and went under it. I could sense Erik was close somewhere. I walked to the small dining room and there he was.
"Ah, you're home. Happy Birthday Minuet!" he said smiling.
I grinned at him, wondering what was in the small box that was dotted with holes that sat on the table in front of him.
"Why don't you come on over and open your present?" Erik asked. I saw the secretive light in his eyes as he spoke. I walked over to him, curious about what he had gotten me, and why it had to be in a box with holes. I opened the little box to reveal...
"Meow," said the tiny kitten in the box, as it hopped out onto the table and sat there in front of me.
"A kitten!" I cried happily. "Oh Erik, thank you so much!" I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He smiled and hugged me back.
"What are you going to name him?" he asked. I let go of him and picked up my kitten. As I looked at him, I was surprised at the resemblance between him and Erik. The kitten was totally black, except for a few parts of him. His front paws were white, his nose was rose pink, his eyes were vivid green, a spot on his chest was white, and the right half of his face was white. 'If Erik were a kitten, this is him, except for the eyes,' I thought. Then I hit on the perfect name for him and smiled.
"His name's Phantom." I said. Erik smiled at me, knowing the reason for the name I had given the kitten. "I take it you approve?" I asked.
"It's perfect." Erik replied. "He does look rather like me, doesn't he? Except he's cute and I'm..."
"Don't you dare say it. I know what you're thinking, don't say it." I interrupted him quickly. Erik looked at me for a moment, and then just smiled again.
"Mew," little Phantom said. I smiled and picked him up. He purred pleasantly, and the purring grew louder as Erik scratched him behind his ears. Soon, the little ball of fluff was asleep in my arms. I carried him to the bedroom and laid him gently on my bed so he could sleep. I went back to the kitchen and got out two small dishes and put a little food in one and water in the other. I'd have given him milk, but milk is bad for kittens as young as Phantom, so water would suffice. Erik and I spent the whole day together, singing, listening to each other play the piano/organ/violin, talking, reading/telling stories, fencing out by the lake, and just being together. I was happy, happier than I had been for a long time, now that I had told Erik the truth about my feelings and they had been allayed. Everything just seemed right, nothing could go wrong and it couldn't get any better. Well, they didn't, exactly, it depends on how you look at it. That night, I was restless for some reason. I just couldn't lie down when I was supposed to go to bed. So I didn't. I went back upstairs to the opera house. I stood on the stage for a while and sang, mimicking the voices of Andre, Firmin, and Carlotta at times, saying things like,
"Bravo Minuet! Bravo! I can see we've found ourselves a new, permanent diva!"
"Indeed, Andre, Mademoiselle Minuet is a jewel, an absolute jewel!"
"O, 'ow could I 'ave been so stupid? 'Ow could I not realize dat you are dee true Prima Donna. I shall never oppose you een dis manner again!"
I chuckled to myself as I took a break. My humorous mood was not to last. Soon I heard footsteps behind me. Figuring it was just Erik, I joked, "He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!"
"Wrong," said an amused, familiar voice that sent a jolt of recognition and old hatred through my body. I rose and turned to confront him. I knew who he was even from one word he spoke. I glared in utter detestation at...
True to my word, I went up to the opera house stage the next day, though I wanted to stay home with Erik. Well, we'd have the night together, and he'd be up later to oversee the rehearsals. I walked in the front door and onto the stage, looking around for any sign of intelligent life. I got a sign of life pretty soon, but it wasn't intelligent.
"You! You are dee von 'oo tinks she can just come out of novrere and just take my place! Just like Christine!" Carlotta ranted, and then continued to babble on in Italian, including a few rude comments directed at me. She probably thought I didn't know Italian. I could fix that.
"Signora Pig," I said slowly, as though I was speaking to a somewhat simple person. Carlotta shut up and stared at me in shock. I smiled as I continued, "I'll thank you to keep your lazy tongue behind your teeth if you cannot speak civilly to me. I understand perfectly what you are saying, even if it is in Italian, and I do not have to take it, and will not take it. It's not my fault that you deserted the opera house and I happened to be singing in the right place at the right time. So you can keep your comments to yourself." The managers walked in as I was finishing and noticed Carlotta's expression. I swear, I thought she was going to start wailing for her mommy.
"Ah, Signora, I see you've met Mademoiselle Duquesne?" Firmin said. "Yes, she sang well last night, at least there were no refunds. But you have not been replaced. Miss Duquesne was just kind enough to take your place for one night, that is all!"
"Indeed, Signora, we would never dream of replacing you," Andre added, "You are our star! And always will be."
'Jeez, history is really starting to repeat itself.' I thought. 'Either that, or everyone else is,'
"Vell, as long as you are clear on dee fact dat it vas just vun night, Miss Duquesne," Carlotta said, saying 'Miss' as though calling me by a title like that was an equivalent to sucking on a lemon, "Den dere is no problem dat I see."
"Fine." I said coldly. "I only came here because it was requested of me, but I see no further reason for me to stay. If no one minds," not that I cared if they did or not, "I wish to be heading home. My brother promised to spend the day with me, and I want to do so."
"Very well then, Mam'selle, we have to continue with rehearsals for the next opera to be performed." Andre said. Aside, though, out of earshot of Carlotta, he whispered to me, "Though if we should ever need an understudy, we'll be most pleased to have you back."
"I'd be pleased to come back, Monsieur." I replied and left. I entered the theater from the back and went home. I was surprised when I saw Erik's boat still at home, I thought he was up in the catwalks watching us. I figured he had some reason for staying home, so I didn't think about it. I tied up my boat, raised the portcullis, and went under it. I could sense Erik was close somewhere. I walked to the small dining room and there he was.
"Ah, you're home. Happy Birthday Minuet!" he said smiling.
I grinned at him, wondering what was in the small box that was dotted with holes that sat on the table in front of him.
"Why don't you come on over and open your present?" Erik asked. I saw the secretive light in his eyes as he spoke. I walked over to him, curious about what he had gotten me, and why it had to be in a box with holes. I opened the little box to reveal...
"Meow," said the tiny kitten in the box, as it hopped out onto the table and sat there in front of me.
"A kitten!" I cried happily. "Oh Erik, thank you so much!" I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He smiled and hugged me back.
"What are you going to name him?" he asked. I let go of him and picked up my kitten. As I looked at him, I was surprised at the resemblance between him and Erik. The kitten was totally black, except for a few parts of him. His front paws were white, his nose was rose pink, his eyes were vivid green, a spot on his chest was white, and the right half of his face was white. 'If Erik were a kitten, this is him, except for the eyes,' I thought. Then I hit on the perfect name for him and smiled.
"His name's Phantom." I said. Erik smiled at me, knowing the reason for the name I had given the kitten. "I take it you approve?" I asked.
"It's perfect." Erik replied. "He does look rather like me, doesn't he? Except he's cute and I'm..."
"Don't you dare say it. I know what you're thinking, don't say it." I interrupted him quickly. Erik looked at me for a moment, and then just smiled again.
"Mew," little Phantom said. I smiled and picked him up. He purred pleasantly, and the purring grew louder as Erik scratched him behind his ears. Soon, the little ball of fluff was asleep in my arms. I carried him to the bedroom and laid him gently on my bed so he could sleep. I went back to the kitchen and got out two small dishes and put a little food in one and water in the other. I'd have given him milk, but milk is bad for kittens as young as Phantom, so water would suffice. Erik and I spent the whole day together, singing, listening to each other play the piano/organ/violin, talking, reading/telling stories, fencing out by the lake, and just being together. I was happy, happier than I had been for a long time, now that I had told Erik the truth about my feelings and they had been allayed. Everything just seemed right, nothing could go wrong and it couldn't get any better. Well, they didn't, exactly, it depends on how you look at it. That night, I was restless for some reason. I just couldn't lie down when I was supposed to go to bed. So I didn't. I went back upstairs to the opera house. I stood on the stage for a while and sang, mimicking the voices of Andre, Firmin, and Carlotta at times, saying things like,
"Bravo Minuet! Bravo! I can see we've found ourselves a new, permanent diva!"
"Indeed, Andre, Mademoiselle Minuet is a jewel, an absolute jewel!"
"O, 'ow could I 'ave been so stupid? 'Ow could I not realize dat you are dee true Prima Donna. I shall never oppose you een dis manner again!"
I chuckled to myself as I took a break. My humorous mood was not to last. Soon I heard footsteps behind me. Figuring it was just Erik, I joked, "He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!"
"Wrong," said an amused, familiar voice that sent a jolt of recognition and old hatred through my body. I rose and turned to confront him. I knew who he was even from one word he spoke. I glared in utter detestation at...