White Roses

Disclaimer: You know what? I kidnapped the ownership to this and it is now mine. Unfortunately, that happened only in my mind. 'Tis very sad. It's not mine!

Turning Heads

As the days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, Erik adjusted to life at the opera house. He could find his way around quite easily and at times managed to steal food for himself from the kitchen. Antoinette still visited him regularly and together, they had made his domain more habitable. The gondola was working well, and the two of them had managed to take some other old props and use their parts to make a bed, some chairs and a table. They had raided the costume department and found a few discarded costumes suitable for Erik, although Antoinette did find it quite amusing to see the young boy dressed in full evening wear. Erik continued to play the violin by night, always for Antoinette, although he never told her this.

One morning, Erik awoke to hear the bell across the lake ringing loudly. He had told Antoinette that should she wish to cross the lake in the gondola, she need only ring the bell and he would come and fetch her. He picked up the pole for the boat and began to expertly guide it through the catacombs. It had become much easier for him to pole the gondola as time went on, and he reached the girl on the other side quickly. But this morning, she was not her usual picture of composure. Instead, her eyes were bright with excitement and she was almost jumping up and down with impatience as Erik approached her on the gondola.

"Oh, Erik!" she cried. "You will never guess what I have found!"

"I probably won't," he replied. "You shall have to tell me."

"An organ, Erik! A real pipe organ!"

"Where?"

"It is in an old storeroom," Antoinette replied. "I was looking for my costume and I stumbled upon it. My first thought was that you might like it."

Erik stared at her. "How do you suggest we move a pipe organ in here?"

"Well, it would have to be done slowly," she said. "Bit by bit."

"Like the gondola?"

"Yes, but on a larger scale, of course."

Erik frowned as he mulled over this, but eventually his face split into a grin. "That sounds like a good project. When shall we start?"

"We have rehearsals this morning, but Madame has given us the afternoon off," Antoinette replied. "Perhaps at one o'clock?"

Erik nodded, but before he could say anything, Antoinette was obliged to leave so as not to be late to rehearsal. She had been in trouble more than once for tardiness since she had begun visiting Erik so he did not ask her to stay, simply watching her shadow ascend the great staircase.

As he reached the shore of his lair, Erik carefully moored the gondola and stood the pole against a wall. He then opened a drawer of a mahogany chest of drawers stolen from Amandine's dressing room and withdrew a large sheet of heavy paper with an almost-finished charcoal drawing on it. Erik had been working on the portrait as a gift for Antoinette - it was her likeness that he had tried to hard to capture. He estimated that he would have it finished in less than an hour and would be able to present it to her when she visited him that afternoon. Erik laid the paper on the table, picked up the piece of charcoal he had been using, and began to complete his artwork.

x-x-x-x

Antoinette was moving away from the barre and towards the stage when two men, one much younger than the other, entered with the manager, Monsieur Durand. The trio sat in the centre of the theatre, half-watching the rehearsal while Monsieur Durand and the older gentleman made conversation. Trying to ignore the newcomers, Antoinette fell into the routine the corps de ballet had nearly perfected, keeping in time with the steady thud of Madame Leblanc's cane on the stage. The dancers repeated the movements over and over again until their muscles were aching from the effort. Throughout the display, the younger gentleman had watched intently and Antoinette fancied that at times he had tried to catch her eye.

"Very good, my dears," Madame Leblanc called eventually. "You may begin to cool down now."

Antoinette gratefully began to stretch her throbbing calf muscles, while taking a nervous glance at the clock. It was half-past twelve; she would have just enough time to cool down, change her clothes and eat a quick lunch before helping Erik move the pipe organ. Sighing, she extended her other leg and continued her stretches, listening as the soprano and the tenor began to sing their duet.

By the time Antoinette was ready to leave, the two singers were about to begin their third rendition, but were interrupted as Monsieur Durand stood and began to walk towards the stage, accompanied by the two men.

"If I could beg your attention for a few minutes, everybody," he called. "I would like to inform you of some imminent changes in the opera house."

At the sound of the manager's voice, every head turned to centre stage, where the man stood now. Even Lisette and her group of ballet rats stopped gossiping long enough to pay attention.

"Thank you," Monsieur Durand said. "As you may or may not know, I have decided to travel abroad, and therefore the Opera Populaire will be changing hands shortly. Allow me to introduce to you the new manager-to-be, Monsieur Marcel Giry."

There was polite applause as the older gentleman smiled at the surrounding people. "I would like to say that I am very much looking forward to working with people such as yourselves in this wonderful opera house."

This statement was met with more applause before Monsieur Durand spoke again. "Also, allow me to introduce Monsieur Giry's son, Lucas, who will also be a familiar face in the near future."

The younger man smiled like his father and Antoinette was able to get her first good look at him. She had to admit that Lisette had been right - he was very handsome. Lucas Giry was tall with dark blonde hair and a thin moustache. His blue eyes were kind and his smile was genuine. Antoinette found herself quite liking this young man on first impression in spite of herself. She looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes as she noticed Isabelle and Lisette pouting and twirling strands of their hair in the general direction of the two Giry men. Typical, she thought.

x-x-x-x

Erik smiled at the finished portrait and placed it back in the drawer. He looked at the alarm clock taken from a bedside table in the ballet dormitories and frowned when he realised that Antoinette was ten minutes late. It is not like her to be late, he thought. He knew that she might be tardy for ballet rehearsals or late to meals, but she was always punctual when it came to visiting Erik.

Sighing, he decided not to think too much of it and wait a little longer. She is probably held up at the rehearsal.

x-x-x-x

Antoinette was about to leave the theatre when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around in surprise only to be met by the sheepish smile of Lucas Giry.

"Hello," he said. "I was watching you dance just now."

"Yes," replied Antoinette, "I saw you."

"Yes. Well, I was hoping - I mean to say, I would like it very much if you could show me around, perhaps? I take it that you know the opera house well?"

"I do, monsieur."

"Call me Lucas, please, Mademoiselle ... uh ... Mademoiselle?"

"Antoinette Baudeux, Lucas."

"Antoinette. A pretty name for a -"

"Pretty girl? You are too kind, Lucas."

"No. A pretty name for a beautiful young lady."

Antoinette narrowed her eyes skeptically, wondering why any young man would compliment her so. If he wants a ballet rat to mess around with, he picked the wrong one, she reminded herself. She looked into his face once more, and saw nothing but honesty. Looking over her shoulder, Antoinette saw Lisette gaping at her. She shuddered to think what the imaginative girl would make of the situation.

"So do you mind, then, Antoinette?"

"I'm sorry?" Antoinette asked, having been preoccupied with watching Lisette tap her best friend, Élodie, on the shoulder and whisper in her ear.

"Would you please do me the favour of showing me around? Perhaps we could have a quick lunch together, first?"

Antoinette bit her lip. She knew that she was already late in going down to see Erik and showing Lucas around would definitely delay their meeting. But, she reminded herself, this young man is probably in need of acquaintance. It cannot be that interesting to sit by and listen to his father and Monsieur Durand talk business. Before she quite knew what she was saying, her reply slipped out.

"Of course, Lucas."

x-x-x-x

Erik paced around his lair impatiently. It was nearing seven o'clock and Antoinette was yet to come. He had made up many excuses for her absence, each weaker than the last, and was now considering going upstairs and searching her out himself. Finally, he heard the bell ringing across the lake and he began his journey across the lake, poling the gondola furiously. As he reached the other side, he noticed that Antoinette looked different. Her face was flushed and she was wearing a broad smile.

"Good evening, Antoinette," Erik said, pointedly.

"Good evening, Erik," she replied, seemingly oblivious to his tone as she climbed into the gondola.

A little confused at her lack of attention, Erik poled her back across the lake unquestioningly. They reached the shore and he helped her out of the boat and waited for her to tell him where the storeroom with the pipe organ was located. But Antoinette did nothing of the sort, simply sitting down in one of the chairs and beaming.

"Did you want a cover of darkness?" Erik asked her. "If you did you should have said so this morning."

"I'm sorry?" Antoinette replied, before comprehension dawned on her face and she blushed. "Oh, that. I'm sorry, Erik, but we might have to wait until tomorrow."

"Why?"

"I am exhausted!"

"Your rehearsal finished at more than six hours ago!" Erik said, angrily.

"I was showing the new manager's son around," Antoinette explained. "He really is a very nice young man."

Erik paused, not sure what to make of this. Finally, he sighed and nodded.

"It is alright, Antoinette."

"Thank you for understanding, Erik," she said, giving him a shy smile.

Erik smiled back and turned to the chest of drawers. "I have a present for you."

"For me? What is it?"

"It's a surprise. Close your eyes."

Antoinette did so and Erik, after making sure that they were truly closed, took out the portrait. Thinking quickly, he took a white rose from a vase - more items he had 'borrowed' from Amandine - and placed it in the centre of the rolled-up piece of paper.

"Open," he said, holding the artwork and flower out to her.

Antoinette took the gift and slowly unrolled the portrait, exclaiming in delight as the rose fell at her feet. "Oh! I love roses!"

Erik simply smiled back and indicated for her to go on unrolling. She did so and her face lit up as she took in the portrait. Eyes wide, she traced the lines of her jaw, lips and hair, marvelling in the boy's incredible artistic ability.

"Do you like it?" he asked nervously.

"Erik, I love it!" she exclaimed. "It is exquisite! Did you draw this?"

He nodded and her smile became wider. Antoinette rose from her seat and pecked Erik's cheek again before rolling up the portrait and letting her gaze fall to the gondola.

"I have to go back," she said, reluctantly. "They'll wonder where I am in the dormitory."

Erik nodded and the two of them boarded the vessel in silence and began their journey across the lake.

x-x-x-x

As Antoinette entered the ballet dormitory, portrait concealed behind her back, she was met by a horde of her fellow dancers, all asking questions based on the allegation that she had spent the afternoon in the company of Lucas Giry.

"Antoinette! Did you really go out for lunch together?"

"Did he hold your hand up on the roof?"

"Is it true that you kissed him?"

"I - I -" Antoinette was overwhelmed by the sudden interrogation. While the kissing version of the afternoon's events was nothing more than a rumour, she blushed when she realised that most of the other stories were true.

"Oh! She's blushing!"

"You are lucky, Antoinette. He is so handsome!"

"What's that in your hand?"

Isabelle plucked the rose Erik had given Antoinette from her hand and held it up for the dormitory to see.

"Isabelle!"

"It's a rose! He loves her!"

It took several hours and more than one stern word from Madame Leblanc, who slept across the hall from the dormitory, for the hubbub to die down. Antoinette lay awake for what seemed like hours, wondering about what all this meant. She had never been in love with anybody before; how was she to know what it was like? Sighing, she turned over and listened as eerie violin music crept up through the cracks in the dormitory floorboards.