Chapter 21

Since Estelle was not well liked by her fellow artists, the new change in cast was widely accepted. There were many who agreed with Elle on the fact that Isabel would do a better job with the role of Juliette than Estelle would have and this brought a relief to some. Maximilien, for one, was glad that he no longer had to work with the prima donna. Estelle was a person who always tried to hog the spotlight, but that was not the main problem. In the scenes that they were rehearsing together the duets were lacking. The Romeo did not get along with his partner off the stage, which in a way affected the performance. Isabel was on good terms with him; therefore it would be easier for them to work together. The others were tired of having to put up with the whims of that spoiled woman and were pleased to hear that the directors had come to their senses. Some did not even care to ask why Estelle would not be performing so far into the production, even though it was odd for a singer to quit the day before the opening show.

Elle had attended rehearsal with the insistence of Madame Giry, and she was witness to Isabel's first shot as lead. Maximilien was helping her along, but she did well considering that she had her part changed that day. The two went through scenes together smoothly, with hardly any problems. The directors were beginning to feel less strained when they saw that the singer would be able to fill the role properly. They still had their concerns, but it was comforting for them to know that it would not be necessary to cancel the performance. That would mean upset customers and money being returned, not to mention the waste of all that time of practice.

When it was Elle's turn to sing her new appointed solo she hesitated. Many people were surprised to see her on stage, unaware that she sang. She had never actually taken part in any of the operas that were produced, only helped in other ways. Now she was to have a role, however small, and to be on the stage with the others. This made them eager to hear her sing, as they were all wondering how good she was. If she was good then it would not make sense to them of why she would hide such a talent when her father owns the opera house and she could easily have herself placed in a part. The directors felt the same way, but were ready to listen. Hector was sitting with them in the audience and from his seat he urged her on with a smile of confidence in her abilities.

After a moment or so, the music starting up again, she slowly parted her lips. With one deep breathe she began, aware that everyone was looking in her direction. As she sang she closed her eyes, not wanting anything or anyone to distract her. Since Elle never sang in front of so many people at once she had a new feeling permeating her being. Her entire body was full of knots and tingles, her face was warm and her stomach fluttered, yet her throat let slip notes of silver and gold. Partially due to her anxiety and partly due to her reservations, Elle did not unleash her full potential. Nevertheless she sang astonishingly well to those who were listening. The stage gave her more confidence and her volume gradually increased, filling out into the auditorium seating.

Once Isabel heard the young woman sing she wondered why it was her that was given the lead instead of Elle although she knew that it took more than a voice to be the lead. The soprano tended to overlook her own talents because of her personal insecurities. The other performers present were astounded when they found that Elle actually could sing. They had so many questions, sparking a new topic for future gossip.

Hector was delighted to hear Elle sing again. After the first time he heard her he was not sure if he would ever hear her again because of the way she reacted. He noticed that she was a bit uncomfortable finding him there, but he did not think that she would have any problems taking the small role that he suggested for her to take. His father was sitting in the seat next to him, so it was easy for him to turn and see the reaction of the directors. Bolster had regained his signature jovial smile, which he had not donned for some time, and Tremaine seemed to be joining his partner in this show of contentment. Whatever uncertainties the two men had were now washed away by the reassuring rehearsal. The replacements had proved their ability to handle their new roles and the directors had little to worry about at the present time. Before Estelle's mysterious disappearance they had hired a new set of stagehands, so most everything was already taken care of. That night they both could rest easy.

After the rehearsal Elle was walking backstage on her way to her bedroom. As she was passing she was stopped by several people who commented on her performance, one of which asked her if she had any training. She answered yes, but did not go into details, explaining that she must get going. On her way out into the hall Elle walked by a group of gossipers, standing around in a huddle. They were speaking loud enough for her to overhear their conversation, even though she was not trying to. She was able to hear several lines before the door closed behind her and she was out of hearing range.

"Did you hear what happened to Estelle?" one person asked loudly. "I heard that she vanished from the opera house and that when the directors sent someone to her house she was not there either. No one knows where she went."

"What does that matter?" someone responded. "The point is that now that she is back she is too scared to sing."

"Estelle would never be too scared to sing."

"Normally she would not, but not if the Opera Ghost got to her…"

Erik. She had not thought of that. What if Erik had something to do with Estelle's sudden strange behavior? But he simply could not be the one behind it! Elle was not sure exactly what time in the morning Estelle went missing, but she did know that she was down below with Erik during the evening. If it was him then he would have had to do it while Elle was sleeping in her bedroom. She did know that Erik was no fan of Estelle's, so there was a chance that it was him. Either way it what still a mystery concerning what happened to the prima donna that would put her in such a state of silence. The opera rats, of course, would be quick to blame the incident on the Phantom of the Opera as they had done before. This was nothing new.

Elle made her way to the staircase and slowly ascended the steps. She was tired and, for the first time in awhile, she realized that she was hungry. Her appetite had decreased significantly ever since the death of her mother. Meals were just not the same without all three of them and her father did not provide much company. This evening, however, she would eat to satisfy her growling stomach. That was her plan as she marched down the hall to her door.

After unlocking the door she entered the room and closed the door behind her, placing the key down on a small table at the side of her room. Elle barely had a chance to sit down on her sofa when her eye caught sight of something on top of her piano. It immediately captured her attention for she had received something similar to it during her first weeks stay there. First she glanced around the rest of the room and then she rushed over to pick up the object. For a minute she held it in her hands, looking it over as if it were foreign. She was holding a letter, a letter with a red skull seal. Already she knew who it was from, but she was not sure as to the nature of its contents. With some hesitation she finally slipped her small finger through and broke the seal, folding open the piece of parchment and quickly scanning the print.

My dear Mademoiselle,

Please accept my apology for last night, my behavior was uncalled-for. It was not my intention to do you any harm.

Do try your best to be more careful around the Opera House; those incompetent directors will need you in the future.

-Erik

As she folded the letter back up again Elle smiled, glad that he was not angry with her. He had apologized when really she felt that she was the one who needed to ask for forgiveness. She had broken boundaries that had been set for her and that she had agreed to, it would only make sense that she would have to pay the price. Elle was not sure where Erik was at the moment, but she wanted to express her regret for what happened. Although she felt this way, if she did get the chance to apologize for her behavior she most likely would not. Apologizing for something meant bringing it up and Elle was aware that neither of them wanted to think about that night.

She thought about the situation for several minutes, and then was once again reminded of her hunger by noise from her stomach. The letter was tucked into a desk drawer before she reached for the doorknob to head out. It did not take long for Elle to make her way to the dining room, but she waited a couple minutes before actually entering it. Her mind contemplated over how earlier she had never truly appreciated the simple act of sharing a meal with your family. Now that those meal times were changed forever she was aware of their significance. Family is an essential element to life, she realized, and without family life may seem meaningless.

Not wanting to dwell on sad memories Elle moved her hand forward and reached for the door. The room inside was already lit by several candles, which illuminated the long table that filled the center of the room. A shadow was cast across the wall to her right and Elle noticed, after observation, that it was her father sitting at his usual seat at the head of the table. She moved further in the room, pleasantly surprised that her father was present to give her company, and closed the door behind her.

"Elle, my child, is that you?" the man asked, sounding older than he actually was. He squinted in the dull light, her appearance affirming that it was indeed her standing there. With his free arm he gestured to an empty chair. "Come and sit down, you can join me for dinner."

"I would love to," she replied, taking a seat at the side of the table close to her father so that she could see him. It had been some time since she had gotten a good look at him and now that she was able to she saw the change in his face. Although he was in his late forties he was beginning to look like he was ten years old, with more gray hairs and wrinkles about his face. He lifted an open bottle of wine that had been sitting near him and poured Elle a glass, handing it carefully over to her. She took a sip and then looked back up at him.

"Mister Tremaine paid me a visit earlier. He told me about how you will be performing tomorrow," he began, his expression serious. Elle nodded, urging him to continue, as she began to fill her plate with the food that was laid out on platters. "Congratulations! I never thought I would see the day. I must admit I did not believe him at first. And your mother, if only she were alive to see you now…" He smiled at her for a minute, his mind straying from the purpose of his statement. "He has saved me a box so that I can watch you and attend an opera one last time before…"

"Before what?" Elle asked when he paused, wondering what he was referring to. Worry filled her eyes as they searched his for his meaning. He sounded as if there was some reason why he would not have the chance to attend an opera for some time, maybe forever. That scared her. Whatever the meaning was Elle got the feeling that she would be better off not knowing.

"Never mind that," he eventually stated, breaking out of his trance and draining his glass of wine before looking back up at his daughter. With another affectionate smile he placed his warm left hand over her small right one that was resting on the table and gently squeezed. "There is something that I would like to talk to you about, but it can wait until later."

"If you say so, papa," she responded, proceeding to eat her meal. She had forgotten how delicious food could be and was savoring each bite. When she was full she picked the cloth napkin off from her lap and dabbed it on her mouth, making sure that there was none on her. Then Elle placed the napkin back on the table, took a drink, and glanced back over at her father. He had been staring at the empty chair across the table on the side opposite of him. That used to be her mother's seat.

When the man noticed that his daughter was looking at him he turned his eyes back to her. They looked on her with the absolute love of a father and the expression turned all of Elle's thoughts away from the insecurities of day. Elle finally got up from the table, ready to retire for the day, but when she reached the door he called for her. She looked back to see what he wanted.

"I want you to know, Elle, that I am proud of you."

"Good night papa," she replied, with a feeling of well-being spreading through her body. She felt optimistic to some extent and went to bed excited for what was awaiting her in the following day.

A/N: Thank you all for reviewing! I love you all! Hope the wait was not too long, it is hard to find time to write these days. Anyway, please review and check back later for the next chapter.

TheWyldeWestWynd- He will be back soon. Thanks for reviewing.

Kiwi Anime- It would be highly illogical for Elle to be given the part of Juliette, so that was why I did not have that happen. I am glad that you liked that. About the parallels, I will try to use your advice, but as I said before I already have an outline written. Also, about the Erik and Christine thing, I completely understand where you are coming from and although I do have the story already planned I am still not sure as to the final outcome of Elle and Erik's relationship. Anyway, thank you for the review and the in-depth commentary.

Anri- Yes it would. Thanks.

Galasriniel- lol, thank you.

Kchan88- Glad you are excited. You shall see. Thanks for reviewing.

Lynandreth- I will take a look at your story when I get the chance, I promise. Thanks for the review.

TheTrinityJ- Thank you. I did read yours and left you a review, just in case you did not see it yet.

KnightMaria- Thank you, I am really glad you enjoy it.