Chapter 29
Her first task accomplished, Elle left the ex-directors stunned in their office. For the first time in months she genuinely smiled as she walked through the hallway, the realization that she owned every inch of her surroundings setting in and washing over her. Yes, they had protested, pathetically trying to convince her that she needed their help in managing the building and the people and reminding her that they were still in the process of producing the opera Manon. To their dismay, their efforts were unsuccessful. Elle listened to their plea, but was not going to change her mind. She knew that it could be hard work, taking over both the managing and directing, but she was full aware of that and was willing to commit herself entirely to the charge.
Tired from traveling, Elle decided to save the rest of her errands for the following day. There was plenty of time for her to get started on that later. With that notion she returned to her old room, glad to see her bags neatly piled by the side of the wall as she had directed the driver to do. The door was unlocked, so she opened it and began to bring in her luggage. After leaving the bags at the side of her room and closing the door, Elle sat down on the sofa. With a sigh, she realized how much she had missed her old room. She felt as if the entire opera house was a part of her and that simply being back there she was not as empty as she had felt apart from it. The place rejuvenated her, and even though she was still in mourning, Elle could feel a new sense of hope for the future.
As she sat in her bedroom preparing for bed her mind became suddenly flooded with memories. It was there that many of her lessons had taken place. Then she remembered that she hadn't sung once since she left the opera house. Elle slowly pulled herself up and off of the bed, her eyes fixed on the far wall. She approached the spot carefully, thinking back to her last encounter with Erik. Her hand reached out and ran over the flat surface. That wall, she knew, was the only path she was aware of that led to his lair. Elle felt, as if by simply touching the wall, that he was still there. His presence always secretly loomed about the building, unknown to many and under no one's command. Abruptly she stopped touching the wall and staggered back, not sure if his presence was something she wanted or something she feared.
The next morning Madame Giry was walking back to the dormitories. She had just returned from a meeting with the new owner of the opera house. Elle D'aubigne had kept the conversation brief and to the point, explaining to her that she wanted everyone gathered in the theatre in two hours. The woman was sad to hear about the fate of Monsieur D'aubigne, he had been a kind man. She was, however, glad to hear that the directors had left. Most of the people working there did not like them, especially after the day Mister Tremaine had a fit and fired the entire staff of stagehands. Seeing Elle at first had been quite a shock, she did not believe that she would ever return, and she was even more shocked when she was told the news. Giry had worked closely with D'aubigne when he was still managing the opera house, so Elle thought that she would tell her first before she spoke in front of the others.
Giry walked with purpose as she entered the room. She had always acted as the courier between the management and the workers, so her task was nothing new. At least this time the reason for the meeting was actually due to a positive change, which was bound to excite- not upset. People looked up from what they were doing as she came in; the air about her naturally attracting attention. Heading about the area, Giry started spreading the message around. With the way that the opera rats gossiped, she knew that everyone would know in due time. The same stern expression that was usually plastered over her aging face greeted the next person she came across. In a serious tone that seemed to carry without any effort she spoke. "There will be a mandatory meeting in two hours, held in the theatre. Spread the word."
The people she spoke to listened, confused and curious. Not one of them hesitated to tell other people they encountered. Speculating people made guesses and quickly discussed with each other what they thought the meeting was going to be about, wondering if anyone besides Giry knew. They were aware that she would not tell them if asked, only respond that they would find out soon enough. Maybe they would have not been so bothered if they had some hint as to what it was about, but the entire meeting seemed out of the blue. So, in turn, people spread the word like a fire spreading rapidly, consuming everything in its path. Once the two hours had passed the majority of people in the opera house were huddled in the theatre, close to the stage. None of them had expected who they were about to see.
Elle stepped onto the stage, knowing it was time for the meeting that she had called into action. When she saw the mass of people who awaited her she knew that Madame Giry had done her job. Looking out over the large group of people, she realized that there were many whom she did not recognize. The six months she was gone had not changed the building itself, but it did change the people within it. Hearing the people whisper and grumble amongst themselves, Elle realized that it was time. As she started speaking everyone's eyes turned to her, ready to hear what she had to say. She knew that they would be confused as to why she was standing there, in the middle of the platform, when they were probably expecting to see the previous directors. Elle was gladly willing to clear that up.
"Thank you all for coming. First, I would like to say for those who have not met me, that my name is Elle D'aubigne. Many of you were expecting to see Mister Tremaine or Mister Bolster up here, but it is my duty to explain to you that they will no longer be working here. Instead I will be taking over complete management of L'Opera Magnifique in addition to being the new owner. The new production, Manon, will go on as planned and if you have any concerns then I ask that you address them to Madame Giry. She will be happy to assist you if she can. That is all. Rehearsal is this afternoon as scheduled."
The murmurs escalated now that she was done speaking. People began to talk freely, surprised at the sudden change. Many wondered how the change would affect them and how this woman was going to fare in her new position. Those who knew Elle were happy to see her back, including Nadia. She watched her friend from the crowd, waiting until the speech was over to try and wiggle her way through in order to get out of the theatre. When the throng finally yielded and let her pass, she began to run for the doors. Understandably, she did not want to waste any time to go and see her. Although Elle had invited her to visit, Nadia had not found the time with the constant rehearsals for the new opera. She missed her terribly, and had only been able to keep in touch through letters. Elle had not replied to her last letter, which had Nadia quite worried, but now that she was there the concerns seemed to float away. Instead those anxieties were replaced with a spurt of enthusiastic delight.
Nadia found Elle as she was heading back to her room. Elle was glad to see her, explaining that she was going to go looking for her later. The two walked together to Elle's bedroom, wanting their reunion to be in privacy. The hall that once belonged to Elle's family was overtaken by a deathly silence. Any noise was left back at the theatre and did not reach this part of the building. The silence only reminded Elle that she was the only one living in that wing, but she pushed those depressing thoughts aside and guided her friend through the doorway. They sat on the sofa next to each other with quiet smiles. For a moment neither of them let slip even a syllable. Minutes later the only sound that could be heard was their friendly chatter and for that time it was as if the world around them did not exist.
"Elle, it was a wonderful surprise to see you today on that stage!" Nadia exclaimed, breaking the silence. She could hardly contain her excitement as it threatened to bubble out and up through her throat. Along with that though was some bewilderment as to why she was there, even though the important thing was simply that she was there. She studied her friend, noticing how she appeared older, in a way that showed she had suffered greatly.
"It is great to see you too," Elle replied. "It has been too long."
"Yes, it has," the girl responded, growing somber as thoughts churned in her mind. She could no longer ignore the lingering inquiry. "But I have one question. What happened with you and your father? Why are you here now?"
She explained what happened; how her father had died in his sleep, how he had left her the opera house, how she had decided to take his place, and how the previous day she had fired the directors. Nadia listened intently, not even thinking of interrupting her as she spoke. The story behind her arrival was more unbelievable then her actual unexpected return. When she was done they stayed silent for several minutes, both reflecting on what she said. Nadia felt empathetic for Elle, knowing firsthand how hard it is to lose a father.
"Oh Elle, I'm so sorry!" she finally cried, expressing her concern.
"Me too," Elle said in a low tone. She was grateful to have a friend such as Nadia, but she did not want them to be upset during their first time together in months. "Let's not talk about such things, shall we? How about you tell me what has been happening in your life."
Nadia agreed to change the subject, attempting to return to her naturally cheerful disposition. When she tried to answer Elle's question she found that there was not much to say. The opening of Manon was coming up soon and they had been having rigorous rehearsals, but other than that the opera house had been pretty quiet.
"I thought this place was always booming with gossip," she replied, a bit disappointed to hear that nothing was going on and at the same time a bit relieved. The last thing that she needed was some sort of scandal to deal with.
"Usually," Nadia answered. That was true, but not lately. There had been nothing for the people to gossip about until Elle arrived. "But since Estelle and you left nothing has been discussed but the production, and the directors- ex-directors now- liked to keep it that way."
"That is understandable. They never enjoyed dealing with that, but in an environment like this rumors spread like wildfire." Elle believed what she said was true. During her time there Nadia had always clued her in on the latest rumors and gossip, most which was related to Estelle. Thinking of Estelle, she remembered how the prima donna had mysteriously arrived after a strange absence, refusing to speak let alone sing. They never found out why, but the opera rats had again used the Opera Ghost as their explanation for the unexplainable event.
"True. They did not seem to enjoy much though, if you ask me."
"So, were there anymore sightings of the phantom?" Elle asked her friend, masking her true concern with casual indifference. She could not restrain her interest as to how he was faring, so she allowed herself to ask. Nadia, as she expected, did not think anything of it. The phantom was a popular subject among the theatre people and therefore no one there found it odd when he was mentioned.
"Actually it is the strangest thing. No one has heard from him or claimed to have seen him since you and your father left. It is like he just disappeared. There hasn't been one letter, one odd event, anything."
That did not mean that he was not still there, Elle thought to herself as she listened to her friend's reply. It simply meant that he was not letting his presence be known. She found it highly unlikely that he would leave the opera house after so long, especially when he considers it his own. The question she was wondering though was what he was doing. He did not strike her as the kind of man to sit still and be idle for months at a time, so if he was not 'interacting' with the people of the opera house then he must be occupying his time somehow. Elle realized that she had not spoken in quite some time because she was pondering this over in her mind, and she knew that Nadia must have noticed.
"Well, who was it that landed the lead of Manon?" Elle asked, trying to appear as if she hadn't been silent for several minutes. She asked the question nonchalantly, as if she already knew the answer. "Was it Isabel?"
"Didn't you get my latest letter?" Nadia asked in response. She did not wait for an answer to continue. "Isabel is gone."
"I suppose not," she said, answering the question. She was shocked to hear that the woman was gone. Isabel had been her favor soprano there and, in her opinion, the best one they had there. "What happened? Why did she leave?"
"The directors never really liked her, you know, and they had planned on getting rid of her when Estelle was still singing. They wanted to give her a smaller role in this opera, as one of the actresses, but then Isabel was offered a lead role at another opera house. They had seen her performance in Romeo Et Juliette and wanted her to sign a contract. Needless to say she took the deal, seeing as they wanted her a lot more than those dolts did."
"Yes, I would see why," Elle stated, sad at the loss of the singer.
The friends spoke well into the day, reluctant to part. Elle told Nadia of her plans and Nadia voiced her opinions, glad to see her excited about something. Neither noticed as time passed, until it was time for the afternoon rehearsals. They went as planned, Elle playing the role of director for the first time in her life. She was not too pleased with the cast. As she had expected the directors used her absence to make their unwise selections, but she was not worried about the upcoming performance. The lead singers, although Elle would not have chosen them, knew their parts well and as far as she could see were able to pull it off.
On the night of the performance Elle returned to her office after another talk with Madame Giry. The older woman wanted to know about the payment for the Opera Ghost and Elle had to tell her that the payment would have to be made late, for she had not been prepared for it. Outside the preparations had already been made for the opening night and everyone was simply waiting for the people to start to arrive. Elle was dressed elegantly in a gown that Nadia had helped her choose for the occasion; there had not been enough time for her to have one made. She did not mind, those things did not interest her. What did interest her, though, was a letter waiting on her desk as she opened her door.
From her spot in the doorway Elle could already see the bright red of the skull seal that was used to seal the letter. She knew who it was from and she was not surprised that he had been able to get the letter into her office even though the door had been locked. Cautiously, she closed the door behind her and slowly approached the desk. This confirmed her impression that Erik was still present in the building, but did nothing to calm her nerves. Elle was still undecided on whether or not she wanted him in her life. Of course, deep down she did, but she did not want to be hurt by him again and she knew that by being around him again her emotions would stir and resurface, including the pain that she had felt. Nothing could take that away.
Sitting down in front of the desk, she watched as her hand reached out and picked up the letter mechanically. She held it in her hands for a few minutes, memories of previous letters clear in her mind, and then with one quick move broke the seal. Elle opened the folded parchment carefully, treating the paper as if it were a delicate artifact.
Dear Mademoiselle D'aubigne,
Congratulations on your new venture. I had a feeling that this day would come. It was always evident that you were going to be a crucial part of this Opera House. Now the important thing is what you choose to do with that power.
My condolences for your father.
Your faithful servant,
-O.G.
Her eyes read over the succinct note several times. She was not shocked to read that he knew about her and the formal style that he had written in was nothing odd, but she was left feeling hollow. Knowing that they were once on a first name basis made reading the letter sting a bit. Elle wanted nothing more then to see him again, but not at the risk of her own wellbeing. If he intended to stay cold and withdrawn, then she would do the same and continue on with her work. She refused to let his existence prevent her from doing the best she could with the given situation. Throwing the letter into an empty drawer, Elle got up off of her seat and left her office. She slammed the door behind her and did not look back.
A/N: Don't worry, there is still a chapter or so more to go. Thank you all for the generous amount of reviews. Now I'm at 200. Woo-hoo! I think the last chapter got the most reviews then this story has ever gotten at once. Needless to say I was pleased and decided to get this one out sooner then I was planning to. See, your reviews do make a difference. You all still aren't off the hook yet, you have to review this chapter and the next one. Pretty please? Off topic, anyone going to Live 8?
Ethalas Tuath'an- Thank you. I think everything will be cleared up for you in the next chapter.
Oni-Gil- lol, yeah. I was trying to make Elle a bit tougher, you know? Now that she's on her own…
Siren- Hehehe… Love your little skit there.
Kiwi Anime- I understand your position on the dream, but I like writing things in detail and it gives more insight into Erik's mind. Your advice is helpful, I like to know what people did or didn't like about what I write. Thank you.
OperaGustus- No problem, thanks for reviewing.
SpikeLover520- Glad you like it and thanks for the review.
Anri- Oh, he will...
priestesstaisho- lol, glad you liked that. That was one of my favorite scenes.
Kate- I didn't think of that, but now that you brought it up they would work if they were reversed. I think I'll do that. Thanks for pointing that out.
Captain Oblivious- hehe, yes it is.
Nika- Thank you, I try.
Mialana- Thanks, love the enthusiasm.
Kchan88- Thanks. She may not have the experience, but I think Elle definitely deserves the position.
TheWyldeWestWynd- lol, that's what happens when you don't keep up with the updates. Depends on your definition of happiness. Thank you.
harem98- Thanks, glad you liked it.
Amanda- Good; thanks for reviewing.
CantLiveWithinYou- Yay, I didn't even notice that until I saw your review. Celebration! lol, just kidding. Thanks for the review.