After they finished eating, Nicole took a few moments to clean up. As she took his plate, he gently grabbed her arm and cleared his throat before saying, "I'm glad you--um--decided to return. I would like to…to say I'm sorry for the way I behaved yesterday. You were more kind to me than I deserved, and I…"
"Apology accepted, Erik," she interrupted with a smile. "Now, are you up for giving me a lesson?" she asked hopefully.
"I would be more than happy to oblige," he said with a smile. And so they had their daily lesson there in his lair. As she played, he silently marveled at the fact that he had nearly lost the privilege of listening to this angel play her beautiful music for him because of his obnoxious behavior the evening before. But for whatever reason, she had returned to him, and he thanked the heavens above for her return.
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At the end of the lesson, Nicole packed up her instrument while Erik gingerly wandered over to the piano. "I think tomorrow I shall give you some new music to try," he said.
"Getting tired of Monsieur Mozart, are we?" she asked with a grin. "Or is it simply the way I've been playing him?"
"Not at all. In fact, you've come a long way since we began. I truly believe you could perform this piece and get a standing ovation," he said. His praise made her blush. "I was just hoping I could persuade you to play some of my music for a change," he said cautiously.
"Some of your music? You teach, play, and compose? What talent you have, Monsieur," she said in awe. "I would be more than happy to try some of your music. It would be an honor," she said with a slight curtsy.
"Really?" he asked. The look on his face told her he was surprised that she could possibly find it an honor to play his music. No one at the opera house had ever thought playing his work was an honor, so it was a pleasant shock to hear her say such a thing.
"In fact, if you're up for it, why don't we give it a try now?" she offered. "I'd love to hear some of your compositions."
His face lit up at her offer. "You don't have to be getting home right now?" he asked.
"My father had a last-minute business trip to Paris, so I have the house to myself for the next week. I can come and go as I please," she said with a devious grin.
"Well, then let's begin," he said as he quickly gathered the music.
She unpacked her instrument again. "Will you be accompanying me on piano?" she asked, recalling her dream. She looked at him with a smile he couldn't quite understand.
"I would love to," he stated as he laid the music out for her.
She tuned her violin to the piano, looked over the music, and tried to get the tune straight in her head before she played the notes aloud. She desperately wanted to play his composition with the utmost accuracy and give it the justice she was sure it deserved.
"Well, shall we begin?" he asked as he hovered his fingers above the keyboard.
She put her bow to the string, and as their eyes met, they started playing the beautiful music Erik had composed. When they had finished, Nicole had tears forming in her eyes. "It's so beautiful. What is it called?" she asked, looking up towards the ceiling in a brief effort to stave off the tears.
"Music of the Night," he said simply. "I actually wrote lyrics with it as well." He paused before asking, "Would you like to hear them?"
"I'd love to. May I accompany you?" she asked.
"Please do," he answered.
She arranged the music so she could see it better, and after another nod, they started "Music of the Night" once more. She was in awe of his beautiful voice and had to concentrate hard not to just stop playing so she could listen to him sing.
When they finished for the second time, chills were going up and down her body, and she closed her eyes, trying to hear his singing in her head once more. When she opened her eyes, she found he was looking at her with an expression much like a child desperately seeking approval from an overly-critical parent for a job well done. Without saying a word, she shook her head in disbelief, walked over to her case, and put her violin and bow down.
"So…did you…did you like it?" he asked timidly, unable to read her expression.
"Like it?" she asked, shocked that he would even have to ask. "That was the most beautiful song I've ever heard. And your voice…are you sure you're not an angel? It's no wonder I was so easily fooled" she said with a smile as she cocked her head to the right.
As her initial compliment flowed over him, he smiled back at her. He'd never before heard such praise for his work, and he found himself craving more. However, her last comment brought reality crashing down, and he again felt shame for deceiving her for so many months. He saw her sweet smile, but it wasn't enough to remove the guilt he was feeling.