Note: Alrighty y'all...here's the next chapter! I hope you guys like it! And now we're getting to the climax of my story. I believe that the next chapter will be the slight climax! And don't worry, for those of you who want Alex to die...he will eventually. I just need to think how he should die. Anywho, enjoy this story and as always...review!
Chapter 29
When Ana returned to the Opera House she locked herself in her room. She didn't come out for a small lunch and her absence didn't go unnoticed. A knock resounded on her door around two that afternoon.
"Who is it?" Ana's dull voice sounded in the room.
"It's me, Antoinette. Do you mind if I come in? I have a tray of food for you." Madame Giry's voice came through her door.
"I don't care." Ana just merely stared at the mirror. She watched as Madame Giry entered her room and set the tray down on her dressing table then walked over to her bed.
"My dear child, what's the matter? Does it have to deal with Erik?" Madame Giry asked, kneeling down beside her bed.
"I...I saw Erik and Jammes kissing last night. It tore me apart, Madame Giry. It felt like someone had taken my heart and tore it out of my chest. Then, he wrote me that apology letter and it somehow didn't seem like enough. I wanted to talk to him, but he...he didn't say he loved me. He said he cared deeply for me. But Madame Giry, I knew that he loved me. He's just either to afraid to admit it or he's too bullheaded to see it. Then I did something that I think hurt him more than he hurt me." Ana's eyes were too dry to even create more tears.
"What did you say to him?" Madame Giry whispered, taking Ana's hand.
"I..I didn't say it to him directly, but I know he heard me. I went to the cemetery to think and somehow I knew he followed me. I found this beautiful angel sculpture and I placed the rose that he had given me, in her hands. Then I...I told the angel that I was saying goodbye to Erik. And somehow I knew he had heard me. I don't know where he was, but I felt his presence there with me. I didn't mean what I said, I didn't mean that that was our last goodbye. But, I knew I had to say it in order for him..."
"To realize how much he loved you. That he needed you." Madame Giry finished for her.
"How did you know?" Ana asked looking at Madame Giry.
"Let's call it...a hunch." Madame Giry said, merely giving her a knowing look.
"So now what do I do?" Ana questioned the older woman.
"You sit and wait for him to come and tell you he loves you." Madame Giry patted her hand. "And now, you must eat. You have a show tonight and we can't have you passing out on stage." She got up and brought the tray over to Ana, who gave her a slight smile. Then Madame Giry left the girl, who was still staring at the mirror and now she was eating. Shutting the door behind her, Madame Giry sighed.
"Erik, I hope you realize you have to tell her how much you love her soon. I don't think this girl can take much more of it."
Erik felt numb and hollow. Ana had said goodbye to him, she knew that he was there, that he had been listening and following her. She didn't want anything to do with him, yet she loved him. She came right out and said it, of course right before she said good bye.
Erik turned to look back at his song that had been written for Ana and slowly the words to the song came into his mind. Grabbing his quill and a spare sheet of paper, he quickly wrote down the words. Just as he finished penning his last sentence, he heard a sound behind him. His whole body tensed, his mind racing about who had discovered him.
"Erik, it is I, Antoinette. I need to talk to you." Antoinette's voice came through the wrought iron gate that separated his lair from the lake.
Erik got up and pushed the lever that raised the gate. "What do you want? And how did you find your way down here?" his voice dull and emotionless.
"Erik, I have been down here more than once, and I think I would be able to remember the way. As for coming down here, I wish you speak to you about Ana." the gondola that she had ridden, came to a bumping halt on the dry land.
" I wish to not talk about her. She...she doesn't want me anymore." Erik had a hard time saying those words without letting his tears fall.
"Erik, she didn't mean it! She want's you to discover something, and I think you have." At this point Erik's head snapped up to look at Madame Giry.
"What do you mean, Antoinette?" Erik whispered.
"Tell me something Erik, do you love Mademoiselle Knoll?" Antoinette decided that it would be safe to just come right out and ask it.
"I...I," Erik stopped to think about it. This feeling of having his heart ripped out and torn was what Ana must have felt when she saw Jammes launch herself onto Erik. A small smile graced his lips, "I do love her, Antoinette. I love her with all my heart and my entire soul."
Antoinette smiled. "I thought so. You know what you now must do Erik?"
"Yes Antoinette, I do. I will surprise Ana with a bouquet of flowers, some chocolates, and maybe..." he stopped, he better not give away the other thing that he might buy. It was too special to let anyone know yet.
"Good, I will call her to the stage this evening, after everyone has left for their parties and whatnot. That's when you can give her your gifts. Does that meet your approval?" the older woman asked him, as she made her way back to the gondola.
"Yes. That would be perfect and make sure they don't put the stage lights out. I want to see her face when I "apologize"." Erik said, stopping Madame Giry before she got near the gondola. He enveloped her into a great big hug that had her feet dangling in the air.
"Erik, I am quite happy that you have found someone. I give you my best wishes." Madame Giry told him once he set her back down.
"Thank you, Antoinette. And now, if you don't mind, I have many things to accomplish. I believe you know your way to the surface on your own?" Antoinette nodded and watched as Erik quickly gathered some things up and then he made his way to another secret passage way. When Madame Giry heard the faint click of the hidden door, she started to the gondola. But a thought had stopped her, what had Erik been writing before she had disturbed him? She checked to make sure that Erik had truly left before heading over to his organ. There, laying beside the keys was a piece of parchment. She picked it up and let her eyes scan over the words. Tears formed in her eyes as she read them.
'No one would listen. No one but her, heard as the outcast hears.
Shamed into solitude, shunned by the multitude,
I learned to listen, in my dark, my heart heard music.
I longed to teach the world, rise up and reach the world,
no one would listen. I alone could hear the music.
Then at last, a voice in the gloom, seemed to cry 'I hear you!
I hear your fears, your torment and your tears!'
She saw my emptiness, shared in my loneliness,
No one would listen. No one but her, heard as the outcast hears
No one would listen. No one but her, heard as the outcast hears.'
This song had been meant for Ana, Madame Giry just knew it. Setting the parchment back down, Madame Giry went to the gondola and went back to the surface to get ready for that evening.
"Simon, she is all ready for you to take her on that ride tonight. If she still declines, use the salts." the man said, as he handed over the bottle.
"Yes, sir. And where am I to deliver her?" Simon questioned the man as he took the salts.
"You will bring her to the docks that you and I came in at." the man said, making a steeple out of his fingers then tapping them one by one.
"What of her clothes and other personal stuff?" the younger man asked.
"You don't need to worry about them, I have some clothes for her on the boat. I warn you now in advance. She will try to fight you and tell you horrible lies. Just don't let her scream or let her lover see you dragging her away. That's the last thing we need."
The man said, still tapping his fingers.
"And if the lover does get involved?" Simon questioned. The man stopped tapping his fingers together and looked directly into Simon's eyes.
"Kill him."
Ana stepped into her peasant costume behind the changing screen as Madame Griolia helped another dancer into their costume. Meg, who was standing near by, was animatedly talking to Ana.
"You know what is weird? No one has seen Jammes all day. It's like she...disappeared." Meg commented as she brushed some eye rouge on.
"Well, maybe Jammes just decided to spend the day at her lover's apartment." Ana came out from behind the screen and kept her back to Meg. "Would you kindly button me up?"
"Sure. Yes, but it's fifteen minutes till we go on. One would imagine that Jammes would show up to get her costume on." Meg said, buttoning up Ana's back of her dress.
"Well, maybe she became ill or something." Ana turned her head to look back at Meg.
"If she were ill, she would have let one of her friends know. Her friends said they haven't seen her since last night, when she disappeared into a carriage. Done." Meg stepped back from Ana and went to sit in a chair.
Ana remained in her spot, her mind working to figure things out. Jammes disappeared into a carriage, Alex said that he would be waiting for Jammes right after the show was over, Jammes never returned from seeing Alex. Then a dreadful thought entered Ana's mind. Jammes may have been killed by Alex, but why would Alex kill her? He never killed any of his mistresses at home, why would he start now? Unless, she knew too much.
"Ana, did you hear me?" Meg's voice cut through Ana's thinking.
"Hmm? No sorry, I was pondering something." Ana said.
"I said, I hope she shows up soon. No matter how much I hate her, I don't think I could take her friends whining and complain about her not being here." Meg said, walking towards the door.
Ana gave a half hearted laugh then put began to put her eye rouge on. She kept glancing at the mirror that sat in the changing room. Her heart willed Erik to open that hidden mechanism, take her into his arms and tell her that he loved her. But the five minute call time came and Ana heaved a sigh of obvious disappointment and went out to wait on the stage. Maybe, just maybe after the show, he would be in her room with a lot of flowers and an extremely large box of chocolates. Ana pasted on a smile and let the opera sweep her up into it's wonderful music.
The man of Ana's heart, however, was no where near the Opera house. He had an arm full of flowers and a bag of chocolates was being held in his hand. He was, at that current moment, at a jewelry store looking at rings.
"How about this one Monsieur?" the jeweler picked up a very simple, yet gorgeous diamond ring. The band was white gold and the diamond appeared to have a shattered look inside the gem itself. It would look stunning on Ana's hand.
"That one is fine. How much?" Erik said, reaching into his waistcoat to pull out the wad of francs.
"That will be two thousand and fifty francs." the man said, putting the diamond ring into a black box. Erik paid the man then slipped the ring into his waistcoat with his money as well.
Erik hummed parts from The Elixir of Love while he made his way back to the Opera house. He knew exactly what he would do, he would wait in the wings of the opera house, perhaps in the flies and watch the play from above. Then, when the play ended and the final toast was made, everyone would make their way to the respective cast parties and various other activities. Madame Giry would ask Ana to stay behind for a few minutes, Erik would appear, and that's where Erik declare his love for her, then ask her the most important question ever in his life. He just hoped Ana would still want him.
"Io gli debbo la mia cara!" Pierre sang to Ana.
"Per lui solo io son felice! Del suo farmaco l' effetto Non potrྂ giammai scordar." Ana sang back to Pierre.
"Ciarlatano maledetto, che tu possa ribaltar!" Jean, who played Belcore, sang in his rich baritone voice.
Then the whole cast sang the final words of the opera. "Viva il grande Dulcamara, possa presto a noi tornar. Addio!"
The curtain closed for the final time and a champagne cork popped somewhere near by, but Ana was not interested in toasting to anything. All she wanted to do was to head back to her room to see if Erik was there. Maybe they could apologize and then he would take her to his lair. A wistful smile appeared on her lips as she thought about it. So caught up in her thoughts and the din around her was so loud, that she didn't hear Madame Giry calling her name. She just merely kept walking, then jumped when a hand came down on her shoulder.
Turning around quickly she sighed in relief when she found out who the person was. "Oh, Monsieur Suffert you gave me quite a fright! Did you enjoy the show tonight?"
"I am quite sorry about giving you a fright my dear. I merely wanted to get your attention, and I didn't think yelling would do the trick. I enjoyed the show immensely and you sang beautifully tonight."
"Thank you! Now, if you will excuse me, I wish..." but Simon cut her off.
"I was wondering if you would join me in a quick carriage ride around the park. You know, a change in scenery and some fresh air. It'll be quick, I promise you that you won't be missed."
"I would like to, but I have things that I must attend to at once." Ana declining his offer. She started to turn around when Simon grabbed her hand.
"Please, just to humor me. I will be leaving tonight, and I wish to spend a few minutes in your company. I promise I'll have you right back. Please?" his tone took on a begging quality. She inwardly groaned, there was nothing worse than a man begging and nearly pouting. How could any man master the art of begging? Sure, women did because it's how they got stuff from their husband but what use was begging to men. And when they did it, it was kind of hard to turn them down.
"Fine. A quick jaunt around the park then we are back here in no less than fifteen minutes. Do I make myself clear?" Ana sighed, giving into the man's demands. She just prayed that Erik wasn't somewhere nearby, yet it might make him jealous enough to come rescue her from Simon's grip.
"You make yourself as clear as crystal." he said taking her hand and leading her the carriage house. She gasped slightly as the cool night air hit her body but didn't mind it as much as she climbed into the closed, unmarked carriage. Simon got in and knocked on the top of the carriage. It jumped forward and the two were on their way, disappearing into the blackness of the night.
Okay guys, time to review! Just click that little button to the left lower hand corner and then you know what to do! I am almost finished this story, and I was going to write another one, except it would be more of an AU. Let me know what you all think, it'd be great to know what you guys think! The English to the Italian parts from the Elixir of Love is as follows:
Nemorino(Pierre) and Adina(Ana)- I owe all to Dulcamara. If I live to be a hundred I'll be grateful to the end.
Belcore (Jean)- you're a quack and you have blundered, I will hate you to the end.
All-Good-by now!
Now, I must go! I have to finish writing the chapter that comes after this! Ciao!
