Chapter 3: Angel of Music
Meg was now in the dressing room, face-to-face with a very angry looking Raoul. As Raoul began to lecture, Meg listened for the phantom's voice.
"Meg, did you hear what I said?" Raoul asked, snapping Meg's attention back to him.
"Yes I did," Meg said quickly. Raoul smiled and put his arm around Meg's shoulders.
"Meg, your freezing!" Raoul exclaimed. He removed his coat and draped it around Meg's shoulders. Raoul suddenly got a very serious look on his face.
"What is it, papa?" Meg questioned. Raoul took a deep breath and walked out of sight. Meg wondered what was going on. Suddenly she heard a lovely tune being played.
"Angel of music, guide and guardian,
Grant to me your glory!. . ." Meg whispered, singing. She recognized the tune right away. It was the same tune that her mother used to sing to her when she was small. Her father returned a moment later, carrying a beautifully sequined musical box with a figure of a monkey on top of it in golden-colored Persian robes, playing the flute. Meg smiled when her father placed it in her hands.
"I gave this to your mother when she was pregnant with you. She told me to give it to you on your seventeenth birthday. Today's that day. Happy birthday, Meg." Raoul's words were so touching that Meg had tears streaming down her cheeks. Raoul kissed the top of her head as they walked out of the dressing room and to the stage of the Opera Populaire. The dancers were dancing, (Madame Giry had gone to see her daughter in another part of France, so Meg had the day off.) The singers were singing and Carlotta was being a pain in the neck as she always was. Both father and daughter made their way to the stables, laughing and talking about everything and nothing. Raoul ordered a stable boy to saddle up his horse, Caesar and a gentle chocolate-brown mare named Augustine for Meg. As they mounted, snow began to fall gently. As they rode, Raoul told Meg many wonderful stories of Christine, like how he had proposed to her at Andre's party a year ago. He also told her about the horrible killings of Joseph Boquet—the curtain manager and Ubaldo Piangi—the leading tenor for seven seasons. He and Carlotta had gotten married five days before the horrible chandelier crash that led to Piangi's death. Meg listened to everything her father described. She suddenly realized how lucky she was to have such a caring father, even though he could be a little strict sometimes, but that was for her own safety.
As Raoul and Meg returned to the Opera House, a tall man with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a top hat and a tuxedo, climbed out from a black carriage. Meg looked from her father to the man and back again. He walked up the steps of the Opera House, a curly-haired maiden along side the man. Raoul and Meg dismounted their horses and handed the reins to a stable boy standing nearby. Meg started to walk towards the Opera House, but her father gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Meg looked up at him and saw that his face was deathly white.
"What is it, father?" Meg asked Raoul.
"That's my brother, Count Jean De Chany and his daughter Katherine. What in God's name are they doing here?" Raoul whispered to himself. Without warning, he and Meg walked up the Opera House stairs and to the main entrance. Firmin and Andre were with the Count, one taking cloaks and the other talking to them.
"Monsieurs! That is my brother!" Raoul called out, walking swiftly towards where they stood. Andre and Firmin exchanged confused looks as Raoul looked the Count up and down. He seemed a good twenty years older than Raoul because flecks of gray were in his hair. Jean gave Raoul a wide smile and greeted him with a handshake. Both Meg and Katherine exchanged glances as they clutched to their father's arms.
"Raoul, this must be your little Lottie you were telling me about," Jean said, his voice low. Placing a gloved hand under Meg's chin, he said "she looks exactly like Christine. Sorry to hear about her death."
"Apologies accepted, Jean," Raoul said, his voice bitter. Meg curtsied politely to Jean. He smiled.
"What an angel she is" Jean said.
"I'm more of an angel than she is" came Katherine's voice. Meg looked nastily at the other girl.
"Andre, don't we have somewhere to be?" Firmin suddenly said.
"What? Oh, yes. Let's go, Firmin," Andre said quickly. With a twirl of their heels, the men disappeared down the stairs and towards the theatre. When the men had disappeared, Jean began looking around the theatre. Meg kept her eyes cast downward. She didn't like Monsieur Jean touching her, but she didn't want to be rude to her uncle.
"What business brings you to the Opera Populaire?" Raoul implied.
"Well" Jean hesitated. Raoul's patience was wearing thin.
"What? Did you come to ridicule me, just because you're a Count and I'm just a Vicount?" Raoul asked. Jean chuckled.
"Oh, no brother. I have come to buy the Opera Populaire."
Raoul stared at him, wide-eyed. Meg couldn't believe her ears.
"Meg? Where are you?" Raphael's voice interrupted the silence.
"Not now, Raphael. It's not a good time," Meg called out. She looked up at Raoul, who had a concerned look on his face.
"Meg, it's okay. Go with Raphael. My brother and I could use some time alone," Raoul told her.
"What about me?" Katherine asked snobbishly.
"Go wait in the carriage, Katherine," Jean instructed her. Katherine looked at her father confused, but did as she was told. Meg felt Raphael put his hand in hers, which startled Meg a little bit.
"Sorry, Meg. I didn't mean to startle you," Raphael whispered apologetically. Meg smiled at him as he led her towards the Opera stables. Willingly, Meg followed the boy. He led her towards Augustine's stall and tacked Augustine up. Meg watching him all the while.