Authors Notes - Sorry this has taken awhile, RL has been hectic. Enjoy!

Chapter Four

Charlotte stayed behind long after the rest of the other girls had left. She needed the extra practice. She needed to learn the steps and her bedroom, while lovely, was far too small to practice in. She'd stay for an extra half hour and practice.

Doing some extra stretches, she could hear the music in her mind and danced across the stage, making mental notes of where she needed to focus her attentions on. Many steps were simple, some more difficult. She noted a few of the transissions between some steps were tricky and she focussed on them, trying to perfect them.

One particularly difficult step was a double pirouette and then became a double capriole with a chasse and quick beat between them. Attemping it, she didn't come down from the chasse incorrectly and sighed softly. Pausing to take a break, she looked out at the dark empty theatre.

Her eyes fell on Box 5. She had felt someone watching her earlier during rehersals but hadn't been able to see anyone. Perhaps she was just feeing self concious, being the new girl and knowing she had made so many mistakes.

With a soft sigh, she moved to the middle of the stage to continue practising. She'd stay for another 10 minutes and then return to her room.

Madame Giry took her hair from the bun it was in and left it out, sighing softly. The rehersal had gone well, the new girls had were learning their routines slowly but Charlotte Durand showed amazing promise. She had learnt the steps quickly and easily.

She had noticed a shadow in Box 5 and had no doubt who had been there. He sometimes stopped in at his old box, watching a rehersal. Sometimes he told her who needed improving or even suggested a change of steps. She couldn't notice everyone and she appreciated his suggestions.

She wasn't surprised that when she turned around from her dresser, her found a letter under her door. Picking up the white envelope with the red skull seal, she tore it open and took out the rectangle piece of paper.

Dear Madame Giry,

Rehersals went well, although I would suggest rearranging the girls and placing the new redhead in front and place the shorter dark haired girl in the front centre, at the back. The new girl shows obvious potential, much more then that silly gossiping girl who seems to desire stealing the limelight.

I remain your obedient servant

E

She sighed softly and unlocking her top draw, placed the letter inside before she locked it again. Erik was correct, Charlotte did show wonderful promise, probably one of the most promising dancers she had seen for awhile, other then Meg, although that was a mothers bias.

She would make the changes the following morning at rehersals.

Charlotte returned to her bedroom, finding Joshua right where she had left him and relief flooded through her. She had been worried he would wonder out of the room and get lost. The Opera House was a labyrinth and it could possibly take days to find him if he got lost! 'Good boy Joshua.' she moved to give him a hug.'You stayed here like I asked,' she smiled.

He hugged her back before he returned to drawing his picture.

'Wow, you're making a picture,' she smiled, sitting on the bed and undid the ribbons of her shoes.

He nodded as he continued to colour the picture.

'I'm sure it will be beautiful,' she smiled, kissing the top of his head. 'I shall go for a shower and then perhaps we can go into town for an hour,' she said, taking out a fresh dress to change into before she left the room to use the common bathroom.

She didn't notice the picture Joshua was drawing or else she'd have seen a tall black figure in the middle of the page, with dark hair and wearing a white mask