Thank you to my reviewers!
OperaDove: Thank you so much! I have been toying with the idea of writing about Cara for a while now and finally decided to do it!
The Mouse in the Opera House: Ah, but that would be revealing plot too early, would it not? Hehe. Rest assured, Erik is not her secret admirer… but he will be in the story before I type "The End".
I realized after I had written four chapters that my timeline is messed up… this is before the musical takes place and thus before Monsieurs Andre & Firmin, yet I mentioned them several times… just ignore that… I have a thing about messing up timelines whenever I write my stories…
Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters, just a few here and there that I have made up somewhere along the line, and you'll be able to pick those out easily. I do not own any of the songs in the story either, I just really love them and find that often songs just fit in too well in my stories. I'm going through another "Scarlet Pimpernel" phase right now, so more lyrics from that show might pop up here… oh, right, and I don't own any of the Shakespeare either. Please read & review, I am always open to any ideas and suggestions. Onward ho!
Carmen Barcellona made her way down a fancy corridor of the Opera Populaire as her mind raced with thoughts. She had to speak to Carlotta. Word of Lucio's attack had reached her. It had reached all of France, actually, and probably stretched beyond France into Spain, Italy, and Germany.
She found Carlotta's suite and started banging on the door.
"Carlotta! Lotta, it's Carmen, open up!"
No response.
"Carlotta! Please! Lotta, it's me, Carmen!"
A tall thin woman dressed in black with a bun atop of her head approached. She carried a cane.
"Signora Giudicelli is not here at the moment".
Carmen spun around.
"I'm sorry about the noise… I'm Carmen Barcellona. Carlotta is my best friend… I just heard about what happened… please, I need to speak with her."
Madame Giry stared at the woman and decided that she was telling the truth.
"Come with me", she ordered.
She proceeded to lead Carmen down the hall to Ubaldo's suite.
"Your name is Barcellona".
"Yes ma'am… please do not hold it against me".
"Do not be long. Signora Giudicelli needs her rest".
Carmen nodded and Mme. Giry knocked on the door.
"Signora? You have a guest."
Ubaldo opened the door seconds later.
I can see why she's so taken by this man, thought Carmen.
"Yes, Mme. Giry?"
"Mlle. Barcellona for Signora Giudicelli, Signor."
Ubaldo turned red with anger.
"Barcel—"
Carlotta's voice rang out.
"It's okay, Ubaldo…Carmen, is that you, Carmen?"
Carmen ducked inside the suite and left Ubaldo with Mme. Giry and went over to the bed where her friend lay.
"Lotta! I'm so sorry, Lotta! I never thought that he would have—"
"It's all right, Carmen… what's passed is past… besides," she lowered her voice, "I cannot lie and say that being under Ubaldo's care is unwelcome."
She glanced over at Ubaldo with a smile. Carmen giggled at her friend's words.
"Lotta, be serious…"
"I am…"
"Well, truth be told, I can see why you're so taken by him… relax, Lotta…"
Carlotta continued to gaze ad Ubaldo longingly.
"He's been arrested, you know… Lucio".
"Carmen, no offense, but if I never hear your brother's name again, I won't pretend that I care."
Carmen was silent.
"You know, it's really great of you to be here, Carmen, after everything…"
"You're my best friend, Lotta… what happened between you and my brother has nothing to do with our friendship. I just can't believe that he attacked you… I've always known that he's a bit disturbed, but I didn't know to what extent."
"Ubaldo saved me."
"Yes, so I hear… Lotta, what are you going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what are you going to do?"
"Oh I don't know… for the time being, just rest. Resting with Ubaldo helps me get my thoughts in order. You should try it sometime…"
Both friends burst out into giggles.
"You know what I meant, Carmen…"
She sighed.
"I should never have gotten back together with Lucio… what's worse, I knew that I shouldn't have, but I was so hurt, so angry… I guess I had it coming. Lucio was going to realize it sooner or later… better sooner than later, I suppose."
"Lotta…"
"You know I'm right… it's all right… you can say it. I know what I did, and I know it was wrong… and look at where it landed me.."
"Meanwhile, you said yourself that being under Piangi's watchful eye wasn't altogether a bad thing…"
"He's wonderful, Carmen, he's just so wonderful… he's sweet and thoughtful, caring, warm… why on earth did I get back together with Lucio… oh, what was I thinking?"
"You weren't."
"And you know that this isn't going to stay like this, not with him, he may be in jail but he's eventually going to get out and when he does, there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to come looking for me, and--".
"And if he does, I'll take him out again", said Ubaldo, who had just returned from his conversation with Mme. Giry.
Carlotta gave Carmen a look and tried to hide her broadening smile.
"Well, I should go… leave you two alone… to talk and rest and such…"
They quickly said their goodbyes and Carmen left the suite, leaving Carlotta and Ubaldo alone. Carlotta sighed and leaned back into the soft downy pillow. She was tired of doing nothing, yet she did not have the energy to get up and go about her usual business.
Carmen had just left when the door popped open a second later and she stuck her head back in.
"Lotta, you've got a package out here…"
She brought Carlotta the package and left.
Another package? This was the sixth one! Carlotta could not hide her exuberance, and she eagerly grabbed for the card and tore the envelope open to read its contents.
Carlotta,
Your brown eyes are pools in which I long to swim,
Your lips are rubies which I long to kiss;
Watch out, my love, and be wary of him,
He who would try to disperse us from bliss.
Carlotta almost swooned as she read the card. Each card was sweeter than the one before it. This admirer, whoever he was, was the most romantic person that she had ever met! (In a sense…)
She opened her gift and was delighted to find a new mink coat. Ubaldo watched as she fawned over it like a little girl. This was certainly a different Carlotta from the one that he was used to; he was used to a cold and domineering woman who could outdo her tremendous voice only with her outrageous demands. Yet here, in the confines of his suite, she seemed at peace and at complete ease. She was certainly an amazing woman.
Carlotta set the card down on the bed as she further examined her mink, and Ubaldo glanced down at the card and read it. He let out a big sigh.
"What is it, caro?" she asked.
"It's nothing, Lotta… nothing at all" he lied.
If only I had the courage to speak such words to Carlotta Giudicelli.