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!

The following day, December 20th, brought for Carlotta the release from her medical leave. As thrilled as she was to be able to get up and move about and return to Tosca, a part of her was sad to leave Ubaldo's side.

He is just a man! She told herself. Only a man! You cannot let your thoughts be dominated by this man!

She went for a stroll in the gardens of the Opera Populaire.

You have got to stop this, Carlotta… you cannot allow yourself to get lost in thoughts of this man… what will become of your music if you allow him to consume your every thought? No, it cannot be, it must not be!

She turned the corner and found herself face to face with Yvette de la Coeur, the chorus girl that she had seen Ubaldo kissing. The girl had long blond hair and a pointy nose. Carlotta did not find her pretty to look at.

"You seem to be back on your feet rather quickly", she said.

"I had an excellent caretaker".

Yvette glared at Carlotta. This was going to get ugly, and fast.

"You think you're so perfect with your soprano voice… you're nothing but a has-been, and the sooner you realize that, the happier we'll all be!"

"Yvette…"

"Don't you "Yvette" me, you toad! Don't think I don't see the way you look at him, you ham, you stay away from him, he's MINE!"

Carlotta felt the anger rush to her head.

"Now you listen to me, you little whore,--"

"Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart-hog!"

Carlotta couldn't take it any longer and slapped the girl so hard that she was knocked to her knees. She looked down at the floor and at the girl in tears.

"You will watch your tongue! Surely Madame Giry has taught you better than to insult a prima donna! She will no doubt find this of interest".

With that, Carlotta strode off back into the Opera House leaving Yvette in a pile on the floor. She returned to her suite to find a seventh package outside her door. She quickly ducked inside and tore open the envelope.

Cara mia,

It gives me such delight to see that you are well again.

I look forward to your performance tonight.

Your voice is the sweetest sound on the planet,

Your touch the softest, your face the loveliest.

I count the days until I can take you in my arms

and make you mine. Until then, I shall make love

to you only in my dreams. Come and wake me,

come be the love I can hold now.

Show me the way to stop dreaming.

Your Secret Admirer.

Carlotta set the card down and caught her breath. It was by far the most erotic of the notes that she had received, and ordinarily, she would have been appalled and a little frightened seeing as she did not the origin of the writings, but there was something about that writing… there was something that was very familiar to her, that somehow seemed safe, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She finally remembered that the card had come with a tiny gift, and when she opened it, she found a pair of the most gorgeous jewel-encrusted earrings that she had ever laid her eyes upon.

"Oh won't you please reveal yourself? I'm dying to know who you are!"

She sighed and set the earrings down. Who could this person possibly be? It couldn't be Lucio – he was in jail, and she had given up all hope that it was Ubaldo; after all, he had been there with her when the previous two gifts had arrived.

Carlotta sighed again and re-read the card. She was falling head-over-heels in love with her secret-admirer. She made her way over to the couch and collapsed in it, her mind spinning with dreams. Sleep eventually overtook her, but when it did, her mind continued to dream about her secret-admirer.