It was a chapel. Collette gave a small gasp of surprise. It was where Christine would talk to her angel of music. Would her real father send her an angel of music?
Collette lit a few candles to give some light then lit a candle for her unknown parents. She knelt down looking up at the candle.
"Please help me. I don't want to go back home. I don't think I can take much more abuse without ending my life. Please Father; send ME and angel of music. Please, please." She whispered and dropped her head to her lap.
"Collette." A voice echoed through the chamber. Collette quickly raised her head.
"Who is there? Meg is that you?" Collette asked looking around her.
"Wandering child so lost, so helpless." The voice came again. Collette looked up there was a small widow above the candle area. There was a mirror, Collette raised her hand to her face, and she had change so much since her arrival. Her face was not pale anymore but she had lost some weight. She didn't know she could loose more weight.
"Who is there?" Collette repeated.
"I am your angel of music." The voiced echoed through the room. Collette began to breath heavier. Did her parents hear her? Did they really send an angel of music? Collette next thought was the phantom but he was dead. Wasn't he?
"Don't fret, your father sent me. You are expecting me no?" The voice asked. The voice no longer echoed through the halls but was near and personal. Collette could hardly breathe. Someone was here, and they knew about her. Why?
"I know you have been crying yourself to sleep m'dear. I am here to guard you and to guide you." The voice came again. Collette was quiet and watched the candle flicker here and there and finally blew out. The room was dark, every candle had blown out. Collette felt a hand slip on her shoulder and she froze. The person who was in the room felt her stiffness and sensed she was scared.
He did not press her for comfort around him. It would take some getting use too. The angel of music walked to the stain glassed widows and glanced out. Collette was slowly regaining regulated breath. Her face was not quite so pale but she was shivering. The angel was tempted to loose his cloak but decided against it for the first visit.
"Come we must get to work. I cannot stand to hear you sing. You sound like a goat. You want a beautiful voice you must sing from your heart and your stomach. You are making air come out of your singing. Now, what do you know about scales?"
Collette fell asleep quite exhausted. It had been a week since she visited the chapel. Madam Giry had been pushing the ballet girls more and more for a better performance. Collette had to admit she was getting better at her dancing and with payments finally reaching her hands she was able to eat more. Careful about her figure though for the opera cannot have too big of a girl waltzing gracefully around the stage. It would be easier to get the lead if she weighed no more than a feather; better leads meant more popularity, more popularity meant being famous. It was hard for a ballet girl to become famous, she was not a singer and she still had minor rolls in the opera's. Collette knew she could become both. With only two singing lessons from her angel of music Collette knew she was improving already. Madam Giry had also noticed something different about Collette. She would learn the words to the songs and madam Giry could catch her in a private room practicing them. Of course Madam Giry had known who was behind Collette's newfound talent. Madam Giry was of course not pleased yet also somewhat bewildered at the Phantom's interest for Collette. Could it be a new face bedazzled him?
The angel of music watched Collette dance about from his usual hiding place. Madam Giry had given her a part. She was now a dancer of the Opera House Populaire'. The angel of music was pleased. Collette had made some progress with her character and sensitivity to people. Sometime he could still find her crying in the empty dressing room and sensed she had another nightmare. What was in her past that made it all so frightening? The angel had worked for a week and finally triggered the dressing room so that he would know when she had entered. He thoughts returned to the dancing scene before him. Collette fluttered about on the stage and The angel was reminded of Christine. He sobered. Christine had become like poison to his mind. Yet, teardrops of sorrow would often haunt him. He gave a piece of him and she tore it most dramatically into pieces. Christine and the Vicomte De Changy were very happily married. Christine would be happy as long as she was away from the devils child.
"No Meg no. I want to see more of a foutette'. Ok let's start again." Madam Giry said. The angel of music smiled. Dear Madam Giry was such a hardheaded woman on the outside but was as soft as a teddy bear once you get to touch her heart and mind. The angel watched the play until the dancers were worn thin and begging for a bed. The next opera was to be in two weeks. The last had been a success and now most of the dancers were paying for it. Speaking of paying, the angel thought it was time for Madam Giry to deliver some messages.
Collette finished her dinner and almost crashed into the cot but a call to the chapel beckoned her. It had been a while since she visited the place where she met her own angel of music. It was queer how sometimes even the smallest and most unlikely wishes were answered. She crept out into the hall. She felt an odd sensation like she was being watched. What a silly thought. Within the walls of the chapel she knelt down and once again lit a candle for her parents. As she finished making a sign of the cross the candle flickered and blew out. Her angel of music had arrived.
The angel of music saw the candle lit and waited for Collette to finish her talk. Collette made the catholic sign of the cross and using his many talents from inside the wall he blew out the candle. He saw Collette look around her, she wasn't as scared as the first time but there was still an edge of nervousness.
"Collette, I am here. You are becoming much better M'dear on your ballet." Said the angel of music. He watched Collette's face light up.
"I am pleased I have found favor in my angels eyes." Collette said dramatically. The angel knew a slight mocking was in the voice and it was hard not to lash out about manners and a respectful tone. He noticed around the opera house that lately many ladies tried not to show their pleasure by seeming a little bit arrogant. Perhaps this attitude was rubbing off on Collette? The angel decided that manners must come before any music lessons.
"Collette, when someone pays you a compliment you needn't become a little snippy. Simply curtsey and return a compliment. Perhaps by saying, thank you?" The angel said. He watched as Collette rolled her eyes. The angel appeared in front of her.
"What is this? A new sign of displeasure?" The angel asked.
"It means when someone says something absurd we roll our eyes to show that there are being over dramatic or over reacting."
"It seems to me that the person rolling the eyes is being over dramatic or over reacting. You look like one who is about to become friend with another world."
"Ok what's on the agenda for this evening. I am becoming quite tired." Collette said changing the subject with a slight yawn. The angel bit back a slight angry retort.
The candle flickered back on, and Collette gasped. Collette looked around, the angel was gone. She had upset him. Collette sighed. It was finally looking like she could get away with more things until he decided her attitude was wrong. At least he wasn't like James. James would have slapped, hit, something to make Collette feel the pain of disrespect. This for some reason was harder to bear. She was alone; the one person her father sent her had left her. Would he come back? Collette dare not ask.
Collette settled into the covers, still upset about the incident in the chapel. Of course she was a bit sorry for her behavior but she knew she was only sorry because now she had lost something of value. She was not sorry because she had been rude. Collette's fist flew down to the pillow. The Angel talked about rudeness, yet he was the one that popped in and out on his own choosing. Collette muttered a whole bunch of nonsense as she fell into the land of dreams.
Madam Giry looked at the letters sitting on her desk. They all bore the seal of the Phantom. He was making his presence known. Madam Giry did not find this at all wise but would not take the risk of displeasing the phantom. She picked the letters up and stuffed them in her handbag. After donning herself with a hat and a waist length cape she headed out to the streets of Paris to collect the phantom's lists of needs and to deliver the messages.
Madam Giry left the basket of goods at the entrance to the phantom's domain. The messages would arrive at the Opera House Populaire first thing in the morning and to the new owners domain as well. She did not wait until the phantom retrieved his goods but calmly as if nothing happened returned to her room. The opera house was quiet. Barely were there any sounds going to and fro. Madam Giry entered her room and sat down at her desk to write. It was a brief letter, explaining certain things to the phantom. Madam Giry knew she didn't need to fill him in on many details of the opera house and he obviously knew more than she did. The letter was finished and Madam's seal was also in place. She crept out the door and placed the letter in box 5 where she knew the phantom would find and retrieve it soon. The phantom was back and there was no one who would not be informed soon.