Chapter Three: Ange de Musique
Angel stepped back from the window in shock. She had to get closer and hear what was going on. She reached for a robe before realizing that she had fallen asleep in her dinner dress. She absent mindedly smoothed the blue fabric as she stepped quietly out of her room and crept towards the stairs. She was grateful the ability to move without sound, even if it had startled her fath… the Viscount into a few beatings. Angel stopped suddenly at the soft frightened noise behind her. It was just barely audible over the muted yelling out side. She turned quickly and saw Andrea's pale face framed by the tousled gossamer curls, her green eyes wide and frightened.
"An-Angelique?" the girl whispered.
"What is the matter Andrea?"
"I'm scared," Andrea sobbed, tears beginning to stream down her soft, round face. "Are Maman and Papa going to be okay?"
"Mère and Père will be fine, ma petite. Now go back to bed."
The child nodded and turned slowly returning to bed. Angel moved swiftly and silently down the stairs until she stood in the shadows behind the door.
She could her the men raging at the Viscount. Calling him all sorts of things, just because he was wealthy and while Angel agreed with these things, she did not agree with the awful things they said about her mother. Christine's only fault was her puerile weakness. Angel trembled with fear as the men threatened The Viscount and her mother if the did not hand over all their money and jewels immediately.
"Please…." Christine pleaded, "Please I have four children, one is but an infant, and one more coming. Please…"
Angel quelled the sadness that filled her, she knew she wasn't one of the four children her mother mentioned. She was used to not hearing her mother say she had five children and not four.
"Silence woman!"
Angel flinched as she heard the sound of someone slapping her mother. She felt the tears falling from her own eyes as her mother sobbed helplessly.
"We do not care about your little brats. Now go and get you husbands money for us."
"She cannot." Raoul sad suddenly.
"Oh and why not?"
"She does not know where it is. Do you think I would let a woman know where my accounts are?"
"I see. Woman, go and fetch all your jewelry while I chat with your husband here."
Angel moved deeper into the shadows as her mother trudged inside to do as the bandit commanded.
Oh Messieur Raoul do not give them the information, they will kill you….. Angel pleaded silently with the man whom she had known as her father for sixteen years.
"Now tell us where the accounts are and perhaps we will spare your family."
Unfortunately Angel's silent pleas did nothing to change her father's mind. He calmly told them his accounts and how to access them. Angel screamed when the gun fired.
"Who's there?" The leader called.
"No one Messieur, just a lowly serving girl…. " Angel replied.
"Come out where I can see you."
"No Messieur, I would really rather not…" Angel realized now her mistake, she was wearing a fancy silk dress, they would never believe she was a servant.
"Come out here now, or we will burn this house to the ground."
Angel stepped outside, her hair still hiding the marred side of her face, just as her mother rushed out with her jewels. Christine's face paled at the sight of her husband's pale, crumpled form on the grounded. Angel noted that he was breathing shallowly and prayed that her mother would have the sense not to say anything.
"You are either a lying little wench or you have been trying on your mistress's clothes while she slept. Which is it?"
Angel glanced at her mother who was to distraught to even think clearly.
"Messieur, I am the Viscountess's daughter, but not the Viscount's. I am the product of a previous… union."
The man raised his eyebrows and Christine looked at her in shock, but said nothing. The man shrugged his shoulders and held out his hands for Christine's jewels. She handed them over reluctantly.
"Mademoiselle….."
"le Ange," Angel provided, finally putting two and two together, though not fully believing it,
"Mademoiselle le Ange, why do you hide your face so?"
"If I were to show you Messieur, you would die of fright," Angel replied bitterly. The man shrugged, shot her mother and rode off into the distance. Angel screamed and ran to her mother's side.
"Maman? Maman, please answer me…."
"Angelique…. Ma petit ange…."
Tears streamed down Angel's face.
"Angel…. Go to him… le Ange de musique….. Ange de le mort… your father….. He will take care of you…. The others….." she coughed, blood staining her lips as she did so. Angel looked at the Viscount's still form, moving only slightly when he took his shallow breaths. "The other's will be okay…. Go to him…'
"Oh Maman….. I love you…." Angel sobbed. But her mother never responded. Never said the words that Angel had been longing to hear since she was old enough to remember. So Angel, went inside, changed into a black dress and a black cloak and set of to find her father, the Angel of Music…..The Angel of Death.