II
Antoinette sighed heavily and went back to the changing room to ensure that all of her dancers had gone to bed. Surely enough the room was empty except some ballet slippers and a few empty pots of greasepaint. She turned to leave and found her daughter hanging by the door.
"Yes, my dear?" she asked.
"Maman, Christine hasn't come to bed yet. I'm worried about her, she's been acting strangely lately."
"I am sure she is fine," Antoinette said, praying that her words were true, "just go to bed my dear."
"Alright, good night," Meg said, hugging her mother, "I'll see you in the morning."
"Oui, get a good night's sleep, there is another performance tomorrow."
Meg left and Antoinette tidied the room before leaving. She went to lock the door and noticed that her keys were missing. She sighed and shook her head before heading to Carlotta's dressing room to find Meg. If anything she could say that her daughter was determined.
By the time she made it the door was already open. She stepped into the dim room and sighed when she saw the mirror pushed back and herd her daughter giving a small screech. She walked through the entrance to the grungy tunnel and grabbed her daughter's arm. Meg wheeled around, wide-eyes as Antoinette pulled her out and slid the mirror shut behind her.
"But what if Christine was taken through there?" Meg asked as she was led back to the dormitory.
"Then there is nothing to do," Antoinette replied sharply, "you should not have been in there, Meg."
"I know," Meg sighed, "but I'm really worried."
"She will be fine, Meg," Antoinette assure her, reaching for the door of the dormitory, "Christine is a strong girl. She can take care of herself."
When she opened the door she found Buquet telling another one of his horrid ghost stories. Meg slipped past quickly and went to her bed. Antoinette frowned and pulled two of her dancers from the man's grasp.
"This is the dormitory for the dancers, not for the stagehands! Antoinette said, taking the lasso from Buquet's hands and slapping him, "and if you so not stop telling such stories you may want to be more careful," she added, throwing the lasso over his head and tightening it so he reached up and grabbed at his throat, "or you may have to walk around with your hand at the level of your eye!"
She let go and he quickly removed the noose before muttering, "Good night, Madame Giry."
She shook her head and turned to her dancers, "Get ready for bed! There is work to be done tomorrow."
She left the dormitory and met Buquet in the hallway. Antoinette ignored him and started to walk back to her apartment.
"You know, Madame Giry," he said, "you seem to know an awful lot about the ghost."
"No more than anyone else," she replied tartly.
"I think that you know much more," he argued.
"Really?" she asked, "and what of you? You seem to know an awful lot to be telling such stories. He sounds terrifying, Monsieur Buquet, I do hope that I will never meet him. Bonsoir."
She opened the door to her small apartment and went inside, closing it in the man's face before he could say another word. With and exhausted sigh she sat down in the armchair and closed her eyes. Within five minutes she was asleep.
Erik ran a hand through his hair and slung his cloak loosely over his shoulders. If he worked quickly, which he always did, he would most likely be back before Christine awoke. It was a simple task really. Deliver a few letters and be done with it.
To find the addresses of the persons in question he went into the manager's office and went through a few files. It was not difficult to find the addresses for messieurs Firmin and Andre, but the young man's address was a bit more tricky. After all, the boy's family no doubt had more than one residence and he needed to find the correct one, one that was in the city. Within five minutes he found an appropriate address and left the office, exiting into the cool night air.
The two new managers lived in the same residence in two separate apartments, so once he found the building he merely unlocked the front doors and left the envelopes outside the appropriate doors. He then made his way through the city to the de Chagny residents.
He stood outside the house for a while, debating the best way to have the letter delivered to the occupant in question. Breaking into the house seemed a foolish task. There were most likely servants, and with his luck someone might still be up. The last thought gave him and idea and he knocked on the door three times.
The door cracked open, stopping when the chain on the inside reached its length. The nervous eyes of a young woman peered at him, "Y-yes?" she squeaked.
"Good evening, Mademoiselle," Erik replied, "I am terribly sorry to bother you at this moment, but I have a message I need delivered to the young de Chagny boy."
"Oh…he-he isn't home yet," she squeaked.
"Isn't he?" Erik asked, more to himself, "well then, could you possibly give this note to him when he returns?" he asked as pleasantly as possible, reaching into his cloak and handing her the envelope with the red wax seal.
"I-um, yes, of course," she said, taking the envelope.
"You are very kind, mademoiselle," Erik said, giving a nod of his head, "ensure that he get its first thing in the morning?"
"Of course, sir," she said, "the morning?"
"Yes, we would not want to trouble him at such a late hour, would we?" Erik replied, he then gave another polite nod, "bonsoir, mademoiselle."
The door shut and the lock clicked. Erik gave a small smile, it had gone better than expected. Although the fact that the boy had not been in bothered him. No doubt he was reporting the missing Christine to the gendarmes. But with any luck they would think nothing of it. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a chorus girl disappeared from the theatre late at night.
As he walked back up the street a carriage passed. He glanced at it, it bore the de Chagny crest. A small smile formed on his lips, perfect, he would get the note in the morning, just as he had planned.
The walk back to his home felt longer than usual and he stripped off the cloak as soon as he entered, pulling on a robe instead. He sat down at the organ and stared at the keys, playing might wake Christine, and he was not sure what to do once she woke up, so he picked up a pen and spread several sheets of music in front of him. All of it needed some editing, and now would be the perfect time.
A/N: Oh, I feel so bad for taking so long to update, but I have been busy with school and life...sad really. I was going to update last night but then I went to see "V for Vendetta" (wonderful movie)and had to finish a physics lab. Anyways, hope you enjoy and please review,I barely have any right now and it makes me sad.