Roses and more lessons...

Erik went to Christine's bedroom and placed a flowervase with pink and white roses in the night table, he approached her bed and called softly
—Christine, child! Wake up, it's time of your lesson.— Slowly she opened her eyes and turned her face to him, giving him a shy smile while she sat in the bed.
He watched her and calmly released the breath he didn't realize he was holding and said -Do you feel better?-
She didn't feel bad, but certainly she felt dizzy. So she answered- I think I'm feeling better, but I'm still feeling some drowsiness…… I don't know. — He was worried but tried to calm her. –Come on, it's time of your lesson, get up.
They had a beautiful class. It had been a long ago since they had had one like this. Christine seemed to improve very quickly. Erik who was sited in front of the organ felt a sweet and tender pride which he showed by choosing new arias for the class while he smiled for himself.
The finally songs that she studied were from the next performance that the managers would stage the next month. He already knew it would be Aida, and Christine would have the lead role; he would see to that.
When the class ended, he rose from his stool and told her —My dear child, your improvements are indeed amazing, we'll continue this afternoon from where we stopped.
She said farewell to him at the mirror's entrance. She stood in her dressing room and he in the passage, she hadn't lost that strange sensation that accompanied her all the morning, Erik had started to close the passage when he remembered —Oh I almost forgot it, your flowers! —And placed in Christine's hands a bouquet of white roses in bloom, they were beautiful. She accepted the flowers and in her mind couldn't find the appropriate words to thank him for this gift. She only started; mumbling something between "thank you", "you didn't have to" and "they're beautiful". She tried to smile, but he had already closed the passage and she was alone in her dressing room.

After that she went to the stage and found the managers selecting the cast for the new production. She sang some arias and the managers seriously considered giving her the lead, there were two good reasons for that, first, Christine would really make a god job, and second, La Carlotta hadn't recovered from her croaking.
A couple of hours later the managers list was ready and Christine had the role of Aida, she was happy but she didn't seem to show it. She thought "Now I've got a new problem, I can't believe it". She began to worry again. She thought that Erik would be happy for her, but she also thought he had had some cards in the matter.

She still hadn't thought of Raoul, but now, with the new performance she'd get a problem between them. And talking about Raoul, Christine wondered where could he be? Her sole desire was that he hadn't been worried for her in these past few days.
She was thinking about this in her way to the dressing room; she sat in the dressing table's chair, gazed Erik's bouquet and started to cry. She couldn't understand her feelings and the feelings of these men who claimed to love her. She had to find a solution; she didn't know how much time she had before a disaster happened. She was afraid and felt she would act as a coward if she was to confront them. How could she tell them that she needed some time for herself, and to know what she felt? And even worse, how could she make them understand and accept her final choice? Would they respect an agreement? She was too afraid for both and thought that if she didn't exist, perhaps they would have never known each other.

At night Erik returned to her dressing room and congratulated her for obtaining the leading role. He announced that they would work on the same aria, and they'd practice the specifics parts where she had had some problems. Unlike the morning class, she couldn't concentre and Erik noticed it. At the end he approached and told her –This morning you were inspired, but tonight you're absentminded. Is there something wrong? —She thought about lying to him, but also thought that wasn't fair and she knew he could catch any lies she said—I…I…I don't know how to begin …It's difficult to say— she was frightened and her body shook. She tried to breathe and find a way, but she couldn't find the courage inside her.
He didn't know what to think, what was she trying to tell him, so he began to feel uneasy and he didn't know what to say too. A thousand thoughts passed in his mind but he only stammered — If you like, we can go out and walk around.
She couldn't refuse and thought perhaps it could be a good idea and maybe she could get the courage to tell him about what she had been thinking all afternoon.
So they went through the mirror's passage to the house beyond the lake and picked up his hat and cloak. They left the Opera for the gate of the Rue Scribe and went to stroll in the Park in front of the Opera.
The night advanced step by step and the lights of dawn fell silently above them. First they walked around in silence and then he asked her about how she felt about her role in the new performance and in what parts had she found problems. Without knowing how the conversation turned to her childhood and the days she had spent with her father singing in the small towns of Britain.
She began to talk about how they ended with the Valerius and the times when they went to Perros to remember their days of poverty. She was talking along this line of conversation when she stopped suddenly.
Both stopped walking and he turned his glance to her. He knew exactly what she was thinking. She remembered when she met Raoul. He sighed and told her— It's alright!... It was there where you met the Vicomte...Isn't it? — Every word seemed strained but he didn't try to change the topic. She answered only with an affirmative motion of her head. She knew that the time to tell him everything had come.