H'lo again, laddie-me-love! Just to reply to some people whose names I forget (don't take it personally, I can't remember…what was I talking about?) About the expensive furniture…it went out of style, and that was only one room. The others are picked clean I assure you. R&R!

Andre sighed deeply, and rubbed his temples as if to rid himself of a headache. It had not been an easy day for the little man. He had awakened at three A.M. to open the opera house, spent a good part of the morning interviewing people for jobs, had had to skip lunch, had received a letter from the new manager that he would arrive in four months, not weeks, and now this. His secretary had ushered in a girl who was one of the strangest he had ever met (and he had met a lot of girls). She was of normal height, slight build, and wore her golden hair in a large flat bun at the back of her head. A braid fell from the bun to her midback. She wore a dark brown, simple dress that started at her chin and ended at the floor. She was unadorned and unperfumed. She would probably be considered lovely, if it weren't for her eyes. When she had walked in, he had estimated her age at sixteen, but the second her eyes had met his, she became ageless with the wisdom of eternity. It unnerved him to see that cynicism coming from such a young face. One eye was blue, the other green. But he had only seconds to observe this, because she had blinked once, and a glassy wall had come over her countenance.

Firmin had done the smart thing: cut all of his losses, took his share of the money and moved to England for a life of marital bliss with the Countess DuBois. But of course, Andre had to stay in Paris and collect the extra money from the buyer. He sighed again and sat back in his chair, his thoughts turning back to the girl.

She had come for a position as a lady's maid to one of the Opera stars. Since Mlle. Debrah DeFleurette, the new diva, who had requested a lady's maid to look after her at her arrival, was arriving in a week from Provence, Andre had given the girl that job, but in the meantime signed her on as Madame Bufont's assistant. Then he had asked her name as he filled out the papers.

She looked as if she had been slapped. He could almost see her mind cogs whirring round and round through her eyes, and then her gaze rested on his diamond broach. She relaxed and gave her name in a clear voice, " Adrian Cartier". This made him feel slightly suspicious of her. It was as if she didn't have a surname, and had adopted it from the diamond. But Mlle. Cartier wouldn't be a problem as soon as that confounded Monsieur Duval arrived to take the blasted place from him. Then he could use the money to buy a nice big mansion somewhere in Brest, down at the seaside, with lots of pretty maids and plenty of sunshine. The thought cheered him considerably, and he let out another sigh, this one much happier than the first.

As Adrian glided from the room, she let out a sigh of relief. She had a job, Isobel wouldn't be mad, and the manager had accepted her surname without question. As she walked down the hall in search of Madame Bufont, she mulled over the events of the night before.

The room had the luxury of running water and a flush toilet in the porcelain bathroom. The window was a stained glass depiction of a mermaid. Her back was to the viewer, her head looking over her shoulder. Isobel had stripped Adrian down to the skin and had plunged her into the scalding water, proceeding to scrub down every inch till her skin was pink with the friction. Isobel then untangled her hair, with not the slightest care about yanking it right out of Adrian's head. When Isobel had finished, the girl staring at Adrian in the mirror was human.

It was easy for Isobel to steal some clothes for her charge to wear; almost everyone was fast asleep by then. The dress was perfect; dull and conservative. She could practically disappear if she wore it, it hid her from the world outside.

" Now" said Isobel, straightening her pink skirts, " tomorrow morning, you will go to Andre, the manager and request a job as a lady's maid. No one will question you for being in any place at any time. Just say you are on your mistress's business. I have some errands to run in the city, but I will see you in this room at the day's end. Do not disappoint me Adrian." " Yes Isobel." " And keep yourself guarded! I won't have some well-meaning boob messing with our affairs. If they do, then…"

" Oh, no Isobel! Please, not again!" Adrian's voice was pleading. So many innocent people had suffered because they had messed with Isobel's affairs.

The brunette gave a cold smile. "Then see that you follow my orders. Now go to sleep. I don't want them to turn you away because you look like a harlot in the morning."

Adrian turned the corner and descended the steps. The errand boy had said that M. Bufont was expecting her in her office.

Adrian knocked on the door. "Come in!" snapped a voice as sharp and crisp as if it had been cut from paper. The tiny woman at the desk impressed Adrian.

Her graying black hair was pulled sharply into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her eyes were gray and sharp as a sword. She was all of five feet tall, but she possessed an air of command befitting a woman of larger stature. She must have been in her late fifties, but the energy with which she was pounding at the typewriter spoke of military strength and discipline.

The little woman looked up sharply. " My new assistant, I suppose?" She was testing the figure in the doorway. The girl passed admirably. Without a hint of fear or intimidation, she quickly answered in the affirmative. Madame Bufont's tone immediately softened, if just a bit. "Good. I hope you will excel better than that flighty creature Georgette, saints curse her. She got herself married and left me all this work on the desk." Madame Bufont gestured to the Mount Saint Paperwork that overwhelmed the room. " Your first job: collect and categorize every paper that isn't on this desk. I want the job applications in one pile, the grant letters in another, and whatever we happen to be sending out in the last pile. You are clear on this?" " Yes Madame."

The small woman had to stare. Never had she seen such efficiency! Like a whirlwind, the golden haired lady flew through the office, straightening piles, creating stacks, scanning papers and generally acting as if she had done so all her life. Not like Georgette, who often mixed things up more than helped them. That silly child was probably in Provence right now, with child already, tripping about and simpering in that flighty lisp of hers.

Madame Bufont looked up from the letter she was typing to someone who wanted to reserve a box for Margarita in the spring. The girl was stacking some letters in the last pile, and appeared to be finished. The girl looked up and their eyes met for a second. Madame Bufont quickly broke the gaze and went back to the letter. Mlle. Cartier's eyes were different colors! And so…old. Those were the eyes of one who has seen and understood all. She had the strange sensation that something was being kept hidden from her in those eyes.

"Madame Bufont, I am finished." The small lady stood, her black skirts rustling. A quick examination told her that everything was in order. " You have done perfectly. May I enquire how you became so skilled?"

"I used to work in a library. There was plenty of organizing to do there." Madame Bufont nodded. It would be a shame to lose one so quick witted at the end of the week. She envied Mlle. DeFleurette. Madame Bufont turned to Adrian, and said, "Come, there is much to do. I assume you can write." Adrian nodded. "Copy these letters and address them to the people on this list. When you are done, meet me in the prop department."

Madame Bufont bustled out of the room and hurried to the prop department. Bertrand would probably need help with all the orders coming in for fake flowers, fur throws and the like.

Sorry this chapter is so short, but I suppose there needs to be an installment soon, or people will forget me! Know how I said that the main character is crazy? If you can guess how and why, please message me instead of leaving a comment so that no one else will know! Phantom shall appear in Chapter three or four. R&R! ( that's a rose if you can't guess. And if you really can't, please stop leaking stupid juice)