The remainder of the service was just as sombre as mourners left the service.
"That was beautiful Christine," Meg praised. "I know mother heard it."
"Thank you Meg, it was my pleasure." Christine said as they walked out of the cemetery and into the city's bustling street. "It's very beautiful here, Angelique couldn't stop watching all of the boats as we passed. Is that why you and Madame came here?"
"It is very pretty here but not exactly why we left Paris. After the Opera Populaire shut its doors we needed work elsewhere." Meg seemed to be calculating her word choice carefully. "There was an opera house on the verge of closing up here as well. But they had gotten new management and needed a dance instructor, maman was hired immediately!"
"That's wonderful news Meg!"
"Yes, he even let me perform with the other ballet girls, and now I'm getting to do my own acts!"
"The new owner you mean?"
Meg paused, "Yes, you um...Well that is to say you wouldn't know him, almost no one knows who he is."
"How odd," Christine said confused, "What's his name?"
"He... He goes by Mister Y, no one knows much else. At any rate I hate to seem rude but I should be getting home, I have rehearsals tomorrow morning that I need to prepare for."
"Of course, I'm sorry to keep you." Christine paused, "Meg, would you mind terribly if we came by tomorrow? I miss the opera so, and it would be so nice to catch up more on the lost time."
Meg was hesitant, "You're sure?"
"Yes! You're my best friend and I feel terrible that it's been so long. And I know it would be a treat for Angelique to see before our voyage home. "
"Well...alright then. We'll be rehearsing at eight thirty tomorrow, the Sandalphon opera house."
"Sounds wonderful!" Christine smiled absolutely delighted. Parting ways, Christine hailed a driver to take her to the inn the trio would be staying at. Raoul having already gone ahead with Angelique after the service, Christine entered the carriage alone. Arriving at the inn, she opened the door to their room, seeing Raoul seated in the sitting area.
"Hello dear," Christine smiled at her husband.
Raoul returned the smile, "Christine,"
"Where's Angelique?"
"She was dozing off so I put her to bed early."
Christine nodded,"It was an awfully long journey here wasn't it?"
"Yes,"
"Well I do have some news Raoul."
His hazel eyes glanced up at her, "Yes?"
"Meg told me she's performing for the Sandalphon opera house right here in Mersaile and said we could come see their rehearsal tomorrow. Won't that be fun darling?" Christine beamed.
"That's sounds splendid Christine." Raoul nodded "And I'm sure Angelique will love it as well, perhaps we can go to their performance if we're still here. It's been so long since I've been to the opera." The brunette said longingly. "I know, I'm sorry for that."
Christine frowned, sitting beside her husband. "Raoul, what's wrong?"
He heaved a heavy sigh, "I've denied you so much since we've been married Christine. I just feel like I've been a terrible husband to you."
Christine grasped his hands in hers, "Raoul stop talking like that. I love you and have never regretted our marriage. Dear, where is all of this coming from?"
"I don't know, I suppose seeing Meg and the thought of setting foot in another opera house just brings back some unpleasant memories."
She frowned, "That was a long time ago Raoul. It's all over now." Christine loved her husband to no end. But sometimes he would get into these moods. These episodes of depression weren't constant, but when they resurfaced it broke her heart to hear him sound so low. "If this bothers you so much we don't have to go tomorrow."
Raoul shook his head, "No. Please Christine. I'm sorry, I'd be selfish to refuse you. I know how much you miss the opera. I need to stop dwelling in the past." Placing her hand along his face, Christine leaned in to kiss him.
"I love you," She mumbled against his lips.
"And I love you Christine," Raoul said sincerely.
The De Chagny's walked through the doors of the opera house, once inside it could only be described as a feeling of wonder. The foyer was absolutely stunning, from the pristine spiral staircase to the finely painted murals that graced the walls.
Angelique's mouth was agape, "Maman! It's so beautiful!"
"Indeed it is darling!" Christine was just as mesmerised. It was as if they had just entered a palace, and music was the rular of this kingdom. Even while Raoul was not as musically inclined as his wife, the Vicomte was also bedazzled by the fine architecture.
Aside from the odd worker passing through, the trio were the only ones in the main hall, the opera empty save for those warming up for the next night's performance. The opera house was like a maze, incredibly spacious as though the rooms kept multiplying. Eventually the faint sounds of voices and music could be heard down a winding hallway.
The double doors revealed an enormous concert hall, hundreds of seats lined in red velvet lined the aisles. There were several private boxes in the wings of the hall, the exteriors hand carved with luscious designs depicting the Greek god Apollo.
On stage, the dancers twirled and gracefully danced. Unexpectedly one of the ballerinas lost her footing, toppling over taking two of the other girls with her.
"Girls! Girls please!" A surprisingly stern toned Meg called, coming on stage. Christine was stunned, aside from the youthful pulled up blonde hair, it was as if she were looking down at Madame Giry. "Now try again, and this time Josephine please be more careful and less clumsy!" The blonde commanded, the younger meek girls complying reforming their previous dance step.
"Meg!" Christine called, coming down the aisle, her voice echoing throughout the empty hall. The blonde turned her attention to see the family standing by the double doors.
"Christine! So nice that you came!" She said "Thank you for inviting us, I didn't know you would be instructing the ballet."
"I use to dance when mother and I first came here. But there was an accident, the opera house has been remodeled but much of the original foundation is old and a part of the stage buckled when we were performing one night. I can still walk but my leg suffered too much damage for me to dance again." Meg explained with a frown.
"Oh Meg I'm so sorry."
"But I can still sing, Mister Y has even given me leading arias to perform. I have one tomorrow night actually." Christine smiled,
"That's so nice. Honestly, seeing the ballerinas take me back to when we were them years ago." To both women they were fond warm memories, the two rehearsing with the other girls of the corps du ballet, the giggling gossip they would get into together, the nights the two best friends would sneak sweets whilst Madame Giry was unaware.
"What aria are you performing tomorrow?" Christine asked.
As the girls chattered away, Raoul and Angelique sat in one of the many empty aisles as the ballet rehearsal continued.
"They look so amazing papa, don't they?" The girl asked, her mismatch eyes beaming at every leap and twirl.
"Yes they do," Raoul nodded, "I remember when your mother use to dance."
Angelique smiled wide, "Papa did she really?"
The Vicomte felt a warm feeling come over him remembering the night he saw Christine first perform, "Oh yes, she also sang beautifully. We met when we were just a little older than you are now, but years later when we met again it was during an opera and she was the leading lady."
"Wow..." Angelique breathed, many nights she had heard her mother sing either to help her sleep or to no one in particular. But not once did the child think she had once sung for hundreds on stage. "I want to be just like her one day."
Raoul glanced down at her. She was still so young but Angelique was already showing signs of musical talent. When Christine would sing to her to sleep, often through the ajar door Raoul could hear them singing together, the sound was absolutely breathtaking. Then she had gotten her tiny hands on the sheet music by their piano, questioning what the music notes meant. Raoul agreed to hire for her a private tutor, but the rate that the child was learning was remarkable, even her tutor was taken back after just a few weeks into their lessons.
She was a budding prodigy. It was something any parent would be proud of, but for Raoul it filled him with a feeling of familiar dread. He wanted to be a proud father, but part of him felt terrified and uncertain.
So caught up and distracted in his troubled mind, the Vicomte failed to notice the child at his side slink down the aisle. The twirling ballerinas were beautiful to watch, but Angelique wanted to see more, explore this place further.
Her tiny feet clattered on the marble floor whilst exploring. Angelique hummed aloud, spinning around as she'd seen the dancers do. The day felt like a dream, Christine had shown her daughter the beauty of music growing up, and Angelique happily embraced it. Her mother had recounted with her a story that Angelique's grandfather told Christine when she was a little girl too. It was about an angel that would descend from the heavens to guide and show others the way through the angel's gift of music. The child's humming echoed through the spacious halls.
The sound rousing a curious listener.