Chapter Two
Observations and Introductions
Antoinette looked into the flies. She searched for a flash of white. She did not see him but that did not mean he was not there. Although he still had many of his old habits she was proud of how far he had come. For the first few months after the fire he had hidden himself away in the deepest of the underground cellars. Even further underground than his home. His heart had been broken. His dignity stripped away in the most unforgettable fashion. It had taken her many weeks of searching to find him. Her heart ached as she remembered the terrible condition she had found him in that day.
Unshaven and reeking of sweat, alcohol and God only knows what else. She had brought him back to his home. Judging by the number of empty bottles he had been existing on wine the whole time. Gentle persuasion had not budged him. She had in the end had to resort to threats of carrying cold buckets of water to wash the stench from him. His only response had been a grunt. She had left him to retrieve a bucket. Dipping it in the ice cold water she had emptied the contents on his prone body. He had jumped to his feet. A more accurate description would be he stumbled and fell several times before standing unsteadily on his feet. He had staggered and swayed but remained upright.
Erik had agreed to stay in her apartment until he had recovered. She had nursed him back to health. Over and over she had begged his forgiveness for showing Raoul to his home. Her worry for Christine had guided her decisions that night. Erik had long before that night begun to lose his senses. His judgment had been clouded by lust for Christine and a fledgling love for her.
He had stayed in Meg's room. Antoinette had removed Meg to the dormitories until a suitable room could be readied for her. With her new position came a few perks other than an increase in salary. With the renovations in full swing she and Meg were kept busy. Every hand was needed to bring back the glory of the once proud Paris Opera House. The damage had been mainly to the stage and the first few rows of seats. As the opera house was healed so did Erik heal also, in health at least.
Antoinette could not say how much he still loved Christine. It was agreed they would no longer discuss that issue. For her part she was glad not to have to relive her betrayal of Erik over and over. It was enough it ate at her privately in her thoughts and dreams without bringing it out in the open constantly.
For whatever reasons, Erik had taken an interest in Ariella. He tried to pretend indifference. Anyone else would believe his claim. Antoinette knew him too well. Over twenty years gave an insight to him if it could be said anyone would ever know Erik completely. Nadir knew him for ten years. He claimed Erik was still an enigma. Erik allowed you in just so far. His treatment in his early life had instilled this safeguard. With Christine he had come as close to letting someone know him in his entirety. The resulting humiliation and rejection had slammed the doors tightly closed on that secret part of Erik that Antoinette was sure housed a sensitive and beautiful person.
Allowing him to participate in the running of the opera house gave him a purpose. With each decision he made that was accepted without threats or "accidents" occurring he came closer to joining humanity. The very humans who scorned him all his life. It was Antoinette's goal to introduce Erik to Parisian society in the near future. Gradually insinuate a mysterious unknown composer who contributed in the many new productions.
Drop his name here and there as a new found genius. Give the patrons enough time and they would forget. These days with all the troubles in the city no one would question a disfigured man. The skirmishes that occurred on a daily basis had left many men and women with scars. Those who survived anyway. Many did not. Paris was ready for entertainment. They were tired of the death and destruction surrounding them. In music and song they could forget for a short time the troubles outside those theatre doors.
Antoinette had been toying with the idea to allow Erik to meet Ariella tonight. She could explain her presence simply enough. Ariella took care of all the little things Antoinette needed to have done but had no time to take care of herself. Ariella had been a godsend when she had presented herself at the front doors one afternoon. She had been looking for work. Any position would have been taken Antoinette had later learned.
Ariella was running from an unscrupulous uncle. Her father, Jonathan Hartford had married a Frenchwoman bringing his three children from England to live with him and their new stepmother. Within months both parents had been killed while still on their honeymoon. Their ship had been caught in a storm. Both had perished leaving three distraught children.
The children had been staying with a woman hired to watch over them while their father and new stepmother enjoyed their honeymoon. Ariella had been sixteen at the time. Her brother Matthew had been three. Her sister Juliana had been one. Now Ariella was twenty. Her bother and sister were seven and five respectively. Her father foolishly left his estate without provisions for his children or their care. An unknown brother of their stepmother presented himself one day taking over all financial decisions as the oldest male heir. He had taken on the responsibility of the children as well. Etienne Dubois ruled their lives making any and all decisions concerning their welfare.
He had made sure they were fed well and clothed properly. That had been the extent of his involvement with the three orphaned siblings. Once Ariella had recovered somewhat from her grief she had begun to question Uncle Etienne about his handling of the estate. He would only state she should not worry with such matters. As the man of the family he would see to their welfare. She had snuck into her father's study one evening after everyone had gone to bed. What she had found gave her reason to question the man claiming to be their uncle. The lawyer who had come with him within days of the funeral had presented no credentials. She had not been in any state to consider anyone would be so unscrupulous to lay claim to the inheritance of three recently orphaned children without any legitimate claim.
Going through the recent papers she had found evidence he planned to ship her brother and sister off to some boarding school or other. She found letters confirming his plan to relieve them of all their inheritance. For the last few years he had been removing gradually larger sums of money to a private account in his name. Ariella had tried to keep her knowledge to herself until she could form a plan. Etienne had other ideas. His ever increasing familiarity had made her accuse him openly.
Ariella had been stoic at first but once the floodgates had opened she told Antoinette every sordid detail. Well, there was one detail she kept to herself as it was too humiliating to share. Antoinette would have made an excellent extractor of information. She could worm through anyone's defences to any personal information or hidden secret. Before the victim knew what was happening they were confessing all sins. Ariella had been an easy mark. The resulting flood once the gates opened had lasted a good half hour. Afterward Antoinette had dried Ariella's tears assuring her she had a place if she had to create one herself. That was when she got the idea for an assistant. One of her better decisions Antoinette felt.
Once Ariella confronted the man claiming to be her uncle he then informed her she was to marry him. She had been compromised by living with a man who was not a relation to her. Her threats of going to the police had been deterred by the removal of her brother and sister to another residence. He refused to allow her to see, speak, or write to them.
She had found the paperwork for the boarding schools he had chosen to send them to. Ariella's protests fell on deaf ears as well as her pleas to let her at least see her siblings for an hour or two. He had refused. If and when they were married he would bring the children back until they were shipped off to school. If there was no marriage he would send them away to an unknown location. Ariella would never lay eyes on them again.
Antoinette had been appalled to hear how she and her brother and sister had been treated.
Luck had been on Ariella's side somewhat. She had a little stash of money she used to buy presents and books along with personal items. Her father had been generous with her monthly allowance. Thankfully Ariella was a thrifty girl and had not squandered her money each month. Instead she had saved a large portion of her funds.
This money had allowed her to pay one of the servants to help her plan and execute her escape as well as that of her brother and sister. The man had been her uncle's driver for the short time he had been in Paris. He had been with her uncle when he had removed Matthew and Julianna. She had waited for the opportune moment to approach the man. One evening her uncle had indulged heavily in wine. He had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room by the fireplace.
Not wasting time she had gathered what clothing she could carry along with those personal items she could not bare to part with then fled into the night with her partner in crime. The driver had been more than eager to help her for his own sake as well as receive the end reward. He had no respect for the so called master of the house.
Not expecting anyone to come to take them away no precautions had been taken to guard the children. It had been a simple matter of quietly sneaking in then back out again. She had gone in looking into each room cautiously. Finding their room after the third opened door she had tried to quiet their joyous exclamations upon seeing their sister after three weeks of being apart. Having recently lost their father they had feared Ariella had left them as well. No one answered any of their questions. They were only allowed out of their room for meals. After each meal they were escorted back then locked in. Ariella had been in luck again when the door to their room had been unlocked.
They had barely stopped on the long journey back to Paris. Ariella had been tempted to leave Paris behind and start fresh in another town. Hoping to reclaim what was rightfully hers and her siblings inheritance she had opted to stay in the city at least so she could keep and eye on the man living in her father's house.
Her search for a job to support them lead her to the opera house. An establishment so large would surely need cleaning staff or seamstresses. She had been open to anything that would provide enough to feed and house them. They could make do for a while with what they had been able to bring with them. As she saw no tea parties in their immediate future they had sufficient clothing.
Drying the young woman's tears Antoinette had asked if she would mind being her assistant. It was not a glamorous job. Not glamorous but she would not have to aid in the cleaning of this monstrosity from top to bottom on a daily basis. Room and board had been included. The salary was a mere pittance but with not having to buy food or pay for lodgings she would save most of what she earned for emergencies. With two young children every day could produce an emergency.
The months passed quickly. Ariella quickly became a favourite with everyone. Her quiet and calming manner drew the volatile performers like magnets. After strenuous rehearsals they needed her quiet observations concerning their performance. She never seemed to find fault with anyone's performance. Subtle persuasion to head them in a different direction worked well. They were unformed clay in her hands. She could mould them with a few kind words into anything she wished.
Even in anger she did not raise her voice. The one time she had been angered had been when she had discovered the stable horses in a poor state. Erik had taken care of that area of the theatre all the years he had been there until two years ago. He had at one time loved to ride. It had been his one escape during daylight hours. No one paid any attention to a man riding his horse through the streets. The hood of his cloak thrown over his head had shielded him from all eyes.
It had shamed him when Antoinette had told him about the poor condition the stables had been allowed to fall into. Ariella had been quietly furious. How anyone could be so angered yet sound so calm was beyond Antoinette's comprehension. She was used to Erik and the performers of the theatre. Now those people knew how to throw a proper fit. Antoinette had struggled to keep the smile from her face as Ariella had spewed the most vicious scornful words all the while seeming to converse in a normal manner. Many curses Antoinette had never even let leave her own lips. Ariella had shown her anger not in volume with words but in the loud crashes heard halfway across the opera house from the many objects she picked up and threw. Never anything easily broken. Even in her anger she was thoughtful of other people's property.
Ten minutes of constant bangs and crashes along with the quiet curses then all was quiet. Twenty minutes later Ariella had left Antoinette's office. Dreading to see the mess left in the wake of such a temper she had slowly opened the door. To her surprise every item was in its place. If Antoinette had not had the evidence of her own ears she would not have known anything had occurred out of the ordinary. Ariella was slow to anger. They had learned that the quieter she became the angrier she was. Only one other incident concerning one of the stagehands and one of the younger ballerinas had brought her ire into play. The man had been sent packing with his tail between his legs. Luckily for him he had left before Erik got wind of his less than gentlemanly behaviour.
Glancing over at Ariella Antoinette noticed the notes she was taking. This had become a habit without any prompting from Antoinette. Little things no one else noticed were noted then later presented to Antoinette. Ariella had an eye for details.
"Ariella, could you perhaps ask Mirielle to keep the children this evening? I am meeting later tonight with someone I wish for you to meet. He is a bit unusual. This meeting must remain secret. You cannot tell another soul about this man especially Meg. There is nothing clandestine in the meeting. There are reasons for the secrecy that I can not divulge. You can present your observation notes to him. After all he is the one who has the final say in what goes on in this opera house. Neither I nor the managers really have complete control."
"Madame...,"
"None of that Madame business. You make me feel much too old when you address me as Madame. Remember my name is Antoinette. We are friends more than employer, employee. I call you Ariella. If you feel uncomfortable addressing me as Antoinette in the presence of others, feel free to use the more formal Madame. When it is just you and I let us dispense with formality."
"Antoinette this man you speak of would he perhaps be someone lurking in the shadows during every practice? Someone who has occupied this opera house for many years? I may be young but I am as you know quit observant. The rumours have not died down in the past two years. Everyone loves a tragic love story. Before I agree to meet this man can you guarantee he has regained his faculties? I have no wish to add another thing I have to worry about."
"Honestly with this person there are never any clear cut guarantees. All I can say is that once he gives his allegiance nothing short of death will sway him to abandon one he considers a friend.
I for my part would trust him with my life as well as the life of my daughter Meg. Since you know who he is you will also know a little about how he has lived. Do not judge him too harshly. No one other than Erik himself knows the true extent of his suffering. What little I know breaks my heart.
If you heard the rumours you must also know Christine is like my daughter. That night I committed an act of betrayal against Erik. At the time I thought it was my only choice. It has taken the better part of this last year for him to speak to me again. Now that distance has cast a different light on things he understands I had no real choice in what I did. Although I know he still loves her the mad obsession has left him clearer in his mind."
"If you say it is safe I must concede to your judgment. May I ask a few questions before we meet with him?"
"Anything I know that is not personal information he would not wish bandied about I will gladly tell you."
"Well is it true he has such genius in all things musical that he could rival Beethoven or Mozart? Some of the ballerinas who were here that night say his voice could lead a...well...pardon me these are not my words...they say his voice is so sweet, so heavenly he could lure virgins to shed their purity. They claim that he has lured many down in the depths to do just that. No one knows any specific names but they say he has had hundreds of women." Ariella felt the heat of embarrassment flush her cheeks.
Antoinette gave a soft chuckle then said quietly as if to herself, "Hundreds of women? Our dear Erik would love to have just one." In a louder voice she said, "Ariella you know what rumours are like especially in the theatre. Everything has to be bigger than life. You are friends with Meg so you must have heard how she sees him. As hard as I try to dissuade her she has romanticized him into some sort of romantic storybook hero. I daresay things are exaggerated quite a bit. As far as luring anyone down to the depths he tried that once with Christine. He would never be so foolish again.
He is a genius in many things including music and composition. He would never use his voice on anyone he did not have feelings for and then only to please her not to lure her into clandestine activities. All of Erik's passions are released when he sings or plays music. Even I could fall under his spell if I were to give into his hypnotic pull. Over the years I have learned to listen more to his words than to the tenor of his voice.
Now enough of Erik. You will learn all you need to know in time. Tell me, how is that little rascal Matthew getting along? It has been several days since I have heard of any of his antics. If I did not know it for certain it was an impossibility I would say that little scamp was related to Erik. He reminds me of Erik when I first brought him to live here. Or at least shortly after. He was too wild and mistrustful in the early days. There I go again. I tell myself I will not bring him into my conversations but he worms his way in anyway. I have the same problem with Meg. Once she learned he and I had an association I could no longer keep him a secret from her. I found myself speaking of him all the time. Meg accuses me of having a love child when I was a precocious young girl. I suppose I do think of him as a son in many ways. Our age difference is not so great but he is so innocent in many ways he seems younger than we believe he is.
Now to return to Matthew and Julianna. How is he and Julianna getting along? Has she had any more nightmares?"
"Matthew is doing quite well. He has made a vow to search each inch of the opera house from top to bottom. He swears a place this vast and this old must have some hidden treasure. Nothing I say can persuade him the building although older than some does not have any buried treasure. Please if he asks do not tell him where any shovels or picks are. He has been asking everyone where he might acquire them. Each time he asks I envision large holes with the Italian marble in the lobby in pieces or the stage with a big gaping hole. I have tried to think of something to curtail his interest in treasure but he is sure that if he finds it we will be safe from our uncle. Julianna must still have a light on at night. Her nightmares are becoming less frequent."
"You know I might have an idea. Let me mull it over for a while. The rehearsal is about over. Why don't you go see how Matthew and Julianna are faring? Or rather how well Mirielle is faring having to deal with a land locked pirate? I'll see you later this evening in the office at eleven."
Ariella allowed her mind to wander as she walked the long corridors then trudged up the many flights of stairs to the office. It may be close to God on the last floor before the floor leading to the roof but Antoinette had made herself comfortable. The rooms were quite large. Her office was the center room. The back contained a bedroom, living room, small kitchen with a separate dining area. It even had its own bathroom with a flushing toilet. Hot and cold water ran in the sink and tub.
Gas lamps had been installed when the renovations to the stage had been made. The plumbing had been added at the same time. The new Paris Opera House had public toilets for men and women. The dining room was opened to the public on Saturdays and Sundays. A small gift shop had been added in the lobby. Flowers or the finest chocolates could be purchased any time during the hours between nine and five in the evening during the week and all day Saturday. They closed on Sundays as did all of the opera house with the exception of the dining room. Gradually over the last few months Ariella had begun to relax. Her uncle nor anyone he hired had come in search of them. At least no one had made any inquiries at the opera house. She had seen nothing out of the ordinary when she ran her errands. No one seemed to be following her or showing undue attention. She had begun to feel as if they would finally be safe.
She was just a little nervous about tonight. What would she say to him? Should she say anything assuming the cat did not take her tongue? She knew he wore a mask. Meg had told her one side of his face looked badly burned. The skin was red with folds of skin that looked as if melted by fire. The hair around his right ear was quite sparse she had said, Large lumps of tissue added to his disfigurement. Despite all of this Meg swore he was one of the most handsome and charismatic men she had ever seen. Given Meg was only eighteen she may have romantic views of him. She did get to see some of Europe's most handsome performers. According to her they fell short of the banana boat compared to her Phantom. That she referred to him as her Phantom said a lot. Meg had quite a crush on this hidden man she had only seen performing his short performance of Don Juan Triumphant. Her fantasies over the last two years had built him into this godlike man.
What did one wear when meeting a god? Well it was either the blue dress or her other blue dress. Her selection was limited to what she had been able to pack. Two blue dresses and the green one she had on. She decided on the blue. A wise choice she congratulated herself just before her brother and sister nearly knocked Ariella off her feet.