Raoul did not join us for breakfast the next morning. Mother assured me that he was "very tired" and just needed to rest for a while, after all the travelling. But I had other things on my mind, as we sat in the elegant dining room enjoying bacon, eggs and some items called "waffles". Mother seemed worried and distracted, hardly touching her food.

"Mother, why didn't you tell me that Mister Y is a friend of yours?"

"Gustave, please don't talk with your mouth full."

I quickly swallowed my bacon before continuing. "You told me last night he was a friend, but you never said it when we were planning to come here, or on the ship."

She blushed, and played with the napkin, then picked up her fork again and pushed the egg around her plate.

"I-I didn't know it would be him.. I mean, he wasn't.. he had a different name when I knew him."

This was intriguing. "A different name? Why is he called Mister Y now?"

"It's a play on the English word "mystery". Mister, followed by a Y. You understand?"

I nodded. "What's his real name? Is he from Paris? Is he a friend of Father's too?"

"Gustave, finish your breakfast please", she told me irritably, "I have a busy day ahead and I don't have time for all these questions!"

I looked down at the table, biting my lip. This was more like something Father would say!

"Oh, darling, I didn't mean to be angry with you," she told me apologetically, squeezing my hand, "It's just I'm worried about the rehearsals and the concert itself and.."

"It's all right, Mother. Everyone is going to love you tomorrow night!"

"Thank you, dear. Now eat up and we'll go back to our room to get ready."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

But the questions still lingered in my mind. And, most importantly, when would Mister Y come and take us around the park? He'd never mentioned a time to either me or Mother. After creeping around the room trying not to wake Raoul as we got ready to go out, we came back downstairs in the lift.

"Americans call this an elevator," I explained to Mother proudly. We could not understand why the Americans had different words for certain things than the British.

She asked directions to the theatre from the man at the front desk, a different man from last night and we set off into the park together. People were already arriving, buying tickets and cups of coffee from the little café.

"I hope Louis is looking after Alfie," I wondered aloud, as a middle aged couple walked past with a small dog on a lead.

"I'm sure he is; he adores that dog! Why don't you buy him a present? There are a couple of souvenir stands around the park; perhaps you could find something to take home to him? We'll have a look around later, if we get the chance."

I nodded, humming a tune to myself. "What's that tune you're humming?" Mother asked me.

"It's just a song that's been going around in my head for a few days." She laughed softly and put her arm around me. "Oh Gustave, you've always got a song in your head! My little prodigy."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The theatre was large and imposing, but the architecture was nothing like what I had seen in Paris. Indeed it was surprisingly functional looking; just somewhere to entertain the tourists.

"Mother, when are we meeting Mister Y again? He promised to show us around."

"You need to have patience, Gustave! He is very busy and I'm sure he'll send for us when he's ready."

I tried not to sulk as we entered the theatre and gazed around the empty foyer. Mother looked lost. "No doorman? Very strange. Goodness me, it is big isn't it? "

"Perhaps he'll be waiting for us here?"

"Who? Oh, yes.. Gustave, for the moment I have to find my dressing room, the director, the stage manager…"

We wandered down a corridor past one of the doors leading into the auditorium where a rehearsal was taking place. Some young ladies were singing a horrible, noisy song called Bathing Beauties. We peered inside curiously. They were all wearing garish costumes, in fact some were not wearing much at all and we quickly moved on. I had never been in any of Paris' famous cabaret clubs but my grandmother often complained about these cheap vulgar places, calling them "The gateway to hell". Just then, one of the ladies, dressed in gold and plumes, appeared from another door near ours, and Mother tried to get her attention.

"Oh miss, excuse me? Could you tell me where-"

She got no further as the young lady exclaimed in delight:

"Oh my goodness, can it be? It is! Oh I can't believe it!"

Mother looked confused. "I'm sorry, have we met-"

"Yes! Don't you remember? Oh Christine, have a guess!" she shrieked, lapsing into French in her excitement.

Mother looked for a moment at the excitable young lady and gave a shriek of recognition.

"Meg!"

"Yes!" she laughed, gripping Mother's arms, "Oh, my dear friend!"

"Dearest Meg! I never thought I'd see you again! Oh this is wonderful!"

I watched the two of them hug each other, feeling bewildered.

When the hug ended, Mother remembered that I was still standing there. "Oh Meg, this is Gustave – my son."

She pushed me forward gently. "Gustave, you remember me telling you about Meg Giry?"

Meg Giry... Yes of course I did! Her best friend, back at the Opera House, all those years ago!

I nodded and gave her a little bow. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Giry"

She chuckled. "Such a well-mannered boy! And so French, with his cute little bow. I'd nearly forgotten all that... Well, look at you Christine. A mother!"

"And you, a star!" she replied, nodding towards the auditorium.

Just then a tall thin woman dressed in black appeared as if out of nowhere. "Meg, we're going to need you again soon – oh my goodness! Christine!"

"Madame Giry! You're both here, I can't believe it!"

More hugging followed, but the older lady was not the kind to shriek, thankfully. She shook my hand solemnly and I bowed to her. What a vacation this was turning out to be!

Madame Giry and her daughter... I felt like I knew them already. But to be honest, they had always seemed more like characters in a story, like Snow White or Little Lotte. Here they were in the flesh!

Little did I know that in a few days I would hate the name of Meg Giry with every fibre of my being and I would go on hating it for many years to come.

"Come, let us go into my office and talk some more" Madame Giry said, ushering us all down the corridor.

Suddenly a male voice was heard from behind us. "Christine? Hello? Are you here?

Raoul..

Mother rushed off and brought him back by the hand. "You'll never believe who's here! Look, here's Raoul as well!" she laughed, and there were more shrieks from Meg, and handshakes and laughter.

We all went into Madame Giry's small office, with assurances that Mother could start her rehearsal very soon. Stories and reminiscences soon followed, interspersed with laughter. As we sat in the warm, cramped room, I began to grow slightly bored, my initial excitement wearing off.

"Oh of course I always knew about those midnight feasts of yours!" Madame Giry was saying, "An increase in whispering and giggling the day before and a sudden outbreak of tummy aches the day after!"

I listened for as long as I could, then started shifting about restlessly. Raoul seemed to be engaged in the conversation, which was a good thing, I supposed.

"Yes, I've been engaged to sing at the closing concert tomorrow-" Mother was saying.

The bombshell was dropped. Meg leaned forward, her face aghast. "But that's impossible! I'm singing tomorrow, it's all been arranged."

Mother and Raoul looked awkward as the other two protested in unison. The atmosphere was growing less friendly by the minute as they tried to explain about the letter from Mister Y, the aria he had sent, their agreement...

Madame Giry and Raoul looked at each other. "A word, if you please sir. In private", she ordered him sharply. They both got up and left.

"Gustave, go to the kitchen at the end of this corridor. There's some nice cookies there for our break time; tell them I sent you and they'll let you have some. There's lemonade too," Meg told me quickly.

"And come straight back here when you've finished," Mother added. Obediently I got up and left the room, thanking Meg as I did so. I was not sure what was happening but I was glad to be out of there. Closing the door behind me, I looked around to see Raoul and Madame Giry standing near the stage door, having a disagreement of their own.

"Who is he? Do you know anything about this?" I heard Raoul asking crossly.

"It's… him"

Him? What did she mean?

But Raoul's fury at that word was unmistakable. I hurried down the corridor to the door marked "Kitchen". Some cookies and lemonade would be nice, while the adults had their strange conversations. I thought I could hear footsteps behind me but I kept going.

My hand was on the door handle. I could hear loud female voices within and a male voice too, all talking a break from the rehearsal. Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

Spinning around in fright, I came face to face with Miss Fleck. Her two associates were standing behind her, with those strange grins on their faces.

"Come with us, young Gustave-"

"The master, the great Mister Y, is waiting to meet you-"

"And he has instructed us to escort you to him..."

"Come along…" they purred in unison.

I glanced behind me.

"My parents-" I began, but they were already ushering me along, walking behind me.

"We shall return you very soon-"

"And anyway, we shall tell them where you are-"

"And all shall be well, while you are in our care..."

I was mesmerised as they led me out of the hotel and through the park. Miss Fleck walked in front, while the other two walked by my side.

"I think my mother should have come with me.."

Miss Fleck turned to me. "Our master was very specific about bringing you to him alone…"

I shuddered.

They lead me around the side of the park, avoiding crowds, although I could hear sounds of happy laughter and carousel music at a distance. It was a nice day but I was starting to feel uneasy.

They brought me to a tall tower, seemingly with no door, but I watched in amazement as Dr Gangle pushed open a section of the wall – a door of sorts - which was completely camouflaged.

Inside it was dark, but I could see a spiral staircase leading upwards.

"Follow us, little vicomte" they chorused in those eerie voices.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked nervously. Mr Squelch gently ushered me forward, and with all of us inside the door closed, as if on a spring. I gulped.

"To our master, of course," he told me, "Follow us.."

There seemed to be no other option so I followed them all the way up that never-ending staircase, with the three of them urging me to hurry. This was not what I had imagined, not at all.. I'd imagined Mother and I being shown around behind the scenes, finding out how the Ghost Train operated, how the strange mirrors were built, all that kind of thing. I shouldn't have come with them. Mother was probably looking for me right now. Father too. I would be in so much trouble…

The stairs eventually led through an opening, into a dark room. The trio climbed through the opening and allowed me to do the same, before starting to descend the stairs again. "Wait.." I told them. They looked at me. "Is this where Mister Y lives?"

"He works here", Miss Fleck purred, "And now, he is waiting for you and we must disappear…Farewell, our young friend.."

I watched in amazement as they seemed to float away, down the long staircase. Having got my breath back, I looked around this strange, cold room, which seemed to be shrouded in darkness.

Then, over in the corner, I saw a black shadow with a white mask gleaming in the dark, and it was moving towards me with slow, careful movements. Mister Y..

Nervously, I took a step back. I'd been looking forward to this meeting and now…

"Don't be afraid, Gustave."

That voice! Shivers ran down my spine at the sound of it. It was mesmerizing, hypnotic...

"W-hat is this place?"

"This is my realm, my young friend. I call it the Aerie. This is where art and music and beauty reign. All my illusions are created here, far above the crowds and the noise below."

There were strange shapes and contraptions everywhere. Was this what he had promised me? To see all the secrets, all the mysteries?

"Why don't you take a look around while I finish off my work?" he asked, returning to the corner where I could see a desk of some kind.

"Thank you" I murmured, glancing around at this dark room and wondering it might contain.

Almost immediately my eyes were drawn to an elegant piano in one corner and I moved slowly towards it. "May I play it? I asked the shadow tentatively.

"Does the young vicomte play?" he asked me in astonishment.

I nodded and sat at the beautiful instrument. It seemed so long since I had played the piano and I thought sadly of our own one back in the chateau, silent for the time being.

He was walking slowly towards me now but I was no longer afraid. Without thinking, I played the little melody that had been going around in my head for days. Finally, I could release it! Just simple words but it was enough.

"Beautiful… It's all so beautiful.."

I played those six notes over again, without the words this time.

"What's this?" Mister Y was asking me, intrigued.

"Just a song in my head." I replied distractedly. "I often have melodies and notes in my head… They just come to me, without warning, and I have to play them, or write them down. Sometimes I'm playing outside or eating and they just come.."

I looked at him, expecting the same look that I got from practically everyone I said that to, except Mother: incredulity, bewilderment, the look that said "You strange boy".

But he stood opposite me, fixing me with those eyes of his. "You hear melodies too?"

"Yes.. " I breathed, "And I cannot rest until they are written"

"Nor can I. Music.. It is everything to me, and here, on the island, I cannot create the songs in my head, or my heart. But they exist nonetheless and in this room alone, they come alive."

I could only stare, yet again. Someone else who felt as I did about music! Not even Mother shared this dark obsession to create.

He held out a gloved hand to me. "Come, Gustave, let me show you everything."

I stood, shaking a little, but my fear vanished when that hand took mine and lead me from the piano.

So many things in that room! Things I could not have imagined. There was a skeleton automaton that moved around the room, apparently of its own accord. There was a large version of the toy he had given me, with a large monkey playing a strange eerie tune. And a net suspended from the ceilings with skulls inside (I hoped they were not real ones) which sang another strange melody that I had never heard.

And it was all strange, unlike anything I had ever seen in the world I came from. And yet it was.. "Beautiful.." I breathed. He was watching me, gauging my reaction and his visible eyebrow was raised. "Yes, it is, isn't it?"

"This child.." he murmured. He stood before me, gazing down upon my small frame and to my surprise he put his hands on my shoulders. "Gustave, how old are you?" He gripped me tightly as if everything depended on my answer.

"Ten," I whispered.

He gasped. "Ten.. Ten years old!"

He reeled backwards, putting his hands over his mouth. "No! It's not possible! It isn't possible! And yet.."

His breathing was ragged, and now he was on his knees in front of me, clutching at his chest. For a moment I thought he was going to have a heart attack and I started to panic.

"Mister Y? Are you all right?"

"It can't be.. it can't…He is beautiful, too beautiful…"

His hands were still over his face and my fear was increasing by the second. "Do you need me to get help?" I gasped.

Slowly he rose, towering over me again and took some deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

His eyes never left me as he took my hand once more.

As we looked around together, he questioned me, with breathless enthusiasm. His voice was dark, harsh, his eyes were searching me. Even his questions frightened yet enthralled me.

"Have you ever looked out into the night and felt things, things you couldn't express? Have you had dark thoughts, which scared you but thrilled you all the same? Ever wanted to leave the normal, everyday world behind and explore the darkness?"

My heart was racing frantically. I thought of the forest on the estate, how I had looked out my window at night and wondered what was happening under the cover of darkness. How I had sat in that forest and had chills at the sensations I felt. All the music in my head, the Snow Queen and her dark beauty, all the things that I could never explain or describe..

"Yes, I have felt all those things!" I exclaimed.

He spoke to me of longing and darkness and beauty that lay beneath the surface and I understood; I understood because we both felt the same. At last.. All these years of feeling like an outsider, like the Ugly Duckling in the story.. Here was someone who shared my love of adventure and danger and strange things. I felt a million miles from the drawing rooms and tea parties and decorum of my upper class world..

"You are not afraid? You can face all this?"

"Yes, it is everything l I've ever dreamed about, all here in this room! And you feel the same! Oh, at last!"

Slowly he knelt before me again, looking deep into my eyes with such hope, such anticipation.

"You brave, brave boy… You can see the beauty underneath!"

With that he took off his mask.

Oh God.. How can I describe how I felt at seeing that face for the first time? It was to become so familiar to me, so normal, but at that moment all I could see were the hideous scars on the right side of his face, like he had been torn apart by an animal. Those veins and scars and that deformed mouth and most frightening of all there was a piece missing from his right temple and his skull was exposed!

I screamed.

In blind terror, I ran for the stairs, away from this hideous monster. But a pair of arms caught me and I struggled against them, afraid I would be trapped here forever..

"Gustave, it's me!" cried my mother's voice, and I flung myself into her embrace. "It's horrible, horrible!" I wept.

"It's all right, everything's all right" she told me soothingly and I began to calm down a little, still clinging to her.

Just then, I noticed Miss Fleck standing beside the opening from the staircase.

"Take him back to the hotel, please," Mother told her sternly. I started moving towards the stairs, but her hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Wait for me in the foyer and don't move from there," she told me in a firm voice.

I didn't even turn around. Hastily I followed Miss Fleck down that spiral staircase, eager to get away from that.. monster! As I hurried down the stairs, I thought I heard raised voices from the room above and Mister Y asking "Did you think I wouldn't guess?"

My strange companion did not speak until we were outside where the other two were waiting for us, both looking awkward and apologetic.

"Your mother was very angry with us-"

"When we told her of your whereabouts-"

"And she made us bring her here immediately"

They were trying to stay in character, but I could tell they were truly repentant. They walked with their heads down and shoulders slumped. I was too distracted by the thought of that hideous face to attempt any conversation.

I followed my strange companions back to the hotel. "We are sorry, little vicomte," Miss Fleck told me ruefully, "How were you to know that the master is a freak, just like us?"

I stared at her. "That's why he wears the mask?"

She nodded. "That is why he lives here. Where else could he live? Or us, for that matter?"

Her voice sounded sorrowful rather than eerie, and I could not think of a reply.

They left me at the door of the hotel, eager to get away from the crowds and I watched as they disappeared with apparent ease.

I sat glumly on a sofa in the foyer, trying to work out what had happened.

Mister Y was just like me. No! I told myself. I don't look like that! But all he had said, it was everything I had felt but had no words for. And all his creations!

And what about Mother? When we left, she had stayed behind. What were they talking about? What about Raoul and Madame Giry's conversation earlier? Did they all know Mister Y from years ago, and why was Raoul so angry? And that face.. I could not erase it from my mind. Even though I had seen deformities on the streets of Paris, this was unimaginable. And yet, it was not completely unfamiliar. Where had I seen it before?

I sat on that sofa, unable to think of any answers. Who was this Mister Y? Mother didn't have any male friends. All the men she knew were either employees or friends of Father's. And I certainly would remember if he had visited the chateau. Why was she so secretive? Had he done something bad to them both in the past? I had no reason to think that he was a secret lover. Mother never went anywhere without me or Raoul, or both of us. As far as I knew, she'd never been courted before her reunion with him at the Opera House. At the time, I hardly considered it anyway, such was my innocence.

So I was very confused by the time Mother came for me, looking flustered and nervous. "Were you talking to Mister Y all this time? Did you have an argument with him?" I asked her hesitantly.

"I have been reprimanding him for luring you away from me. I told him it was completely unacceptable and he has apologised for his lack of consideration. His… assistants will be reprimanded also. I was very angry with them when they told me where you were, let me tell you."

I looked down at the ground in my shame.

"You should not have gone with them, Gustave. You are old enough and bright enough to know better. We are in a strange, unfamiliar city and we hardly know those people. Do not go with them again. I have told them not to take you somewhere without me again, and you must promise me not to wander off with any other strangers."

"I promise, Mother. And – I'm sorry"

She paused but I did not look up. "Are you all right dear?" she asked more gently, sitting beside me.

"Yes, just a bit shocked… Mother, did you know Mister Y looked like.. that?"

"Yes, I did." She looked at the floor, closing her eyes, "Gustave, what happened?"

"He showed me all his inventions and let me play his piano and asked me things."

"What kind of things?"

How could I explain? I tried to, but she seemed confused. Confused, but not at all surprised. She just sighed, putting her head in her hands. "Yes, you do have a lot in common, don't you?" she whispered. She looked at me.

"He can't help how he looks, you know. You remember that old man that begs at the market sometimes? The one whose face was burned in a fire? Haven't I told you not to be afraid of him, that you shouldn't judge someone by their appearance?"

I did remember him, but this was different. That face was worse than anything I had ever seen. And now I remembered where I saw it. My nightmare, a long time ago now but suddenly real, the one where a monster had been chasing me through the forest and made me look at his hideous face.. But I could not tell Mother this. She had enough to worry about.

She sighed. "I have to go back to rehearsals now, my dear. Promise me you will stay where I can see you."

"I promise"

I meant it. I truly did.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So many things I did not understand! Again, I only received an edited version of what went on in that Aerie. But would it have made a difference? How could I have guessed the truth?

Tonight I am alone in the house, with just the ticking of the clock in the background. Looking back on that strange day, I can see another clock, invisible to us all, ticking away, counting down the time until… But that story must wait.

Tonight, I leave aside my journal for a while. Ignoring the books on the shelf that my family think are "suitable for my age group" I unearth my well-thumbed copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Yes, after all these years, I am still enthralled by the beauty underneath…