THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVEIWS, THE ALL MAKE ME SO HAPPY, I HOPE I WILL CONTINUE TO GET MORE AND MORE, I HAVE SO MANY IDEA'S PLANNED FOR THIS STORY. THE ROMANCE IN THIS FIC WILL BE A LITTE SLOW AT FIRST BECAUSE I WANTED THEM TO START OF AS FRIENDS AND WORK FROM THERE. ALSO ITS THEIR CHARATERS, ELIZABETH IS SO SHY AND ERIK IS STILL SOMEWHAT IN LOVE WITH CHRISTINE SO I'VE GOT TO GRAVITATE THEM TOWARDS EACHOTHER OR IT WONT BE NATURAL AND EXTREEM;Y OOC, I DONT WANT THEM SO ALL OF A SUDDEN FALL IN LOVE WITHOUT ANY STORY
PLEASE REVEIW
ALSO, I AM THINKING OF CHANGING THE RATING OF THIS STORY TO 'M' BECAUSE OF CERTAIN SCENES I HAVE PLANNED
I DONT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, BUT I DO OWN THE SONG AND I KNOW ITS BAD, SO IM SORRY THAT I TRY TO PASS IT OFF AS THE PHANTOMS PLEASE EXCUSE ME
CHAPTER SEVEN
At least she was trying.
That much Erik agreed. She came everyday without fail, at first she was late a few times but he rectified the problem and now she always came on time.
She was a good student at the very least, attentive, eager to learn and quick to pick up on things. She was very submissive, but that came with being a noble born lady, she knew how to show humility to which he approved, he didn't need to deal with another Diva.
The girl purposely omitted her last name, but it was of no importance.
She was progressing marvellously. It had been about a month since he offered to teach her and since then Elizabeth had kept him well entertained. They still kept apart, he did not know of her life and she did not know of his. All he knew what he saw before him.
She was shy. A quiet mouse like girl who spoke well and apologised regularly, it was annoying sometimes. But also sometimes he would catch traces of her real personality when she let it slip through unwillingly. The rare times she would retaliate against his strict teachings and make comments, he always let them slide because they were so amusing.
She was impressive with her talent also. She had a natural range and pitch that ,once she stopped being so usually stuck on the idea that such things were impossible for her, she was able to reach beautifully. The notes were beginning to become natural to her and in only three weeks time she had successfully grasped the concept of reading opera music.
He wanted to see how her piano skills were, since she had mentioned she was learned, but that was for another time.
But what really made her interesting to teach, was how much she seemed to love the music. She would get so excited whenever she reached a note that was difficult and her eyes would light up when she was practicing. There was something about teaching someone passionate about music that was entertaining. It was safe to say that Elizabeth was safe from his noose...for now.
But there were still places that could use improvement. She had no confidence in herself and had to be tricked into trying things she believed out of her range. That would not do.
Christine had had beautiful stage presence. True she wasn't as devoted to the music as Elizabeth seemed to be, but her voice was one no one could ever resist. From the moment he first saw her when madam Giri first brought her to live. He was a fair bit older than her by at least fourteen years or so, but age meant nothing to him.
He introduced her to the world of music, and she had not disappointed.
But he always knew that the music was something she did because she knew it pleased him, not because it was something dear to her soul, singing was something she enjoyed and did because she was good and because he had made her good. Perhaps that was why her voice was good but still lacking, if only she had allowed to teach her further...
Erik paused at the organ.
It had already been so many years and still he loved her.
His Christine.
He had more pride than to become a poor besotted fool who remained completely in depression, but that did not mean he did not love her still. Christine had been his angel. And for her, he knew he could never be a man to her. Not with his face, so instead he became her Angel of Music.
The sound of footsteps echoing along the pipe sounded through the small room. He checked the small time piece on the chain. She was late.
Elizabeth stumbled in with an apologetic smile "Master!" she cried
She had taken to calling him 'Master' not that he objected, he supposed she needed something to call him and she did not know of his alias 'The Phantom of the Opera'.
Also it was amusing.
He glared at her as she came in, even if she was only a few minutes late it was still bad. He only had a small amount of time to teach her each day and if she was late then they lost valuable time. She was good, but she needed much teaching if she was to be ready and to catch up with all he had taught Christine from when she was eighteen.
"You're late!" he snapped.
She bowed her head "I'm sorry, my younger sister tried to ensnare me into going shopping, I only managed to convince her otherwise."
So she had a sister, Erik stored the information for another time.
"Never mind, come over here, I have something for you."
She approached the piano and he pulled out the music score he had been playing before she arrived to show it to her.
Her eyes scanned over it and widened "But this..." her face broke into one of her wide smiles "this is an opera song, I though you said I wasn't to touch a opera song until I had learned all the notes?"
"You have learned all the notes" he replied "There is a fine difference between simply reciting opera scales and singing real soprano songs. This will take longer, so it is best to begin soon"
Her eyes further read the score and her eyes widened with untamed excitement. This surprised him, he was not used to seeing it, she was always so calm, reserved, a perfect lady. But now she was acting like a child at Christmas, it was interesting to see this.
Even more so the reason for her excitement as she looked up suddenly "This song is so beautiful, it has all the notes I've been learning, the words are so pretty. Where did you find such a thing?"
He was somewhat insulted; she knew of his talents with music and yet still played the ignorant?
"Never mind" he said sitting at the piano, "sing it."
"Sing it!" she cried "What! Here? Now? I haven't practiced or rehearsed or..."
"Silence!" he cried, slamming his hand down "for what reason did I teach you to read music?"
She flinched.
"Now sing it" he said, follow the notes."
He sat at the organ and played a soft introduction. She looked nervous, he realised, and agitated, but once glance at him and he watched her force herself to breath. One day, her breathing would be natural he promised himself; he would not accept anything less.
"Fall begins to wane, as the winter general descends" she sang, the first few lines trembles unpleasantly, she soughed.
"I sit and wait, at my window pane, for my lost bird to come flying home" her low notes were better, but here came the soprano.
"Come back to me
Dear heart don't forsake me
I lived my life eternally, so I could meet you again" yes, this part was perfect, she hit the note exactly right.
"The summer king, has gone to sleep, his lover spring had died,
She will come once again, when the sun rises
Will the winter snow, freeze you more?
Will my love melt you at last?
Can a frozen heart even beat
When it's been broken into shards of ice?"
The alto music played as her voice wavered slightly she took a breath and began the next soprano
"My bird. please return, I will hold you to my breast
Let my blood be yours again,
So I may be put to rest
The winter general calls for me
But I want to see your face,
One more time, before I drown
In my own eternal sleep."
She paused as the music continued further and sighed as the sing finished.
"It's not completed" he admitted, but for practice it will do."
"It's beautiful" she said "and so sad. I should have known you wrote it?"
He looked at her "how would you to know that?"
"Because only your music can move me so much, this song is of a woman about to die and she is wishing to see her lover once more before that happens, but when you played I could feel the heartbreak, it was so sad."
If it were anyone else, Erik would have accused them of being arrogant and simpering. But from what he knew of Elizabeth, was that she was like a child in the aspect that she only ever said what she meant, so honestly without any ulterior motives.
He nodded to her "you were off in several places; we will be learning this until you can sing it to perfection." He said it harshly, but she only nodded "Yes Master." This was how a student was to treat a master, the students in the opera house could learn from this girl. Stomping around acing as if they were golden gifts to the stage simply because they had some talent.
He hated people like that, people who used to laugh and scorn him so many years ago in a more painful point of his life.
He checked his timepiece "it is late, your family will become suspicious, tell no one of our meeting" he told her this every time they ended a lesson, and every time she would answer "Never Master"
Elizabeth hauled herself up on Moonlight's back and urged her on into a trot.
She was still buzzing from today's lesson.
A song, he had her sing a song.
Asong he had even writen for her!
And what a song too, so beautiful, his music made her want to cry, the song suited her voice at this point perfectly. He played it so well, it was official, the man was without a doubt a true genius. She wanted to sing it more, to practice so that when she went back tomorrow her voice wouldn't falter and would be perfect in all aspects. She wanted to please the person to write such an amazing song so badly.
But where could she find the time to practice, verity used all the music rooms, Abigail was usually always in the garden, her mother and servants were always about. There was no safe place in the house. Somehow, Elizabeth didn't want her family knowing her secret just yet. She wanted to sing just for him for now and perhaps...she was a little scared.
Because it always happened like this. Elizabeth would find something she loved, something she enjoyed. Then her sisters would find out and they would want to try it, and then they would be much better than her. the teachers would get bored and would gravitate towards them leaving Elizabeth in the dark.
Elizabeth was a practical girl with a strong sense of pride. She knew that in this world, there were some things she couldn't have, some thongs that would never be hers. So she had learnt to give up while the game was lost, it hurt less that way.
But Elizabeth when Elizabeth thought about her music, her singing and her teacher's attentions, she realised she didn't want to give it up. Singing made her so happy. When he gave her the copy of the score he had written for her, played it as she sang, Elizabeth had felt so alive, as if that was the reason she had lived so long, so sing this man's music and she wanted nothing more than to do so. It seemed to please him, and she knew that she loved it. no, she didn't want her sisters to take that away from her too.
Must she always play the part of the martyr? The dutiful older sister?
When she was singing, she was happy.
Wasn't she allowed some happiness too?
She began to approach the estate as she went back to the stables and handed Moonlight to one of the stable hands "Take care of her for me" she told them "and please check her hoofs, I think one of her shoes are loose, and she was slower today than usual, so please see if something may be wrong with her legs."
The stable hand who worked for them was someone who was hand picked by her mother. Which meant he was snobbish and selfish and hated horses, he only did the job because he was paid for it. but Elizabeth needed someone to care for her horse since she was not allowed to do it herself, English ladies were not to be in a place such as a stable was what her mother constantly preached.
The stable hand Armani, only grunted and lead Moonlight away.
As Elizabeth entered the house she heard someone cal for her "Elizabeth!"
She looked up to see Abigail stood on the stair case.
"Father has returned."
I THINK I WILL STOP THERE
PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER