I DONT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
I WROTE THIS CHAPTER SO QUICKLY WITHOUT STOPPING BECAUSE I WANTED TO GET IT TO YOU ALL
PLEASE ENJOY
I JUS WANT TO POINT OUT I HAVE A LOT OF IDEA'S PLANNED FOR THIS STORY, BUT IT MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU EXPCENT, I HAVE A LOT OF TWISTS PLANNED TOO
ALSO, IM SORRY TO THOS WHO DONT WANT THIS TO BE A M RATED STORY
BUT THE SCENES ARE IMPOTANT AND I'VE ALWSY WANTED TO WRITE A REAL MATURE SCENE, I REALLY THINK I CAN DO IT THIS TIME
BUT IF I DO DESIDE TO CHANGE THE RATING, IT DOSENT MEAN YOU HAVE TO STOP READING, I WILL BE SURE TO LET YOU KNOW WHEN THERE WILL BE A MATURE SCENE AND YOU CAN SKIP IT, IT WONT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO THE STORY
CHAPTER EIGHT
Elizabeth didn't see her father at all after Abigail's announcement. And neither did anyone else other than her mother who most likely met him on his way in. After returning he went straight to his study and didn't come out. This was the normal however.
Elizabeth's family was of good blood. Both her mother and father had a long and healthy generation behind them, but while her mother stayed at home and ran the household, while her father ran his businesses. He was a tradesman, he travelled on ships and trains all over the place and sold goods, he often said he did it not because of profit but because he liked being away from him, he was happy being in trade.
It was a family legacy which he took in stride, their father was an adventurous sort, he never wanted to be tied down.
That evening's meal was a quiet affair as they ate in silence.
"Is father coming down tonight?" Abigail asked suddenly.
Her mother frowned "No, your father is in his study, he will eat when he is ready." And that was the end of the conversation.
Elizabeth said nothing, this was a delicate affair.
Her father had been due to arrive almost a month ago and when he didn't it caused worry to her mother. And now he was suddenly back again and not bothered about anything. Elizabeth sometimes did not understand why her mother always fretted like this. Her father had a habit of staying longer than usual and Elizabeth had simple become used to it, as they all did.
She forked a piece of asparagus and popped in her mouth, chewing slowly.
If anything she was more bothered about how now that father was home she would have a much harder time escaping for her lessons. And if that happened...she shuddered to think about how angry her Master would be.
There was a knock at the door as her mother called "Enter."
A servant entered the room and gave a short bow "Forgive me My lady, but the Master has requested the presence of Miss Elizabeth."
Silence filled the room as a tense atmosphere filled the air. Sophia turned to her eldest daughter who had not even once looked up at the announcement and was drinking from her wine glass.
"Elizabeth!" her mother said sharply.
Elizabeth finished drinking and said simply "I apologise for my rudeness mother, but at this moment I am dining with you all" to the servant she said "Please tell my father I will join him in his study after I have finished my Supper"
The servant bowed "Right away Miss" and he turned to leave.
Her sisters turned to her with troubled expressions as she continued to eat.
"Elizabeth" Verity said, her usually bravado way of speaking gone and replaced with a more polite mannerism "You really shouldn't keep father waiting, he's been gone ever so long."
Elizabeth smiled at her sister "and he will still be here when supper is finished." She said.
When her supper was finished Elizabeth rose from her seat and followed the servant down the hall, ignoring the eyes of her sisters.
She approached her father's study on the high level and knocked gently "Father" she called "I have come."
When he did not answer she gently opened the door.
He stood in the room with his back turned to her as he pooled over a map.
"Father?"
He turned to her and grinned "Elizabeth my dear girl, how long had it been!"
She smiled at his behaviour, typical father "father you were due back a month ago, where have you been?"
He waved his hand in a disregarding manner "Now Now Lizzie" he said, using the nick name he called her when they were alone "I can't just go ant tell a storm when they can and can' barrage a ship now can I? Aren't you glad to see me home?"
She smiled warmly "Of course I am father."
Really, she was fond of her father. He turned back to his maps for a moment and scanned them, looking for something.
Elizabeth may have mentioned before, she took after her father. Alexander Ashwin was a handsome man for his age with dark green eyes and rich hair as black as night. He was tall and well dressed. In his youth he was known as the season's finest catch.
Her parents had been an arranged marriage and he had only complied to it because it was promised that if he did he would be granted freedom. On the condition he bore an heir.
And Elizabeth was born, then Hermione, and Abigail, Verity and Charlotte. After that the doctor announced it would be dangerous if the lady became pregnant again so there was no male heir but a house full of daughters. This suited him fine as he did not care either way.
Elizabeth suited him just fine.
He noticed one day when she was seven how learned Elizabeth was with her sums and her geography. He realised she was smart for a woman and delighted in this knowledge as he now had the heir he needed to go after his freedom.
And so Elizabeth became his heir, or heiress to be precise. If not for that she would be another face in his household.
"Lizzie" he called "Come over here a minute. Elizabeth came over and peered at what looked to be a group of mathematical sums and profit totals. They were complex, too complex for most noble woman who had no interest in such things. But for Elizabeth it was easy. She nodded to her father and became seated as she patiently worked the out. He nodded with approval and went to go and inspect some of his mail.
After some time Elizabeth finished.
"Father" she called "I noticed that you made some unnecessary selling in this region" she indicated a place on the map. "I also took the liberty of seeing the proposal drawn up and strongly suggest you turn it down. I have read that the merchandise in that season will not be of full quality; why not wait till next summer before buying their goods"
Her father surveyed her and nodded happily "you're right Lizzie, its exactly what I was thinking, I know you would see it the same way."
Elizabeth nodded yes.
Her father was always like this, he would ignore her like everyone else for days and months on end, unless it suited him. And she knew he would not be so interested if he had a son.
But in this household, he paid more interest in her than he did anyone else, even his own wife.
"Father, have you been to see Verity, Abigail or Charlotte yet?" she asked tangibly.
"No" he said simply "say, when we are finished I would very much like to hear your Piano forte later, after all, one must not forget you are female."
Liar.
He just didn't want to carry on this conversation, he had no interest whatsoever in her piano.
Elizabeth blanched "really father, Verity plays a much prettier Piano than I, and I'm sure she would be delighted should you listen to her."
"We'll see" he murmured.
He was always like this; he had no interest in the rest of their family.
Just as Elizabeth had no interest being his pawn in his work.
He was a dreamy man who only cared for his travels and nothing else. It was one of the reasons why her mother was a little colder to her than to any of the other girls.
Sophia may not love Alexander, but she believed wholeheartedly in a woman serving and satisfying her husband. But he had no interest in her, he only touched her enough times for her to be with child and nothing more and he rarely ever sought her out. The same went for sister's, all it did was alienate her a little.
And she hated it.
But did he care?
"Father, please come and join us in the gardens tomorrow, must you stay hauled up in your rooms every time you return?"
"I am not only a businessman Elizabeth" he said sternly, his playful attitude gone "but I am also the master of this house, I have much to do and no time to be doing foolish things."
She flinched and nodded. "It is late, I must retire" she stood "goodnight sir"
When she left the room, she realised Abigail standing by the door watching.
"Elizabeth..."
She said no more as the two walked towards their rooms.
"You're lucky, father loves you"
"He doesn't love me" Elizabeth said "he needs an heir, whether he likes it or not. And I'm just the smarter out of all of us. He doesn't care about me. and it's a little insulting"
"Oh Elizabeth, that's not true."
She smiled and went into her room. But before she closed the door she added "Sister, I wish it weren't." Because the truth hurt so much.
Closing the door Elizabeth let go of a breath she had not know she was holding.
Sometimes she wondered which was worse, her mother or her father. One thought she was useless, the other only put up with her because he had to.
Wasn't she worth more than that?
Elizabeth sat on her bed and from under the covers she pulled out the opera score her Master had given her and read it though, imagining the music in her mind.
After her fourth reading she finally smiled and sighed.
It was amazing how much his music calmed her. she had only known him a month and already her Master had become such an important person in her life, he had given her so much.
Gone were the days when she would sit and wonder why she was even alive, now she spent her time thinking about how next to see him and what she would learn.
Music set her soul on fire, and she had not even known it could do such a thing till she met him. She felt so ignorant the music he wrote spoke to her like nothing else.
And her Master. He was a man of many mysteries. He always came to her lessons, taught her so patiently and so carefully, he treated her like she was something important and took her seriously. This teaching had stopped being simply a whim to him and had become serious. Elizabeth sometimes did not know how to act towards such a person.
To put it in the simplest from, he had given her a purpose, something to enjoy in life, without this she would be empty.
She felt like before meeting him, world had been grey and dull. Then he introduced her to music and suddenly her world exploded slowly into tendrils of colour.
Yet...
She felt so cut off from him.
He was so elusive, the strict line between student and teacher was so strong, and Elizabeth didn't want it to be that way.
The man who had given her so much, she wanted to know more about him.
It was selfish to ask, but she couldn't stop thinking on it.
She wanted to know more.
But would he allow it?
She pulled up the music score and frowned.
She wanted to sing it so badly.
There must be somewhere in this house where she could sing without being disturbed? Without anyone seeing her.
Then it hit her!
Of course!
Why had she not thought of it sooner?
She stood and ran for the room she had in mind.
It took a long time because it was so far away and she had to avoid servants.
But eventually she made it, to the west wing of the house.
This wing belonged to her father's mother. She had always been inclined to privacy so all her walls were made thicker than most, completely soundproof.
And it was empty, because her father had not been on good terms with his mother, but in order to inherit the house he had to not touch that wing, so it was completely left alone, but in her wilder youth, Elizabeth had stolen a key.
She clicked the door open and went towards the room furthest away from everyone.
Locked in this room, she began to sing
"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?"
Her voice didn't sound anything like how it would in the music room she usually practiced in, and there was no music. But she closed her eyes and tried to imagine him there, playing the organ as she sang.
"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."
The note rolled of so nicely.
It somehow sounded better to her own ears, she wondered why.
She had been thinking about her mother, how she would feel if she loved her father and he still left. It would hurt, she mused, but if love was as powerful as they said, then perhaps she would still love him?
She wouldn't know, Elizabeth had only ever been in love once.
An image of a man with a teasing smile and gentle eyes flashed though her mind as her heart pained for a moment.
No
She shook her head. No, she wasn't allowed to have feelings anymore, hadn't she already given up?
She sighed and straightened.
Enough of this foolishness, she needed to practice.
More than anything she wanted to learn to sing this perfectly, maybe if she did...her master would let her glimpse a little at the man beneath her teacher. She wanted to know.
Although why, she wasn't sure?
IM GONNA STOP IT THERE
PLEASE REVEIW