HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER
JUST IN CASE YOU GET CONFUSED THIS PICS UP WHEN ERIK STARTS SEARCHING THROUGH THE PAPERS
I DONT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
CHAPTER TEN
"Master" Elizabeth said suddenly.
Erik paused in his searching's. He was so pleased with Elizabeth's progress he had written another song for her, a song that would challenge her voice perfectly.
In the short time of three months she had already progressed so much. Lessons everyday and dedicated practicing was the cause of the vast improvement to her voice.
He listened for her to speak, Elizabeth was quite shy, she rarely ever voiced an opinion or a request.
But nothing prepared him for her question ...I wanted to ask something, why...why do you always wear a mask?"
He tensed completely. Not that, anything but that.
Memories of Christine, of his face, of her horror went though his mind, his good mood went down the drain. And yet she continued.
"I've noticed. At first I wondered if it were just a theatrical moment you had just come from, a costume of some kind. But you never take it off, no matter what"
He wanted her to stop. His face was his own, what business did she have requesting to see it. He himself had not seen it since that day with Christine; he always avoided it as often as possible. He couldn't bear to see the thing that had caused him so much pain all his life. Why did she have to torment him like this?
That's enough" he said, so quietly. "Enough, be silent!" perhaps too quietly, she didn't hear.
"You never take it off and I was curious, what is beneath the..."
That was ENOUGH!
He could not take it anymore. He needed to shut her up. So he turned round hand went for her throat. He was angry, so angry. Erik tried to remember a time he was this angry, a long time ago. Her didn't encircle her throat and squeeze.
No.
That would leave a mark and cause damage to her singing. And as angry as Erik was he would never harm such an important instrument of singing...well...Carlotta didn't count. While her singing was good, it was no longer at the stage where it was that important, it was a simple sacrifice for the career of someone more deserving.
Instead he used the palm of his hand to press down on her throat in a way he knew would cause her a lot of pain. Good! He wanted her in pain, why was it he was the only one who was feeling so much pain? She should share some of it after having the audacity to bring up such memories. Although this would never compare to his pain, it would certainly make him feel better. He pressed down harder and felt her clawing at his hands.
Erik wasn't seeing, he wasn't feeling, all he knew right now was anger. 'Foolish girl' she actually thought she could escape that way.
He leaned in closer and felt her flinch violently beneath him. "Never" he whispered, because he was too angry to bellow ""Never, ask about my mask, or my face. It's no business of yours. You aren't to ask, question or even think of the matter. And you aren't ever to remove it. Do I make myself clear!"" he squeezed harder for effect and she cried out.
But then in his subconscious he heard the sound of sobbing, was the woman crying?
He calmed a little in order to see and saw he did.
She was absolutely terrified.
She was sobbing like a child who had been abandoned, with a expression of utter betrayal on her face. Tears were streaming from her eyes and she just looked at him. he had never seen this kind of face before.
Most people always somewhat expected him to betray them in the end, so all they ever expressed was fear. But never this, absolute...decieval.
She sobbed as she begged "I'm...sorry...Master" she whispered "Sorry...so sorry... forgive me..." she couldn't say anymore, and it was then he realised how hard he was pressing down on her neck. She looked so petrified, her whole body was shaking. Oh Merde, what had he done?
He had forgotten how much she trusted him. Had he not said so himself, she trusted him too fast, like a small dog to its master. And now he had gone and kicked it. Something he knew about trust...was that it was sometimes very easily broken.
Then she went limp and for one terrifying moment he thought that perhaps he had killed her. He let her go instantly and she tumbled to the floor.
At first he though she was dead but then he noticed her shudders. She was alive, thank goodness. Erik felt some of his anger slip away as he watched her. She hadn't even seen his face and he had managed to terrify her. This wasn't her fault. This time it was his own fault entirely and Erik freely admitted it.
He tried to reach out a hand to comfort her but she must have seen it from the corner of her eye as she flinched backwards with a little injured cry.
His had froze in mid air before curling into a fist and pulling back. He stood straight "Go" he said sombrely "you can leave, I won't stop you"
She didn't move, only sat there and stared into space. This had to have been quite a shock for her; she was after all, just little English rose. Not what people believed an English rose was, a spoilt fussy pampered rich girl of high society. Elizabeth was a real English Rose, dignified, decent.
Probably the only physical harm to have ever come to her was a smack on the hands with a ruler and even then, he couldn't see her getting into trouble with her servants, they probably all loved her and it was her sisters who always got into trouble. Elizabeth was too well mannered.
She still didn't leave s "You're free now" he said but still nothing, Erik became impatient as he yelled "GO!"
This time she yanked herself to her feet, crying out a little in pain from something and ran put the pipes, the sound of her footsteps echoing eventually disappeared.
He stood there staring at the place where she had been sitting,
She was never coming back. He knew that from the moment he let go of her neck. All his well laid out plans, gone.
Well, things like that happened, he would have to find another instead. So why did he feel like he lost something valuable?
He turned to the organ and sat down, at times like this, music was the only thing that calmed him. And it began to work.
Why had he been so angry in the first place?
She had spoken of removing his mask, why did she have to do that?
Things always became ruined once his face was revealed, things were going so perfectly. Why did she want to ruin them with talk of his face?
But she hadn't known, his mind argued, she had not known what was beneath the mask, she was simply curious.
And as they said, curiosity often killed the cat.
He ignored the second, usually forgotten part of the rhyme: but satisfaction brought them back.
She wasn't coming back.
He began to play a song he hadn't played in a long time. Music of the night.
Then he heard something from behind him and he whirled round, and then froze.
Elizabeth stood there, dishevelled, her throat a little swollen; she was holding her right arm and her eyes red from crying. But she stood there before him. Why hadn't she run?
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
She didn't say anything.
"Go get out!" why wasn't she listening?
But this time she took a step forward, and another and another.
"What are you do..." but whatever he was about to say died away at her actions.
Silently she sat at his feet and leant against his leg like a little child, crossing her arms over as her eyes frowned and more tears escaped her eyes. She sobbed a little and before Erik could say anything she spoke.
"I'm sorry" she whispered, her voice sounded so broken, her face buried in his leg so he could no longer see her face "I'm sorry. I...I won't ask about your face anymore, I promise. I don't need to know your secrets, so please...don't hate me."
Erik was at a loss for words.
Dost hate her? Why of all things would she request that?
She sobbed "Please, I can't stand the thought...I'm sorry, I don't know what I did wrong, but I won't do it again, so please don't leave me behind yet."
Yet? What in the world was the infernal woman talking about?
"Please" she sobbed.
Erik watched her cry. She was such a child, too innocent for her own good. But it was in that innocence that he found some sort of comfort. Elizabeth was an enigma to him, for so many reasons.
Because she was a noblewoman and yet she was decent.
Because she was a woman and yet she was daring.
Because she should fear him and yet she didn't.
Because she was innocent in such a world. He didn't want to taint her.
And because she still trusted him, even when he had given her more than enough reasons not to.
She was still sobbing.
Erik lifted a hand, and hesitated for a moment, before he gently rested it on her hair. She still sobbed; but he noticed how she calmed a little at his touch. How pathetic, but not entirely unwelcome.
It hit Erik then about how used to her trust he had become.
He stroked her hair the way he used to stroke the coat of his horse Cesare long ago when he became agitated. Apparently humans and animals were much alike when it came to comfort.
She began to take deep shuddering breaths, she still wasn't calm. What could he do?
Then he had an idea
"Night time, sharpens
Heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and
Wakes imagination"
His singing seemed to be working, as it always did. Erik had learned a long time ago that his singing voice had a hypnotising affect on people. By making his singing soothing it was calming her. Her breaths began to sound more normal and her body shook less.
"Slowly, gently
Night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it
Tremulous and tender"
His fingers began to thread though the strands of her hair. It was like silk. Her hair may not have been curly like the popular fashion, but it was smooth, long and curled like a wave. She calmed considerable at the action, her breaths laboured out.
"Turn your face away
From the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night."
He trailed off and realised she was breathing normally, her body was no longer shuddering or shaking form uncontrollable sobs.
"Calm?" he asked.
She moved her head in an action that felt like nodding. He smirked, she was easier to handle than he had previously thought, or was that another example of her faith in him.
He sighed as he continued the caress her hair, finding the action enjoyable "I apologise" he said "I went too far."
She did nothing, so he continued. "You see, I have a bad temper, and this time I may have taken it too far. I did not intend to scare you."
She hiccupped and he felt her life her head so her cheek was resting against the top of his leg. "Your voice" she whispered finally. It was so soft he barley heard it, but he did.
"You voice is so beautiful, I felt all my sadness melt away. You...you always compliment my voice, but you are so much better than I"
He smirked "That's true" why lie when she was right "however, you have potential, that's what is important, and you are making vast improvements in only a short amount of time. That is something to be proud of."
She paused "I just...I just wanted to know more about you" she said this so innocently, as if she was afraid to ask. Erik felt something in the pit of his stomach, but he wasn't sure what it was.
"Wanted to know more of me?"
She nodded.
He thought for a moment. This was a first for him. He supposed that after meeting with her so many times for the past three months would leave some sort of curiosity, but he still had not expected it. Normally, no cared to know of him, no one was willing to give him a chance.
"Fine" he said, "I will allow you to ask me three questions, if I cannot answer then I will not, if I can then I will do my best to do so."
She nodded and paused "I...where do you go every day?"
"I don't understand"
She sat up and rubbed her eyes "I don't think you live here, but you always arrive on time, so I was wondering where you go each day?"
He saw how she was purposely avoiding the subject of his mask. Good, they did not want a repeat of what happened a moment ago.
"I do not, as you so interestingly put it, 'live here'. I live in another opera house, I guess you could say I work there as their 'advisor'"
"They listen to you?" she asked.
Erik almost laughed, almost "they have no choice" he said quite honestly. She seemed satisfied with that.
He took her arm to help her stand and guided her to the wooden velvet chair he kept but the organ. She sat down gratefully.
"Next question"
She thought for a moment and he smirked. After all that talk about wanting to know more of him and she wasn't allowed to ask the questions she wanted to know most, she was struggling. Then she smiled, having found a suitable question "When we met, I was singing a song from an opera and you told me you composed the song..."
He frowned "I composed the entire opera."
Her eyes widened with surprise "Oh...I, well...did you really!" she looked genuinely amazed."
He nodded "Of course"
She shook her head "I don't know what to say."
"Why do you look surprised?" he asked, a little annoyed.
"Oh, please don't take offence. It's just the song...it's was so beautiful, all the songs you've written for me were beautiful, the nest I've ever seen and to think there's a whole opera filled with such music. I'd love to hear it."
She looked so eager, Erik inwardly smirked. Elizabeth had a healthy appetite and appreciation for music.
"I'm afraid that's impossible" he said "what you saw was all I have; the rest of the score was burned away in a fire."
She frowned sadly "what a shame."
Erik chuckled, she looked so disappointed "don't worry; I am in fact working on another operas we speak. It is a recent development and is not yet completed."
Her eyes lit up, all the fear and pain from before was gone. Regaining her trust had been a little easier than he thought. Erik told himself the only reason regaining her trust was so important was because it would make her more compliant to his plans. He didn't take into consideration he liked being trusted.
"Really?" she gasped "can I hear some from it?"
"Perhaps someday. Was that your second question?"
"NO!" She said quickly, then coughed in embarrassment "Sorry, no, that's not my question. The score was badly burned, so I didn't see all of it. I was wondering what the opera was called, it's been bothering me for some time now."
He smirked "Don Juan Triumphant" he said.
She smiled "It sounds like something you would come up with."
"Next question"
To this she frowned "well...about that, I was wondering of perhaps I could reserve that question for another time?"
He thought for a moment before nodded "it is your choice. But now it is my turn."
"Huh?"
"My turn to ask three questions of you. I think that is more than fair, no?"
After a moment or two she nodded.
I WAS GOING TO WRITE MORE, BUT I JUST FELT I SHOULD STOP THERE
ANTICIPATE THE NEXT CHAPTER AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR CONVERSATION
REVEIW