NEW CHAPTER!

I DONT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA OR ELIZABETH WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL PERSON IN THE MOVIE AND Erik WOULD HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH HER INSTEAD.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Abigail was avoiding her.

That much was completely obvious.

Poor Elizabeth, now that the thrill of the opera had subsided somewhat it was replaced by an overwhelming sense of guilt. Elizabeth wasn't known for having a temper. She was actually quite a peaceful person who was never known to have an outburst unless pushed to the extremes. But Abigail pushing in on her time with the Master caused Elizabeth to snap and release some of her pent up anger.

But it was still no excuse, the good Lord said, never to be angry with ones own brother...or sister in Elizabeth's case and she was a devoted Christian. But it wasn't just to do with religion, Elizabeth simply did not fighting with her sisters. She was the eldest; she was supposed to be the calm one in the family.

Abigail must have been so shocked; Elizabeth barely ever raised her voice. Mother had a firm idea in her head that a lady must never raise her tone any louder than the rustling of a gentle whispering wind and was not to speak unless he could improve the silence.

Her mother was a very demeaning woman.

But the thing that made Elizabeth feel the most guilt was that even though she was guilty she couldn't bring herself to feel regret for shouting at her. For Abigail was a very pushy girl and would have pushed and pushed until she had a seat in that opera and it would never have been as magical as it was when it was just her Master and her.

Elizabeth closed her eyes with a small smile on her face when she thought about it. Truly, it was to be an experience she would never forget.

She was riding to her lesson now and her mare Moonlight had been on this path so many times that she already knew the way and this allowed her mistress the dose or daydream safely. Elizabeth smiled and stroked the side of her neck "Good girl" she murmured and the horse whinnied in pleasure.

Elizabeth loved her horse. Anyone who knew her would tell you this. Her horse was one of the only things whose importance was equal to her sisters!

She gently dismounted and began to tether her to the tree. Moonlight sorted, these times of waiting for her mistress were boring and she missed her, she did not want her human to go, she wanted to ride some more. Elizabeth laughed when she felt her cold nose but against her sleeve "None of that now" she chided "I have to go, now be a good girl and wait here."

Moonlight butted her again in the shoulder and Elizabeth smiled fondly before leaning her forehead against the animal's muzzle. "What am I to do with you?"

"Is this your horse?"

Elizabeth almost had a heart attack she spun round to see her Master standing at the entrance to the pipe system "Master" she gasped "Don't do that, you scared the wits out of me." she breathed out. "How on earth do you do that" she asked.

"What?"

"Sneak up behind people without even the slightest sound. It's so unnerving, I don't know if it's because you are extremely sly or simply because I am extremely unobservant" she pouted.

The master gave her an amused look "Don't worry yourself, I have experience with, as you so elegantly put it, in 'sneaking around'. If I don't want to be heard than I won't."

Elizabeth gave up trying to reason with him.

Over the many months of seeing him they relationship had somehow drifted from a teacher-student relationship to a teacher-student relationship mixed with aspects of friendship.

It wasn't much, but it was certainly a start. A start towards what, Elizabeth didn't know.

She surveyed the horse "A Blue Roan breed" he murmured. "She's well fed, well filled out and over all a very healthy horse."

Elizabeth puffed up a little with pride "Of course."

"What happened t the imbecile stable hand?"

Elizabeth made a face "Oh him! I fired Armani as soon as I had time, I was so angry with him. He made this huge fuss about how he was a genius with horses and I was just a silly little woman not worth anything in life and how I was lucky to have him waiting on my nightmare horse"

Moonlight snorted with amusement and Elizabeth grinned also.

"I fired him and sent him packing. Now there's one of my handpicked stable hands working there but usually I take care of Moonlight myself. Since I am a spinster my mother dose not entirely care how I conduct myself." She said smiling

Her master nodded "I was wondering about that, how you are able to go out unattended everyday it's a miracle, I would have thought you'd be accompanied by a maid or something."

"Oh, I'm supposed to, but I begged father not to force me to, he doesn't care either way and gave the order, and mother can't go against him."

She said nothing more after that but Elizabeth knew she had already revealed a big part of herself. Maybe too much?

He reached up and patted the mare's neck. Moonlight whickered slightly. Elizabeth smiled "She likes you, Moonlight a very good judge of character, but she's so picky. She hated Armani, she used to attempt to bite of his fingers at least twice a day, five if she was lucky."

He surveyed her with a strange expression "You love your horse very much, don't you?"

Elizabeth nodded "Yes. Moonlight's my only real companion, my friend. She's the only one who doesn't judge me, or thinks I'm worthless because I'm not as good as my sisters. In fact..." she giggled "I got Moonlight some years ago. My father brought her home after purchasing her from a cruel, rich man who wore spurs. He told us that whichever one of us could ride her could keep her since we all thought she was beautiful, my father sometimes likes to pretend that we are his sons instead of his daughters.

"Anyway, my sister Abigail decided it wasn't worth it. Then Verity tried and she three her off. Hermione tried after that and although she's a much better rider than me, Moonlight didn't accept her either. But for some reason, when I sat on her, we clicked. At first Moonlight didn't like me any more than she liked my sisters, but then she calmed more and behaved so beautifully. I was so proud and happy. Ever since then she's been my one and only mount. She was one of the first in my life to actually choose me over my sisters." She took Moonlights head and rested her cheek against the horse's "I love her dearly."

Moonlight remembered that time too. The first girl had been too rough. The second had actually had the nerve to use spurs. But the third girl, the one that was later to become her own mistress, she was different.

The horse remembered how she had gently stroked her nose and whispered kind words in her ears to calm her, when she sat on her back she was a very gentle rider who to Moonlight's delight, did not use spurs. She never urged her to do something impossible or to show off but rather to simply ride with her and Moonlight decided then and there that if she was to have a Master or Mistress, it would be this girl. And since then Moonlight had not once regretted her decision. Elizabeth had been very good to her and Moonlight was proud to be her horse.

She neighed and Elizabeth laughed as she stroked her neck.

The master put his hand on Moonlights nose and the horse calmed.

"Wow. That's amazing. How did you do that? Moonlight is so paranoid usually"

"I'm good with horses" he replied "I had a horse once. A black stallion, I called him Cesare. I...grew up in an unsavoury place, when escaping I took the horse with me. They used to use the whip on him. I took care of the horse and grew fond of him."

"What happened to him?"

"He was an old horse" he said "he lived a content life and died of old age. At least I believe his life was content, better than being a circus horse anyway..." suddenly he froze and his eyes which had been gentle and calming took on a serious and slightly angry expression and her grabbed her wrist and pulled her along "Come" he said "we're missing your lesson."

And with that he pulled her into the pipes.

Erik pilled her down the long pipe system while dragging Elizabeth behind. Although there wasn't much dragging involved. The minuet he began to drag her, her arm had become lax as she allowed him to guide her though the tunnels. What was wrong with her, wasn't she worried at all?

She knew nothing about him other than that he lived at an opera house. For all she knew he could be dragging her away to have his way with her and murder her. But no, she would never suspect that of him, she was far too innocent. Not that he would do that to her. Erik had no wish for something like that.

He had given up on even hoping for such things a long time ago.

But Elizabeth had surprised him with her obvious devotion towards her horse. It was strange to see anyone of the English Ton so down to earth. Most women would more likely be more concerned over her jewellery than the life of another living thing, which was one of the reasons he had always hated nobility.

But Elizabeth was so different, and yet she seemed to loath it. Whenever she would talk about herself, saying things he would approve of like having an interest in education and other such, her eyes would cloud over with distaste, as if she hated that part of her.

Erik hoped she would never change, Ton women should be more like her.

He had said too much though. Erik hadn't realised how much he was revealing when he told her about Cesare. But to see her so relaxed and happy with the horse, to hear her refer to it as a friend had almost made him smile. it made him think of the past. Growing up, Erik had sometimes felt that the horse was the only real friend he had. The only one who didn't flinch or gasp in horror at the sight of his face. Animals didn't judge, they were sometimes better than humans in this aspect.

Cesare had been his one companion. And somehow he felt that Elizabeth understood that feeling. It was a strange feeling, to know that there was someone who actually understood, really understood.

Even so, he had still revealed too much. Erik didn't want her knowing his past. That would ruin everything. He would never admit it, not even to himself, but also he didn't want her opinion to change of him after she found out the truth. The real reason he wore a mask.

Elizabeth followed him, glancing beck Erik realised she had taken his comment to heart and was wearing her jet black hair down, held back by a crimson red ribbon that showed up brightly against her hair.

Erik didn't know what had possessed him to say that to her. He remembered seeing her hair piled up on top her head like all the other ladies and just thinking how wrong it looked. This wasn't Elizabeth, she wasn't like them.

They entered the music room and he released her.

Erik noticed she had a confused expression on her face.

He took in a breath.

"Master" Elizabeth said her eyes wide and trusting.

No, he didn't want this to change; he didn't want her to become afraid of him.

THIS CHAPTER IS SHORTER THAN MY OTHER ONES BUT I WILL HAVE A LOOK INTO ERIK'S PAST NEXT CHAPTER

SO PLEASE REVEIW