NEW CHAPTER

I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME BUT I HAVE THE REASON WRITTEN AT THE BOTTOM F THE PAGE. ANYWAY HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS AFTER THIS ARE GOING TO COME SLOWLY BUT I PROMISE THEY WILL COME. BECAUSE IM DETERMINED TO FINISHE THIS STORY PROPERLY, I LOVE WHAT HAPPENS TOO MUCH TO GIVE UP ON IT.

I DO NOT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

It was raining.

Elizabeth sighed as she looked out the window. Why was it always raining in England? People often made jokes about England and its miserable weather, but recently it had been so nice with only a little drizzling here and there. Most girls would say they hated rain, or would lie and say that they loved rain to make themselves sound mysterious, but Elizabeth could quite firmly say that she hated rain.

Watching it now she wanted to cry but she knew she wouldn't. This was how she dealt with pain, she would allow herself to cry for a while and when it mattered she put on a big smile so no one could tell the difference. And she had cried enough on that night, so now was the time to act strong. It was easy though, because she was very good at hiding her true feeling when it mattered. No one ever noticed because she was hardly noticeable.

And she was meeting Erik soon so practice and to finalise their plans for the mascaraed ball so she needed the practice.

They had arrived home the night before, as the maids unpacked all her bags Elizabeth spent most of her time reading and practicing, because this would probably be her last song. But the practicing part was hard, because the cruel reality was that she would never to it again, and it always made her so sad. Because was leaving him behind, what right did she have to sing his music? It made her feel a little sick.

After this she would try and tell Erik that she couldn't see him anymore. She was silently both dreading and longing to see him again.

How will it feel to see him knowing her true feelings now? It scared her.

Shaking her head, Elizabeth stood and went to find one of her sisters. Hermione was coming over later to give everyone some kind of big news and to stay for the duration of the masquerade ball and Anthony was coming, Elizabeth was curious to see how she reacted to seeing her once love. Perhaps if she was lucky her heart would jump at the sight of him and Christine would have been right. That Elizabeth's 'so-called-love' for Erik was nothing more than deep admiration. A part of her prayed for it.

She had been in love with Anthony for so long; the idea of becoming a spinster with only the idea of Anthony in her mind didn't scare her too much. It was certainly a better option. It was easier to love Anthony, but difficult to love Erik. Because the more time she spent with him the more in love she fell and she was afraid that one day it would become too much for even her to bear.

But she was going to miss him and the music.

Oh the music, she wanted to cry she was going to miss it so much. And she would never sing again. Elizabeth supposed she could if she wanted to, to stay in practice. But she feared it would become much too painful. Every time she sang she would think of him.

"Elizabeth" she turned at the sound of her name and saw Verity standing in the doorway "Are you alright, you've been staring to the rain for hours"

Elizabeth sighed "Verity, since when did it become so easy to talk to you?"

"Pardon?"

"As children, Hermione and I did everything together. I don't mean to sound rude or offend you" she blushed a little, turning back to the rain "But we were inseparable. I do love you Verity. You, Abigail and Charlotte. More than you will all ever know. But Hermione was like my twin, my love for her as different in a way. And yet now when I think about it, every time I see her it feels like I'm talking to a complete stranger. I don't know why I only thought of it now, but I feel…robbed in a way. I like I lost my other half"

And this was true, it was strange that for so many years she hadn't noticed a thing, but only now she realised that hearing about Hermione coming over, she felt nothing. She felt the same as if she had been told a distant relative or cousin were visiting, not her beloved sister. In the days Hermione would go for music and piano lessons and retreats, Elizabeth heart would jump for joy when she returned. Now, even though she was happy, that was it. Just happy.

And she felt robbed.

Verity looked at the reflection of Elizabeth in the window, the lost look in her eyes and smiled. She crossed the room and in an out of character gesture she hugged her sister from behind. Verity wasn't a touchy-feely person, only when the moment called for it or when she felt alone. But now Elizabeth looked alone and she wanted to comfort her usually so-in-control sister.

"Oh Liz" she said softly "You haven't lost anything, Hermione is right there"

"Then why does she feel so far away?"

"I don't know Verity admitted "I truly cannot understand why you feel this way. Perhaps it is because she is married now, or because she moved out and we don't see her any more. I don't know, but what I do know Lizzy, is that Hermione is right there. You're always so timid, reach out and grab her if you want to. She's our sister, not a stranger and you shouldn't feel that way. Otherwise we'll lose everything."

Elizabeth laughed "When did you become so wise?"

"When you became so lost"

Again Elizabeth laughed and took one of Verity's hands that were encircling her waist and guided her round till they were standing side by side. "Do you remember how we used to play in the rain?" Elizabeth said suddenly.

Verity laughed again "Yeah, it was the only time you every truly relaxed and had fun. You loved the rain"

"It was because I was so clean and beautiful it made things grow into something beautiful so why couldn't it make me grow into something beautiful? I was a child then, but it was so much fun. I hate the rain now. Whatever happened to us Verity?"

"I think it was…we grew up"

Elizabeth looked down at her beautiful younger sister with a gentle look in her eyes "Yes we did. Now nothing's the same.

Elizabeth sat in the drawing room calmly as she sipped delicately on her tea. Hermione was due any moment.

Elizabeth didn't know when her distance with her sister had started to bother her, but bother her it did. She didn't know how to think any more but now she felt a strange apprehension in her chest.

She was dressed in a light green frock that looked pleasant against her dark hair and skin. Ever since she became a spinster, Sofia had completely given up on dressing her daughter. Which was fine, considering that she had no dress sense, only Elizabeth didn't have much of a fashion sense either. For the masquerade ball she was planning to go as Queen Elizabeth the 1st and she was wearing a dark yellow mask and a light acid yellow dress with lots of gaudy jewels that her mother bought a few years ago. Verity said she looked like a putrid lemon in that dress.

Elizabeth had some beautiful dresses in her cupboard, but she wouldn't dare to wear them. They were all beautiful dark colours like blue and red. Those were too daring for someone like her.

She once again pushed thought of the masquerade ball to the back of her mind because the masquerade ball would be the beginning of her leaving Erik. As if her problems weren't bad enough already with Hermione she had Erik to worry about. It seemed everything was hopeless.

The door knocked and a the butler walked in. he bowed at the waist and ain in his usual monotone voice "Madam, Lord and Lady Redway have arrived"

"Oh Perriwick" Verity laughed "You don't have to be so formal, its only Mio and Tony"

"Verity!" Sophia exclaimed "Mind your manners, your sister is a Lady now and you know how I arbour those silly nicknames."

"Awww, you never say anything when Hermione calls Elizabeth Lizzy" Verity pointed out with a pout. Elizabeth had to admire Verity, not many people were brave enough to talk back to Sofia Ashwin.

The door opened to reveal a young woman three years younger than Elizabeth with blond hair like the sun and eyes a light airy sky blue. Her skin was pale and she was small and slight, like a willow branch in the wind. Hermione, the second eldest.

Elizabeth looked at her sister and felt a small jump of recognition and happiness at seeing her, after all it had been so long since she had last visited, but Elizabeth expected something more from herself. This was her sister and yet she felt as if they were strangers.

It hurt.

Hermione spied Elizabeth from across the room and her beautiful face broke out in an enormous smile "Lizzy!"

Finally Elizabeth felt happy, because for that one moment Hermione looked like how she used to. Elizabeth stood and embraced her "It's been so long, why don't you ever visit us? I've missed you so much"

"I've missed you too" Hermione nodded "Anthony and I always intended to come but then we found ourselves always busy."

Elizabeth stood back and looked to the door as footsteps came closer. Then a man entered the room.

Elizabeth held her breath in anticipation.

He was a tall man, but he had always been tall, towering over Elizabeth like the Eiffel tower, forcing her to gasp at the superiority of it. His golden yellow hair was combed in a popular fashion, but Elizabeth remembered how it looked messy and curled from the times he would climb trees and laugh in the childish way of his. His eyes a dazzling green like her fathers, only brighter. he was like the sun, drawing her in with his light.

He saw her and his smile was the same, childish, roguish and a little shy.

Her Anthony.

And while she was happy to see him, her heart wasn't leaping anymore.

Elizabeth stood at the entrance for the pipes for a good fifteen minutes, unable to go in. at this rate she was going to be late for her music lesson but Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to move her feet in his direction and see him, she wanted to though.

But how would she tell him that she was going to quit music and stop seeing him?

But what was the alternative, to stay with him? To subject her heart to even more torture? No, not again.

So biting her lip, Elizabeth forced herself forward into the pipes.

Winding her way down the iron pathway her footsteps echoed ominously, reminding her of what waited for her on the other side. A promise for happiness and heartbreak.

Then she emerged through to the other side and there he was, his back was turned to her and he was playing the music for the new song he wrote for her. He was wearing his usual cloak as his fingers grazed gently along the keys and her heart felt warm.

Such beautiful music filled with soul was being produced by this man, they man she may love. Now that she was thinking about it, it only seemed natural that she would love him.

She was one time for her lesson; a part of her had almost wished she could be late so she could make him hate her. Because if he hated her, then it would be easier for them to part ways. But at the same time, she didn't want to tarnish their memories of each other, she wanted him to always think f her as his adoring student. After all, who wanted to be thought of badly by the one they loved?

"Erik" she called hesitantly, her voice almost catching.

Then he turned to her and when she saw his half masked face her heart sped up so fast she felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. Her heart would already speed up in his presence, but since realising that she may be in love with him, she realised that her heart rate had actually increased.

"Elizabeth, you're here" again, he said this with a little surprise in his eyes. Whenever Elizabeth would return to him he would always be a little surprised, as if he didn't expect her to come back.

"It's been awhile Erik"

"Humph" he said, ignoring her soft response "Have you been practicing your scales and your song?"

"Oh . . . Oh! Yes! I have. Whenever I found the opportunity." It was only a small lie, in the beginning of her trip she had practiced at any chance she got. But after meeting Christine, she couldn't bare it, not with the knowledge that she would one day never sing again. She only hoped he would not hear it in her vice. No, actually she did hope she would hear it, then perhaps he would be cruel and shout at her, making her hate him, hopefully.

Although, it was strange, he was being more quiet than usual and he had not snapped at her once since her arrival, even though she was just standing there, useless and idle.

After a few moments she took herself across the room to his side by the organ and said with a smile, one that she had practiced in front of the mirror many times, "Are we to begin?"

He was silent for a moment before nodding "Yes, first begin on your scales"

For the next her and a half Elizabeth sand her basics, unlike usual she did not feel bored or annoyed, any kind of singing was a belling to her, but she wanted to put all her heart into the lyrics of his song. Because it was that song that was so important to her. Upon looking at his lyrics, Elizabeth had previously realised that they explained her feeling so perfectly. Perhaps he had written it in reference to his unrequited love for Christine but it also described her feelings for him and she wanted to sing it now, and pour all her heartbreak into it.

Suddenly Erik slammed his hands on the organ "Do you think I am deaf?" he yelled in full fury "You have not been practicing at all, your voice is so weak, you aren't even concentrating. Do you even want to be here!"

Elizabeth cringed a little at his tone of voice, hoping to overly dramatize it, to harbour her fear and cultivate it as an excuse. But then he blinked at her and took in a deep breath before saying calmly "No…never mind. It has been a fortnight and you were with your family, you were only following my orders. I apologise for scaring you. Come, we will practice today and next time we will work on your song for the masquerade ball."

Why was he being so kind! Of all times to suddenly be kind why was he choosing now? Where was the Erik who would have killed her once before. But even saying that, Elizabeth somewhat knew that the Erik now before her would never kill her. This only made her heart hurt more because she had become someone important to him, but not in the way she wanted. But this was a similar feeling to the one she had for Anthony so perhaps she was still in love with Anthony and all she felt was Erik was a hysterical crush?

A girl could hope.

"Elizabeth?" Erik said as he looked at her strangely.

She held in her tears and smiled carefully.

The rest of the lesson went normally, with no more strange interruptions, she focuses on her singing completely and pushed out all other thoughts.

At the end of the lesson she smiled for real, how she loved music.

But then Erik stopped her "Elizabeth, do not come tomorrow. In fact do not come for the next three days. Find time to practice, but to not come here.

She was baffled but she nodded slowly "Then I will see you in three days. But we will only have a week to prepare for the masquerade ball?"

"It doesn't matter, we will be ready"

NEW CHAPTER AFTER SO LONG.

SORRY FOR THE HOLD UP. SINCE THE LAST CHAPTER I STARTED A NEW SCHOOL AND SO I'VE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE CATCHING UP WITH ALLTHE WORK. AND THEN, MY BAD LUCK STRUCK AGAIN AND THE INTERNET STPPED SO I HAVE NO INTERNET AND MOUNTAINS OF SCHOOL WORK. I WILL TRY TO WRITE MORE OFTEN, BUT DON'T WORRY, I PROMISE THAT I WILL FINISH THIS STORY, I WONT BE GIVING UP ON IT NO MATTER WHAT.