Chapter 4 –

The next morning Elizabeth woke to find Erik already downstairs. She had dark circles under her eyes since she had been up for nearly an hour after her run in with Erik that night. He however looked just as he did the night before.

"Good morning." She said kindly.

"Hello Elizabeth." He said with the expression he was not eating, he was just drinking some of the coffee sitting on the table. She sat down and reached for a mug and she poured herself some. "Don't you look tired this morning? Lack of sleep?" She gave him a deathly glare.

"In fact I did Erik. I could not get back to sleep after being rudely woken up at all hours of the night." She smiled and took a sip of her coffee. "Oh, I meant to ask you, what on earth your last name is. I thought about it while I was awake last night."

"It's nice to hear that you think of me that often." He replied with a smirk.

"That was uncalled for sir." She replied. Why did this man have to be the most qualified that she had seen for the job. "Please do avoid the question though." She added sarcastically.

"I do not have a last name if you have to know."

"Then what are the children going to call you? They are your students they can't just call you Erik."

"They can, and apparently they will."

Her frustration was growing. "I need to head to the school early; I have men coming to work on the chimneys at seven." She also planned to visit the repairman to pay him a small sum even though his services were not needed, she felt bad that she had not gone to explain.

"Well I'd like to go early too."

"I have a few stops to make first, so I shall see you there." She replied and had her carriage ready for her. She did not want to have to carry the instruments herself, and she definitely did not want to be in Erik's company for longer than she had to. "Oh, Erik, at seven thirty I am holding a staff meeting you can meet your co-workers."

"I can not contain my excitement." He replied using her sarcastic tone.

She glared at him but his gaze was the other way. Once outside she screamed in frustration. How on earth was she going to live with him for more than a few days, not to mention work with him daily. She went to the repairman first because she still had a few minutes before the chimney sweeps would be there.

"Hello Miss Bennet." He greeted her nicely. "I expected you last night."

"Sorry Mr. Reynolds, apparently we were not in need of your services after all, but I have brought you payment for your time anyway."

"You are way too kind Mademoiselle." Said Mr. Reynolds.

"Thank you for your praise, but I just felt bad." She smiled and handed him some coins.

She turned to wave to the repairman as she left the store, and in doing so, she ran straight into a man. She recognized him by his light blonde curls. "Hello Mr. Wilkinson." She said nicely. She really hated the man. He was probably the highest-class man in the community, but she hated him all the same. He was married but he hardly let his wife leave the house. He had been subtly seeking Elizabeth as his mistress for many months, but she would never think to sink to that level, she was a lady of class and she had her own wealth, she did not need him to supply her with gifts.

"Hello Elizabeth dear. How are you on this fine and Beautiful day, not unlike yourself I might add."

"I am fine sir." She said between clenched teeth

"How many times must I ask you to call me Roger?"

"It is not proper Mr. Wilkinson."

"You do not seem to mind me calling you Elizabeth." He said her name in a lustful tone and it disgusted her. She just smiled instead of answering his question. "Anyway, I am much glad to find you I was thinking that I must attend your Christmas concert and ball, and what better way than to go as your escort."

"Sir, you should take your wife, not me, it would only be proper."

"My wife is very ill and not interested in the arts." He replied. "You however would make a wonderful guest. I am very interested in what you do at that school of yours." He was very close to her and he put his hand on the small of her back.

"Well I actually have a guest already, so I must decline, but I would still suggest you and your wife come. If she is up to it, it would be a nice changed from being stuck in that home of yours secluded from everyone except for yourself. However, I must go sir I am meeting some workers at my school right away." She smiled sweetly and hurried to the school.

She met the Chimney sweeps outside the school seconds later. They went to the ballet classroom and found that there was a bird's nest occupying the chimney. They were done quickly, and she asked them to clean her other chimneys. After that, she paid them and went to the staff meeting.

When she arrived to the room, she found Erik not there. He was going to be a nuisance for her.

"Hello everyone, how are you all today?" They all replied and she continued. "I called this meeting the other day to discuss the Christmas concert and what pieces everyone would be performing. In addition, I wanted to inform you that yesterday I found a new vocal instructor, I had told him to come, but he seems to have not made it in time. I came across him last night; he I assure you is very talented and will serve the purpose well." This happened to be when Erik decided to come in. The staff looked at him in silence. He was quite a sight they all thought in their minds. One teacher in particular was not even able to comprehend who was standing in the doorway. Elizabeth just smiled. "Everyone, this is Erik." She added quickly trying to make him more comfortable. "Erik, we were just discussing the pieces we will do for the Christmas show. You will not be able to pick your pieces, I assure you though, that Mr. Colvin has chosen a good selection that he showed me yesterday." He nodded. His eyes were now on the young blonde woman who still looked like she was in shock. She only turned her gaze away from him for two minutes to inform Elizabeth that her ballet students were going to perform select ballets from the nutcracker, which the band was going to play for them.

After the meeting Elizabeth, the blonde-haired woman, and Erik stayed in their seats. Elizabeth finally noticed the tension. "What is going on?" She asked.

"In had heard you were in London Meg," Erik said with a smile. "Your mother informed me."

"I was." She replied. "I had no idea you were teaching now."

"I've taught before, as you know."

"Yes, that did not go as well as it could have gone did it sir?"

"What is going on?" Elizabeth finally asked annoyed.

"I know Meg Giry from years ago."

"Giry is my maiden name; my name is Meg Hartford now."

"Yes, your mother mentioned that also."

After a brief silence, Elizabeth excused herself feeling awkward and left the two to talk.

What are you doing?" Meg asked. She was slightly terrified of him, but she also could not understand why he would be here. She had never seen him this clearly before and she probably would not have recognized the man if not for the mask which she had seen all those years ago.

"I decided it was time to continue with my life."

"Apparently, but do you really want to teach again. How did Elizabeth find you anyway?"

"I snuck in last night to use the organ, and you know that I make a good teacher, I can do wonders for the human voice." He would not speak her name.

"You also terrified her and probably caused permanent damage to her life."

"This is not something I want to talk about, I have gotten past that, and you of all people should understand that I do not want to relive these memories of my past."

"I understand, but you being here is still odd. I can not see you working with children; you have quite a temper if I do remember."

"Yes, but I am able to control it when I want to." He replied. "Now I must go, I have to go find out what pieces that inferior man has chosen for me to teach." He turned around and silently exited the room, his cloak trailing behind him.

Meg's first thought was to tell Elizabeth immediately, she had the right to know. However, she always felt for the poor phantom of the opera, she knew his life had been hard and maybe he had changed. She also recalled that Christine never said he had gotten angry with her as a student, maybe he did work well with children.

Erik was genuinely worried. The young Ballet instructor could go straight to his employer, tell Elizabeth of his past, and have him thrown out immediately. He would not have completely minded, but he also did not want people to know that the opera ghost was alive, and trying to be a teacher. Instead, though, he went to go find Elizabeth, he wanted to know where he was to go She had not given the best instructions to him. Not that if she did he would have listened, the woman was hard for him to deal with, and he had the same effect on her.

Erik found her after wandering around for a few minutes. She was in her office; he knocked politely.

"Yes?" She turned around to see who it was. "Oh, hello Erik, what is it you need? I know you know where your classroom is."

"I do, but I would like to know where I can find the musical pieces the man has chosen for me to teach."

"They are in your classroom. I know you don't want to teach the stuff he ahs chosen, but how can you expect a group of young children to forget five songs they have started, and learn five new ones when we have a concert in a week and a half on Christmas eve."

"It is that close?"

"Do you truly not know when Christmas is?"

"I know when Christmas is Elizabeth, I assure you, but I just wasn't thinking that I spoke too quickly. Something I find other people doing often." He gave her another gaze. The two were on a verge of a mental war of words. They were quickly beginning to hate each other.

"Why don't I show you to your room and go through the carols with you before your students are done breakfast and come to class." He nodded and followed closely behind her to the classroom he had been in the night before.

She walked over to a desk and picked up pieces of sheet music. He looked them over. If it had been anyone else he had been standing with, he would have admitted that the pieces were not bad. The titles Mr. Colvin had chosen were Silent Night, O Come all ye Faithful, The First Noel, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Joy to the World. He walked over towards the organ and set Silent Night down. "Would you sing the ladies part for me Elizabeth?" He asked nicely. She nodded and came to stand behind him. They sang through the five songs and when the fifth was done, they had been silently joined by the students. They had not often heard Elizabeth sing and the man singing with her they had never met, but he sang really well.

The class applauded then sat down. Elizabeth smiled at them. "How are we all today?" She asked sweetly. They all chimed, 'good!'

"Who is that?" Caroline asked.

"That was quite rude Caroline, apologize."

"Sorry."

"However, this is your new vocal teacher. You may call him Erik…"

"We can't call him that, it is not proper to call a teacher by their first name."

"I assure you, you can." Erik replied calmly. "If you'd prefer, though, you may call me Mr. or Monsieur Erik."

"Well I'd like to stay guys, but you have class so I'd like for you to work on your songs with Erik now. He can play them very well and I suggest you be on your best behavior if you want to do well at your concert on Christmas Eve."

"Yes Miss Bennet." They chimed.

"Good luck." She whispered to Erik and winked as she left. She figured he'd be fine and they'd be good, but she wanted him to worry.