Chapter 29 –

When the evening finally came Erik could see that Elizabeth was much beyond frazzled. Two dancers had somehow gotten their hair attached together and by reaction pulled adapt leaving one girl with a prominent bald spot on the side of her head. Jane, who had dealt with similar with her own daughter came in and fixed the two girls hair beautifully. This caused the other thirteen girls to want their hair the same, so her poor sister in law was stuck backstage until all of the dancers were done similarly. Caroline had finally come downstairs after drinking another of Erik's remedy teas; he had limited her at two because she was still young, and though he would never admit it to Elizabeth, he did not know how her small figure would react to more. Two older boys in the instrumental class had been fighting in the hallway over nothing of importance when Elizabeth and Erik were hurrying to the music room to see how Caroline was doing the two boys landed on top of a younger boys precious violin. Both reacted differently. Erik was by far more upset at the carelessness both the two boys had used, and the idiocy of the little boy for leaving the case open. Elizabeth tried to console the little one while wondering where she was to get a new one in an hour. On top of it all the de Changy's had just arrived wanting to see Andrew.

"Erik." Elizabeth said sounding oddly calm. He turned his attention to her. "I think I am going to explode."

"Elizabeth. That would just be a horrible mess and fifty students would be devastated." She gave home a half smile. "Only because they would not get to perform tonight, they do not care for you that much." She looked at him wide eyed and finally did what she had been expecting of herself all day, she screamed in frustration and hurried in the opposite direction.

For the second time that day Erik had nothing to say and he just opened and shut his mouth. He turned to the de Changy's for a second, Christine looked mildly amused but it didn't overpower the awkwardness they all felt. Erik said nothing and hurried after Elizabeth. He turned quickly after a few paces. "He is in the rehearsal room; that way." He pointed.

When he was gone the young woman laughed whole heartedly. "You find it funny that our son is staying in a madhouse like this?" her husband asked sternly.

"Oh Raoul, you obviously spent no time backstage at the Populaire, this is organized compared to the life I used to live."

"Elizabeth." Erik found her at her office door fumbling with the key. "This is not becoming of you."

"Erik, please..."

"No, Elizabeth you are not like this. I have never seen you this drained, just order us around as you normally would. I don't know what has gotten into you today; this is not the headstrong women I met in December. Give me an order and I'll try my hardest to obey, or at least tell me what is on your mind."

"Everything and nothing." She replied. "Everything of the past month has been on my mind for these last thirty days and now, when I need to focus on today I cannot think of anything other than those events."

"What events?"

"You! Everything I do reminds me of you, as soon as I've gotten any amount of control over things today you walk in the door and I am completely beside myself again. I cannot think clearly with you around. I never have been able to. It was different before, when I hated you, I would get my thoughts organized in spite of you, now I cannot even do that. It is lucky that I have a huge amount of self control, because that is all that is keeping me from ordering my carriage and dragging you home right now to be alone with you."

Whatever Erik was expecting, it wasn't what had just come out of her mouth. He was rendered speechless again.

"Oh my goodness I cannot be here hiding from my responsibilities I need to worry about everything that is going on outside of this room." She tried to push passed him.

"I told you months ago that I would help you with this show, and I promised myself I wouldn't let you get in over your head again. I will help you share this burden. I know you well enough to know that you need to take this key," which he took lightly from her hand and opened the door to her office with, "And sit in this room for about half an hour to calm down. After that you will go to wherever you put that beautiful lavender dress you planned to wear tonight, and get yourself dressed and properly groomed for the occasion. Then you will go onstage and introduce your students. That is all you will do."

"Erik I don't need you giving me orders right now, and I really do not need to be letting other people do my job…"

"I will take care of it, I am capable."

"I know that, but I need to go find a new violin which won't be…"

He shook his head. "I know I can do that."

"I need to welcome everyone and get them to their seat…"

"You hired people to do that. The rest of the staff and I can handle this, there are enough of us for you to take a nice short break." He gently forced her to sit in her chair and left the room. For once, she actually obeyed him.

Erik stopped quickly to inform the other teachers of the situation, asking them not to go to Elizabeth with their concerns. He turned to Mr. Colvin and Mr. Jacobs. "I will get a new violin for that one boy. It is my own and I need it back as soon as the concert is over."

"We can find a different one for him I'm sure…" Mr. Jacobs began.

"Just as long as the two of you keep an eye on it, and the boy holding at all times it will be fine." The two men nodded at the forceful tone the taller man was using.

Erik took Elizabeth's own horse Dallas back to the Summerside mansion and was up the stairs and back down before anyone knew he was there. He rode back to the school with his own violin in hand. He found the little boy who was to play it, he had obviously still be crying minutes before Erik arrived. He warned the boy that he needed to take as best care of it as he could. And he couldn't help but feel proud when the child opened the case and was in awe of the magnificence of the instrument he was going to play.

"It should be tuned properly, now remember as best care as you can." The boy nodded excitedly and quickly. Erik nodded to him and the two instrumental instructors before he left to find his own students.

As he headed back to his own students Erik heard a gasp to his left. He looked over to see the face of an old friend. Madame Giry looked more shocked than anything to see him there. She had in fact just seen the de Changy's so she assumed he was there for than one purpose. "Erik, you should not be here, she is happy. Her son is a student here."

Erik said nothing. Before he could saying anything Emily came passed. "Mr. Erik, there you are, everyone has been looking for you. Caroline says she needs more tea."

He turned his attention tot eh little girl. "Caroline cannot have anymore tea, she has had enough already, she will be fine to sing tonight. Give her lots of water, not too cold or not too warm, her voice will be fine, tell her I forbid her to speak anymore until we warm up. I will be along as soon as I am finished some errands Elizabeth has sent me to do." The girl hurried of. He turned his attention back to the aging ballet mistress. "I a quite aware that her son is here, I am his teacher. I assume Meg did not feel fit to tell you?"

"Apparently not, how long have you been here? Why are you here?"

"Since December, and I happen to enjoy teaching music to young minds. Now you should find your seat the show will start soon. You will enjoy it, although I must say, the ballet will not be up to your standards."

"They are children Erik, my standards are a fair bit lower for children. I am sure nothing in this show will be up to your high standards."

"Of course it will, I wrote it my dear Madam Giry. I daresay tonight's show will go better than my last work's opening night."

"I don't believe it could go worse." With that last remark he ushered the old lady to the auditorium.

"Erik!" called a voice behind him. He was beginning to doubt he would ever get to his classroom. "Do you know when Elizabeth is?" It was Jane who had finally finished with the hair of the ballerina's and all of the vocal girls.

"Hiding. Do you want me to escort you to your seat?"

"No, I am sure I know my way around this building as well as you do. Thank you and good luck tonight."

"Thank you madam."

When her hour of rest was over Elizabeth reemerged into the craziness around her. She visited the instrumental students as they all tuned their instruments together. He eyes widen, but she also smiled when she saw the violin that the young boy Marcel was playing. "You all sound perfectly tuned and amazing. I shall listen intently from the front row." She was awarded by a chorus of claps and thanks.

"It really is a beautiful score Miss Bennet." One of the older students said happily.

"You may thank Mr. Erik for that one, he wrote the music, I merely did the lyrics, and only if he agreed to them. When you see him thank him." She smiled and headed away.

After that she went to see how Meg was doing.

"How are my girls today?" Elizabeth asked them, she always referred to the group as her girls when they were alone. They connected with Meg much better than herself, but they loved her just the same. "Are we all prepared to go onstage?"

"Yes, we are all very excited. Will you be in the front row?" The girl asking was named Jacqueline, the only scholarship dance student who Elizabeth had brought from an orphanage in France. She was the niece of one of Elizabeth's maids.

"Of course I shall be in the front row, where else would I sit? I could not see your beautiful dancing as well if I were to sit in the back."

They smiled, and asked her more questions until Meg stopped them. "Alright girls, we need to finish stretching."

"Sorry to be a distraction." Elizabeth said quietly to her friend before she left.

"Elizabeth, I want to apologize for what I said that day after the fight between Erik and I. You are great to all of these children, the dancers, the musicians and the singers all adore you."

"You do not need to apologize, that is not important now. I shall see you at our seats tonight."

"Yes, of course." It was tradition for the ballet instructor and Mr. Colvin to sit with her and watch the show, usually the vocal instructor would as well, but he had conveniently written himself an organ part in the score. They were not needed backstage anymore, it was their chance to sit back and watch their students.

Elizabeth was going to go to see the vocal students but she didn't think she could face Erik at that point in time, but her principles wouldn't allow her not to wish them good luck. They were warming up when she arrived, Caroline sounded much better, and they had arranged for someone to always have water ready for the girl when she left the stage.

Their faces brightened when they saw her and she wished them the best of luck, and told them they would all be marvelous. "You all look astonishing, and you sound fantastic. You will make all your family and friends proud tonight. Now you must all get backstage."

They hurried out of the room and Elizabeth went to follow but Erik caught her arm before he could. "Do I not get a good luck from you?"

"I somehow doubt you will need luck tonight, you know this music back and front, and you hardly need the music in front of you at all."

"I don't, but it comforts everyone if I use it. You've done a fabulous job Elizabeth, everything is perfect."

"I did nothing, I think I have finally found a group of teachers who do not need my help at all anymore."

"Yes we do, this night is all about your accomplishments. The staff or these students would be lost without you." He gave her a short and reassuring kiss then they headed for the stage. "We need to get down there, they cannot start without us."

Elizabeth got onto the stage and smiled at the full house ahead of her. "Welcome everyone, we are so excited to showcase to you all the hard work your children have done this past year. I hope you all enjoy what we have planned for you tonight and without further ado, I present to you a collection of timeless fairy tales brought to you by the staff and students of the Christopher Bennet School of Fine Arts." She motioned toward the stage and the curtain came up.

The show began.