Disclaimer: I do not own Erik, or Meg, or Madame Giry, or any other characters from the ingenious mind of Gaston Leroux! Anne just currently resides in my head until she's done telling her story. She's getting alone quite well with all of the other voices that reside up there. :)

AN: Reworking Christine's character in this chapter. Anne's giving the doe-eyed innocent one a second chance. Hope she won't regret it!

Chapter 30

I dressed in my best day dress that I had available. It was purple with white lace, and I knew that it was going to be my favorite. It felt snug and the color was absolutely perfect. It set off the dark black of my hair, which I had pulled up on the back of my head. I tucked Mama's locket into my dress to keep it safe. I grabbed my parasol, put on my black gloves, and left the Populaire. I had hired a carriage to take me to see the Vicomtesse and I did not want to be late. It had been almost a week since I had talked to Erik, and told him my story and I had not heard from him. I didn't even bother to go down for a lesson, as I was still angry with him. He had made it seem that he wanted to know my story just so that I would sing for him. Of course, I told him all that I could remember. Those four years of before we went to live with Grandmama were filled with things I learned from Mama and the few times we got to spend any real quiet time together, but I believe that was when the nightmares started. I didn't remember having them before Papa died and, though I wondered why I had the nightmares, I had learned that any time I sang, my body just seemed to shut down. An uncontrollable fear took over my body and paralyzed me and I blacked out. It was something that was involuntary and seemed to happen of its own accord.

As I climbed into the carriage, I wondered what exactly I was going to say to the Vicomtesse especially after that incident with Elizabeth. I felt guilty exposing her to that and I wanted to make amends. So the day after my discussion with Erik, I sent her a note which she had responded to within the hour. We both settled on a day to have tea convenient to us both and to start our introductions over again. I was glad, because as Meg seemed so determined to forgive her, and I had to at least try to do the same. I mean, it was what Mama had taught me, and I knew that it was the right thing to do.

With the week gone by, I had wondered what Erik had gone through. The managers hadn't said anything about receiving any tips from their "critic" so I just assumed that Erik was preoccupied with other matters. What those matters were, I was uncertain of, nor did I really try to think about it. I was still furious with him.

The carriage drive was surprisingly short and I was greeted at the front door of the de Chagny estate by a very pompous looking butler. I smiled and greeted him politely and thanked him for taking my hat, gloves, and parasol, but he seemed as if he had more important things to do than wait on me. It was all rather silly, especially as he tried to look down his nose and introduce me into the room where the Vicomtesse was sitting. I stepped into the room and he closed the door behind me.

Christine was sitting in a chair, a book in her hand and her two daughters playing with their dolls on the rug.

"Hello, Mlle Hillcrest."

I smiled, pleased that she was at least attempting to be proper. "Good afternoon, Madame."

"Would you like to sit down?" She gestured to the seat on the other side of the rug and I accepted.

"Madame, I want to apologize for my behavior the last time we met." I was going to cut right to the chase and avoid any small talk because that was not what I was here for. "You did not know that I had broke with my sister, and I feel awful having you witness that."

"I'm sorry for putting you in that position. I thought I was doing a good thing. I tried so hard to get your sister to like me."

"Why should you want Elizabeth to like you? You are a high standing woman in society and should not have any problem with people liking you."

"I am a high standing woman now, yes. But society never forgets where you came from, and I'm afraid that my behavior is only making it worse. No one ever really explained society to me."

"Hasn't your husband done anything?"

My question went unanswered as tea was served and Adele and Eloise kissed their mother goodbye, curtsied to me, and went off to go spend time with their nurse. Christine poured my cup to my liking and the two of us sat in the drawing room for a few moments in companionable silence.

"Raoul," she said at last. "Reminds me of what I must and must not do. Unfortunately, it comes after the fact."

"Ah, I see." I took a sip of my tea and then put my cup down. "Society is a very tricky maze to maneuver around in. It took me years to learn it all. Granted, I don't practice being proper in society anymore."

"Why ever not?"

"Because I've found something that I want to a part of more than the society."

"You found music."

I nodded and smiled. "Yes. Music has been a part of my life since I was a very little girl. I'm very glad to be able to be a part of it on such a continual basis now."

"Loving music can come with great sacrifices." She looked away and her eyes took on a far away expression.

I smiled. "True, but I don't think of being estranged from Elizabeth and my Grandmother as any great sacrifice."

"To turn your back on someone who practically raised you?"

I was confused. Grandmama certainly did not raise me. "Madame, I don't know under what pretense Elizabeth has put you under, but I can assure you that my grandmother did not under any circumstances raise me. I was fifteen when we went to live her, and from there we were shipped off to the best boarding school to have our education finished."

"Then she didn't rescue you from poverty and pave the way for you to have the best that only money could buy?"

I sighed. "Well, if interpreted the right way, yes. In a way, that is exactly what happened. But, Grandmama never made me feel welcome in any sort of way and I was always expected, especially after a few failed seasons of finding a husband, to bow out of the spotlight and put all my efforts into making sure Elizabeth found a suitable husband."

"Then why were you here and not there when she made her debut?"

"My mother was ill and it was decided that I should come to Paris to stay with Aunt Giry and Meg."

"Elizabeth said your mother is dead. Why are you still here?"

"Might I ask to what all of these questions entail? You are far too curious and wish to know too much, Madame."

She blushed and fidgeted with the hem of the tablecloth. "I'm sorry. It's just, after being a part of this society for five years, I can't imagine wanting to leave it. I think it entirely unfathomable to leave all of this behind to live out a life at the Opera House."

"You haven't seen what I've seen. People who abuse their power to prey on the weak. Unfaithful husbands, and dallying wives. Young heirs squander away their inheritance in races and gambling."

"But you find all of those things at the Opera House, if you look hard enough."

"But I have a constant joy and comfort at the Populaire, and things are different than when you were there. The managers took quite a lot of care in finding almost the perfect people with good recommendations and clean records. Really, the only person to worry about his Michel Faucher. He tends to spend a little too long with the ballet corp and the chorus. Other than that, there is no problem."

"The rumors of the Opera Ghost still live on, though. I could feel it in the air when I visited."

"I daresay you were only feeling the ghosts of your own past. So much happened to you while you were there and I suspect you haven't laid any of it to rest."

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "I still have nightmares. I can still hear his voice in my head."

"Whatever happened to him?" I tried to sound curious, even though I already knew the answer.

"He's dead."

I blinked. That was not what Meg had told me.

"Raoul said he went back after I was safely away and he killed him. But…why can I still hear him? Why do the nightmares still plague me? If he were dead…this shouldn't be happening."

I took a breath, hesitant on how I should respond. "Sometimes, when we have a terrible trauma in our life, one of two things happen. We either go into a complete state of shock that we forget it entirely, or we're plagued by it until we can finally put it to rest."

"I wish I could forget it. I can't put him out of my mind, no matter how much Raoul comforts me. No matter how much time I spend with my children…I always fear that he will come for me and carry me away down to his dungeons. Or worse…he'll take my children from me."

"That is utterly ridiculous."

She smiled sadly. "I suppose in a way that it is, but I cannot help it if that is how I feel."

I cleared my throat, determined to put an end to this topic. "Come now, we must stop this melancholy subject. It does not due to dwell in the memories of our past. We must move on with our lives. I can see that you've done very well, by having children and being devoted to them. But you must tell me what your plans are, now that you're back in Paris."

"Plans?"

"Of course! Regardless of what society thinks of you, you are the Vicomtesse de Chagny and it's time for you to play that part."

"A…part?"

I could see this was going to take more work than I thought. "For whatever reasons, which are entirely between you and your husband, you've been away from Paris for five years. Now, you and your family have returned and it's time to let all of Paris know about it. Your husband comes from a very distinguished family, so it is only proper that you give a ball."

"A ball?! I've never…"

"Hosted a ball before?"

"No…I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Well, the first thing you would need to do is run this by your husband. After that, the rest comes fairly easily. The guest list, which will be all of the most important people in society, as well as those who are important in your life. This would be the perfect opportunity to reconcile with Meg, as you have a lot of ground work to make up."

I gave her a very pointed look which she understood immediately.

"I do owe her an apology."

"You owe more to her than just an apology. She was the closest thing you had to family and then you just left her in the gutter. Believe me, when I tell you that I know what that feels like and it is not a pleasant feeling. She's trying to give you a second chance, but you have to be willing to meet her halfway. She's very bitter."

She nodded. "After the guest list, what's next?"

"Well, you'll need to hire an orchestra, decide on what type of food to serve, procure dance cards for all of the ladies, decorations for where you're going to be having the ball, and then it'll be time to decide on what to wear."

She blinked at me, as if trying to put all the pieces together. "You have me a little…out of breathe, Mlle. Hillcrest."

I smiled at her, thinking her innocence to be both annoying and yet…indearing. "Well, let's take it one step at a time. Shall we?"

"Yes. One step at a time."