Mon Espion || Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 14 - Il Muto

One week; it had been one full week of not seeing Erik nor responding to his letters for her to finally feel confident enough to do her routine for the debut of her performance in Il Muto. The rehearsals went along as if nothing had ever disturbed them and with Madame Giry giving Constance a slightly bigger dancing part to please the phantom's frightening demands, Christine was casted as the Pageboy with no singing lines whatsoever. Erik had not made his distaste of their decision known to the general public and the cast was quite scared he was going to do something rash during the first performance of the new play. However by simply viewing the cast getting ready for their grand debut, you could not tell that their spirits were filled with this worry. In fact, it was more anticipation for the show to begin from the cast then the audience who were patiently filing into their ticketed seats. Various lavish ball gowns and spectator goggles were in the hands of the women, their hair tightly curled and pinned up to showcase their social class with their suitors tangling on their arms, dressed in the designer suits with fresh ties to cover their buttoned chests. Ah yes, the simple high-class crowd gathering around for a witty opera about a cheating spouse, quite the date night no?

The theater began filling up as the clock grew closer to curtain time, Constance peeking every so often at the audience as the time seemed to drag on. A gentle hand was placed on her back as she wiped her freshly tight curled hair around to face Meg, who was dressed in a different costume than her own. Meg was dressed in various shades of color, a few stripes of pink, yellow and blue that decorated her otherwise white blouse and her solid pink shoes, completed the look with a variation of clown make up that covered her face to resemble the rest of the cast. Constance's outfit was for much later in the production; much of the dancing was not to take place until Act III of the aria. Her outfit consisted of various shades of green and white, her makeup truly hideous with blue eye shadow and red lipstick. Truthfully she tried to get out of the makeup process altogether but since she had a solo in the dance, they insisted she wear some.

"Constance what in the world are you looking for?" Meg asked, gently pulling her friend from behind the curtain to straighten her posture.

Truthfully she was looking for Erik; she knew he was going to do something rash given his nature about what happens when things do not go his way, but she did not have the heart to tell Meg of her secret relationship with him, "Nothing really; my nerves must be getting the better of me."

"Mon dieu, it is your first performance is it not?" Meg asked which caused Constance to nod in response, "and all of this time no one has given you an inch of encouragement on your dancing have they?"

"Your mother," Constance replied truthfully, shrugging in response to the question.

Meg raised her eyebrow to the statement, "well that truly is an honor knowing my mother."

"Yes, it is," Madame stated, walking swiftly behind her daughter as her cane slammed against the wood floor beneath it, "go to your position Meg, it is almost time to begin the performance."

Meg nodded and curtsied her mother, looking back at Constance one last time before running off to the other side of the stage. Constance watched as Meg scurried off, her gaze longing to the last spot she saw her before returning her attention to her dancing instructor. Madame nodded her head towards the ballerina but uttered not a word as she went off to an unspecified direction. Constance then turned her head back to the curtain, witnessing the lights behind it beginning to dim; she decided it was best to not peak at the audience anymore or more specifically box 5. Raoul had been occupying it the last she noticed anyhow, which would further prove to displease the opera ghost. Sighing from the frustration from her feelings for this said opera ghost, she then walked silently over to a different spot of backstage to where she could get a better view of the performance without being seen by the audience.