The Violinist | Christine Daae

Chapter Nine

 It was New Year's Eve, and there was to be a party at the Opera Populaire, a masquerade ball. Christine was going with the Vicomte de Chagny, and she asked Francois if he was going to be there. He told her he wouldn't, that he knew he would get tired very quickly if he was up drinking and dancing that late into the night, and didn't want to feel ill the next morning. The truth, however, was that he didn't have anything that could very well be used for a costume, and he doubted he could afford anything. But the masquerade wasn't something he had much interest in, anyway.

 Besides, he wasn't sure how much he could stand the sight of Christine dancing happily in the Vicomte's arms.

~~~~~~

 "Francois! Francois, wake up."

 Francois felt himself being shaken awake by his sister.

 "What is it, Jeanne?" he mumbled, blinking at the candlelight.

 "There's a woman here to see you," Jeanne said. "She insists on seeing you."

 "What time is it?"

 "After one o'clock."

 "What?" Francois sat up. "Did she say who-wait. Jeanne, did she give you a name?"

 "Yes, Christine Daae. She's a friend of yours, isn't she?"

 "Yes, yes," Francois nodded. "Please, send her up. I'll be ready in a minute."

 As soon as Jeanne was gone, Francois quickly out of his nightshirt and pulled his clothes back on. He was in his shirt and trousers but still barefoot when he heard another pair of footsteps on the stairs. This time it was Christine, and he froze for a moment, staring at her.

 Christine looked stunning. She wore a beautiful pink gown, with her hair in curls down her back. The hem of the gown looked torn, and she looked like she might have been crying on the way there, but it didn't change the fact that she looked beautiful.

 "I woke you, didn't I?" she said with a sigh. "I'm very sorry, Francois. You won't still feel tired and ill in the morning, will you?"

 "I don't think so," Francois answered. "Here, sit down." He pulled out a chair that had been placed by the window. "What's happened? I know it has to be something urgent for you to come here at this time."

 "How do you know?"

 "Well, if it wasn't anything very important, I imagine you would have waited to tell me until we saw each other at the opera house. Go on. What is it?"

 Christine sat down at stared at her hands, which were folded together in her lap.

 "I told you he would come back," she whispered.

 Francois didn't ask her what she meant. It immediately registered in his head.

 "Oh, God." He sat down on his bed. "He was there, at the party? What did he do?"

 "He came in dressed as the Red Death," Christine said in a mechanical voice. "He announced the he has written an opera for us to perform. Don Juan Triumphant. He...I had a ring, one that Raoul gave me. He took from me...and told me that I am still his."

 She stopped, but she didn't cry. She didn't have to; the sorrowful look on her face and the trembling of her hands could tell anyone what she was feeling then.

 Francois slowly shook his head. "I don't even know what to say. I'm sorry, Christine. Are the managers really going to go along with this? They're both idiots, of you ask me, so maybe they won't do it."

 "Perhaps not. I don't know. But I think refusing to perform his work will make everything even worse than it already is." She sighed. "There's way to get away from him. Whatever I do, he's always going to be there."

 "Is there anything I can do?" Francois asked.

 "No, I don't think so. You've been a very good friend, and that's been good enough for me. I wouldn't want you to try to stop him; I don't think I could bear it if he killed you or held you hostage."

 "Ah. Would he really use me as bait?"

 "I don't think so. If anything, he would decide you were in the way and kill you. That is why I worry about Raoul so much. I want to be able to protect him, but I doubt I can." She stood up. "I suppose I should go."

 "Hold on. Here, let me walk you to the door."

 He led her downstairs to the front door, where she asked, "Can you tell your family that I'm very sorry for waking everyone at this hour?"

 "Of course. I think they'll forgive just this once, since I do pay my rent."

 "You pay rent?"

 "Well, yes, I do give my brother-in-law a bit of my salary every month. It is his house, and even though he likes me, I wasn't entirely comfortable with living here for free. So, I will see you at the opera house soon?"

 "Yes. Goodnight, Francois."

 Christine looked as if she wanted to give him a smile, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Francois couldn't blame her for that, given what had just happened.

 He didn't even know how he was going to go back to sleep after hearing that story.