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Christine told Meg everything. It felt good to get it all off her chest. She understandably had many questions and doubts concerning the authenticity of Christine's guardian.
When Meg was told about what could have happened to her friend had the Angel not saved her, she became quiet and thankful that whomever the man truly was, realizing he was there to protect her. It made Meg feel better about the entire situation, even though she was still suspicious. No matter how many times she asked Christine about her gaurdians identity, she would not describe what he looked like. She said she had vowed to him she wouldn't reveal any information about him and she wouldn't break her vow. She respected Christine for it and eventually let it go.
***
Crews of men came flooding in, as construction resumed. The soldiers were sent home on ships to their loved ones after the defeat of the French army at the Battle of Sedan; all but Monsieur Bernard who decided to stay in Paris and have his family sent over. Madame Giry gave Monsieur Bernard the deed to their family estate, and asked for a minimal monthly rental payment for the duration of five years and then they would be incomplete ownership.
She couldn't stand to live in a home haunted by the memories of her husband's sickly death. She saw it as a burden lifted and anyway the Palais Garnier felt more like home now.
Christine developed an amazing voice over the next five years. Meg and Christine moved back downstairs into the boarding room hall with a company of female dancers, singers, and actors all in their collective rooms, and men in separate living quarters on the other side of the theatre. The ballet girls were always accusing Christine of having a secret lover because she would often escape to the sanctuary to light candles for her father and wait for her angel to visit.
Every visit from her Angel was amazing. Since the incident with Buquet, he no longer taught her through his disembodied voice but appeared in the flesh with her. Even without the use of a piano, her Angel could sing each note perfectly on key for her to match by ear.
He pushed her to ease into notes that were not in her range. He was meticulous about perfecting every syllable and note; sometimes she felt as if she wasn't ever going to reach his demands for excellence, but over time her voice morphed into one he no longer had to coach. He began to ask her to sing, simply to enjoy it for himself and praise her relentlessly.
Their relationship stayed as one should between a teacher and pupil, but neither could deny the small moments of silence they shared, as they looked at each other with mutual longing. Christine was getting older and with every passing year, she grew more aware of her attraction to her host.
She understood that it wasn't right, it was unholy to have such feelings for a heavenly creature of God, but his icy blue eyes drew her in and his kind words of affirmation made it difficult to resist such fierce emotions.
*** It was September 1875 and twenty-year-old Christine rehearsed with the ballet soon performing Hannibal for the grand opening of the Palais Garnier in January. Rumors about the manager Monsieur Lefevre retiring had been spreading among the cast members like wildfire.
