The phantom's daughter

Chapter thirty two

Victoria watched as Elijah became smaller and out of site. She then turned around only to bump into something, letting out a small squeak like noise, she held her arms out in attempt to valence herself. She looked up at what she bumped into.

"Hi papa." she said shyly.

"I thought I told you never were never allowed to let people through the gate." He hissed softly. He took his hat and coat off and rested it on the bench in front of his organ.

"If I didnt , he would have drowned papa." She protested. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Drowned?" He asked, Victoria nodded quickly. "There is no way to drown in the lakes. Who told you that?" He asked again.

"Well, you did papa." Victoria respnded, honestly. She twired her hair around her finger nervously. How much did he see? How much did he know? She thought to herself. Did he see them kiss just then? If he did, she couldn't begin to think of what he would do about it. Erik shook his head as is trying to earase a bad thought.

"Why was he here?" He questioned, changing the subject. Victoria fumbled for the envelope that Elijah had given her, it was tied in her dressing gown's belt.

"This is why he came, he wanted to personally deliver this to me himself." Victoria handed him the white envelope. He saw she had already opened it, he didn't think it was that big of a deal, it was addresses to her after all, not him. His eyes lingered over the paper slowly, until he reached the end of it. He looked at Victoria, barely lifting his head.

"Is this true?" He asked slowly. Victoria nodded her head, not sure how her father would react to this. She didn't know wiether he was happy or angry with her. With him, it could go either way. A small, proud smile formed at the corner of his lips. "I'm so proud of you mon ange." he beamed, his mood changing completely. Victoria let out a nervous laugh as he wrapped his arms around her.

"thank you papa." she smiled into his over coat. He stroked her frizzy, untamable curls gently.

"I didn't think you'd remember that song." he smiled slightly as he walked away from her.

"you heard it?" she smiled slightly, her eyes following him as he walked across the room. She nervously rubbed her hands together, knowing where this would probably go.

"I hear everything." he looked back at her over his shoulder. "and you sounded beautiful."

"thank you papa." she beamed softly. "that means a lot to me." she played with the fabric of her dress.

"opening day is in about a month. You're going to have to practice." a smirk formed on the corner of his mouth.

"but I don't even know what the opera it is yet. I don't have the sheet music." Victoria tried to hide the whining time in her voice.

"I'm sure it will come soon." he laughed quietly. He looked around slightly, realizing something was missing. "Have you seen, Caesar? I haven't seen him lately, do you think he got out?"

"I don't know." Victoria shrugged, turning her head to the side like a confused puppy. "I'm sure he'll turn up. There's not many place he could hide or go." Victoria walked to the other room to grab her drawing note pad.

"papa?"

"yes mon ange?"

"I found him." Victoria whimpered. Erik walked into the room to see where the horse had wound up. He laid on his straw bed Victoria had maid him years ago.

Caesar, the beautiful black and white horse that Victoria had tried to nurse back to health, had died in his sleep.