The Phantom's Daughter (Book 2)

An Awkward Reunion

There were several spots around Phantasma, where Elise liked to hide herself away.
After arguing with her father, she drifted to one of these spots, so that she could be alone.
"Hello there".
Elise spun around quickly and saw Christine standing behind her.
"How did you find me?" Questioned Elise, angry that she had been discovered.
"Meg told me where I might find. This wasn't the first place I checked. She said you have lots of places around the island, where you like to hide" admitted Christine.
"I wasn't aware that she knew about all my secret hiding places"
"I doubt she knows all of them, you're too good at hiding for her to know them all"
"I am good at hiding".

"Yes, you are... Why are you hiding though? Are you angry with me?" Asked Christine quietly.
"No. What happened wasn't your fault. My father was the one who left you that night. If he hadn't, our lives would've been very different" replied Elise.
"You're right. I had no choice but to let everyone believe that Gustave is Raoul's son. If he ever learned the truth, he would abandon me and my son. Which is why I'm desperate to make sure that he never learns the truth"
"Don't worry, he won't hear it from me"
"Thank you"
"You're welcome. I'm sort of an expert at keeping secrets".

"That's true. Your whole life has been one big secret. Even your existence was a secret kept from me. I thought you were dead. We all read in the paper that both of your bodies had been found. So everyone back home believes that you and your father are dead" revealed Christine.
"In some ways, we are, since we are not the people we once were. When we arrived in America, Madame Giry paid the right people, to have an article published back in Paris, saying that we died" explained Elise.
"I guess that was a good idea, as it stops people from searching for you"
"Yes, that is why we did it. We wanted to put an end to the manhunt for us, so that we could move on with our lives"
"I still can't believe that you've been here on Coney Island all this time".

"Well, we haven't been here since the beginning. It took us a long time to get to where we are now. All four of us worked very hard to make Phantasma a reality. I performed on street corners, earning a tiny amount of money, for months, before I was hired by a circus troupe. After me and father had worked there for several years, we made enough to create our own group. It hasn't been an easy road to get here" admitted Elise.
"I'm surprised that you aren't on posters around the island, like Meg" replied Christine.
"I don't perform anymore" revealed Elise.
"You don't? Why not?"
"After doing it every day for years, I lost my passion for dance. Now I only perform when I feel like it, at special events".

"But Meg is still performing?" Questioned Christine.
"Yes, she is. She brings in lots of interest. She's the star of the Oo-la-la girls. People come to see her, so she has to sing. Besides, she hasn't completely lost her passion yet, so she doesn't want to stop any time soon" replied Elise.
"Are you performing at the premiere tomorrow?" Christine asked curiously.
"I hadn't decided yet. A place was left for me in the programme, if I wanted to dance. But I haven't yet decided if I want to or not"
"It would be good if you did. The three of us would be performing on stage, in the same show, for the first time in 10 years"
"Yes, that would be a nice moment, even if we aren't in the same act".

"I must say, that when I came here to sing, and perform for the first time in ages, I had no idea that I would be seeing you and Meg again. I'm so glad that Gustave got to meet you all. You and Meg are like sisters to me" admitted Christine.
"You shouldn't have brought him here" Elise said coldly.
"I wasn't going to leave him behind with Raoul, while I travelled across the sea. He is my son, his place is with me" insisted Christine.
"Maybe, but bringing him here has changed everything. You can go back home, and move on with your life. But none of us will be the same ever again"
"I don't understand".

"My father may not want Gustave to know the truth, but that doesn't stop him from caring about his son. He will never be able to forget about Gustave. The boy will be in his thoughts every day from now on. He wants to give Gustave everything he owns, including this place" revealed Elise.
"He does" gasped Christine.
"Yes. He wants me to leave, and make my own way in the world, so that he doesn't feel guilty about leaving this place to Gustave"
"He can't be serious. You're his daughter, he cares a lot about you, so I can't see him giving away your inheritance"
"You don't know how much he cares about Gustave. The boy is his prodigy. Your son is perfect in every way, and he's also deeply in love with this place, so my father sees him as the ideal replacement to run Phantasma".

"I had no idea he felt that way" admitted Christine.
"What's done is done. You can't undo what happened. My father now knows that he has fathered a son, and nothing will make him forget that. Apparently everything the rest of us have done over the years, counts for nothing" replied Elise.
"I'm sure that is not true. I expect your father was just shocked to learn about Gustave, that he spoke out of term. I don't think he really plans to leave him this place"
"You didn't hear the way he spoke earlier. He seemed pretty determined to give Gustave everything he can"
"I'll speak to him. Make him see sense. He must realise that if he leaves this place to my son, people will start to suspect who Gustave's father really is"
"I don't think that you talking to him will make things any better"
"He'll listen to me, I know he will"
"We'll see".