The Phantom's Daughter (Book 2)

The Drunkard

Christine wasn't the only old friend of Elise's to arrive in Phantasma, as her husband had come with her.
Elise and Raoul had a complicated relationship, since he was the first person to uncover the truth about her father.
She hadn't spoken to him since he left Erik's lair with Christine at his side, 10 years earlier.
But unknown to him, Elise had watched him from afar several times.
So once she had finished sulking in the dark about Gustave, she made her way down to the bar to find Raoul.
The bar was very busy at that time of day, but Elise had no trouble finding Raoul.

"Good afternoon Vicomte" Elise said loudly.
Raoul spun around on his bar stool, and nearly fell off when he saw Elise standing behind him.
"Elise" he gasped.
"That's Miss Y, to you" corrected Elise.
Raoul frowned, "Madame Giry said that you were here".
"Well, when you heard that my father was here, you should've known that I wouldn't be far away. Where he goes, I go"
"I suppose you are a performer here as well, like Miss Giry"
"No, I'm not like Meg, I am more of a behind the scenes person now. I do perform occasionally, but here, I'm my father's business partner, I help to keep this place running".

"What can I get you Miss Y?" Asked Jeff the barman, as he leaned over the bar table to speak to her.
"I'm alright thanks Jeff. I'm just here to talk to the Vicomte de Chagney, I don't need a drink" replied Elise, eyeing the empty glasses beside Raoul.
"Alright then. Just let me know if you change your mind"
"Will do".
Jeff nodded his head, before moving on to serve the other customers.
"So, does everyone here know your name?" Questioned Raoul.
"All the staff do, yes. And they respect me just as much as my father. Maybe even more, since they actually see me. My father tends to hide himself away in his room. None of them know who we used to be of course, that is one secret we have to keep hidden" admitted Elise.

"I see that nothing has changed then. He sticks to the shadows here, just like he did back at the opera house" said Raoul.
"A lot has changed since then. He is not the phantom of the opera anymore. He is a respected man, who goes by the name Mr Y" countered Elise.
"Respected" scoffed Raoul.
"Yes, respected. He owns Phantasma, and those who work here, look up to him. And I'll have you know that he hasn't killed anyone since we came to America. He is a good man now"
"So, you built this place up from nothing, in an honest and legal way, did you?".
Elise bit her lip, since she knew that Raoul's statement wasn't completely true. Meg and Madame Giry had both done things that bordered the line between illegal and not.
"Yeah, I didn't think so" continued Raoul.

"Hey, it wasn't easy to make this place. We struggled for years, surviving on almost nothing. We built an empire here, whereas you have done the opposite. We had nothing, but now we have it all. You on the other hand were born into wealth and luxury, but have squandered all of your families fortune. You gambled it all away, while we saved our money so that we could make our dreams a reality" admitted Elise.
"That is below the belt!" Snapped Raoul.
"But it's true. You threw away everything that you had, and that includes Christine" replied Elise.
"What do you mean?"
"I've seen how you two behave together, and you're not the happy couple you once were. I know that the course of true love never did run smooth. But from what I've observed, you two are not in love any more".

"You know nothing. We only arrived yesterday, so you can't have seen very much" reminded Raoul.
"Yes, and in that time, I have seen nothing but hostility between you both. If I've observed that in less than a day, I wonder what you've been like together, these past few years" replied Elise.
"Don't talk about something you don't understand. You do not know what it is to be a wife or a mother, and you have no idea how a marriage should be, since your parents were never actually together".
Elise glared at Raoul, "I may not be married. But if I do marry, I will not have a marriage like yours. I will marry someone who loves and respects me. Not a drunken gambler".
"How dare you-"
"I wonder how often Christine regrets her decision to follow you and not my father. He would've treated her like a queen, and given up everything for her. Whereas you shout and physically assault her in public".

Raoul jumped out of his seat, and staggered towards Elise angrily.
"She would never have chosen him over me. She loves me, not him. I am a real man, not a freak of nature!" Shouted Raoul.
Jeff quickly moved around the bar and placed himself between Elise and Raoul.
"Careful mate, take it down a notch, or I'll have to ask you to leave" Jeff said sternly.
"It's alright Jeff, I am not afraid of him" reassured Elise.
"Are you sure Miss Y? Because I could always throw him out" offered Jeff.
"As tempting as that offer is, I'm going to decline. I can deal with the situation"
"Alright then. I will leave you to handle this man".
Jeff glared at Raoul before returning to his post.

"Your hideous father will never win Christine from me. And since he has failed to show his face, he must be afraid of me" announced Raoul.
"Don't be so sure. My father is no coward. He is just waiting for the right moment to reveal himself to you" warned Elise.
"I've beaten him before, and I can do it again"
"I would take a look in mirror, before I started making threats like that. You aren't exactly in peak physical condition right now, so beating him might not be as easy this time around"
"I am not afraid of him".
Elise smiled, "You should be".
Raoul's face fell, and Elise made her way out of the bar, pleased that she had managed to freak Raoul out.
She could tell that he didn't deserve Christine, and she hoped that in the short time the family was on Coney Island, Erik would be able to win Christine's affection once more.