The Phantom's Daughter (Book 2)

Acceptance And Apologies

After leaving Raoul, Elise's curiosity got the better of her, and she made her way towards Christine's room.
With Raoul in the bar, and Christine at rehearsals for the show the following day, Elise knew that Gustave would be alone in the suite.
Elise was eager to know what the boy was like, and she knew that her time was running out.
The family returned to Paris the morning after the premiere, so if Elise wanted to get to know Gustave, she would have to do it fast.
"Knock knock" said Elise, as she unlocked the door with her skeleton key, and made her way into the room.
She saw Gustave sitting at the piano with this back to her. But when he heard her enter, he spun around.

"Miss Y!" gasped Gustave.
"Elise, please. There's no need for such formality. Afterall, we are practically family, since I view your mother as a sister" admitted Elise, omitting the truth that she was actually Gustave's half sister.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Gustave.
"I came to see you. I thought you might like to see more of the island"
"Mother said I'm not allowed to leave the room"
"I'm sure she won't mind if you spend the afternoon with me, instead of sitting in here by yourself. We can drop in on her if you like, to let her know that you're with me. My father only showed you Phantasma, but Coney island is full of other exciting places to go".

Elise could see the excitement and curiosity in Gustave's eyes.
"There's more?" He questioned.
"So much more" promised Elise.
"O.K then, let's go" replied Gustave, as he leapt off his stool and ran to Elise's side.
Elise guided him out of the room, and locked the door behind them.
After reassuring Christine that Gustave would be alright, Elise escourted the boy out of Phantasma and began showing him the rest of the island.
Elise didn't have quite as much power outside of Phantasma, but a lot of people recognised her as Miss Y, so no one bothered her.
"Phantasma is just one show on Coney Island, but there are many others. We own the largest plot right now, and we have the biggest acts, but there are many other interesting things to see in the other places" revealed Elise, as she showed a bewildered Gustave around.

"So, your father doesn't own the whole island yet?" Asked Gustave.
"Not just yet, no. I think that is his goal, but we haven't achieved it yet" answered Elise.
"I see... Mother told me that he was born that way. With an ugly face" admitted Gustave.
Elise sighed as the conversation turned to her father, which was a topic she had hoped to avoid.
"Yes, he was" she replied.
"Then I shouldn't have been so mean about his face" Gustave said softly.
Elise was touched by how apologetic Gustave was about his actions earlier that morning. He seemed truely sorry about how he had reacted, when Erik showed him his face.
"No, you shouldn't have done what you did. But you aren't the first to scream in horror at his appearance... He didn't have a very good life, when we lived in Paris. When he was younger than you, he was held prisoner by a travelling circus and kept in a cage. People paid to come and look at his appearance, and laugh. They called him the devil's child" admitted Elise.

Gustave's jaw dropped, "That's horrible".
"Yes. He managed to escape eventually, with the help of Madame Giry, but he has never forgotten his cruel childhood. We have freaks in Phantasma, but my father makes sure that they are treated well. We don't hold anyone against their will" reassured Elise.
"How did you end up here in America?" Questioned Gustave.
"That's a long story" replied Elise.
Gustave looked up at Elise, encouraging her to go on.
"We lived at the opera house, with Meg and your mother, but when people found out that my father was hiding in the catacombs below the theatre, they chased him out, believing that he was some kind of demon. I could've stayed behind, but I didn't want him to be alone" explained Elise.
"No one should be alone" agreed Gustave.

"No. And since we could no longer live in Paris, Madame Giry decided to relocate us to America, where we could start over" revealed Elise.
"Why didn't mother come with you and Miss Giry?" Asked Gustave.
"Because she had a life in Paris, and she did not want to give it up. She chose your father over the rest of us... We haven't had any contact with her in 10 years, so it's really nice to be able to reconnect with her after all these years. And it's nice to get to meet you" replied Elise.
"You too. Mother doesn't have any family. It's always been just the 3 of us"
"Well, after her father's death, she moved into the ballet school with me and Meg. Madame Giry was like a mother to all of us. We were like sisters. My father is the only family I have, so I loved having 2 older sisters. Even though we aren't related by blood, we are each other's family".

Gustave smiled, "That sounds nice. I wish I had some siblings".
Elise bit her lip, to stop herself from spilling the truth that she was actually his sister.
"Do you think I could speak to your father again?" Continued Gustave.
"You want to see him again?" Quizzed Elise.
"Yes. I want to apologise for my behaviour before" admitted Gustave.
"Well then, I am sure I can set up a meeting between the two of you. He is anxious to get to know you as well, so I'm sure he won't turn down the chance to hear your apology. Leave it with me"
"Thank you Elise"
"You're welcome Gustave".