The Phantom's Daughter (Book 2)

Early Morning Drinks

Unable to draw herself away from the boy, Elise spent the rest of the day with Gustave, only returning him to his mother once it was his bedtime.
Despite knowing that he had replaced her in their father's heart, Elise was unable to hate Gustave for he was too innocent and likeable.
However, Elise didn't want Meg to feel left out by the arrival of Christine and her family. So the following morning, she accompanied Meg on her morning swim.
The water was cold, but Meg enjoyed having company, which made the experience worth while for Elise.

As the pair reached the bar door, it suddenly opened from the inside, and Jeff stepped out.
Through the open door, Elise could see that Raoul was still sat at his bar stool.
"Sorry ladies" apologised Jeff, as he stepped to the side, allowing them to pass.
"That's alright. Have you finished for the day?" Asked Elise.
Jeff yawned and nodded his head, "Yep, I've been working all night, and now it's time for me to get some sleep".
"Has he been here this whole time?" Questioned Elise, pointing to Raoul, who was the only person left in the bar, aside from the barman who had taken over from Jeff.
"Yes. He's been sat there for over 12 hours now"
"That's not good... Well, have a good night"
"Thank you Miss Y".
Jeff smiled at Elise, before letting the door close and heading off towards his apartment.

"He likes you" whispered Meg.
"Don't be stupid" replied Elise.
"I'm not. I've seen the way he looks at you" admitted Meg.
"Come on, who would ever look twice at me, especially stood next to you? You're beautiful, and I'm just plain. And right now my hair is wet and dripping down my back, because of that swim we just took. I expect he is only nice to me, because of who my father is"
"No, it's more than that, I can tell. I know guys, and he is definitely into you"
"Well I think you're wrong. But right now I'm too cold to argue, so let's get inside and have a warm drink to heat ourselves back up".

Meg nodded and pushed the bar door open once more, before stepping inside and holding it open for Elise.
After ordering their drinks, the girls took their places at the bar beside Raoul.
Elise decided not to talk to him, after their disagreement the day before.
"Mother said that we'd find you here" admitted Meg, as she looked pitifully at Raoul.
"Hello Miss Giry" mumbled Raoul, who appeared to be extremely drunk.
"Jesus, you're in a bad way. Worse than most who end up here... Do you know where you are?" Asked Meg.
"Hell, I imagine" replied Raoul glumly.

"Around here, we call it suicide hall. It's where people end up, when they don't know where else to go" revealed Meg.
Elise sighed and began sipping her tea that had just been brought to her.
She knew that what Meg said was true, as those who worked on Coney Island knew that if someone was in one of the bars, in the early hours in the morning, regularly, then they were not in a good place mentally.
"You seem to be a regular here" commented Raoul, who could tell how at ease Meg looked at the bar.
"Me? I come here to swim" admitted Meg.
"And sometimes I'm crazy enough to join her" added Elise.

"The sea is calm and cool and clean, it washes everything away" sighed Meg.
"That sounds nice" replied Raoul.
"It is... You should never have come to America. This isn't the right place for people like you and Christine. It's too easy to forget who you are, and where you belong. You should take the boy and your wife, and go" admitted Meg.
Elise frowned, as she didn't want Christine to leave before the premiere, as she knew it would destroy her father.
Her leaving early also ruined Elise's secret plans to have Christine and Erik get together.
At first, she had hated the idea of them being together. But after learning the truth about Gustave, and seeing how Raoul treated Christine, Elise thought it would be best if Christine stayed on Coney Island, and Raoul returned to Paris alone.

"But what about the concert tonight? We can't just leave" reminded Raoul.
"I think it would be for the best. Then we can all start again" replied Meg softly.
Elise knew that Meg didn't want Christine to perform, in case she outshone her, which is why she was encouraging Raoul to leave. It had nothing to do with Raoul's personal wellbeing.
"You want me to just run away, from him. Well I won't do it. I won't let him scare me away. I've beaten him before, and I can do it again. If he had the courage to meet me face to face, man to man, then I would show him what I'm made of".

Elise suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and she looked at Meg, who met her worried gaze.
Knowing when her father was around had always been a great skill of hers. And over the years, Meg too, had become good at sensing Erik's presence.
Elise knew that her father was with them, and she was sure that he had heard everything Raoul had just said. So she was afraid of what was about to happen.
Her eyes flicked to the barman, who she was worried might get caught in the cross fire. But when she saw him, she realised that it was actually her father.
Meg slowly climbed off her bar stool and began to head to the door, without making a sound.

Elise wanted to leave too, but she was also slightly concerned for Erik's wellbeing, as Raoul had once held a sword to his throat, and would've killed him if Elise hadn't of interrupted.
However, that event had occurred a long time ago, and this time her father was in the position of power.
Raoul didn't have a sword, and he was also too drunk to have any hope at winning a fight.
So Elise decided that her father could manage without her.
She moved off her stool, and stepped out of the way, leaving Erik to deal with Raoul.
Once outside the bar, Elise pressed her ear against the door, so that she could hear everything going on in the room, as she didn't like being kept in the dark. And this way she could make sure that no one got hurt.