Beauty Of Music

Chapter 12

The Daae sisters were nervous upon entering the Bistro, Catherine especially since she promised her Maestro, she would sing but seeing so many people around was making her nerves skyrocket. Christine could feel her sister was nervous and took her by the hand and squeezed it gently to comfort and to their relief they say Phillipe approach them. He smiled when he came up to them.

"I was afraid you weren't coming" he said.

With his right hand he gestured where the sister's should go.

"This way please" he said.

Catherine walked in the direction of the stage followed by Christine and Phillippe.

As they walked through the room, neither of the sisters saw they were being watched by some members of the company.

"Is that Christine and Catherine?" asked one woman.

"Yes, that is Christine and Catherine" said another woman.

And also, among those who were watching was Gerard Carriere.

The three made their way to a vacant table in front of the stage and Phillippe pulled out a chair for both sisters before sitting down themselves and watched the two men singing on stage.

Carlotta watched the three of them with a sneer on her face and when she stood up from her chair her husband approached her.

"Look who has just arrived" he said with a tone of surprise.

"I know. He says they are his nieces" laughed Carlotta as she walked around her husband and sat back down at their original table.

Some of the women from the chorus overheard her and laughed at the idea of Catherine and Christine being the Count's nieces.

"His nieces. Ha, I just agreed to give Catherine singing lessons" laughed Carlotta and her husband the chorus women followed suit.

By then the two men had finished singing and now it was Pierre's, the man who played the Devil in Faust, turn.

Christine and Catherine were enjoying themselves quite a bit and were more relaxed than when they first arrived.

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Meanwhile, outside hidden in the shadows Erik, now dawned in a black cloak and fedora hat, was standing beneath the staircase to the Bistro and waited patiently to hear Catherine make her debut.

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After Pierre had finished singing everyone laughed and applauded as he left the stage and Phillippe saw this as an opportunity for Catherine.

"Will you sing?" he asked.

Catherine did not speak but nod her head in response and Phillippe got up from his chair and told the pianist in the corner to play a Bel Canto song for Catherine to sing. The nervous feeling came over Catherine again and to sooth her, Christine squeezed her hand gently then gave her a hug.

"You can do this Cathy. Do it for Papa and your Maestro" she whispered in Catherine's ear.

She then took a calming deep breath and by then Phillippe returned and offered his hand to help her get up on stage.

She then stood in the middle and looked out at everyone watching her.

The pianist began to play then Catherine began to sing Bell canto. She started off very softly then her voice started growing until it was audible enough to be heard over the crowd.