Le fantôme de l'opera

Chapitre cinq | Un nouveau rôle pour Hannibal

Chapter five | A new role for Hannibal

Cadenza

After I had saw the phantom standing in his usual box, Box five, within a blink of an eye he had disappeared.

Once I had looked back towards the two new managers they had finally managed to gain a bit of composure over themselves before Andre said "La Carlotta will be back!"

"You think so, Messieurs?" Madame Giry said before pulling a note out from her, very well hidden, pockets. " I have a message, sir, from the opera ghost."

The ballet and chorus girls all turned to each other and started to talk about what they think could be in the note as Firman piped up. 

" God heavens, you're all obsessed!" He shouted as Giry read the note, simplifying what it had said 

"He merely welcomes you to his opera house and commands you to continue to leave Box Five empty for his use and reminds you that his salary is due."

Firman laughed at this request as he interrupted by saying "His salary?"

Giry seemed to be unamused by his action and continues " Monsieur Lefevre paid him twenty thousand francs a month. perhaps you can afford more, with the Vicomte de Chagny as your patron."

The ballet girls must have heard this as they all started squealing at the thought of the very much handsome patron. As for me, if he was anything like Hadley Fraser, I would end up just like these girls.

Andre seems to be annoyed with this announcement and decided to talk up. "Madame, I was hoping to make that announcement myself!" he said before Giry turned to Firman and said "Will the Vicomte be at the performance tonight, Monsieur?"

To that Firman replied "In our box!" as proudly as he could before Andre started speaking to Giry, which had caught everyones attention.

"Madame, who is the understudy for this role?' he asked before Reyer interrupted him, screaming "There is no understudy, Monsieur. The production is new!"

Meg smiled as she dragged me into the middle of the stage and pushed me towards the managers, Giry and Reyer. "Cadenza Bellerose could sing it, sir!" 

"The chorus girl?" Firman started to question her before Meg piped up again. "She's been taking lessons from a great teacher!" She said before going back to Christine.

Andre turned to me before asking "From whom?"

I stood still, not knowing what to do, before remembering Christines lines from the 25th anniversary.

I answered him in an uneasy tone "I don't know, sir." before looking back up at box five and seeing the shadow again.

I had heard Firman talking, which drew my attention back to the scene in front of me. "Oh, not you as well." He then turned to Andre and continued what he had said "Can you believe it? A full house, and we have to cancel!"

Giry then caught the attention of the men as she pushed me forward. She said "Let her sing for you, Monsieur. She has been well taught." as she handed me the piece of fabric that Carlotta had threw at one of the managers.

Reyer then walked back to the orchestra pit as he said, "From the beginning of the aria then, Mademoiselle!"

Everyone had sat on the stage or in the audience, which had gotten my anxiety to sky rocket. I heard the beginning of the song and decided I had no choice but to sing it.

" Think of me, 

Think of me fondly, 

When we've said goodbye."