Angel Of Music

Chapter 1:Echo's Whisper

“Christine Darby?” she asked, her voice surprisingly soft and melody like. “Are you Christine Darby?”

I swallowed hard and looked around, hoping someone would save me from this woman who was staring at me as one might study a interesting relic.

“Um, yes, Madame,” I answered back, feeling my palms go sweaty. I wiped them on my jeans.

She got closer, almost till her nose was touching mine.

“Still beautiful,” she whispered, and I smelled the mint on her breath. It made me dizzy. “Almost like it was yesterday...”

“Madame?” I cleared my throat, suddenly uncomfortable. “I'm sorry, do I know you?”

She blinked, and awareness seemed to enter eyes. She gave me one last long look, before straightening back to her towering, nearly six foot height.

“Yes, you do,” she said, her french accent heavy and thick. “Though I haven't seen you since you were a small child... that was back when your mother was still with us.”

I stayed silent, still wanting to know who she was.

“I am Madame Helene Comtemse,”

I gazed at this woman in astonishment.

“You are my godmother?”

~x~

I was silent on our way out of the airport. I was still in a state of shock that this tall and imposing woman was one of my father's closest friends... and my mothers.

“Forgive me for not recognizing you, Madame.” I said, embarrassed.

“That's quite alright.”

“So how long have you known my father?” I asked, using present tense.

She glanced at me with a sadness I couldn't fathom as we walked out the doors of the terminal. The look in her eyes made my heart ache.

She glanced ahead again, but not before I saw the tears glistening in her eyes. She pulled a lace handkerchief from her sleeve, and dabbed at her eyes. She tucked it back in her sleeve before she spoke again.

“I've known him for a long time, child,” she said simply.

“I am not a child,” I childishly pointed it out, I even stuck out my lip for emphasis.

To my surprise, she chuckled, and it lit up her entire face. She glanced in my direction, and the smile she flashed blinded me for a minute.

“Not any longer no,” she whispered, glancing at the other people at the side walk. “You are older than you were back then. You can make mature decisions, and not make wrong choices... now that you are older.”

I glanced at her in puzzlement.

“I just graduated high school. It's not like I'm running for president or anything,” I remarked, as we stopped in on the edge of the sidewalk.

She just kept on smiling, and waved.

I looked to see who or what she was waving at, and then about fell on my bottom when a long black stretch limo pulled in front of us on the curb. The emblem on the side in big gold letters read'

Madame Comtemse's College of Dramatic Arts

I arched an eyebrow, and glanced at my godmother.

“Not really an advertising school are you?” I joked, and chuckled when her smile got even bigger.

“Not at all. At least you have a sense of humor this time around.” she remarked, nodding as the driver came around the car to open the backdoor for us.

“What do you mean?”

Madame Helene picked up her skirt daintily and got in the car, avoiding answering my question. I sighed and followed in after her.

“Mademoiselle,” the driver nodded to me, and I nodded back automatically.

He shut the door when I entered the vehicle and settled myself back against the soft black cushions.

“Now, Madame---,” I started it to say, but I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye.

I shifted my gaze in that direction, and drew in a startled breath when I saw a man sitting in on the other side of the limo.

“Oh, my.” I whispered, and saw his teeth flash in the darkness of the limo.

“My apologies, Mademoiselle,” he said, his voice low and comforting. “I appear to have startled you.”

I smiled back hesitantly.

“That's quite alright....” I trailed off, unsure of what to call him.

Madame Helene took over, sensing my confusion.

“Christine, this is Lord Radcliffe,” Madame explained. “He is a sponsor of our school.”

Her voice held a note of coldness that confused me.

“A patron of the arts are you, Monsieur?” I asked, thinking he looked everything but.

“It has been in my family to be a lover of the arts, Mademoiselle Darby,” he explained. “Let's just say I'm a traditionalist.”

Madame Helene snorted, but otherwise say nothing more.

“I'm very sorry to hear about your loss, Mademoiselle.” Lord Radcliffe said regretfully. “Your father was great man.”

My eyes widened, and my breath caught.

“You knew my father, Monsieur?”

He nodded, and I could have sworn I saw his brown eyes sparkle with mischief.

“Yes, very well.” was all he said.

I sat back in my seat as the the car began to move, and Lord Radcliffe looked away.

As we started our journey, I glanced at him from beneath my lashes.

He was a handsome man, most likely in his early to mid twenties. His dirty blonde hair curled around the bottom of his ears, and if I wasn't mistaken, there was a diamond studded earring in his left ear. He was slim but well built, and I could see the faint hint of muscle as he shifted into a more comfortable position. He had an aristocratic nose, which of course he had to given his title, and a light tan complexion.

Overall the man looked perfect in every physical way.

Not bad... I thought. Not bad at all.

I felt my eyes begin to flutter close, and realized that I was still slightly tired from the plane ride. I yawned.

Madame Helene looked over at me and smiled.

“Go to sleep, chéri,” she said. “I will wake you up when we arrive.”

I nodded sleepily, and closed my eyes.....

Christine...Christine...Christine...

Author's Note-

So i confess, I am a Phan girl.... I dreamed this entire story one night, and found I couldn't get it out of my head. So i wrote it down. I am a huge fan of the original tale as well as the musical. Its not entirely based off the musical though. I recently read that when Gaston Leroux wrote the Phantom of the Opera, he actually found records of an "opera ghost" and of a Christine Daee and Raoul, Vicomte De Changy. After I read that, I was haunted by dreams because my imagination likes to run away with me.... and I had to put it down on paper. I already know how it will end, and I know all of the events of the novel. Hope you enjoy, and leave lots of comments, negative or positive.

-Hannah