Chapter Thirty-Five: Warnings

                                    

                                          
        Warning, mention of death for operatic purposes.
                          
   Grace stayed with Erik for a week, sneaking off after bedtime and in between practice to help him and ensure he was not aggravating his shoulder. At last, when both of their tempers were running high, the time had come where he was able to move about on his own, and his shoulder was redd up enough for him to resume most of his old activities. Grace still kept a close eye on him of course, for he would not fully be back to normal until the end of the month. 
                          
    George and Nora were settled in their apartment on the Seine, and Rodger went back to America, promising to come back for Grace's birthday in January. Nora's little dog, Clairy, had a case of home sickness, so she sent her with him, knowing he loved her little terrier as much as she. Leo was more than happy to have the hairy, terrifying little thing gone.
                          
    As far as the ladies, Grace accepted Erik's plea. "You've just tended my wounds, helped me when I could not help myself, now please let me help you." She viewed them a even, and he swore he'd take her to see the ladies once he made sure preparations for the January performance were under way.
                          
     The thing about January, which made everything so much more difficult was the fact that this was the second opera Erik had ever written, and seeing as their were three leads, instead of two, extra, more extravagant costumes had to be made, and the orchestra had to learn how to work and mold their music with the new singer's voice - for Grace would be singing alongside Erik and Christina in his opera, Colère  de la Musique. The Passion of the Music. 
                          
    Grace liked the storyline. Erik played a bitter widow called Ténèbres, who was a composer and had only been married a month to a beautiful countess, Sérafina, who gave up her title for her love for him. However, he finds love again in the spirit of a young barmaid, Renata, who wishes to learn to sing and is played by Grace. Unfortunately his countess comes back to haunt him, angry he has stopped loving her, because she never stopped loving him. Unwilling to tear them apart and consumed by Ténèbres' darkness,  Renata kills herself and dies in her lover's arms. 
                          
   What Grace found appealing was Renata's sacrifice. If she let Ténèbres marry her, she would ensure her future learning all about music, and his dark passion and need to use her, a fresh beautiful flower of France as a muse. Renata knows though, deep down, that he is only obsessed with what she can offer him, and that he and Sérafina share a true love. Not to mention her swan song is comprised of her shouting  - singing - about murdering Erik when really she's just preparing to take her own life. Grace rarely had a good excuse to yell at Erik or sing aggressively to him. Rehearsals would be a wonderful stress reliever. 
                          
   And in other news, the other ballerinas were dumbstruck and had isolated Grace further, which she didn't care about to begin with. They couldn't understand how skinny, practically curveless Grace had snagged Erik's attention when they, beautiful and brazen only earned scoldings and a baleful eye. They mocked Grace and left her out of their conversations. For a while, Véronique acted the same way, but she gradually drifted back into Grace's circle. She and Fleur apparently had a lot in common, and Fleur practically revolved around Grace. 
                          
    Grace saw Gaston a few more times, here and there, scribbling notes and whatnot. He followed Erik everywhere, and Erik in turn, pretended not to notice. As to why this sudden change, she did not know. But ignorance never lasted long with Grace, and she was cornered after rehearsals one day.
                          
   "Mademoiselle! I have some alarming news," said little Gaston, bouncing eagerly on the balls of his heels, a wide grin across his face.
                          
   "Qu'est-ce? "
                          
    "It concerns your safety, and I am quite worried!" 
                          
   "What is it?"
  
    He pulled her by the arm into a shadowy corner. "There's been a murder," he whispered quite loudly.