5A/N: This is something of a sequel to Apparition, or an ALW spin on Un Certo balsamo. Mozart's Don Giovanni is a baritone, so this is a sneaky tribute to my love of baritone Phantom actors. Search Google for NqPcb1nKZYg or iJnJjpMdT3Y to see the duet from this section on Youtube. Credit as always goes to Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Christine hid her frustration as best she could until she reached the privacy of her dressing-room. Serafimo? She slammed the door and locked it. The Confidante would be better than a silent trouser role! Once Messrs. Firmin and André had announced Il Muto as the next production, she knew that Carlotta would be cast as the Countess. There was no question, not after the fuss the diva had made when she had returned to Hannibal following Christine's brief triumph.
Meg had sensed her disappointment and tried to cheer her with the reminder that Serafimo spent nearly the same amount on stage as the Countess, but her friend's reassurances had not shielded Christine from Carlotta's whispers and smug glances. She dropped the libretto onto the dressing table and sank onto the stool with a frustrated sigh, no longer needing to keep her emotions in check.
Why do I even need a copy of the score? she fumed silently. How much direction do I need to keep my mouth shut for four acts?
"Christine…"
Her tutor's voice interrupted her thoughts and she jumped slightly, embarrassed that he had seen her small tantrum. "I did not expect you to come for our lesson, maestro." She had not called him Angel since that night, and was still learning to reconcile the thought of her once-Angel and the Opera Ghost being one and the same. They had begun to mend the tenuous bond between them in the weeks following what had occurred below the Opera, with the understanding that he was only to come to the mirror for their lessons. "Surely you heard the announcement?"
"I did, but it is of no consequence. You will sing as the Countess and must be prepared." She absentmindedly flipped through the pages of the score, suppressing a groan at the thought of playing Carlotta's pantomime lover. "As the understudy, at best," she countered, "but I am certain that Carlotta will not miss a performance this time."
"Do you doubt me?" he asked. She felt a chill, not wanting to know what the "Phantom" would do to persuade the managers into changing their minds. "No, I...I believe you," she was quick to reassure him. "But I'd rather not start on Il Muto just yet. Tomorrow?"she offered, hoping that he would be satisfied and allow her to wallow in her bad mood for the day, but he would not excuse her from their lesson so easily.
"Something else, then? I cannot keep you from sulking, Christine, but I will not allow your voice to suffer for it." Before she could protest again, he began to sing, and the sound was still as intoxicating as ever. At least this has not changed, she thought.
Là ci darem la mano, là mi dirai di sì. Vedi, non è lontano. Partiam, ben mio, da qui.
She recognized Don Giovanni and Zerlina's duet, the rake attempting to lure Masetto's would-be bride to his nearby villa under the guise of wanting to marry her himself. She continued with the next line as a reflex more than a conscious decision, knowing the piece well from her time at the Conservatory.
Vorrei e non vorrei, mi trema un poco il cor. Felice, è ver, sarei, ma può burlarmi ancor.
The peasant girl was tempted but resisted the cavaliere's efforts, rightfully concerned that it might be a trick. Christine resisted in her own way by staying seated at the vanity and not turning to face her teacher in the mirror. She expected him to stop and chide her for not standing to support her voice properly, but he continued.
Vieni, mio bel diletto!
-Mi fa pietà Masetto…
Io cangierò tua sorte.
-Presto, non son più forte.
Zerlina's resolve withered as Don Giovanni flattered her and promised to change her fate. Their voices laced together, repeating the refrain. She felt the façade of Zerlina falling away, leaving only Christine.
Vieni, vieni! Là ci darem la mano…
-Vorrei e non vorrei…
She began to realize that he did not choose this song by chance, that it concealed a true invitation to come away. Non è lontano...no, not far at all. He wanted her to return and sing for him, below.
... mi trema un poco il cor!
Her own heart began to tremble at the thought. As Zerlina pitied her Masetto, Christine thought of Raoul and how she still had not confessed to him exactly what had happened that fateful evening. How could she keep the truth from him a second time?
Presto, non son più forte...
And yet, she felt her own hesitation slipping away. If he wants me to sing as the Countess, she reasoned, surely that means he will not keep me down there forever?
Andiam! he beckoned. And again, gentle but insisting, Andiam!
He would return her as he had done before; she was sure of it. And where was the harm? It would certainly remove any risk of being overheard by prying ears. Just a lesson, she told herself, then back to the world above in time for supper with Raoul. Her pulse raced as she rose and stepped towards the glass, answering his invitation with an echoing, Andiam!
The mirror slid open and her breath caught in her throat, their duet silenced before the final lines.
They stared at each other for a moment, neither daring quite yet to close the small distance that remained. They had not touched or even stood face to face without a barrier of glass since the morning after the gala. She was the first to move, extending a hand and hoping he did not notice the slight tremor as his fingers closed around hers. He guided her across the threshold, the mirror clattering shut behind her.