Susannah stood trembling on the stage. Her stomach flip-flopped, making her wish she hadn’t eaten the measly piece of toast earlier. Her skin prickled with anticipation. The curtain had yet to rise, and she feared her nerves would render her incapable of singing.
Fear rose in her chest at the thought of singing this particular night. When Stone found out, would he force Susannah to leave the company, or would he be grateful that she took Maria’s place since Maria was unable to perform?
The heavy curtains rose, dispelling Susannah's fears. The real world vanished; in this moment, the stage was the real world. When Susannah opened her mouth, her whole mind went toward singing. Memories of Maria blaming her for a heinous crime she’d never committed, worries for Roxanne’s whereabouts, stress over what Stone might do—all those horrible feelings and thoughts dissipated. Susannah sang as she never had before, putting her entire body and soul into her performance. Susannah trembled. She felt whole. This was what she had been born to do.
Before Susannah knew it, it was time for the curtain call. Everyone filed out on the stage and took one last bow, and when Susannah found herself standing alone on stage, flowers were thrown at her feet, and the clapping and cheering grew so loud she thought the entire building shook. Her face broke into a glowing smile, and her chest filled with pride. Receiving such an ovation after delivering what had been to that point her best performance made her head spin. Her vision blurry, Susannah fumbled her way behind the curtain to the back of the stage.
The other singers rushed to Susannah and clasped her hands, showering her with praises and congratulations. Unable to speak for the joy overwhelming her, Susannah simply smiled.
The curtains parted, and several musicians pooled on the stage. One of them rushed to Susannah and warmly gripped her hands. Susannah looked up and saw Phillip beaming at her.
“You sang like an angel!” Phillip exclaimed, kissing her hands, first the left, then the right.
The young ballerinas bounced around Susannah, offering her compliments. Other singers gently squeezed her arm and exclaimed what a triumph she'd been.
“You all are too kind,” Susannah said in a hushed voice, unsure if she’d even spoken.
“I see you went behind my back,” a voice boomed over the din.
Silence descended upon the crowd as Stone waded through the throng toward Susannah.
Salvatore placed a hand on Stone’s shoulder. “It was short notice, sir, but it was necessary. Maria was unable to perform tonight,” Salvatore explained. His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Besides, if you remember correctly, Susannah is still Maria's understudy."
Stone raised an eyebrow at Salvatore and muttered, “If I want your excuses, I’ll ask for them.” To Susannah, he said, “Needless to say, you were, indeed, fantastic. But I would have appreciated being notified about Maria before you lot decided how the operetta should commence!”
Guilt washed over Susannah. She bent her head and said, “I’m sorry, sir. I shouldn’t have sung without your approval.”
“Never mind. What’s done is done,” Stone grumbled. “You were amazing, and the crowd loved you. Now if someone can explain what happened with Maria and where the devil she is, I’d appreciate it.” Stone’s eyes roved over the crowd. “I’d like to be included in at least one aspect of my opera cast’s shenanigans!”
“She saw something that frightened her, sir,” Salvatore explained, a chorus of assent rising from the young ballerinas gathered around Susannah.
“We think she saw the Phantom Cat,” Jackson offered, stifling a giggle at the absurd notion. Caroline covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her laughter.
“She did see it!” Alma exclaimed, her eyes wide. “You saw how she acted when I mentioned the Phantom Cat! It was he who terrified her!”
Evelyn grabbed Alma’s arm and gave the little girl a shake. “Enough talk of the Phantom Cat! There’s no such thing as ghosts, especially animal ones!”
“Something did reduce her to that catatonic state,” Salvatore mumbled. The corners of his lips curved in a grin. “Maybe she really did see a ghost.”
“No more talk of the Phantom Cat!” Stone shouted. He shook his head with such force his white hair became disheveled. When the murmurs rippling throughout the crowd died down again, Stone smoothed his hair and said, “I’m sure a ghost, even a feline one, wouldn’t render someone speechless.”
“You forget Maria has a wild imagination,” Phillip said. “A shadow crossing her window would frighten her into thinking someone was spying on her.”
Susannah twisted her dress with sweaty hands. All this talk of the Phantom Cat turned her thoughts to Roxanne. During the performance, she’d forgotten about her.
Sighing, Stone said, “Well, if you ask me—”
A hair-raising scream silenced Stone. Susannah’s eyes widened, and without another thought, she dashed down the hallway toward the source of the scream—Maria’s room.
“Not again!” Susannah muttered. Pounding feet thundered behind her as she ran toward Maria’s room. She sensed Phillip next to her, and she relaxed. His presence always calmed her, no matter what crises befell the company. When Susannah reached Maria’s door, she flung it open with such force the door banged against the wall and photographs fell to the floor.
Susannah reached for Phillip’s hand, and they entered the room together. Before them stood Maria, wrapped in a long red robe, pointing at a corner of the ceiling, her mouth moving but no sound coming out.
A wave of pity washed over Susannah. She had taken Maria’s spot in the operetta tonight, and despite knowing it was necessary, remorse filled her heart over how it had happened. It shouldn’t have transpired in such a horrid way. Susannah reached her arms out toward the trembling woman and asked, “Maria, what happened?”
When Susannah touched Maria’s cold skin, Maria hissed and shoved Susannah away. Susannah fell into Phillip’s arms.
“Get away from me!” Maria growled.
Stone, Salvatore, and almost everyone else in the company had made their way to Maria’s room. Stone shoved himself through the door, huffing, his face crimson with frustration.
“Come, come! You women are acting paranoid over nothing! It was probably a rat—” Stone craned his neck around to glance at the corner Maria pointed at. He did a double take. He stared at the same spot again, blinked his eyes, rubbed them, and stared some more.
Phillip, who’d been watching Stone, studied the same corner. Raising an eyebrow, he asked Stone, “See something, sir?”
Stone jumped. He pursed his lips together and, shaking his head, said, “No. Not a thing.” But he glanced at the wall again.
“You saw it!” Maria cried in a strangled voice. She rushed to Stone and grabbed his arms. “You saw it, too! I can see it in your eyes! You saw that horrid creature! That skull face—its blazing eyes—oh, the horror!”
Susannah tried grabbing Maria’s arm again, but Maria tucked her arm away and sneered animal-like at Susannah. Susannah let her hand fall to her side.
“Did you see the Phantom Cat? Does he really have a skull for a face?” Alma called from the hallway. She squeezed herself through the crowd and entered Maria’s room.
At the mention of the Phantom Cat, Maria’s face blanched, and she flung herself at the opposite wall, her back spread against it as if she’d been thrown there by some unseen force.
“No more talk of ghost cats!” Maria screeched. She glared at Stone and spat, “I’m leaving this hellhole you call an opera house. I don’t know if someone is playing tricks on me—” Maria’s roving eyes darted at Susannah. “—or if I’m seeing things that aren’t there. Maybe there truly is a Phantom Cat, and I’m the lucky one who gets to see it, I don’t know! But whatever the reason, I am gone. I am leaving first thing in the morning. I’ve heard talk of a new opera house being constructed in Columbus, and I intend to go there!” Maria spun around, searching the room for something. “As soon as I find my beloved cat!” she wailed as she darted into the hall, holding her long robe up so as not to trip on it. The crowd parted, creating a path for Maria to glide through much like Moses parting the Red Sea.
Some singers shrugged and left the room, apparently unfazed by Maria’s outburst. Others remained in the hallway, hiding behind their hands to whisper about the new development involving Maria. Most of the gathered people simply stared after the prima donna, too stunned to speak.
Blinking rapidly, Susannah slowly sat on Maria’s chaise lounge. Surely Maria was bluffing about leaving the company. A ghost—especially a feline one—couldn’t scare a person that bad he or she had to leave. Or could it?
“What a night!” Stone said with a loud sigh. He ran a hand through his hair. When his gaze fell on Susannah, he pressed his lips tightly together. “Well, Susannah, what do you make of this?”
Susannah stared at Stone with a blank expression. Everything seemed out of focus, out of reach. When she found her voice, she asked, “Why are you asking me?”
“Because you seem to be involved in this mess since the beginning!” Stone bellowed. Susannah flinched at his accusation. Stone continued in a quieter but no less harsh tone. “Something, or someone, frightened Maria to the point where she couldn’t perform tonight. You replaced her in the lead role. It seems odd, don’t you think?”
“You’re letting Maria’s imagination get to you again,” Phillip said, swatting Stone’s shoulder. Stone grimaced.
“Maria has been threatening to leave this company for a long time,” Salvatore added. “Perhaps she put on an act to achieve what she wanted—to leave this opera company for something she deems better, more worthy of her talent. You know she would never have left in peace. There’d have to be a commotion of some sort.”
Stone raised his eyebrows. “This is New York City! What opera company could be more prestigious than ours?”
“There are several theaters in New York City alone, Stone,” Phillip pointed out.
“She wants to go to Ohio,” Stone growled. “Ohio is no New York City. Ohio is the bottom of the barrel.”
Susannah fought the urge to leave the room. She feared if she left, it would somehow solidify Maria’s wild poisoning story in Stone’s eyes, especially due to the strange events that had occurred prior to the operetta. Stone had admitted that the situation seemed strange, a fact Susannah couldn’t deny, either. She wanted to hear whatever Stone said, but at the same time, she wanted to be alone. Stone’s words echoed in Susannah’s mind: You seem to be involved in this mess. The statement weighed heavily on Susannah’s mind. Of course, she had wanted the main roles; of course, she wanted to be the prima donna. But not like this.
“Listen,” Salvatore interjected. “Maria has stormed off. She might think more clearly tomorrow after a good night’s rest. And then you won’t have to worry about anything. But in the meantime…” Salvatore waved a hand at Susannah.
Susannah blushed, embarrassed at the many eyes on her.
“Susannah is still a fresh face,” Phillip added. “Not to mention her voice! The voice of an angel! Give her a chance to truly share her gift with the world.”
Stone gritted his teeth. Susannah’s gaze fell to the floor.
“Very well,” Stone assented. “Susannah will replace Maria, unless Maria is bluffing. We should call it a night. I’m exhausted.”
“After singing all night or playing an instrument for a couple of hours?” Phillip teased. “Sure, you’re exhausted.”
Several people chuckled but fell silent when Stone glared at them. Everyone filed out of the room, talking excitedly about Susannah. Stone pushed his way through the crowd, huffing and puffing as he did so, swatting at a singer's feathery hat as he exited the room. Alma grabbed Susannah’s hand and yanked her to her feet and out to the hall. Surprise filled Susannah at the strength the tiny girl possessed.
As they made their way down the noisy hall, a wave of worry washed over Susannah. She glimpsed Stone several feet ahead, and she darted to him, dragging Alma with her. Her worries of a few minutes ago had to be quelled. Had tonight pushed Stone to believe Maria’s outlandish story about being poisoned?
When Susannah reached Stone, she tapped his shoulder. He turned around, and when he saw who had tapped him, he grunted.
“What about Maria’s accusations against me? Will they harm my future?” Susannah whispered so only Stone could hear. Thankfully the people in the hall were still buzzing about the night’s events, so no one paid attention to Susannah. Alma busied herself with hopping up and down and chatting with those who passed by.
“I know the others are correct about Maria.” Stone shook his head and chuckled as if remembering an amusing incident that happened years ago. “Maria was never poisoned, I’m sure! She simply couldn’t accept the fact she became ill naturally and that you took her place with great success. To be honest…” Stone lowered his voice and leaned conspiratorially closer to Susannah before he continued. “She was getting on my nerves, acting like she was more important than everyone else here. I’m glad she’s leaving if leaving is what she intends to do.”
Susannah’s eyes widened. “But I thought—I thought you preferred her to me!” she exclaimed. “And in the dressing room just now—you were very upset—”
“All show, dear,” Stone said with a wry smile. “People like to be entertained, whatever the occasion. You may think your lot are the only people who can act, but half my job is acting, either for the opera staff, the journalists, or the general public. Trust me, Miss Brown, I’d rather have you as the prima donna than that woman any day.” Stone jerked a thumb at Maria’s dressing room. He turned around before Susannah could ask more questions and then disappeared into the crowd.
Alma pulled Susannah’s hand. “I’m so excited for you, Susannah! You’ll be wonderful for this company!”
Susannah smiled, but she felt as though the air had been sucked out of her. Her happiness from before had entirely disappeared. Her vision swam. She wanted to sleep. But she looked at the girl and said, “Thank you, Alma. You should find Evelyn. She’s probably worried about you.”
Smiling, Alma darted ahead, jumping between clusters of people.
“I wish I could be like that,” Susannah muttered to herself.
“Like what? Hopping like a tadpole?”
Startled, Susannah looked at Phillip, who stood next to her with his hands jammed in his pockets and an impish grin on his face.
“Carefree,” Susannah replied. She gestured at Alma. “I wish I could be as happy for myself as everyone else is. But I’m not.”
Phillip knit his eyebrows together. “Why not?”
“Because the whole Maria incident is bothering me,” Susannah admitted. “Was she sick? Did someone poison her?”
“You’re letting your thoughts run away from you,” Phillip gently said. He took Susannah’s wrist and led her down the hall, away from the crowd. “Enjoy tonight, for you are the star of the Shelley Opera House. You sang beautifully. And Maria probably had a normal, easy-to-catch, not-intentional flu. Bad things happen, Susannah, and people do become sick. It’s not the end of the world. Good things happen, too. A good thing is happening for you; I can feel it.”
Susannah tried smiling, but it felt wrong at the moment. Pity filled her heart for whatever ordeal Maria had endured. Celebrating didn’t seem right, all things considered.
“Are you going out to eat tonight?” Phillip asked. “There’s this little diner on the corner that’s open late. I’d love to buy you a coffee or whatever else you want.”
“I’d like that,” Susannah admitted, “but maybe later. I’ve got to find Roxanne.”
Cocking his head to one side, Phillip asked, “Now?”
“Yes.” Susannah walked down the hall toward her room. Poor Roxanne had been put off long enough. It was time to find her.
Footsteps rang after Susannah, and Phillip appeared beside her. “Let me help you. Please.”
“I’d like the help,” Susannah said. “When I find Roxanne, then I will celebrate.” Perhaps I won’t feel so guilty then, Susannah thought. “And after a little time passes, I’ll be happy for myself as well.”
“Whatever you need,” Phillip said. “Although you shouldn’t feel guilty about anything.”
The two made their way to Susannah’s room, where heaps of flowers and cards of congratulations waited for the young singer.