When installing ubuntu "alongside Windows", and possible disk recovery.

Hello, I am an Ubuntu noob, and recently I tried installing it on my PC as an alteative to my (still installed) Windows 7. My current hard disk setup is: one 64 GB SSD with Windows installed, one 250GB HDD, and a 1 TB HDD.
When installing, my intention was to install Ubuntu as an option when booting. When I prepared the installer (buing the .iso of Ubuntu 14.04.4 into a CD and booting it), I chose "Install alongside Windows 7" and went with it. The result was, without me being asked (or without me noticing I was asked) my 250GB drive was used for the installation, and right now that drive is inaccessible from Windows, considered the main drive in Ubuntu, and apparently has been wiped... (other than that, the installation was a success btw)

Point 1. : Have my files been fully deleted? Is there a way to recover them? Or should I lea to cope with loss in life and move on?
Point 2. : I am aware that there was the option "Other" during installation for the sake of manually making partitions, but am I mistaken in believing that maybe, more details about the exact way each option worked, were in order? I don't remember being asked which drive to install Ubuntu on, and since there were multiple ones, and the system chose one without it being the main Boot one, how did it decide on which? Where exactly did I go wrong/what did I miss?

Bonus point : Can you please explain or redirect me to, what exactly did that "alongside windows" option do? As in, "it takes one partition at random/first in order/smallest, wipes it, installs Ubuntu, and sets it so that on startup the Ubuntu tool runs for you to choose whether to run Ubuntu or load Windows".

Thank you in advance for any help.