her way through the rocks and trees of the magic forest, Lisette came face to face with Mary, the wardrobe mistress. She was a small woman of about thirty and had worked at the theatre for several years. Tonight most of her body was obscured by the large armload of costumes she carried.
‘Ah Lisette, you were quite marvellous tonight.’
‘Thank you, Mary. Would you like me to help you with those?’
‘No, I have them, but thank you. Those girls of the chorus, eh — always snagging and pulling on their costumes. I swear it will take me until midnight to put these to right!’
‘I’m sorry to hear that.’
Mary shrugged but the movement was lost beneath the mound of tulle. ‘Ah well, we do what we must. Goodnight Lisette. Have a good evening.’
‘Thank you Mary. Goodnight,’ Lisette said as Mary hurried away.
The noise of voices grew with every step Lisette took. As she neared the stage door she found that the majority of the company were milling about.
She wove her way through the bodies until she stood near the stage door. Tonight for some infuriating reason, the company lingered and wanted to talk and congratulated each other longer than usual. She had hoped that the theatre would be near deserted by now, but it was not to be. A crowd of dancers seemed to want to congregate around her.
‘Lisette, you were wonderful tonight,’ Alice said.
‘Thank you, Alice,’ Lisette said, but she was distracted and kept her eyes on the door.
‘Yes, you were,’ said another voice.
‘We are all going to get some supper. Are you coming?’ Sally asked as she walked up to Lisette.
Lisette barely heard the comments as she saw Evander negotiate his way through the stage door. Her heart seemed to quicken as he sent her a smile.
Sally touched her arm. ‘Lisette, didn’t you hear me?’
‘Lisette cannot go tonight. We have an early start in the morning,’ Marie said.
Lisette’s eyes rounded in surprise as she heard her aunt’s voice. She threw Evander a look and willed him to meet her eyes. To her relief he hesitated before falling back to the side of the doorway. Lisette turned to her aunt and prayed that she had not noticed.
‘Aunt Marie, why do we have to get up early? I was not aware that we had any appointments,’ Lisette asked.
‘I have just decided,’ Marie said with a hint of a smile, ‘your wardrobe is severely lacking.’
Lisette stared at her aunt with a mix of astonishment and trepidation. Generally, Lisette was clothed in hand-me-down clothes. As she had grown, Lisette had acquainted herself with the needle and thread so she could rework and alter the gowns to fit her. The idea that her aunt was prepared to buy her a dress was astonishing.
‘But why, Aunt Marie?’
Marie studied her niece for a moment and Lisette felt herself squirm under her scrutiny.
‘Because you have danced tolerably well and gathered a little attention. Therefore, you cannot be seen by the public in tatters. A modist is out of the question, but perhaps we can find something in a shop that will suffice.’
‘Thank you, Aunt Marie,’ Lisette said, and in her enthusiasm she reached over and gave her aunt a brief hug. Marie’s body was stiff, hard and did not soften under her niece’s embrace. Marie stood stock still until Lisette stepped away.
‘You are welcome, chérie . So as we will be shopping, I doubt there will be a rehearsal tomorrow.’
Lisette felt the reality around her tip. Thinking back, she doubted that she could remember a day when her Aunt had not had her rehearsing for hours on end...and never a term of endearment.
‘Close your mouth, Lisette. You are gawking and it is not at all attractive,’ Marie said as she tapped her on the chin.
‘Yes, Aunt Marie.’
‘Good. Now I shall go and collect my things from the office and we will leave. I should only be a few minutes, so do not dally,’ Marie said as she turned on her heels and walked back down the crowded corridor.
‘Well, did you
‘Ah Lisette, you were quite marvellous tonight.’
‘Thank you, Mary. Would you like me to help you with those?’
‘No, I have them, but thank you. Those girls of the chorus, eh — always snagging and pulling on their costumes. I swear it will take me until midnight to put these to right!’
‘I’m sorry to hear that.’
Mary shrugged but the movement was lost beneath the mound of tulle. ‘Ah well, we do what we must. Goodnight Lisette. Have a good evening.’
‘Thank you Mary. Goodnight,’ Lisette said as Mary hurried away.
The noise of voices grew with every step Lisette took. As she neared the stage door she found that the majority of the company were milling about.
She wove her way through the bodies until she stood near the stage door. Tonight for some infuriating reason, the company lingered and wanted to talk and congratulated each other longer than usual. She had hoped that the theatre would be near deserted by now, but it was not to be. A crowd of dancers seemed to want to congregate around her.
‘Lisette, you were wonderful tonight,’ Alice said.
‘Thank you, Alice,’ Lisette said, but she was distracted and kept her eyes on the door.
‘Yes, you were,’ said another voice.
‘We are all going to get some supper. Are you coming?’ Sally asked as she walked up to Lisette.
Lisette barely heard the comments as she saw Evander negotiate his way through the stage door. Her heart seemed to quicken as he sent her a smile.
Sally touched her arm. ‘Lisette, didn’t you hear me?’
‘Lisette cannot go tonight. We have an early start in the morning,’ Marie said.
Lisette’s eyes rounded in surprise as she heard her aunt’s voice. She threw Evander a look and willed him to meet her eyes. To her relief he hesitated before falling back to the side of the doorway. Lisette turned to her aunt and prayed that she had not noticed.
‘Aunt Marie, why do we have to get up early? I was not aware that we had any appointments,’ Lisette asked.
‘I have just decided,’ Marie said with a hint of a smile, ‘your wardrobe is severely lacking.’
Lisette stared at her aunt with a mix of astonishment and trepidation. Generally, Lisette was clothed in hand-me-down clothes. As she had grown, Lisette had acquainted herself with the needle and thread so she could rework and alter the gowns to fit her. The idea that her aunt was prepared to buy her a dress was astonishing.
‘But why, Aunt Marie?’
Marie studied her niece for a moment and Lisette felt herself squirm under her scrutiny.
‘Because you have danced tolerably well and gathered a little attention. Therefore, you cannot be seen by the public in tatters. A modist is out of the question, but perhaps we can find something in a shop that will suffice.’
‘Thank you, Aunt Marie,’ Lisette said, and in her enthusiasm she reached over and gave her aunt a brief hug. Marie’s body was stiff, hard and did not soften under her niece’s embrace. Marie stood stock still until Lisette stepped away.
‘You are welcome, chérie . So as we will be shopping, I doubt there will be a rehearsal tomorrow.’
Lisette felt the reality around her tip. Thinking back, she doubted that she could remember a day when her Aunt had not had her rehearsing for hours on end...and never a term of endearment.
‘Close your mouth, Lisette. You are gawking and it is not at all attractive,’ Marie said as she tapped her on the chin.
‘Yes, Aunt Marie.’
‘Good. Now I shall go and collect my things from the office and we will leave. I should only be a few minutes, so do not dally,’ Marie said as she turned on her heels and walked back down the crowded corridor.
‘Well, did you
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