ever?’ Sally said as she stood looking at Madame Devoré’s disappearing figure.
‘No...I haven’t...’ Lisette said. She watched her Aunt for another second before catching Sally by the arm. ‘I need your help.’
‘You only have to ask,’ Sally replied.
‘I need to talk to Evander before my aunt comes back and I do not want to do it before a hallway of curious eyes,’ Lisette said.
‘Leave it to me,’ Sally smiled, and then she backed away into the middle of the crowd. She raised her hands in the air and shouted, ‘Right, let’s carry on this celebration of an excellent performance elsewhere. I want a drink. Who is with me?’
The performers erupted into laughter and cheers.
‘Come on then. What are you all waiting for?’ Sally said with a shout. ‘Last one to the tavern pays for us all!’
The mass of bodies in the corridor seemed to swell for a moment and then, like a great wave washing towards the shore, the usually graceful ballet company surged through the stage door in a tangle of arms and legs. Lisette managed to step backwards into the safety of a doorway before she was swept up in the melee. After a minute or two, the hallway emptied and Lisette saw Evander step out the shadows. She ran to him quickly.
‘I cannot meet with you tonight. My aunt is insisting that I accompany her home shortly,’ Lisette said.
Evander caught her hand and brought it to his lips. ‘Tomorrow then, at the Hearth Fire.’
‘I shall try, but she wants to go out tomorrow. We are leaving early but I do not know when we shall return.’ Lisette gave him a smile and did not pull her hand from his.
‘I shall wait an hour, if you do not come then I shall see you after the performance.’
‘I cannot promise.’ Lisette felt her heart skip as he kissed the inside of her wrist. Closing her eyes briefly she allowed herself a moment as the warm tingling travelled up her arm and through the rest of her body. She shook herself out of the enchantment Evander was weaving, and said, ‘You must go. Aunt Marie said that she would not be long.’
‘Very well, but we have an instant more.’
Lisette glanced over her shoulder and saw that the corridor was empty. ‘Perhaps we do. Thank you for the rose.’
‘It will not be the last.’
Lisette squeezed his hand. ‘Such pretty words, my lord.’
‘Only for you, Lisette.’
‘I hope that is true. You must go, if my aunt finds out...’
Evander bowed deeply before her. ‘I am your servant...forever.’ But the effect was ruined as he looked up. A lock of his hair fell forward and he winked.
A giggle tickled Lisette’s throat. ‘Go, Evander, you must go,’ she said as he straightened up.
Without warning he stepped forward, dipped his head and kissed her. Lisette stood still. The initial surprise quickly gave way to the delicious sensation of having Evander’s lips on hers. They were warm and insistent. Lisette sighed inwardly as his arms encircled her. Everything about Evander was warm and strong, with the faint scent of spice. She found herself leaning into him and before she knew what she was doing, she hesitantly kissed him back. Then, before the kiss had started, it came to an abrupt end. Evander pulled away from her and Lisette staggered a step as her support had been snatched away.
‘Tomorrow, Lisette... We will meet tomorrow,’ Evander said with a grin as be backed out the stage door. ‘Tomorrow.’
Lisette leant against the doorframe and watched as Evander hurried down the cobbled lane. The night held a chill. The cold air whipped around her but she did not feel it as Evander’s kiss had seared through her like a thousand suns. He had said ‘forever’ and as he disappeared from sight she knew that there was part of her that desperately wanted to believe him.
Marie stood in one of the darkened doorways. She had managed to make her way back without detection. Backstage was referred to as the rabbit warren for good reason. It was a myriad of
‘No...I haven’t...’ Lisette said. She watched her Aunt for another second before catching Sally by the arm. ‘I need your help.’
‘You only have to ask,’ Sally replied.
‘I need to talk to Evander before my aunt comes back and I do not want to do it before a hallway of curious eyes,’ Lisette said.
‘Leave it to me,’ Sally smiled, and then she backed away into the middle of the crowd. She raised her hands in the air and shouted, ‘Right, let’s carry on this celebration of an excellent performance elsewhere. I want a drink. Who is with me?’
The performers erupted into laughter and cheers.
‘Come on then. What are you all waiting for?’ Sally said with a shout. ‘Last one to the tavern pays for us all!’
The mass of bodies in the corridor seemed to swell for a moment and then, like a great wave washing towards the shore, the usually graceful ballet company surged through the stage door in a tangle of arms and legs. Lisette managed to step backwards into the safety of a doorway before she was swept up in the melee. After a minute or two, the hallway emptied and Lisette saw Evander step out the shadows. She ran to him quickly.
‘I cannot meet with you tonight. My aunt is insisting that I accompany her home shortly,’ Lisette said.
Evander caught her hand and brought it to his lips. ‘Tomorrow then, at the Hearth Fire.’
‘I shall try, but she wants to go out tomorrow. We are leaving early but I do not know when we shall return.’ Lisette gave him a smile and did not pull her hand from his.
‘I shall wait an hour, if you do not come then I shall see you after the performance.’
‘I cannot promise.’ Lisette felt her heart skip as he kissed the inside of her wrist. Closing her eyes briefly she allowed herself a moment as the warm tingling travelled up her arm and through the rest of her body. She shook herself out of the enchantment Evander was weaving, and said, ‘You must go. Aunt Marie said that she would not be long.’
‘Very well, but we have an instant more.’
Lisette glanced over her shoulder and saw that the corridor was empty. ‘Perhaps we do. Thank you for the rose.’
‘It will not be the last.’
Lisette squeezed his hand. ‘Such pretty words, my lord.’
‘Only for you, Lisette.’
‘I hope that is true. You must go, if my aunt finds out...’
Evander bowed deeply before her. ‘I am your servant...forever.’ But the effect was ruined as he looked up. A lock of his hair fell forward and he winked.
A giggle tickled Lisette’s throat. ‘Go, Evander, you must go,’ she said as he straightened up.
Without warning he stepped forward, dipped his head and kissed her. Lisette stood still. The initial surprise quickly gave way to the delicious sensation of having Evander’s lips on hers. They were warm and insistent. Lisette sighed inwardly as his arms encircled her. Everything about Evander was warm and strong, with the faint scent of spice. She found herself leaning into him and before she knew what she was doing, she hesitantly kissed him back. Then, before the kiss had started, it came to an abrupt end. Evander pulled away from her and Lisette staggered a step as her support had been snatched away.
‘Tomorrow, Lisette... We will meet tomorrow,’ Evander said with a grin as be backed out the stage door. ‘Tomorrow.’
Lisette leant against the doorframe and watched as Evander hurried down the cobbled lane. The night held a chill. The cold air whipped around her but she did not feel it as Evander’s kiss had seared through her like a thousand suns. He had said ‘forever’ and as he disappeared from sight she knew that there was part of her that desperately wanted to believe him.
Marie stood in one of the darkened doorways. She had managed to make her way back without detection. Backstage was referred to as the rabbit warren for good reason. It was a myriad of
Similar Books
