there?’
‘Well now, that’s what you’ll discover from the letters.’
‘You want me to read them?’
‘I’m not forcing you, but if you want to start to understand where all this began with the Lisles, I’d suggest you do. Besides, it might wile away some lonely nights sitting up at the big house by yourself. And it’d be a grand place to read them too, seeing as Mary herself spent time there.’
‘So, you say it’ll explain everything?’
‘No,’ Kathleen shook her head. ‘I’m not saying that. That’s only the start. It’d be up to me to tell you the rest.’ She checked her watch. ‘I’d better be off.’
‘And me.’ Grania signalled for the waitress. ‘You go, Mam, I’ll pay for this.’
‘Thank you, Grania.’ Kathleen stood up and kissed her daughter. ‘Take care and I’ll be seeing you.’
‘That reminds me, would you really mind if I brought Aurora down to the farm? She’s desperate to meet you and see the animals.’
‘What harm, I suppose?’ Kathleen sighed in surrender. ‘Just give me a buzz before you come.’
‘Thanks, Mam,’ Grania smiled. She paid the bill, tucked the thick wad of envelopes into her handbag and set off back down the street to collect Aurora. When she arrived, she saw the other girls had left the studio to get changed, but Aurora was still inside with Miss Elva. The teacher saw Grania peering through the glass panes and said something to Aurora, who nodded. Miss Elva then came out of the studio to speak to Grania.
‘How did she get on?’ asked Grania eagerly.
‘Well now, that child,’ Miss Elva lowered her voice as her other students started to file out of the changing room to leave the building, ‘is amazing. You say she has never had a ballet class in her life?’
‘No,’ Grania shook her head, ‘that’s what she tells me, and I don’t see why she would lie.’
‘Aurora has
everything
one would look for in a future ballerina. A natural turnout, a high instep, perfect physical proportions … to be honest now, Grania, I can hardly believe what I’ve just seen.’
‘You think she should continue?’
‘Absolutely. And fast, too. She’s already four years behind, and once her body starts to mature it will be that much harder for her to learn. But this isn’t the right class for Aurora to be in. She’ll have outgrown them all in a couple more sessions. I don’t know what the situation is at home, but I’d certainly be prepared to give her a couple of private lessons every week.’
‘The question is, is that what Aurora wants to do?’ asked Grania.
‘Well, I was asking her just now what she thought and she seemed very eager. Grania, once that child has grasped some technique, I can see her getting a place at the Royal Ballet School in London in a couple of years’ time. Perhaps I could speak to her parents?’
‘Aurora’s mother is dead and her father is abroad. I’m in charge of her. Why don’t I have a chat with Aurora and see if she’s happy to continue?’
Miss Elva nodded as Aurora, bored of waiting by herself in the studio, joined them outside.
‘Hello, sweetheart, Miss Elva says you enjoyed yourself. Did you?’ asked Grania.
‘Oh, yes!’ Aurora’s eyes were alight with pleasure. ‘I loved it,’ she said.
‘Good, so you want to come back again?’
‘Of course. Miss Elva and I have already discussed it, haven’t we? I can come back, can’t I, Grania?’
‘I’m sure you can, yes. But perhaps I should speak to Daddy to make sure that’s all right.’
‘OK,’ Aurora accepted reluctantly. ‘Goodbye, Miss Elva, and thank you.’
‘Hope to see you next week, Aurora,’ Miss Elva called as Grania and Aurora left and walked back to the car.
That evening, Aurora was full of excitement about the class, showing Grania the positions she had learned, pirouetting and jumping and pointing her feet around the kitchen as Grania cooked them supper.
‘When can we go to Cork city to get my ballet things?
‘Well now, that’s what you’ll discover from the letters.’
‘You want me to read them?’
‘I’m not forcing you, but if you want to start to understand where all this began with the Lisles, I’d suggest you do. Besides, it might wile away some lonely nights sitting up at the big house by yourself. And it’d be a grand place to read them too, seeing as Mary herself spent time there.’
‘So, you say it’ll explain everything?’
‘No,’ Kathleen shook her head. ‘I’m not saying that. That’s only the start. It’d be up to me to tell you the rest.’ She checked her watch. ‘I’d better be off.’
‘And me.’ Grania signalled for the waitress. ‘You go, Mam, I’ll pay for this.’
‘Thank you, Grania.’ Kathleen stood up and kissed her daughter. ‘Take care and I’ll be seeing you.’
‘That reminds me, would you really mind if I brought Aurora down to the farm? She’s desperate to meet you and see the animals.’
‘What harm, I suppose?’ Kathleen sighed in surrender. ‘Just give me a buzz before you come.’
‘Thanks, Mam,’ Grania smiled. She paid the bill, tucked the thick wad of envelopes into her handbag and set off back down the street to collect Aurora. When she arrived, she saw the other girls had left the studio to get changed, but Aurora was still inside with Miss Elva. The teacher saw Grania peering through the glass panes and said something to Aurora, who nodded. Miss Elva then came out of the studio to speak to Grania.
‘How did she get on?’ asked Grania eagerly.
‘Well now, that child,’ Miss Elva lowered her voice as her other students started to file out of the changing room to leave the building, ‘is amazing. You say she has never had a ballet class in her life?’
‘No,’ Grania shook her head, ‘that’s what she tells me, and I don’t see why she would lie.’
‘Aurora has
everything
one would look for in a future ballerina. A natural turnout, a high instep, perfect physical proportions … to be honest now, Grania, I can hardly believe what I’ve just seen.’
‘You think she should continue?’
‘Absolutely. And fast, too. She’s already four years behind, and once her body starts to mature it will be that much harder for her to learn. But this isn’t the right class for Aurora to be in. She’ll have outgrown them all in a couple more sessions. I don’t know what the situation is at home, but I’d certainly be prepared to give her a couple of private lessons every week.’
‘The question is, is that what Aurora wants to do?’ asked Grania.
‘Well, I was asking her just now what she thought and she seemed very eager. Grania, once that child has grasped some technique, I can see her getting a place at the Royal Ballet School in London in a couple of years’ time. Perhaps I could speak to her parents?’
‘Aurora’s mother is dead and her father is abroad. I’m in charge of her. Why don’t I have a chat with Aurora and see if she’s happy to continue?’
Miss Elva nodded as Aurora, bored of waiting by herself in the studio, joined them outside.
‘Hello, sweetheart, Miss Elva says you enjoyed yourself. Did you?’ asked Grania.
‘Oh, yes!’ Aurora’s eyes were alight with pleasure. ‘I loved it,’ she said.
‘Good, so you want to come back again?’
‘Of course. Miss Elva and I have already discussed it, haven’t we? I can come back, can’t I, Grania?’
‘I’m sure you can, yes. But perhaps I should speak to Daddy to make sure that’s all right.’
‘OK,’ Aurora accepted reluctantly. ‘Goodbye, Miss Elva, and thank you.’
‘Hope to see you next week, Aurora,’ Miss Elva called as Grania and Aurora left and walked back to the car.
That evening, Aurora was full of excitement about the class, showing Grania the positions she had learned, pirouetting and jumping and pointing her feet around the kitchen as Grania cooked them supper.
‘When can we go to Cork city to get my ballet things?
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