Lisette placed her hand over her heart, the safest place for the note was where it was, beneath her bodice. Then, she took a deep breath, and hurried out to take her place in the wings.
‘You should not have come,’ Lisette said as she leaned against the darkened doorway of the prop room. She turned her head and looked down the corridor nervously.
‘I could not stay away,’ Evander said.
Lisette looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. ‘Pretty words again, my lord. However you did stay away, didn’t you?’
Evander reached over and took her hand in his. ‘It is not just pretty words, Lisette. I had family business to attend to with my brother. It was unavoidable. The truth is, I thought about you all the time I was gone. I know that we have barely met, but I want to learn all there is about you.’
‘Do you say that to all the girls you woo to your bed?’
Evander’s eyes widened and, with a slight laugh, he asked, ‘Really Lisette, what would you know of such things?’
‘I have grown up in a theatre...this theatre. I have seen the way of things; handsome lords and rich men weaving their pretty words to make the girls fall in love with them. Then when they are done — when their eyes catch onto the next prize — they leave the girls crying and wretched in their ruin and misery.’
‘Lisette, I swear to you this is different... I am different,’ Evander said.
‘Perhaps, but it would be better if you turned your attention elsewhere. I cannot be with you. I have a duty to my aunt and I cannot be swayed from my course.’
‘What duty?’
‘I must become a prima ballerina so I can repay her for all her sacrifices.’
Evander stared into her eyes. ‘She must love you very much.’
‘She doesn’t love me at all,’ Lisette answered with bitterness in her mouth.
‘Then why are you obligated to her?’
‘She raised me when my mother died. She has trained me to succeed and I have given her my word that I shall.’ Lisette took her hand from his. ‘We should not meet again.’
‘Do you dislike me that much?’
Lisette stared at Evander. His tone seemed tinged with disappointment and even despondency. It moved her and tugged a little at her heart. ‘No, no of course not. But I cannot give you what you wish and my aunt will be furious if she was to discover us.’
‘Give me a chance, Lisette, and I will make you fall in love with me.’
‘I daren’t.’ Lisette took a breath. Evander was charming. He turned her head and had the power to sway her to his will. She teetered on the brink and as she looked into his eyes, she wondered if he would be her downfall.
‘I promise I will not abandon you.’
‘For now, my lord, but you will, eventually. I’m sorry, I cannot risk it.’ Lisette steeled herself. She could not afford to risk her future for a promise — promises were easily broken and quickly abandoned.
‘If you do not risk, then you do not live. Surely there must be something beyond the walls of this theatre that you desire?’
His words wound around her resolve like the serpent in the garden, tempting and enticing her. He offered her affection and laughter; he was a bright flare in her otherwise dull world. It was true, she did live her life in half fear. She never went against her aunt and was almost a prisoner of the theatre. The only time she felt totally free was when she danced and the feeling of euphoria was always fleeting. In the darkness of the night, she would dream of being loved and having a family. Perhaps then she would be able to reclaim the happiness she had felt as a little girl, when her mother still lived.
‘Lisette, please,’
Lisette’s head snapped up. For an instant a rose-tinted picture popped into her head. Would Evander be kind? Could she trust him? Or possibly the biggest question was...could she trust herself?
‘Will you leave me wretched, ruined and miserable?’
‘I swear Lisette, on everything I hold dear, that will never happen. Come, Lisette, let me show you that there is more to life than this theatre.’
‘I can’t. My aunt is still here and she will be suspicious if I do not accompany her home.’
‘Tomorrow then. Tomorrow, where we first met and at the same time.’
Lisette was silent for a moment as she weighed up the risks. ‘Very well, I shall meet you at the Hearth Fire. Now you must go before someone sees you.’
Evander caught her hand and brought it to his lips. ‘Thank you, Lisette. You will never regret it.’
‘We shall see, my lord... We shall see.’
Lisette walked by her aunt’s side as they walked down the lane. The sun was shining brightly but there was a chill to the breeze. It swept past Lisette and made her shudder. She pulled her shawl closer and picked her way over the cobblestones. It was something she would have to accept. Autumn had arrived and very soon the sunny days would give way to rain and freezing winds.
Lisette opened the stage door and allowed her aunt to precede her. The theatre was dark and cold and empty. Tommy was not sitting at his station and, as they walked down the empty hallways, they did not encounter any of the company or even the stagehands. The only sound was of their footsteps and the beat of Aunt Marie’s walking stick against the well-worn wooden floor.
Lisette always enjoyed this part of the morning. When she had been a child, she always saw the empty theatre as her own private playground. She knew its nooks and crannies, from the bowels of the building right up to the Gods. Each staircase, trapdoor and half-forgotten door had been hers. Most of the girls of the corps de ballet were scared of the theatre and its so-called ghosts but Lisette always regarded it as her tattered and eccentric home.
Aunt Marie opened the dressing room door and for the briefest instant the look of surprise registered on her face.
‘What are you all doing here so early?’ Marie demanded as she strode through the door. Half a dozen or so faces turned and regarded her. Many wore looks of apprehension as she approached. Sally, Alice and Fanny sat next to Tinder Michaels and Tommy, whilst two of the stagehands stood behind them.
‘Ah, Madame Devoré, we hoped we would be the first to break the news to you,’ Tinder said as he stood up and gave her a bow.
‘News! What news?’ Marie’s brow formed into a severe frown. ‘What is all this about?’
‘Do not fret, Madame. It is good news! Good news, about our little Lisette,’ Tinder said before he reached over to the nearest table and picked up a newspaper. ‘It’s all here in the Illustrated Theatre Review.’
‘What is?’ Marie sat down and waited impatiently for Tinder to explain himself.
‘Why a review, of course. Come and sit down Lisette, you’re going to like this,’ Sally said as she gestured her friend to sit next to her.
‘Apparently, the review was added right at the last moment before the paper was released,’ Tinder explained.
‘Well, get on with it. What does it say?’ Marie said briskly as she sat down.
Tinder opened the paper to the back page and started to read.
We have long admired the graceful and ever-talented ballerina, Florentia, at the Imperial Theatre. However, last night, we were all given a glimpse of youthful precision by a certain Miss Lisette Devoré. Miss Devoré had a small part in The Imperial’s latest ballet called The Fairy. In it she portrays one of the princesses from which the prince must choose his bride. The story itself is yet again another telling of what we have come to expect from the Imperial’s program. It is another sweet, lively offering which is smothered in a fading romanticism. I may begin to question the storylines but the execution of the ballet is always transcendent. The dancing itself is impeccable as it is scrutinized by the watchful gaze of Madame Devoré, ballet mistress extraordinaire. However, Madame Devoré has accomplished something far greater than an enjoyable ballet, she has, in my humble opinion, created a ballerina who is perfection.
I look forward to watching Miss Devoré’s career blossom and feel hon
oured in being present at her foray onto centre stage.
Jack Preston.
‘Congratulations, Madame Devoré,’ Tinder said. ‘It is an excellent review and will no doubt do wonders for our theatre. Does anyone know this Mr Preston?’
‘Yes, I’ve met him once and have seen him around the theatre. He started working for The Illustrated Theatre Review a couple of years ago. He’s about your age, Mr Michaels, and a right know-it-all.’ Sally said.
Marie sat silently for a moment as if to let the accolades wash over her. ‘Good. It appears that Mr Preston does appreciate ballet after all. After his last review I was beginning to wonder. Thank you Mr Michaels for sharing it with me...and thank you for your congratulations,’ Marie said as she rose from the chair. She opened her little brooch watch and looked at the time, then she turned to Lisette. ‘It is a good review but you have a long way to go before you are — as he puts it — “perfection”. Change now and I will meet you in fifteen minutes, for rehearsal. The rest of the chorus should be arriving soon.’
‘Yes, Aunt Marie,’ Lisette replied. Silence settled over the room as Marie left the dressing room. A moment passed and then another.
‘Well, I don’t care what she says. You were perfection,’ Tinder said as he gave Lisette a broad smile.
‘That’s right, you were brilliant and don’t let your dragon of an aunt ever take that away from you,’ Sally said as she gave Lisette a squeeze.
‘I heard that you managed to stop the performance,’ Tommy said with a toothy grin. ‘That’s my girl!’
‘Thank you, and I stopped it only for the briefest moment. I don’t think anyone would have noticed,’ Lisette said. She put her hand to her cheek and felt the heat.
‘I heard you got a standing ovation,’ John the stagehand said.
‘That was only from one gentleman,’ Lisette said.
Alice gave her a wink. ‘Yes, the same gentleman that threw down that pink rose at your feet.’
Sally looked at her. ‘Would that be the same gentleman we ran into at Hearth Fire?’
Lisette shrugged and hoped that Sally would drop the whole conversation. ‘I really don’t know what you mean.’
‘Lisette, was it the same young lord who wanted to see you last night? The one who was sniffing around a couple of weeks ago?’ Tommy asked.
Lisette groaned inwardly. She wanted to make light of the whole conversation but it was apparent that it had already gone too far. As she scanned the room, which seemed too full of curious faces, her eyes met Tinder’s. She could not be sure but he wore an expression that was a mixture of annoyance and surprise.
‘It’s nothing... Really. Nothing has happened... Nothing has been said. He gave me a rose and that is all there is,’ she said. ‘Now, if you will all excuse me, I must change. Aunt Marie will be waiting for me and you all know that she doesn’t like to be kept waiting.’
‘Yes, yes of course,’ Tinder said as he gestured to the others to leave. ‘We cannot keep Madame Devoré waiting. And once again Lisette, congratulations.’
‘Thank you, Mr Michaels,’ Lisette said with a slight smile.
Sally hung back and waited for the others to file through the doorway.
‘Would you like to explain?’
‘No.’
‘Come on Lisette, I’m your friend,’ Sally said.
Lisette sighed and looked up, she saw Sally reflected in the mirror. ‘Whatever it may be, I want it kept quiet; a secret. I don’t want to be the fodder of gossip and the last thing I need is for Aunt Marie to catch hold of it.’
‘But you still haven’t told me what “it” is?’
‘Very well. Yes, the gentleman who threw the rose is the same man we saw at the Hearth Fire.’
‘Ah,’ Sally replied and her voice sounded as if it held the wisdom of the Sage.
‘I have not decided what to do about him, so can we please talk about something else?’
‘No, this is the most interesting thing that has ever happened to us,’ Sally said as she looked back at Lisette’s reflection.
‘Us?’
‘Why of course. Just think, Lisette... If you are courted and married to a lord you could escape your aunt forever. And then, of course, as you will be mixing with the upper echelons of society, you will be able to introduce me to a rich man who is fascinated with ballerinas with red hair.’ Sally ran her hands over her hair and patted her bun in place. Then she gave her friend a wink. ‘See, you are honour-bound to marry your gentleman and provide me with a nice, rich husband.’
Lisette laughed. ‘I think you have danced too many fairy tales. Young lords do not marry impoverished ballerinas...no matter what their hair colour.’
‘Oh pish, why not?’
‘Because life never works out that way. Besides, as I said, I haven’t decided if I am even going to see him again. I do have an obligation to Aunt Marie. One that I can never forget about.’
Sally pulled out the nearest chair and sat down with a bump. ‘Oh please, don’t you mean she will never allow you to forget it? What will you do, Lisette? Allow her to dictate your life forever? Perhaps this gentleman is not the one for you, but do not cut yourself off and hide forever in the dusty theatre.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because one cold morning you will wake up and discover that you have nothing. You will be as icy and brittle as Madame Devoré...and that, dear friend, would be a travesty.’
‘I will never become my aunt.’
‘Good, then you can start by meeting this man,’ Sally said.
‘It will complicate things.’
‘Well, if life flowed smoothly from beginning to end, it would be tedious. Complications can make you feel alive. Has he asked to meet you?’
Lisette thought on Sally’s words for an instant. Perhaps she was right about complications. Lisette knew that she had already agreed to meet Evander later but part of her believed that she would tell him that they could never meet again. However, that part of her was shrinking quickly, just like her resolve. Lisette didn’t believe in fairy tales and was under no illusion that whatever she and Evander had between them would be fleeting. But an image of him smiling popped into her head and it made her stomach contract. Maybe she was playing with fire, but just once she longed to know what it was like to be loved. ‘Yes... This afternoon at The Hearth Fire.’
‘Good, I shall make sure you get there. Don’t worry, Lisette... No-one will discover your secret.’
Tinder Michaels hesitated momentarily before gathering his nerve and knocking on Madame Devoré’s office.
‘Enter!’
Tinder opened the door and saw that her office was almost as big as his own. The observation didn’t sit well with him.
‘Ah, Madame, I wondered if I may have a word?’
Marie looked up from her desk with a hint of surprise on her face. ‘Mr Michaels, please come in and sit down.’
Her words sounded gracious but Tinder had the feeling he had just walked into a spider’s wed. Madame Devoré was dressed in her obligatory black; the only hint of colour came from the gold mounted cameo that sat at her throat. The black drained her face of colour and accentuated her blue eyes. Her eyes were the same deep blue as Lisette’s and were Marie Devoré’s only soft feature. Tinder took a breath, strode across the room and took the seat near her desk.
‘I thought, Madame, that we should discuss this review and its ramifications on The Imperial.’ Tinder sat in the low chair. Its back was straight and the chair pad hard. He was uncomfortable and, to make things worse, Madame Devoré appeared to look down over her desk at him.
‘The ramifications?’
‘Yes, obviously Lisette’s fame is beginning to rise. Do you foresee any problems with that?’
‘It is early yet, but I do not believe so. Lisette is a gifted dancer and will do the part justice,’ Marie said evenly.
‘Yes, I must apologise for putting Bessie forward... I see now that Lisette was the natural choice. I shall not
meddle in your area of expertise again.’
Madame inclined her head and allowed a hint of a smile to touch her lips. ‘It is gracious of you to say so.’
‘Do you believe she will be able to handle the adulation and popularity that her dancing will bring? I mean, it’s just that she is so young...and she will be the object of much worship.’
‘Worship? I believe that is too strong of a word. However, on some level you are correct. Being a ballerina of worth, especially when she becomes a principal dancer, will bring with it fame. Lisette is eighteen with a good dose of common sense. She will not allow the attention to go to her head.’
Tinder nodded and tried to form the words into the question he most wanted to ask. But as he raised his head and saw Madame’s piercing stare, the words melted away. He cleared his throat and tried to recover some sense of dignity. Hell’s teeth, he was the legal owner of the Imperial Theatre, not Madame Devoré. ‘But the rose?’
Marie tilted back her head and laughed. To Tinder it sounded raspy and hollow.
‘Roses are to be expected, along with bouquets, gushing reviews, supper invitations, jewellery and proposals...none of which will pertain to marriage. Lisette received her first rose and believe me when I say it will not be her last.’
‘Oh, I just thought...’
Marie gave him a thin smile. ‘You like her?’
‘Oh...um, no I was merely concerned for the girl’s welfare.’ He dropped his gaze to the green Persian rug on the floor and hoped that she had not noticed the heat that was burning in his cheeks. ‘Do you think there will be a problem between Lisette and Florentia?’
Marie leaned back against the back of her chair. ‘Not on Lisette’s part. However Florentia may begin to feel threatened.’
‘I only ask because I remember you once said that Florentia was nearing the end of her career. I wonder if Lisette would eventually take her place.’
Marie’s eyes seemed to almost glisten. ‘Do not worry, Mr Michaels. Whatever happens, the Imperial Theatre will never be without London’s finest ballerina.’
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