Dancing On Air (12 page)

‘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 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 twists and turns and interconnecting doors. Marie had witnessed Lisette’s kiss with the young gentleman. Even from this distance, Marie could easily see the quality of his clothes and his pretty manners. Lisette had managed to snare a plump prize, indeed. Her lips slowly pulled back into a smile as her mind whirled at the possibilities.

Tinder Michaels’ potential was probably nowhere near the young gentleman’s. But Marie chided herself. She could not let her imaginings get away from her. She must be cautious and investigate the boy’s name and fortune. With luck, Lisette would have had the decency to fall in love with a rich man. If the girl fancied herself in love, it would be much easier for Marie to manoeuvre her into the right decisions. However, if things didn’t pan out, she would be able to fall back on the second choice: Tinder. It was more than obvious that he was besotted with Lisette. Either way, Marie saw that the prospects looked more than rosy.

The fame of being a principal dancer could be fleeting. Lisette must secure a future for herself and for Marie. To dance is one thing but the girl must understand that she would be able to have a comfortable life if she became a rich man’s mistress.

The chaise longue was strewn with parcels and half opened boxes. Nestled in the white tissue paper was an assortment of dresses, corsets, petticoats, and gloves; more beautiful than anything she had ever possessed. There was a myriad of materials and textures, silk, wool, linen and lace. Each one excited Lisette’s senses as she ran her hands lovingly over them. She reached down and unwrapped a sapphire-blue evening gown. It had a fitted boned bodice with small, short sleeves and midnight-blue lace.

‘Aunt Marie, thank you...but how can we afford all this?’

Marie stood by her bedroom door. ‘I have been saving a little whenever I could. I knew this day would come.’

‘But still... I mean, I have never had so many things!’

‘Think of it as an investment and nothing more. Your career is just beginning to blossom and soon you will be the Imperial’s brightest star. You must look the part,’ Marie said as she crossed the floor. ‘Now, gather up these and put them in your room. Then we shall go to the theatre. We have been gone most of the day and there is much for me to do.’

‘Yes Aunt.’ Lisette glanced at the mantle clock. It was earlier than she thought and Evander would be waiting for her at the Hearth Fire. She scooped up her new wardrobe and carried it to her room and gently placed all the boxes, bags and parcels on the bed. After a moment or two of searching through the items she grabbed a brown paper parcel and quickly ripped it open. Inside was a simple day dress in fine lavender wool. Lisette ran her fingers over the material. It was soft and not at all prickly. She stripped off her grey dress and eagerly donned her new gown.

‘Lisette, it’s time to go.’

‘Coming, Aunt. I only need one more moment.’ Lisette opened a small blue box and withdrew a bottle of rosewater. She dabbed it behind her ears and along the column of her throat before snatching up her reticule and dropping the perfume into it.

‘Very well, but hurry!’

She picked up her new cloak, but paused for a second in front of her mirror. A soft smile spread across her lips when she saw her reflection. ‘I’m ready, Aunt Marie,’ Lisette called as she walked through the door.

Lisette and Evander met almost every day at the Hearth Fire and every night he watched her performance from his box. Each night he would whisper his pretty words into her ear and steal kisses in the darkened corridors of the theatre. Her heart began to soar as she dreamed of what their lives could be. With each passing day, Lisette found herself falling deeper and deeper in love with him. Evander had stolen her heart and her kisses and she let him.

Evander caught and kissed her as soon as she walked into the Hearth Fire. Her lips softened beneath his and she wound her arms around his neck. Her fingers slipped through his silky hair as she held him close. She savoured his kiss and the way his strong arms cradled her. She wished that she could get closer to him; touch his skin with her fingertips. His hands roved up and down her back. And the idea of running her hands across Evander’s bare chest made it a little hard to breathe.

With reluctance, he pulled away. ‘I missed you.’

‘I missed you too,’ she said with a smile. Taking his hand she tugged him through the door. ‘Come with me.’

‘But where?’

‘To the theatre. I want to show you something.’

‘But what if we are caught by your aunt. I thought you wanted to keep our meetings a secret.’

‘My aunt is not there. She had business to attend to this afternoon. She said that she would not return to the theatre until just before the performance.’ Lisette tugged his hand a bit more firmly until he was walking beside her. Down the cobbled lane they walked and soon the stage door came into view.