“I heard someone at the door.” Julietteanswered while she still watched the door. “Who is that man and whyis he in maman’s room.”
“He is only a friend,” she insisted. “Don’tthink on it and go sleep.”
Milan, Spring, 1813
Juliette peeked through the side curtain andscanned the audience until she spotted the dark blond hair in thethird box just right of the stage. This gentleman, who she believedto be Lord Acker, had attended at least a dozen performancesalready. She had no idea when he began coming to the ballet but thefirst bouquet appeared a month ago. His card always asked that shemeet him after the performance and was signed Drake Finton,Viscount Acker. Each time Juliette had left a note thanking him forthe flowers but disappeared from the theatre immediately after theperformance. Her mother warned her time and time again not toencourage gentlemen because they pursued dancers for one reasononly: to be their mistress.
Maman had repeated those warnings afterJuliette brought home the first bouquet and showed her the cardfrom Lord Acker. At first maman’s face had gone very pale, and shelooked frightened, as if she had seen a ghost, and then shecrumpled the card before tossing it into the fire. “You will havenothing to do with that gentleman,” she ordered.
“Why?” Juliette had asked.
“He is English,” she practically spit. “Hewill use you and discard you. Stay away from him Juliette or youwill end up like me.”
After her mother’s strong objection to LordAcker, Juliette had not taken any more bouquets home, nor showedher another card. Yet, Juliette still wanted to meet him. Had heonly sent the one bouquet she could have forgotten about him. Buthe had sent six different arrangements, including the flowerstoday. She should thank him in person, at least once, shouldn’tshe?
Tonight the gentleman she believe to be LordAcker shared the box with two couples. He was never with the samepeople or in the same seats.
“He is here,” she whispered.
“Come away from there before someone seesyou,” Genviève, her sister admonished.
“I need to fix the tear and we haven’t muchtime.” Hélène, Genviève’s twin, grabbed Juliette’s arm and pulledher away from the stage. “Besides, you don’t even know if he isthis Lord Acker.”
Juliette stepped onto a small stool so Hélènecould ply her needle to the tear at the back of her costume.
“Who else would he be?” she asked. “Each timeI receive flowers that man is in the audience. He must be LordAcker.” She peered down at her sister as she nimbly sewed to repairher skirt. “Besides, who comes to a ballet as often as he? Mostpeople see the performance once, rarely twice, but never three ormore times.”
Genviève stood in front of Juliette, foldedher arms across her chest and gave a stern look. “You aren’tthinking of meeting him, are you?”
Hélène paused in her sewing and lookedup.
Juliette lifted her chin in stubbornness.“Why not?”
“He is an English gentleman,” Hélène hissedand went back to sewing
“Does that make him evil?” Juliette asked. Itseemed rather rude not to meet with him after all the lovelyflowers he had sent. Besides, what could happen to her at thetheatre? Dozens of dancers and patrons were backstage afterperformances. It wasn’t as if she were going to meet him alone in adark alley.
“Mother warned us that the English viewdancers as little better than prostitutes,” Genviève remindedher.
Juliette blew out a breath. “That does notmean that he does.”
Hélène cut the end of the thread and fluffedout Juliette’s skirt. “Try not to get it caught again,” she said asshe rose to her feet.
The twins now stood side by side. Genvièvewas smartly dressed in a pale green gown, practical yet pretty. Herred hair, so much like Juliette’s, was pulled back into a neat bunat the base of her neck. Had they lived a different life, Juliettealways thought Genviève would make an excellent governess by theway she always took charge, even though she was the youngest. Shehad taken over the running of the household when maman didn’t seemto care enough and Juliette had to admit that everything ran muchmore efficiently under Genviève’s guidance and maman was happy shedidn’t have to deal with the day to day issues involving servantsand decisions. The only time maman decided to take charge was whenshe determined it was once again time to move. After her greatgrandmother died, they rarely resided in the same house for morethan a year.
Hélène wore a serviceable gown with a numberof needles stuck through the fabric at the bodice, each with adifferent color of thread streaming from them. There was a smallapron tied at her waist and Juliette knew it held more thread,scissors and other items her sister needed for quickly repairingtorn costumes. Her warm chestnut hair, often uncontrollable, waspulled back, yet curls escaped and framed her face. WhileGenviève’s eyes were light grey, Hélène’s were a clear, light blue.When not acting, Hélène costumed the troupe or assisted with makeupand styling hair for the stage. She prided herself on makingothers, and sometimes herself, unrecognizable.
Juliette studied them. “If I stay to meetLord Acker will you tell Maman?”
The sisters looked at each other, their lipspursed. Never had they gone against their mother but Juliettewanted more for her life than to simply dance. Though she loved theballet and could not imagine her life without it, she also wantedto marry one day, have a home of her own and possibly children.That would not be possible if all she did was teach children duringthe afternoon and dance at night. There was never an opportunity tomeet men nor did her mother allow her to greet the few admirersafter a performance. She was already four and twenty. If she didn’tmeet someone soon it would be too late.
“Just this once, but I am staying with you,”Genviève insisted.
“As am I,” Hélène insisted.
Drake Finton, Viscount Acker, wiped his damppalms against his breeches. Why was he so nervous? It wasn’t as ifhe hadn’t met an actress, singer or dancer following a performancebefore. Some of his favorite mistresses had been performers, butthe anticipation of meeting Juliette Mirabelle caused an anxiety hehadn’t experienced since the first time he attended a ball andbecame besotted
