Jon looked at the clock on the wall. Another two whole minutes had passed since he had last asked Simone the time.
That was long enough, he had decided.
“I have given her long enough. Let's go,” he said, sounding more than a little annoyed.
Madeleine had said she would let Karyn know what they were planning to do to get her out of this mess, but now he was no longer certain she would. Why had he trusted this stranger in the first place?
“But—” Simone started to say before Jon cut her off.
“I know what she said, but I can’t wait any longer. So are you coming or not?” Jon asked, turning to face the French woman in front of him.
Simone did not know what to say to calm him down, so she simply nodded as Jon reached for the door handle.
Down the corridor, in Élise's dressing room, Madeleine put down her glass and made her excuses, explaining that she had a few things to check before Le Jardin des Plumes and promising to return after the show for another drink.
“Je vous prendrai au mot.” (I will hold you to that.) Élise replied as the older woman left.
Madeleine closed the door behind her and made her way towards the chorus dressing room where she had left the American girl almost half an hour earlier.
Inside the dressing room, Karyn stood surrounded by identically clad women, each wearing the same pink feathered headdress, pink corseted bodice, long pink opera gloves, large pink feather bustle, and high-heeled dance shoes as she was.
I’m not sure if being one of a group of women makes this outfit look any better or worse, she thought.
“Allez, mesdemoiselles, il est temps de prendre vos places.” (Move it, girls, it’s time for you to take your places.) Claudette called as she tried to get everyone moving towards the door. The chorus began lining up in their little groups and making their way towards the wings.
“Vous deux.” (You two.) Claudette said as she approached Karyn and Lucienne, who were standing together beside one of the mirrors.
“Allez, je suppose qu'il est temps pour nous de retourner nous pavaner sur scène.” (Come on, I suppose it’s time we got ready to strut our stuff on stage again.) Lucienne said, gently nudging Karyn towards the door.
“You can’t mean me,” Karyn replied.
“Allez, let's go.” (Come on, let's go.) Lucienne said as she took Karyn's arm and started pulling her towards the door.
Wait. Had she just said, "let's go"?
No.
That couldn't be right.
Lucienne didn't speak English.
Karyn was certain of that.
Yet somehow, she was equally certain she had understood those words.
Let's go.
For a brief moment they seemed to stand out from the stream of French surrounding them.
Maybe she was imagining things.
Either way, Lucienne was still pulling her towards the corridor with the rest of the chorus.
