Madeleine Fournier had closed the door to Élise's dressing room and turned to walk towards the dressing room that belonged to the chorus when she saw the girls of the chorus beginning to spill out into the corridor ahead of her.
Was it really that time already?
Only a few minutes remained until the girls were due on stage for Le Jardin des Plumes.
She quickened her pace. Getting past the girls could take a little work when they were excited and nervous before a performance.
It was then that she spotted Jon and Simone heading down the corridor towards the very same destination.
She had asked him to remain in her office while she informed the American girl what was happening and what they intended to do, but apparently, he had decided not to wait.
Karyn emerged from the dressing room with Lucienne's arm still wrapped around her own.
“I am not supposed to go with you. I should wait here,” Karyn tried to tell the French woman, who, even as she spoke, was guiding her into the line-up of dancers forming along the corridor while more performers filed out behind them.
“Tu seras formidable, comme d'habitude.” (You will be great, just like you usually are.) Lucienne told Karyn, seemingly unaware that the woman beside her was trying to return to the dressing room they had just left.
“Ah, zere is Madeleine,” Simone said, sounding almost relieved to see the woman ahead of them.
“Oh, that's good,” Jon replied, sounding almost sorry that he had doubted the older woman in the first place. She had told him she would let Karyn know what to expect. Clearly she had done so and was now heading back to let him know what had happened.
“No, really, I should wait here,” Karyn tried again. Even if Lucienne could understand her, she did not seem to be paying any attention. Her focus appeared entirely fixed on getting to the stage.
“Young man, I told you to wait in my office for me to return,” Madeleine called down the corridor.
“I know, but I couldn't wait any longer. I needed to find out what she said when you told her,” Jon replied, sounding apologetic and anxious at the same time.
That was English. I know it was this time. Karyn turned and saw Jon walking down the corridor. “Jon! I'm here!” she shouted in his direction.
Jon stopped for a moment and looked towards the rows of pink-clad dancers in front of him. “Did you say something?” he asked, turning towards Simone.
“Non, I did not say a thing,” Simone replied, sounding distracted. Like Jon, she was looking at the girls in pink. I should be in that line-up, she thought.
She could see her friends. Colette was chatting away to Mireille, who was pretending to pay attention while secretly performing her usual pre-show ritual of counting the steps from the dressing room to the stage.
Several years ago, Mireille had convinced herself that reaching the stage in an even number of steps meant she would have a good performance. An odd number, meanwhile, guaranteed disaster. No matter how many times Simone had told her this was nonsense, Mireille refused to listen.
Then Simone saw Lucienne. As always, Lucienne was smiling. Simone should have been standing beside her, making her own way towards the stage, not the blonde girl standing there now.
A blonde girl. The thought lingered. It had been a blonde girl she had collided with when all of this had begun. There was no way this could be the American girl Jon was so concerned about. Surely someone would have noticed a stranger among the chorus and stopped her from going on stage.
“I 'ave been busy with my work. I will speak to 'er now. Please wait 'ere,” Madeleine told Jon in a tone that made it perfectly clear she expected to be obeyed.
He must have seen me, Karyn thought. He was looking right at me. He must have seen me. He must have.
“Allez, nous devons être en position.” (Come on, we have to be in position.) Lucienne said as she guided Karyn further down the corridor and away from Jon, the one person Karyn had been certain would recognise her even in this outfit. She tugged irritably at the feathers surrounding her as she reluctantly continued towards the stage.
Meanwhile, Madeleine entered the chorus dressing room.
“Claudette, Yvette, où est la jeune femme blonde que j'ai laissée ici plus tôt ? “ (Claudette, Yvette, where is the blonde girl I left here with you earlier?) Madeleine asked.
“Elle est en route vers la scène avec les autres filles, madame.” (She is on her way to the stage with the rest of the girls, madam.) Claudette replied.
“Oui, madame. Elle a été un peu plus lente à se préparer ce soir, mais nous avons réussi à la préparer à temps et nous l'avons envoyée avec les autres.” (Yes, madam. She was a little slower to get ready this evening, but between us we got her ready in time and sent her out with the others.) Yvette added.
“Bien, bien. Quand est-elle partie ?” (Good, good. When did she leave?) Madeleine asked, trying not to reveal her growing concern.
“Il y a une minute ou deux, madame.” (About a minute or two before you arrived, madam.) Yvette replied.
Madeleine gave her colleagues a nod and headed back to find Jon and Simone.
“Well, what did she say?” Jon asked when Madeleine reappeared.
“We 'ave a problem,” the French woman began.
