“We 'ave a problem,” Madeleine repeated.
Jon immediately straightened up. “What kind of problem?” he asked, trying not to show his concern.
“Your friend Karyn is not in ze dressing room,” Madeleine told him, watching his reaction closely.
Jon blinked. “What do you mean she's not in the dressing room?”
“Just zat. Apparently my staff thought she was a member of ze chorus and got 'er ready and sent 'er out with ze others,” Madeleine continued.
Simone frowned. “How did zey not see zat she was not a member of ze chorus? I am a member of ze chorus, not 'er.” Her voice carried a mixture of sadness and anger.
“Apparently zey thought she was ze missing member for some reason,” Madeleine told the younger woman. She was not entirely sure how to explain what had happened beyond that, at least not in public.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Then Jon groaned. “Oh, you've got to be kidding me.”
“At zis moment she is on 'er way to ze stage to take part in Le Jardin des Plumes. She will be performing in only a few minutes,” Madeleine told him.
“We have to find her before that happens,” Jon said as he headed down the corridor.
“Ze ozzer way,” Madeleine called after him.
Simone remained standing where she was.
How did they not see it was not me? I am the dancer, not her. I belong on that stage, not her.
It was then that she realised the blonde woman she had seen a minute or two earlier beside Lucienne must have been this Karyn after all.
Lucienne had her arm as they joined the rows of the chorus making their way towards the stage. But there was no way Lucienne knew her. Yet she had seemed to.
How did Lucienne know this interloper, yet fail to recognise Simone when they had passed one another in the corridor earlier?
“Are you coming?” Jon asked when he passed Simone, with Madeleine close behind him. Madeleine had finally managed to point him in the correct direction, Simone thought.
“Yes,” Simone replied unconvincingly as she hurried after the other two.
