Got very inspired with the Me Too campaign and The Bold Type for this chapter, but not writing thankfully with much experience of the contents of this/last chapter. I apologise if you do, and I haven't done it justice.
En Pointe
Chapter 18: Reputation
Mildred was terrified she was going to be sent to Mis Cackles office, that she would have to explain what had happened, explain the position she had stupidly put herself in. She didn't think she could take the judgement from someone she thought so highly of.
Instead she found herself being led back through the busy London street, back to Ms Hardbroom's house.
Pippa was there, waiting. Mildred vaguely remembered seeing Hecate prodding at her phone on the way.
"I told Enid you had been taken ill," Pippa told her as she passed her a duffle bag, "Told her not to worry and that you will be fine, but she's packed everything you need."
Mildred nodded dumbly. Confused, she wasn't ill? Or was she? – she definitely felt like she was going to throw up. She couldn't bear to take her eyes away from the polished parquet floor of Ms Hardbroom's hallway, terrified of seeing disappointment or even hurt in her teacher's eyes.
"You know your way to the guest bathroom," Hecate told her, her voice catching slightly at the end.
Mildred nodded again, suddenly feeling that she wanted nothing more than to wash off the day. Wash Mr Blois' touch off of her.
Xxx
"I know he did something!" Hecate paced, feeling nauseous at the memory of Mildred's shaking, hurt at her eyes. "I warned him… I warned him…" Hecate added. Feeling guilt coil inside her, "I should have never let Mildred do it – I knew, knew that he desired her."
Pippa placed her hand around Hecate's tensed shoulders, stopping the pacing momentarily. "You couldn't have known anything, Hecate – there's been rumours , always rumours with him. But she's a child."
"Would she have even told me?" Hecate let the hurt come into her voice as she let herself nuzzle into Pippa's neck, shoulders finally losing the strength to carry her guilt. "If I hadn't had put my hands on her…"
"She would have," Pippa assured her. "And don't even go there Hiccup – you can't educate a dancer without placing your hands on them. You weren't to know."
"I'm going to kill him," Hecate said very seriously.
"As beautiful as you look in anything Hiccup – I don't think a prison uniform would suit you. But I agree that he does need to pay.. He will deny it of course, and it'll be Mildred's word against his."
"She will end up being the teen seductress who was trying to get a part…" Hecate growled. "He's ballet royalty, protected by powerful people."
"But you're Hecate Hardbroom – darling of the stage," Pippa argued. "If anyone can go up against him it's you! Plan, strategise and bring hell – but first you have Mildred to put aside all of your feelings for."
Hecate nodded, swallowing the bile in her throat.
Xxx
It took every amount of control her brain had to force herself to leave the shower and face the two women.
She placed on some clean clothes, barely knowing what she put on and left her wet hair hanging loose and wild, not in the least caring that untangling would be impossible later.
Tentatively entering the room, she accidentally caught Hecate's eye. It was full of intensity and emotion of which she had never seen.
"Sit – Mildred," Hecate averted her own gaze and briskly ordered her to the sofa. Pippa gazing imploringly at them both.
"I know you won't want to talk about it, but we need to know everything honey," Pippa started, when she saw that Hecate's words seemed to be failing her.
"Mr Blois?" Pippa asked, Mildred nodded.
"Today?" Hecate guessed, Mildred nodded again.
"How far did he go?" Hecate caught Mildred's gaze.
Mildred said nothing.
"You showed up at my house looking haunted Mildred, you cannot expect me to just let it go," she told the girl firmly.
Mildred looked up at the firmness of Hecate's tone, finding strength from it and knowing she couldn't get away with not telling her the truth. "He touched me – you know… there…-….over my leotard, that was it," Mildred replied falteringly. "He was trying to go further – but Ethan – the assistant- he came in and saw."
"That's enough," Hecate told Pippa. "Assault – and you're still a minor."
"A witness too," Pippa replied.
Mildred began to sob, feeling the tears roll down her face and into her drying matted hair. "You don't understand," Mildred cried. "I knew what I was doing! I asked for an extra rehearsal with him – knowing full well what he was wanting. I just wasn't thinking straight. Maria said I needed to use my charms, like you must have done!" Mildred finished, barely looking at Hecate.
" Maria Baranova is a manipulative cow – but to say that!" Pippa got to her feet in an anger that Mildred wouldn't have believed possible from the dainty blonde. "Hecate didn't do anything with a single director, she didn't need to – her talent speaks for itself unlike Ms Baranova's! The ****"
"Pippa – pas devant la fille," Hecate warned.
"You are not accountable, Mildred," Hecate told her calmly, a weird and unusual contrast with Pippa's fury. "Look at me. Look at me," she demanded repeatedly, waiting until Mildred lifted her chin to meet those dark eyes. "I know I treat all you young ladies like adults, and in many ways I expect you to behave like adults, like professionals. But you are not, Mildred – you are still a child. You were naïve yes, foolish – most definitely, but you are not accountable for that man's actions."
Mildred nodded, a tear flicking from her eyelash. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I'm sorry too," Hecate replied. I should never have let you dance for him. Or if I had given him a little what he wanted, flirted back like they all do, he might not have gone after you…
"We will sort this Mildred," Pippa told her firmly.
"What do you need?" Hecate asked the girl.
"To sleep," Mildred admitted, feeling foggy from the emotional exhaustion and wanting the day to be over.
Xxx
"We cannot go to the law without proof," Pippa grumbled, "He will get them to use tactics to break her when questioned."
"He deserves to go to jail," Hecate muttered. "But I'd settle for him losing his position. Never being able to subject another dancer to his abuse."
"Mildred needs protecting from it all, I don't want her caught up in anything," Hecate continued.
"So – what do we do?" Pippa queried.
"I told him he would have me to answer to," Hecate rubbed her lips together. "And it is me he will deal with."
"Us to deal with," Pippa nodded.
"We need his address," Hecate raised her brow.
"Easy," Pippa smiled predatorily. She pulled her bright pink phone out of her pocket and began fingering away before bringing the device to her ear. "Stephano darling, it's Pippa, Pippa Pentangle! – Oh I know such a long time, too long really. We must get together soon, how is Millicent? – Oh brilliant! – I'll definitely make it there for that! Anyway Stephano, I'm ringing because I know you have been past patrons of Pierre Blois – I need to send him something and know he has a new address. – Would you mind? Hampstead, brilliant. Thanks so much Stephano, ciao ciao."
"Done," she said smirking, slipping straight back out of her warm tones.
"Pippa you're brilliant," Hecate shook her head.
"Come on Momma Bear – we've work to do," Pippa smirked, grabbing her car keys.
Xxx
Pierre's house was annoying beautiful. A three-story townhouse which oozed class.
Hecate looked at Pippa as Pippa parked ostentatiously across his driveway. "You've got this," Pippa smirked as they got out of the car, "We've got him."
Hecate nodded, thoughts of Mildred's tears drifting into her brain.
She unfurled herself from the car and knocked loudly using the brass knocker which was shaped like a bear with a club in its hand. "Ironic," Pippa muttered raising her eyebrows.
Pierre opened the door, wearing a red dressing gown over grey pyjamas. "'Ecate, what on earth do I owe this pleasure to?"
"Save it," Hecate shushed him, "There's no pleasure Pierre. I told you if you went near Mildred Hubble you would have me to answer to!"
"I don't know what you mean," Pierre crinkled his eyes.
"Let's not play that game," Pippa growled at him.
"Ahhh Pippa Pentangle, is that you? If you mean today? The 'Ubble girl – she came on to me. Tried to seduce me to keep hold of her part!" Pierre feigned shock, badly – he was a terrible actor. "I was going to phone you Ecate, suggest the girl needed a good talking to."
"You and I both know that you're full of ****", Hecate snarled.
"Now now, Ecate, calm down. What's got you so rattled eh? Wanted the Ubble girl for yourself? We've all heard rumours about you…" Pierre looked her up and down. "Explains so much really," Pierre laughed, his face becoming a sneer.
Hecate's neck went red with anger.
"Oh you beast!" Pippa cut in, "You're the only pervert around here!" Pippa gave Hecate an encouraging smile.
Hecate felt the blood rise up once more, "I've come to tell you that you're retiring. As of right now!" Hecate glared with fierce intensity. "You're done, Pierre. Done."
"No one will believe her," Pierre replied smugly. "If she tries anything her career will be down the toilet before she even graduates."
Hecate gave the man a withering stare, the kind that made even the most bold of teenage students crumple.
"They might not believe Mildred, but they'd certainly believe me!" Hecate shot him a look of satisfaction as her statement dawned on him.
"And me!" Pippa added triumphantly. "I can see the headlines now – Perverted Pierre Preys on Prima Ballerina. You retire tomorrow, and keep your reputation, or we can leave it to the public to decide."
Hecate cocked her head, "Bonne nuit Monsieur," Hecate turned and head back to the car.
"You should count yourself extremely lucky that I talked her out of killing you!" Pippa told him before she followed her girlfriend.
xxx
"Now we wait," Hecate said as she poured a glass of wine for herself and Pippa, adrenalin still not completely subsided.
"Now we wait," Pippa confirmed. "When are you going to talk to Mildred's mother?"
"First thing in the morning," Hecate sighed. "Hopefully Mildred won't be too badly affected, but these types of incidents can leave bruises."
"You have experience of this?" Pippa queried after a sip.
"I do – unfortunately, too many times to count when I was just starting out. It made me angry, and probably more determined to succeed on my own, became my own kind of vendetta to become the best in order to prove that I didn't need men's advances. I didn't have many sexual relationships – despite all of the company constantly in each other pants. I think they found me standoffish and uppity, but truthfully I was terrified to go further and that only seemed to make touching me more appealing. Do you?"
"I think we all do, I can't lie and say I didn't do things I regret. I think I just needed to learn about myself, realise my sexuality, but looking back – the positions I would put myself in, force myself into. I just used to think that because I wouldn't enjoy it anyway, I might as well get something out of it. Not very self-respecting," Pippa sighed.
"You respect yourself more than anyone else I know now," Hecate told her. "Your sense of self-worth is truly something to aspire to Pippa."
"When we first got together, that first time… I finally understood that it wasn't about power, it was about creating something powerful…" Pippa smiled, lost in thought.
"I felt like there was nothing to even think about, that is was just us…" Hecate admitted. "I didn't need to overthink."
"Magic," Pippa laughed.
"Magic," Hecate agreed.
Xxx
Hecate rose early, dressed quietly so as not to wake Pippa and crept out of the house without wanting to wake Mildred.
She made it to her office without seeing a soul. Glad of the warmth after the cool breeze, but with a deeply rooted trepidation.
What if she blames you? You are her teacher, she's miles away and you didn't protect her.
"Ms Hubble?" Hecate swallowed as the dialled number was picked up almost straight away.
"Yes?" A curious tone with a deeply northern accent.
"This is Ms Hardbroom from the Academy of Dance," Hecate felt her voice quiver slightly.
"What's happened?" Julie Hubble panicked.
"She's fine Ms Hubble," Hecate half-lied. "It's…. It's a difficult one."
"Go on," Julie commanded brusquely. If Hecate hadn't been in inward turmoil she would been impressed by her no-nonsense manner.
"There's been an incident… With Mildred… Ms Hubble this will be really difficult to hear.. But Mildred well.. There was a sexual encounter… Molesting…," Hecate felt acid on her tongue at the last word.
The phone went quiet.
"Ms Hubble?" Hecate prompted after a moment.
"Who?" Julie Hubble wondered. "The director?"
"Yes," Hecate managed.
"What did he..?" Julie asked.
"Touching… Inappropriate touching…" Hecate told her.
Hecate heard Julie Hubble make a pained sound.
"How is she?" her mother asked softly.
"I don't feel I can make that analysis at the moment," Hecate said truthfully. "I only found out last evening. I would have phoned straight away, but couldn't get access to Mildred's records and Mildred went to sleep early."
"She didn't phone me last night… She usually does," Julie murmured.
"She stayed the night at my house," Hecate informed her. "I hope that's ok with you."
Julie sighed, "I'm glad she has you when I'm so far away. I'll come up today. Call in sick."
"She'd appreciate that," Hecate agreed.
"What about him?" Julie asked, "He's some big-shot ballet man? Girls like Millie don't stand a chance…"
"Perhaps not…" Hecate told her, "But I've a reputation too."
"And you'd risk that?" Julie asked.
"I'd risk it," Hecate said firmly.
Xxx