Chapter Two
Jade's Debt
Back in London, at Jade's house, her father and mother were
beginning to worry about their darling daughter. Sitting in his study, where he had last
seen his daughter, Jade's father was addressing a man that stood in front of a large
oak desk.
"As you now know my daughter, your niece, has run away." Her father was
telling the man.
The man simply nodded; her was twenty are so with brown hair
that framed his handsome face.
"I do believe I know where she went but I cannot go there to retrieve her,
I am too old to travel that far but you can go. You can go to that place and bring her back."
Her father said.
The man nodded again. "Yes, I will." It was clear that the man was very
protective of his young niece and was worried about her as well.
"You must promise not to return without her." Jade's father said.
"Yes, I promise." How hard could it be, his niece trusted and liked him as much
as he liked her. "Where is she?"
"The Moulin Rouge in Paris. She ran away there to become a singer." The old man
answered.
The younger man's face went pale. "The..the Moulin Rouge?" He managed to choke
out.
"Yes, you must hurry before she becomes a can-can dancer or worse." The old man
said.
"I cannot go to the Moulin Rouge, I am sorry." The youngest man said,
tears were barely visible but they were brimming his eyes.
"Christian, you must go to the Moulin Rouge and retrieve my daughter." The man said,
there was no question in his voice.
The man, Christian, swallowed and nodded and watched the old man leave the room.
He could not return to the Moulin Rouge; yet, he could not leave his niece at that place,
he had foolishly promised not to return without her. But, why would she not want to come
home after spending even a day at the Moulin Rouge. Sighing, Christian left the study
and headed to his room to pack his things.
Back at the Moulin Rouge, Jade was as nervous as Roxanne had been.
However, Roxanne was still nervous, despite the fact that she was not performing anymore.
Within two minutes, Jade had mastered the song with perfection, Roxanne was sure that her
new friend could pull this off. Waiting nervously backstage, another Diamond Dog had come
to help get Roxanne, er, Jade ready for performing her song. This Diamond Dog was named
Baby Doll and looked the part. At that moment, Baby Doll was telling Jade to sit on a "swing"
type thing so that they could lower her from the ceiling, just as they had done with The
Sparkling Diamond. Jade did not like this idea very much, do to the fact that she was afraid
of heights and the "swing" looked very unstable. Roxanne and Baby Doll were forcing Jade onto
the swing while Roxanne was saying things like "Don't worry", "It'll be fine" and "Don't
forget the song".
Once Jade was on the swing, Roxanne had to hold her down to keep
her from jumping off. The main door opened again and Harold walked in. Instead of talking to
Roxanne or Baby Doll he headed straight for Jade. "Are you ready my little sparrow?" Harold
asked, his eyes were filled with adoration and had the far off look to them.
Jade shook her head. "Do I have to be on the swing? I don't like heights."
Jade cried, trying to jump off but Roxanne held her tight.
"It'll be over soon, Jade, good luck to you." Harold said. "You're on."
The swing began to rise and Roxanne let go of Jade's shoulders. Jade
looked down at Roxanne, Baby Doll and Harold as she was raised through a hole in the ceiling
, it seemed perfectly built for fitting the swing and its rider through it.
Jade was now in the Moulin Rouge, on a unsturdy swing,
looking down at hundreds of people all waiting to hear her sing. Jade nearly fell of the
swing; she was feeling a mix between fear and excitement. They were all waiting to hear her
sing. Jade fought to catch her breath as she probed her brain for the lyrics of the song.
While Jade was staring down at everyone, Roxanne and Zilder
were staring up at her, praying she wouldn't blow her big chance.
"She can do it, I know she can." Zilder muttered, his fingers crossed.
"She's too nervous, this was a bad idea." Roxanne muttered, her palms were
sweating and she was silently praying she was wrong about Jade being 'too nervous'.
Jade found the words to the song in her head and opened her mouth to
begin the beginning of the song. "The French are glad to die for love; they delight in fighting
duels." Jade began, her voice rang through the club, just as The Sparkling Diamond's voice
had. "But I prefer a man who lives and gives expensive" Jade paused perfectly "Jewels"
The music began to play and the swing lowered Jade to the ground, she no longer felt nervous
but full of energy and eager to continue the song. Everyone began to clap; backstage Roxanne
was going ecstatic.
Jade stepped off the swing and onto the ground. "A kiss on the hand may be quite
continental but diamonds are a girl's best friend. A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the
rent" Jade sang, she had begun to dance around (singing wasn't the only thing she was
good at, Roxanne noticed, she could dance too) and the men in the club were clapping and
cheering her on, some even followed at her heel like obedient puppies. The Diamond Dogs had
begun to sing backup to the song. "Or help you feed your -meow- pussycat." Jade said and
smiled at a man about her age that had caught her eye. "Men grow cold as girls grow old and
we all lose our charms in the end. But square cut or pear shaped these rocks won't lose
their shape! Diamonds are a girl's best friend." Jade sang and pranced around, enjoying all
the attention; this was not like at home. The one boy had begun to follow her around like
all the others. "'Cause we are living in a material world and I am a material girl." Jade
cooed. True to the song, she blew a kiss to the one boy as she was lifted onto a chair by
several Moulin Rouge dances. One man offered her a rose as the dances carried her chair
toward a stage in the center of the room. Jade accepted the rose and tucked it behind her
ear. The men followed the chair to the stage where Jade stepped onto the wooden platform.
Jade strutted around on the stage until she came to the center. "There may come a time when
a lass needs a lawyer but diamonds are a girl's best friend. There may come a time when a
hard-boiled employer thinks your awful nice but get that ice or else no dice!" Jade sang and
danced around; the men were shouting things at her that she couldn't hear because of the
music that was playing -it seemed- right in her ear. "Diamonds are a girl's best friend!"
Jade sung and continued to dance; Roxanne had told her that there was a musical bridge here;
she had to wait before singing the last verse of the song. To the left of her she could hear
Roxanne go "Olay!" which was her cue to finish the song.
"'Cause that's when those louses go back to their spouses! Diamonds are
a girl's best-" Jade paused as the music stopped playing. "Friend." Jade finished, grinning
proudly. Everyone was cheering and clapping, all Jade could do was smile -and blush she was
sure- welcoming all the applause. I could get used to this. Jade thought, grinning in the
spotlight of The Moulin Rouge.
Jade's Debt
Back in London, at Jade's house, her father and mother were
beginning to worry about their darling daughter. Sitting in his study, where he had last
seen his daughter, Jade's father was addressing a man that stood in front of a large
oak desk.
"As you now know my daughter, your niece, has run away." Her father was
telling the man.
The man simply nodded; her was twenty are so with brown hair
that framed his handsome face.
"I do believe I know where she went but I cannot go there to retrieve her,
I am too old to travel that far but you can go. You can go to that place and bring her back."
Her father said.
The man nodded again. "Yes, I will." It was clear that the man was very
protective of his young niece and was worried about her as well.
"You must promise not to return without her." Jade's father said.
"Yes, I promise." How hard could it be, his niece trusted and liked him as much
as he liked her. "Where is she?"
"The Moulin Rouge in Paris. She ran away there to become a singer." The old man
answered.
The younger man's face went pale. "The..the Moulin Rouge?" He managed to choke
out.
"Yes, you must hurry before she becomes a can-can dancer or worse." The old man
said.
"I cannot go to the Moulin Rouge, I am sorry." The youngest man said,
tears were barely visible but they were brimming his eyes.
"Christian, you must go to the Moulin Rouge and retrieve my daughter." The man said,
there was no question in his voice.
The man, Christian, swallowed and nodded and watched the old man leave the room.
He could not return to the Moulin Rouge; yet, he could not leave his niece at that place,
he had foolishly promised not to return without her. But, why would she not want to come
home after spending even a day at the Moulin Rouge. Sighing, Christian left the study
and headed to his room to pack his things.
Back at the Moulin Rouge, Jade was as nervous as Roxanne had been.
However, Roxanne was still nervous, despite the fact that she was not performing anymore.
Within two minutes, Jade had mastered the song with perfection, Roxanne was sure that her
new friend could pull this off. Waiting nervously backstage, another Diamond Dog had come
to help get Roxanne, er, Jade ready for performing her song. This Diamond Dog was named
Baby Doll and looked the part. At that moment, Baby Doll was telling Jade to sit on a "swing"
type thing so that they could lower her from the ceiling, just as they had done with The
Sparkling Diamond. Jade did not like this idea very much, do to the fact that she was afraid
of heights and the "swing" looked very unstable. Roxanne and Baby Doll were forcing Jade onto
the swing while Roxanne was saying things like "Don't worry", "It'll be fine" and "Don't
forget the song".
Once Jade was on the swing, Roxanne had to hold her down to keep
her from jumping off. The main door opened again and Harold walked in. Instead of talking to
Roxanne or Baby Doll he headed straight for Jade. "Are you ready my little sparrow?" Harold
asked, his eyes were filled with adoration and had the far off look to them.
Jade shook her head. "Do I have to be on the swing? I don't like heights."
Jade cried, trying to jump off but Roxanne held her tight.
"It'll be over soon, Jade, good luck to you." Harold said. "You're on."
The swing began to rise and Roxanne let go of Jade's shoulders. Jade
looked down at Roxanne, Baby Doll and Harold as she was raised through a hole in the ceiling
, it seemed perfectly built for fitting the swing and its rider through it.
Jade was now in the Moulin Rouge, on a unsturdy swing,
looking down at hundreds of people all waiting to hear her sing. Jade nearly fell of the
swing; she was feeling a mix between fear and excitement. They were all waiting to hear her
sing. Jade fought to catch her breath as she probed her brain for the lyrics of the song.
While Jade was staring down at everyone, Roxanne and Zilder
were staring up at her, praying she wouldn't blow her big chance.
"She can do it, I know she can." Zilder muttered, his fingers crossed.
"She's too nervous, this was a bad idea." Roxanne muttered, her palms were
sweating and she was silently praying she was wrong about Jade being 'too nervous'.
Jade found the words to the song in her head and opened her mouth to
begin the beginning of the song. "The French are glad to die for love; they delight in fighting
duels." Jade began, her voice rang through the club, just as The Sparkling Diamond's voice
had. "But I prefer a man who lives and gives expensive" Jade paused perfectly "Jewels"
The music began to play and the swing lowered Jade to the ground, she no longer felt nervous
but full of energy and eager to continue the song. Everyone began to clap; backstage Roxanne
was going ecstatic.
Jade stepped off the swing and onto the ground. "A kiss on the hand may be quite
continental but diamonds are a girl's best friend. A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the
rent" Jade sang, she had begun to dance around (singing wasn't the only thing she was
good at, Roxanne noticed, she could dance too) and the men in the club were clapping and
cheering her on, some even followed at her heel like obedient puppies. The Diamond Dogs had
begun to sing backup to the song. "Or help you feed your -meow- pussycat." Jade said and
smiled at a man about her age that had caught her eye. "Men grow cold as girls grow old and
we all lose our charms in the end. But square cut or pear shaped these rocks won't lose
their shape! Diamonds are a girl's best friend." Jade sang and pranced around, enjoying all
the attention; this was not like at home. The one boy had begun to follow her around like
all the others. "'Cause we are living in a material world and I am a material girl." Jade
cooed. True to the song, she blew a kiss to the one boy as she was lifted onto a chair by
several Moulin Rouge dances. One man offered her a rose as the dances carried her chair
toward a stage in the center of the room. Jade accepted the rose and tucked it behind her
ear. The men followed the chair to the stage where Jade stepped onto the wooden platform.
Jade strutted around on the stage until she came to the center. "There may come a time when
a lass needs a lawyer but diamonds are a girl's best friend. There may come a time when a
hard-boiled employer thinks your awful nice but get that ice or else no dice!" Jade sang and
danced around; the men were shouting things at her that she couldn't hear because of the
music that was playing -it seemed- right in her ear. "Diamonds are a girl's best friend!"
Jade sung and continued to dance; Roxanne had told her that there was a musical bridge here;
she had to wait before singing the last verse of the song. To the left of her she could hear
Roxanne go "Olay!" which was her cue to finish the song.
"'Cause that's when those louses go back to their spouses! Diamonds are
a girl's best-" Jade paused as the music stopped playing. "Friend." Jade finished, grinning
proudly. Everyone was cheering and clapping, all Jade could do was smile -and blush she was
sure- welcoming all the applause. I could get used to this. Jade thought, grinning in the
spotlight of The Moulin Rouge.