"You were wonderful!" Sophie gushed after the ballet on opening night. Claire smiled. Her first dance solo had gone well. She had executed the steps perfectly and with incredible grace. She was pleased with her performance.
Even Mademoiselle Gaudet seemed satisfied. "Well done, Claire," she said. "Well done indeed." From the old ballet mistress, this was high praise.
During the curtain call, the maestro gestured for Claire to step out of the chorus to take an extra bow. The thunder of applause from the audience was intoxicating. She felt so loved, so appreciated. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. This moment is worth all the long rehearsals and aching feet, she thought happily as she moved back to the wings.
Just then she thought of Erik. She wished that he could have seen her dance. She hadn't told him that she would be dancing the featured role. She knew that it would only underscore that part of her life "up above" that she could not share with the boy. It was better not to even mention such things.
Sophie ran breathlessly into the ballet chorus dressing room. "Quick Claire!" she bubbled. "We've got to get changed for supper!"
Claire looked puzzled. "What's the hurry?" she asked in mock concern. "Will Jacques run out of bread and cheese?" The old cook seemed overly fond of serving his "light supper" menu. Only two or three nights a week did they get a hot meal; the rest of the time it was bread, cheese, and once in a while cold meat.
Sophie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "No silly!" she cried. "We are going out to supper." The twinkle in the girl's eyes told Claire that one of their dining companions would be a certain dashing young trumpet player. She wished that Sophie and Michel would publicly announce their engagement soon so she didn't have to keep tagging along with them when they went out.
"Who is he dragging along with him this time?" Claire asked. She hoped that Michel would be bringing one of his more interesting friends. The last time they had to suffer through the tiresome ramblings of a thoroughly boring timpanist.
Sophie shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think it's a new fellow from the string section."
Claire sighed. Probably another self-important violinist, she mused. Well, he couldn't be as painfully dull as the last one.
