Gia had found it difficult to sleep even though she was well aware the next day would be tiring. She had labored over prepping her toe shoes far longer than necessary. Once she removed the satin tips and replaced it with fabric that would slide less against the polished wood floors, she sewed in the ribbons that she would lace around her ankles. Since the ribbon would run if not singed on the ends, she did so using a candle. Finally, she put the shoes on, which meant wrapping her toes in lamb's wool so that she could break them in a bit before the first rehearsal. Unfortunately, the ceilings were so low that she could barely walk around the room because she had to hunch her shoulders over, which only gave her a crick in the neck. The ceilings were higher in the hall, but she did not want anyone to see her. The shoes might be a bit stiffer than she would have liked, but it would have to do under the circumstances. The only upside was that they might last a bit longer because they would not be quite as worn. That reminded her, she would have to make a trip to the dance shop because she would need multiple pairs of pointe slippers for the upcoming weeks. It never ceased to amaze her how long it took to take a nearly pristine pair of shoes and damage them. An hour ago, there had not been a mark on them, but now they were dirty with singed toes. So much for the glamour of ballet!
During the night she tossed and turned, finding it difficult to become comfortable. Erik had not come that night, perhaps sensing that she was not in the mood for company. More likely he simply wanted her to get her rest so she did not embarrass him. Gia managed to snatch a couple hours sleep, and rose at first light. She put on her old dressing gown as she sat before her vanity to arrange her hair. She tugged a brush through the stubborn curls that immediately frizzed as the bristles ran through them. Once her hair was as straight as she could make it, she secured her hair in a low queue at the nape of her neck. From there she twisted it into a rough chignon and secured it with multiple pins. She hoped it would hold because she imagined Madame Giry would not look well on a dancer with a messy coiffure.
With that complete, Gia took out her practice outfit and stockings. The stockings were of durable cotton, which would unfortunately be rather hot for practice. Silk would be better, but not practical. Stockings would often tear, and cotton ones could be darned unlike silk which would have to be discarded because it ran. The practice uniform was white, or at least, it used to be. It was now a light grey and sweat stained under the arms despite the fact she always washed it after practicing. The top was sleeveless with a deep scoop neck in the front. The tulle skirt fell from her hips and fell just beyond her knees, a trifle shorter than it should be. Looking at herself in the mirror, it was as if ten years had not passed. She might look older, but her body looked roughly the same. It was a bit soft in the arms and middle, but she had no doubt they would firm up over the month. Finally, she put on her the pink leather practice slippers. Toe shoes were never worn to begin class. She took those with her, along with a towel and headed down to the practice rooms where the auditions were to be held.
Madame Giry and Meg had already arrived and the ballet mistress was busily lighting the gas lamps. Meg gave Gia an odd look up and down, but gave her a quick smile and cheerfully scolded, "Mlle. Burnside your skirt is too short! Maman shall not approve!"
"I know. This is what comes of having someone as tall as I dancing. If I could afford a new uniform I would have to have a skirt made to order for it to be the correct length. I hope your mother will not be angry with me," replied Gia seriously.
"I'm sure she understands! She knows you are not seeking to draw attention to yourself by showing off your legs like some of the younger dancers. If you ask her, she might ask the seamstresses to make a new skirt for you," Meg added helpfully.
"I don't think I could do that. They shall have their hands full with the new costumes as it is!" Changing the subject, she continued, "You must be dreadfully excited to be playing Giselle!"
Meg's face lit up the way it always did when she was enthused about something. The child had no artifice, she was so very wholesome, a credit to her mother. She looked so pretty standing there in her ballet uniform, seemingly free of any cares. The lead in Giselle would likely bring her all sorts of offers, both honorable and salacious from many gentlemen. Gia was glad that Meg's mother was so watchful, she would be sure nothing would happen to her.
The two of them stood in the hall and chatted as the other ladies and few men began to arrive for auditions. There were several of the younger members of the opera chorus in attendance, among them Adrienne Leveau who was busy holding court as far away from Gia as possible. She had spotted the woman she understudied for over her shoulder. Adrienne had given her a nasty look, and Gia turned away frowning.
Meg saw her upset, and placed a kind hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about her! She may not even make the corps. Maman doesn't like her much. She'll only take her if she has to. You just wait. I know you'll do a wonderful job. Maman says you're quite good, and she would know. She could have been a great prima ballerina if she had not fallen in love with Papa and decided to become a mother."
Madame Giry emerged from the largest practice room and announced that auditions were to begin and invited everyone to enter. Set up in front of the room were three chairs, one for herself and the others for Meg and Gia. Although the room was large, the bar was overcrowded with so many people auditioning. Due to spacing concerns, Madame Giry would keep the warm up rather short, then she would take the men and women separately for the main part of the audition.
Gia and Meg observed as Madame Giry put everyone through the standard opening exercises. For the most part it was easy to separate the professional dancers from the singers. Gia noted ruefully this was not the case with Adrienne. She had good turnout and extension, there was almost no way that Madame Giry would not take her. Her only bad habit was that it was clear by the way she moved she tended to exaggerate the steps slightly in an effort to draw more attention to herself. In a soloist that was acceptable behavior, but not for the corps where the dancers were supposed to be like mirror images of each other as much as was possible.
Finally, Madame Giry grew disgusted and snapped at her, "Mlle. Leveau, I can see you quite well thank you! There is no need for you to show off any longer, you will have a part in the ballet!"
This put a smug smile on the face of Adrienne for the rest of the audition. Once the abbreviated warm up was complete, Madame Giry went through an arm exercise with the ladies while the men were allowed to rest. She then took then men through jumps and turns while the ladies rested and put on their toe shoes. At no time did the ballet mistress ever sit down in the chair she had taken out for herself. When she observed, she simply stood at the front of the room, only occasionally speaking. The ladies then returned to do leaps and pirouettes and the audition ended with everyone learning a brief combination. Gia was only watching and it looked exhausting. After Madame Giry dismissed the group she came over to convene with Meg and Gia to discuss the casting.
Only five women from the opera chorus were deemed acceptable for the corps de ballet. Madame Giry apologized for the selection of Adrienne Leveau, but Gia told her she understood that it was necessary. Adrienne would play one of the Wilis which meant Gia would have to work with her. Georges Huget would play Loys/Albrecht and Jean-Paul Chretien would play Hilarion. The other few solo roles would be filled by ladies from the ballet. It seemed they would not have to go outside the opera to find more dancers. That piece of news would please Monsieur Dupoix.
The decisions made, Madame Giry asked everyone to come in the room and gave out the good and bad news. She then thanked everyone for auditioning, dismissed everyone for one hour so people could rest and get something to eat. Rehearsals would begin immediately after that. Gia used the rest period to run to her room and eat, then she went back downstairs to do a bit of warming up. Madame Giry would want to begin work right away and she should not have to wait for her and Meg to prepare themselves. Unsurprisingly, she found Meg at the bar doing pliés when she returned to the room. Gia went to opposite bar, and did the same. All too soon, she began to hear the sounds of dancers returning, and she cut her practice short. With so little time to prepare, Gia knew she would be a bit stiff. At least tomorrow she would warm up with the others.
The corps de ballet all filed in, taking positions all around the room. The men were in a separate room. Madame Giry was issuing some instructions to them because she would have to focus on the corps for most of the afternoon. The moment she entered, her long black staff in hand, all the girls stood at attention.
"Good afternoon ladies. I hope you have all made the best of your break because this afternoon shall be nothing but work. Since I have not had time to make out a rehearsal schedule for some of the smaller numbers, we shall begin with the second act which will heavily feature the corps de ballet. Eventually there will additional rehearsals for those of you with solo roles and parts in the first act. But before we begin, I want all of you to arrange yourselves in two lines, taller ladies at the back so we can do a bit of practicing." Her voice was firm and made it clear that this should be done as quickly as possible. Gia scurried to the back awaiting her next instruction.
"We shall begin with pirouettes, then move into jumps and then some traveling steps across the floor. I notice a few of you do not have your toe shoes on, please put them on," she said, her tone slightly annoyed.
Gia looked down and realized she was one of the offenders. She had been so fixated on the return of the others she had forgotten to change shoes after warming up. In her rush to get back into line, Gia didn't put in quite enough lamb's wool, something she realized the moment she rose up on her toes. It would mean more bleeding and blisters than usual. She winced slightly, then went back into line.
The best thing to do would be to ignore the pain and just focus on Madame Giry and then the steps. It would have been easier if there were not quite so many people present. But as her mother had often told her, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride," she would just have to forget that they were here. Besides, pirouettes were not especially difficult, particularly in toe shoes. They were directed to first do three turn preparations before doing four double turns to the right, then repeat the exercise on the left. All was going well until Gia lost the spot she focused on when someone stepped in front of her accidentally. It startled her, so she turned off balance, wobbling before she landed rather gracelessly on her rear end.
No one said a word, but their thoughts were plainly written across their faces. "This was to be their Queen?" If she could barely execute a simple double turn, what would happen with more advanced steps? Gia picked herself off the floor, grateful that she had not twisted an ankle. Madame Giry shot her an inquiring look, and she responded that she could continue. But with that one mistake, she had a difficult time concentrating for the rest of rehearsal.
She made no more major errors, but she was moving so gingerly, she was making the steps look like work. That was the cardinal sin of ballet. As hard as it was, it was all supposed to look effortless. The more Gia thought about falling, the more she thumped the landings from her jumps which caused stares from the others. She was coming down like a ton of bricks and her size was making it worse. Madame Giry noticed how frustrated she was becoming, and pulled her aside in front of everyone and told her she could sit down or go outside for a moment if she needed to. It was an extraordinary courtesy for her to extend. But Gia would not walk out of that room with Adrienne Leveau there. She would not let her be right about her.
Matters improved slightly when they moved on to traveling steps. With her long legs she could travel farther across the floor than any of them. Each girl did the combination as instructed and Gia noted that while Meg Giry was easily the most accomplished dancer, Adrienne Leveau was quite good. With practice she would be a match for any of the regular ballerinas. Was it too much to ask that Adrienne be bad at something? She would be sure to relate this disaster of a rehearsal to everyone. Dupoix would hear of it and have a conniption.
After the final bow and dismissal, Gia stayed behind. Madame Giry and Meg were going to rehearse with the men for a little while.
"Gia, you should go to your room and get some rest. Things will go better tomorrow," the ballet mistress said kindly. Privately she was very concerned. Gia's technique was excellent, she had been well taught and was not without some talent, but she was all nerves with people watching. Whatever would happen when it came time to perform in front of a large audience?
"I'm going to stay a while and practice. I will put out the lamps before I leave," she promised.
"If that is what you wish. But do not tarry long. You need to get your rest. We have a full day of rehearsal tomorrow." Although Gia nodded, indicating she would do as instructed, Madame Giry was sure the young woman would defy her. She had been humbled in front of her peers, and she did seem to be taking it well. It was likely she would be here late into the night.
The two women withdrew, leaving Gia alone to practice.
Erik was rather miffed that Gia was not waiting for him in her room. He had thought that after practice she would retire to her room immediately. He had waited patiently for an hour, but when she still did not make an appearance, he decided to look for her. Where could she be at this hour? It would not be safe to be out on the streets of Paris after dusk. He moved silently through the old passageways, being careful not to be noticed. He found a well concealed corner that Gia would have to pass on the way back to her room, and hid there. It was not long before Adrienne Leveau passed him by, a gaggle of girls in tow, hanging on her every word. He strained to hear what she was saying.
"You all should have seen her! She actually fell down in front of all of us! Madame Giry looked mortified. It will be her job if Mlle. Burnside makes a spectacle of herself, I tell you. Mark, I said this would be a mistake, days ago." She let out a long cackle, and the others joined in before adjourning to their rooms.
Damn it! Practice had not gone well, and to complicate matters, that stupid girl had managed to get cast in the corps de ballet. Erik had been looking forward to watching her toil with the seamstresses, her delicate hands getting calloused, dyed, and pricked by needles. That wench would be nothing but trouble for Gia! If he knew Gia at all, he knew where she would be. He headed directly for the practice rooms.
The hallways were silent and dark, but the lights in one room were burning bright. It could only be her. He could hear her cursing loudly in Italian. He crept up, hoping she would not hear him. Erik watched as she did double pirouettes one after another, each cleaner than the last. Gia then began a series of jumps, making barely a sound as she landed. The only noise was coming from her heavy breathing. Sweat had soaked through the bodice of her uniform, pooling at the front of her chest and the small of her back. There were even marks on the back of her knees from exertion. Her forehead dripped with perspiration that flew off whenever she whipped her head around. Several tendrils of curling hair had slipped out of her bun, but she was oblivious to it all. On her face was etched a look of determination. If he did not stop her, she would drive herself into a collapse from exhaustion. Worse, she could seriously injure herself.
Just as he was about to say something, he looked down at her feet, and gasped. Gia stopped dead, and looked to see who it was. When she saw it was Erik, she said nothing, but went back to what she was doing. He had driven her to this. She would not make the same mistakes tomorrow. She did not care if it meant a sleepless night. No one would laugh at her. Ever again.
As she started another series of turns, she felt him come behind her, and grab her by the shoulders, pulling her to him while she stayed on her toes, towering over him.
"Gia you must stop this madness! Look at your feet for God's sake!" he pleaded with her.
Gia had stopped thinking about her feet hours ago. It was only now that she stood still in his arms that the pain began to register. She looked down and was horrified to see that she was actually bleeding through her shoes. The pink satin was permanently stained with fairly large rust colored splotches. She lowered herself to the ground, but the pain did not go away. She knew she should take off her shoes so she could treat her feet, but it hurt too much to move.
She could feel her eyes filling with tears, and as they slipped down her face she unleashed her anger on him. "This is your fault! You have brought me to this. I have been humiliated. Madame Giry must think me hopeless."
Erik simply held her and let her shout at him. She pulled away and continued, "I am certain Adrienne is enjoying herself telling everyone just how terrible I am. No doubt you heard talk of it in the dormitories. The sad thing is, it's all true! She doesn't need to slander me this time. I danced like the out of shape cow I am. Are you happy now!"
His first instinct was to shout back at her, tell her she was being unreasonable. It was only the first rehearsal. She could not expect perfection the first day. But that would do no good. If he was in her position, he would be just as despondent. How many times had he played his organ all night, or composed all day leaving his fingers blistered, and pages stained red?
Saying nothing, he went around the room, and extinguished all the lamps. He picked up her flat slippers that were laying at the front of the room, and put them inside his coat pocket. The room was bathed in blackness, and once his eyes adjusted, he gathered her in his arms and picked her up, cradling her against his chest.
Gia was stunned he could even lift her. He behaved as if she weighed next to nothing. She should have told him to put her down. He would only injure himself carrying her about like a she was a bride to be carried over the threshold. For the first time in years, Gia felt petite. She wound her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder as he carried her through the deserted hallways. It then struck her, he was not taking her to her room.
"Erik, where are we going? My room is not this way," she asked quietly.
His only response was a single word: "Home."
It was only once he settled her into the boat that he finally let go of her. He punted toward his lair, the only sound the lapping of water. Candles were ablaze, and the curtains drawn back around his bed. Once the boat landed and he got back up and took her in his arms again, carrying to her to his bed. It was like something right out of one of her romantic novels. But his eyes were not blazing with that turquoise fire she had come to associate with lust. They were still placid.
He set her down on the bed, then disappeared, only to return with a basin filled with fragrant water. Erik removed the ruined shoes, first by unlacing the ribbons that were digging into the fragile skin around her ankles. As the shoes came off, they both got a look at the damage she had done. The skin on the toes bubbled with blisters, and blood seeped from the crevasses between her toes. He put her feet into the warm soapy water, and she sighed. He left again, and this time returned with bandages and a medical sewing kit. He stitched her up and lanced the blisters, saying nothing. When he completed his task, he looked back up her.
"Thank you Erik."
Gia then reached down and pulled him up by the lapels of his water splashed jacket, and kissed him deeply. He responded ardently, and stripped off his coat, letting it fall carelessly to the floor. But then he pulled away, remembering what he had wanted to do. He went into his wardrobe, rooted around a moment and took out two familiar pieces of purple fabric and handed them to her.
It was her slave girl costume. He must have brought it down here after she showed it to him. Whatever did he want her to do with it now?
Before she could ask he growled at her, his eyes having shifted color, "Put it on."
"Erik what is the meaning of his?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise and alarm.
"I am teaching you a lesson."
Unbidden, Gia felt a tingle ripple down her spine.