levels, with each storey equating to one room. An annex on the ground floor had been added seventy odd years ago to house a kitchen. At the very top of the tower a tiny staircase gave access to the roof. As a child, Evander had spent long summer days pretending to be a knight, defending Temperly’s walls from invaders. He had spent hours, watching as an imaginary army laid siege to the tower’s walls and he shot a multitude of arrows from the safety of the thick stone merlons.
Evander always accompanied his father to Temperly whereas Alistair and his mother both preferred the luxuries of Gainswith Park. Since Alistair’s mishap on Temperly’s battlements he had always shunned the place. He and Evander had been playing sword fights when Alistair had leant on one of the merlons. The stone had crumbled against his slight weight and if it hadn’t been for Evander’s quick thinking he would had fallen to his death. Evander had thrown himself forward and caught his brother’s hand, then, with slow determination, he had pulled him to safety. Temperly had made Evander a hero and it encapsulated everything that was good in his childhood. It gave him a romantic backdrop and allowed his dreams to soar and unbound his imagination. It was an integral part of him, he loved it...and it would never belong to him.
‘Lord, this place is depressing,’ Alistair said as strode into the room.
‘It’s atmospheric,’ Evander replied.
‘Yes, like something out of one of those horrid novels. I’m afraid, Evander, crumbling ruins do nothing to entice me.’
‘Temperly is not a ruin. It just needs a little care to restore it to its former glory.’
Alistair stared at his brother for a moment. ‘You do really care for it, don’t you?’
‘Yes. Even when it is not my place to do so,’ Evander said. Then, before the tone of the conversation could sink into something sombre, he added, ‘Come on, let’s see if the roof has been damaged. Just promise me you won’t stand too close to the edge this time. I would not want to explain to your fiancé how you met your death falling off the tower’s battlements.’
Alistair visibly shuddered. ‘And you wonder why I hate it.’
‘Lisette, you must dance Bessie’s part this evening,’ Marie Devoré said as she walked into the dressing room.
‘What has happened to Bessie?’ Lisette asked as she looked up.
‘I do not know, but the damn wretched girl has yet to arrive.’
‘Perhaps she is just running late. There is still a little time before the performance begins,’ Lisette said. ‘She has never missed a performance before.’
Marie stared at Lisette, and looked as if she was weighing up her niece’s words. ‘Very well, you may wait another five minutes. If Bessie has not graced us with her presence by that time, I want you changed into her costume.’
‘But won’t the chorus be one short?’
‘Yes, but it will be fine. I’ll get Fanny to dance and weave through the pairs, with…with...oh, I don’t know.’
‘There’s a big bunch of silk flowers in the prop room. Would they work?’
‘Excellent, Lisette. See, you are not only a ballerina but have the making of one day being a great ballet mistress,’ Marie said with half smile. Then she turned and left in search of flowers.
‘Thank you, Aunt Marie,’ Lisette called after her.
Lisette waited for Bessie to arrive. The dressing room quickly filled with the chorus girls, all talking and hurrying to change into their costumes. Lisette waited five minutes and then another five slipped by, and there was still no sign of Bessie. With a sigh, Lisette rose out of her chair and walked through the girls until she came to Bessie’s dressing table. Quickly, she scooped up the headdress and took the costume off the wall peg.
‘What are you doing?’ Fanny asked as she looked up from applying her makeup.
‘I’m afraid Bessie has not arrived. Madame Devoré has instructed me to take Bessie’s place for this
Evander always accompanied his father to Temperly whereas Alistair and his mother both preferred the luxuries of Gainswith Park. Since Alistair’s mishap on Temperly’s battlements he had always shunned the place. He and Evander had been playing sword fights when Alistair had leant on one of the merlons. The stone had crumbled against his slight weight and if it hadn’t been for Evander’s quick thinking he would had fallen to his death. Evander had thrown himself forward and caught his brother’s hand, then, with slow determination, he had pulled him to safety. Temperly had made Evander a hero and it encapsulated everything that was good in his childhood. It gave him a romantic backdrop and allowed his dreams to soar and unbound his imagination. It was an integral part of him, he loved it...and it would never belong to him.
‘Lord, this place is depressing,’ Alistair said as strode into the room.
‘It’s atmospheric,’ Evander replied.
‘Yes, like something out of one of those horrid novels. I’m afraid, Evander, crumbling ruins do nothing to entice me.’
‘Temperly is not a ruin. It just needs a little care to restore it to its former glory.’
Alistair stared at his brother for a moment. ‘You do really care for it, don’t you?’
‘Yes. Even when it is not my place to do so,’ Evander said. Then, before the tone of the conversation could sink into something sombre, he added, ‘Come on, let’s see if the roof has been damaged. Just promise me you won’t stand too close to the edge this time. I would not want to explain to your fiancé how you met your death falling off the tower’s battlements.’
Alistair visibly shuddered. ‘And you wonder why I hate it.’
‘Lisette, you must dance Bessie’s part this evening,’ Marie Devoré said as she walked into the dressing room.
‘What has happened to Bessie?’ Lisette asked as she looked up.
‘I do not know, but the damn wretched girl has yet to arrive.’
‘Perhaps she is just running late. There is still a little time before the performance begins,’ Lisette said. ‘She has never missed a performance before.’
Marie stared at Lisette, and looked as if she was weighing up her niece’s words. ‘Very well, you may wait another five minutes. If Bessie has not graced us with her presence by that time, I want you changed into her costume.’
‘But won’t the chorus be one short?’
‘Yes, but it will be fine. I’ll get Fanny to dance and weave through the pairs, with…with...oh, I don’t know.’
‘There’s a big bunch of silk flowers in the prop room. Would they work?’
‘Excellent, Lisette. See, you are not only a ballerina but have the making of one day being a great ballet mistress,’ Marie said with half smile. Then she turned and left in search of flowers.
‘Thank you, Aunt Marie,’ Lisette called after her.
Lisette waited for Bessie to arrive. The dressing room quickly filled with the chorus girls, all talking and hurrying to change into their costumes. Lisette waited five minutes and then another five slipped by, and there was still no sign of Bessie. With a sigh, Lisette rose out of her chair and walked through the girls until she came to Bessie’s dressing table. Quickly, she scooped up the headdress and took the costume off the wall peg.
‘What are you doing?’ Fanny asked as she looked up from applying her makeup.
‘I’m afraid Bessie has not arrived. Madame Devoré has instructed me to take Bessie’s place for this
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