Applause (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 2) by Madalyn Morgan (best authors to read txt) 📕

‘Thank you,’ he shouted, after putting Margot though several routines that weren’t on the list, and were much more difficult. ‘We’ll let you know.’

Margot was in the dressing room, putting on her coat, when Lena burst in. ‘I’ve got something to tell you,’ she whispered. ‘You’ve got the job.’

Margot threw her arms around Lena. ‘What did he say?’ she giggled, unable to contain her excitement.

‘He said you were the best of the dancers. “An exceptional talent,” he said.’ Lena laughed. ‘Then he said, “Tell her she’s got the job, but keep her waiting a couple of hours. She’s too cocky by half, that one.”’ Lena laughed again. ‘He doesn’t believe you just happened to be backstage when the auditions were taking place. He said, “The little madam used the situation to her own advantage, prepared for it, the way she did when she took over from Goldie Trick.”’

‘Can’t imagine what made him think that,’ Margot said, linking arms with Lena. ‘Let’s go to Lyons Corner House for tea – my treat. You can tell me if I’ve got the job over jam doughnuts.’

‘There’s a message for you, Miss Dudley,’ Bert said, when Margot poked her head through the window in his door to say good morning. ‘Would you go up to wardrobe before you go into rehearsal?’

‘Will do,’ she said, making for the stairs. ‘See you later.’

Mrs Horton and the blonde understudy Tilly Bronte, who Margot had thought from the beginning was perfect to take over her roles, were looking at her costumes. Although Tilly was the same height and dress size as Margot, she was a little smaller on the bust and hips, so Margot’s costumes needed a nip and a tuck. Kat’s costumes, on the other hand, needed major surgery. Kat was a couple of inches taller than Margot and over the last four months had become quite a size.

‘If we removed all the panels we put in to make Miss Kaplinski’s dresses bigger, I’m sure they’d fit Margot,’ Violet mused.

‘Couple of years ago we’d have made her new ones,’ Ivy said. ‘Now, even if we could afford to buy new material, there isn’t any.’

‘It’s the government saw to that with their controls on importing and manufacturing cloth.’ Violet shook her head and clicked her tongue. ‘There hasn’t been any material to be had for love nor money since those restrictions were brought in.’

Violet and Ivy cut and cobbled Kat’s costumes. ‘That looks fine,’ Violet said during Margot’s first costume fitting. ‘All right for you, Ivy?’

Ivy nodded. ‘Margot?’

‘No! It isn’t all right, Ivy. I’m the number two dancer now. I shouldn’t have to wear costumes that look all right!’ She pulled at the neckline. ‘This is miles too big.’ Then she turned and looked over her shoulder at the back of the dress in the long mirror. ‘The bodice bags and the waistline is too low. If it was lifted and taken in….’ She saw Violet look at Ivy and roll her eyes. ‘I’m sorry if it means more work for you, Violet, but Kat wouldn’t go on stage in something that didn’t fit and nor will I!’ Margot allowed Ivy to help her out of the costume and took her own clothes from Sylvie who, although she daren’t comment, gave her a quick nod.

The following afternoon, Margot went for a second fitting and to her delight the costume she had tried on the day before fitted. By the end of the week all Kat’s costumes had been altered properly and fitted well. Mrs Horton looked tired; Violet, Ivy and Sylvie looked exhausted. Margot knew from her time working as a seamstress that to remodel Kat’s costumes to this standard they had worked very hard and for long hours.

‘We are happy with your costumes, Margot. How do you feel now?’ Natalie asked.

Margot nodded and smiled. ‘Thank you,’ she said, ‘They look wonderful and they fit perfectly. Thank you ladies, they look as if they’ve been made for me.’

‘They have,’ Ivy whispered.

‘Each costume has been taken apart and remade to your measurements, which is what we should have done in the first place,’ Mrs Horton said, standing back and admiring the dress from a distance.

‘Can’t have the number two looking anything but perfect,’ Violet winked.

Margot looked from Ivy to Violet, her eyes wide and sparkling with tears.

‘What is it, dear?’

She wiped her tears and laughed. ‘I’ve been so busy learning Kat’s songs and dances that I haven’t had time to think about it, but I really am the number two, the second lead in the show, aren’t I?’

Her old friends from wardrobe laughed and congratulated her as they helped her out of the costume and into her own clothes. ‘And we’re all very proud of you,’ Violet said.

On Margot’s first night as second lead the show opened with Nancy, dressed in white, alone on stage. Margot heard a gasp ripple through the audience as first the stalls, and then the circle, followed by the upper circle and the gods, watched her being lowered from the fly-deck on a swing dressed as the black swan.

Once on the stage, Margot performed the Deboulé. Stepping from one leg to the other high on her toes, she danced effortlessly in a circle around the white swan. The dance of the swans ended to rapturous applause.

The extra work she’d done with Lena before and after rehearsals paid off. She turned slowly and gracefully, her steps quick and smooth; she looked beautiful.

In the second act Margot allowed herself to relax as she performed routines and sketches – tragic or comic – with perfect timing. At the curtain call, she was the penultimate artist to enter the