Page 94 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
Vi’s first private ballet lesson turned out more exhausting than she had imagined. Claire, the tall, lithe, dark-haired teacher, who looked to be about the same age as Vi, was a strict task master. Dressed in a black leotard, she put Vi through her paces, getting her to use muscles she didn’t know she had. Claire showed her how to do pliés in all positions, except fifth, ‘which is very hard for a beginner and it might result in you walking like a duck,’ Claire explained. ‘Not what we are after here, I think.’
It was hard to keep her back straight, shoulders down, head up and the arms lifted. Even though the movements were slow, Vi’s body felt as if it had been through some kind of torture. Dripping with sweat, her face shiny, she finally came to a stop after a gruelling forty-five minutes. Her T-shirt stuck to her back and her hair was plastered to her head,
‘Well done,’ Claire said and handed Vi a towel and a bottle of water. ‘I was a little mean to you but I wanted you to understand what the basic movements are.’
Vi leaned on the barre, wiped her face and drank deeply from the bottle. ‘If that were the basics, I wonder what the more advanced stuff will feel like.’
‘Oh, I don’t think we’ll be too advanced,’ Claire said. ‘We’ll stay with the basic exercises and just do a little floorwork next time. Movement to music, perfecting what I showed you today. You just need to learn to move with that Kathleen O’Sullivan grace. If you work hard it will eventually come naturally to you. I watched one of her movies online yesterday after our conversation, just to see what we need to do. She was incredibly light on her feet despite being quite statuesque. Straight back and a flexible body with that special walk and the way she held her head and shoulders were her trademark. She made it look so natural too.’
Vi nodded. ‘I know. That’s exactly what I’m after.’
‘Thought so.’ Claire walked across the floor with a light step, swinging her hips. ‘Like this.’
Vi tried to imitate the walk but failed. She stopped when she saw her image in the large mirror and laughed. ‘It’ll take a while before I can do it, but I get what you mean.’
‘You’re tired,’ Claire said. ‘I think we’ve done enough for today.’
‘Oh, yes.’ Vi grabbed her green hoodie from the barre and pulled it over her T-shirt. ‘There is so much to learn, though. But now I feel I need to take a break.’ Then she put on her tracksuit pants over her leggings, draping the towel around her neck. ‘I’ll go home and have a long hot shower. And a lie-down,’ she added. ‘I need to rest before lunch and then try to look my best.’
‘Why?’ Claire asked. ‘I mean, you look pretty good even now.’
‘Well, it’s… I have a date…’ Vi blurted out. ‘He’s picking me up just before lunch and then we’re going for a drive.’
‘Just be yourself,’ Claire said. ‘I’ve found that’s the best policy even with drop-dead gorgeous men.’
‘Sweaty with no makeup?’ Vi said, laughing as she caught sight of herself in the big mirror on the opposite wall. Her cheekswere bright red, her face shiny and her hair plastered to her head, the rest hanging limply in a ponytail.
‘You’re glowing,’ Claire argued. ‘But yeah, maybe tidy yourself up a bit, of course. Just don’t lose that natural look you have. I always wanted a face full of freckles like you. It’s so cute.’
‘Cute?’ Vi asked. She shook her head. ‘I hated my freckles when I grew up.’
‘Kathleen had them too,’ Claire remarked. ‘Except she must have covered most of them up with makeup and just left a sprinkle on her nose which made her look young.’
‘Yes,’ Vi agreed. ‘I’ve noticed that too. No problem with that. The makeup artist is a genius. He made me up for that photo that was used in the press release.’
‘That’s an amazing shot,’ Claire agreed. ‘I thought it was kind of spooky when I saw it.’
‘Oh, that was all Leo’s work,’ Vi said. ‘He made me look exactly like her, except for the prosthetic nose. He did an excellent job.’
‘He certainly did,’ Claire said. ‘So where are you going with this very attractive man you’re meeting today? Is he a local?’
‘No. He’s never been here before,’ Vi replied. ‘So I thought I’d go over the Connor Pass and have lunch in Brandon village or Cloghane.’
‘Or maybe do the Slea Head drive?’ Claire suggested. ‘That’s very beautiful. And you could have lunch in Ballyferriter.’
‘That’s a great idea. I’ll think about it.’ Vi took another sip of water from the bottle. ‘I have to go. I borrowed my grandmother’s car and she’ll want it back. Thank you so much for the lesson. When can we do it again?’
‘I think you should come once a week and maybe practise at home as well,’ Claire said. ‘I’d say you’d need my help for a few weeks and then you should have the hang of it.’ She paused. ‘I have a feeling you really want to get into Kathleen’s skin.’
‘That’s exactly it,’ Vi said. ‘I need to reallybeher, if you see what I mean. And I only have a few more months to prepare. I need to know a bit more about her too.’
‘Well, she did live right here in Dingle for a year,’ Claire said. ‘Did you know that?’
‘No, I didn’t,’ Vi said, surprised. ‘When?’
‘Just after she married Don. They lived in a house at the top of the hill.’
‘How do you know?’ Vi asked.
