Butterfly by V. C. Andrews Read Free Book Online Page A

however, continued to look energized. She talked and talked about my ballet lessons, preparing me for my first session with Madame Malisorf.
"A ballet class is a carefully graded sequence of exercises lasting at least an hour and a half, Janet. You'll begin with stretching and warming-up exercises using the bane. Madame Malisorf likes to spend nearly an hour doing that. Next, you'll move to the center of the studio to work without support. This second part of the class we - call adage. It consists of slow work emphasizing sustaining positions and balance. The third part of the class is called allegro, and that consists of fast work, combinations, sequences of steps with the big jumps and turns that make ballet impressive. Can you remember all that, Janet? Madame Malisorf will be happy if you do." It was clear from her tone of voice that I should memorize what she'd said
I told her I had read some of it in the book she had given me and that I would be sure to mention it to Madame Malisorf.
"Good. You'll pick it up faster than anyone expects. I just know you will," she said.
"We're here," Sanford announced proudly. It seemed that aside from pleasing Celine, the factory was the most important thing in Sanford's life. Maybe soon I would be added to the list.
The factory looked much bigger than I had expected and there were dozens and dozens of cars parked in the lot. Sanford owned all this? No wonder money didn't seem to matter, I thought.
"I'm really very tired, Sanford," Celine suddenly said. "I should take a rest."
"But . . well, can't I show Janet the plant and check on some matters?" The smile and proud glow were gone from his face.
"Take me home first," she commanded tersely. "Besides, Janet's seen the factory. Why does she have to go in and be exposed to all that dust?"
"Dust? It's not dusty inside, Celine. You know how proud I am of our industrial environment." He was starting to whine.
"Please," she groaned. "Between you and Daddy, I hear more than enough about business. My parents own a printing plant," she explained. "Please, drive on, Sanford?'
I could see his jaw tightening as he looked at her and then he gazed at his factory and shrugged.
"I just thought since we were already here . . ." He had already given up. He sounded like one of us orphans when we'd been passed up by yet another set of potential parents.
"She's not just visiting us, Sanford. She's come to live with us. There will be other times," Celine reminded him.
"Of course. You're right, dear. Home it is," he said and started off with a sigh.
But what about my school? I couldn't help but wonder. Shouldn't we go there now?
Celine seemed to read my thoughts.
"In the morning Sanford will take you to the private school and have you enrolled," she said. "And when you come home, Madame Malisorf will be there, waiting for you.
"Then," she added, her face filled with that eerie light and excitement from before, "we'll begin again."

Five
    Later that evening when Celine began to question me about what I had read in the book on ballet, I felt as if I had already enrolled in a new school. She was like a teacher, correcting, explaining, and assigning me more reading. She wanted to be sure I knew the names of all the famous ballets.
    "I haven't told Madame Malisorf anything about your background, Janet. She doesn't have to know you've lived all your life in an orphanage," she said. "You could be a distant relative whom I've adopted."
    It was the first time she had said anything that made me feel ashamed of where I'd come from. I remembered the first time I heard someone refer to me as an orphan. It happened on the playground at school. I was in the fourth grade and we were outside at recess. There was a small sidewalk the girls used for hopscotch and we often partnered up. When one of the girls, Blair Cummings, was left with me, she complained.
    "I don't want to be with her. She's too small, and besides, she's an orphan," she remarked, and the others looked at me as if