Dancing in the Shadows by Anne Saunders Read Free Book Online Page B

drawers housed all these exciting garments.
    She’d never had this many new clothes at once, not even after a childish growing spurt when her dresses strained across her chest and crept up her leg. Her mother had taken her shopping and bought her a whole new wardrobe, including ballet shoes, because in the golden days before her parents died it had been her ambition to be a ballerina. She had the build. The small head and the graceful, well-set neck; strong straight legs and well arched feet. She kept up her dancing, after the untimely death of her parents, but by this time she knew she lacked the star quality to reach the top. She could laugh now at the supreme egotism of her long-ago dream. There were too many things she hadn’t taken into consideration; the fierce competition, her lack of ruthlessness, the tug of family commitments.
    When her big break came, she hadn’t been able to take it. A rather important man had come to see her backstage at the theatre within thirty minutes walk of her grandmother’s home. Bluntly he told her, ‘In my opinion you’ll never achieve star status, but your talent is wasted here. I’m taking my company on tour next month. There’s an opening for you if you’re interested.’
    Dorcas was interested. She knew that he had paid her a tremendous compliment. But the timing was wrong. Her grandmother’s health was beginning to fail. It wasn’t until she thought about leaving that Dorcas realized how much her grandmother had come to rely on her. She had no alternative but to turn the offer down.
    All that, of course, was in the past. She must put any hopes firmly behind her, now that she did not possess two strong legs. She probably wouldn’t have made the grade, anyway.
    She didn’t feel bitter, because it wasn’t in her nature to harbour acrimonious thoughts, just sad, nostalgic perhaps. She was glad her suitcase was lost in the wreckage because in it were the ballet shoes she never went anywhere without. At least she didn’t have them staring her in the face as a painful reminder.

CHAPTER THREE
    Next day, even before Dorcas had breakfasted, the nurse came to dress her leg. Her name was Anita. Olive complexioned, dark hair tied back to give a neat, workmanlike appearance, she had a pert, pretty face and a fresh, engaging manner.
    â€˜Well now,’ she said, examining the long cut which in turn had caused severe bruising to the muscle. ‘That’s what I call a very tidy job. You had a good surgeon, señorita. Your healthy skin will soon heal this up. See how neatly it is knitting together. That slight redness there is your army of corpuscles fighting off the infection. I will dress your leg now. Very soon I hope to leave the bandage off.’ She worked as she spoke; her movements had the same brisk efficiency as her mode of speech. When she had finished she gave Dorcas’s leg a little pat. ‘There you are.’ She rocked back on her heels and surveyed Dorcas with wide, serious eyes. ‘You do know, don’t you, that had the injury been a fraction to the left, had the cut been say about here, you would have sustained more than a bruised muscle and could have permanently lost the use of your leg? I hope you realize what a lucky girl you are.’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Dorcas, suitably sober, ‘I know I am a very lucky girl.’
    â€˜I want you to use that leg,’ the little nurse instructed, ‘but I don’t want you to abuse it. By that I mean take only gentle exercise and rest it the moment it feels tired. If your leg suddenly gives way and lets you down, don’t worry, it’s only the muscle objecting to what’s happening to it. The sooner we get the bandage off the better, and then we can get you into that splendid swimming pool out there.’ She smiled, picked up her capacious bag and said: ‘
Adiós. Hasta la vista.
’
    Dorcas echoed the goodbye, then