(no subject)

[fiery_ring]

The school hall is crowded with parents. Carlotta approaches the back door to it and turns back to Teja and Demeter.

"Remember, you're my aunt and uncle Fernandez from Spain, on my mother's side so not really communicating with my grandmother and father, who are also here. Have you chosen first names?"

Comments

[wheatencrown]

Demeter laughs and considers,

"I'd actually rather like to meet her grandmother and father, so why don't we sit with them."

[ostro_goth]

"I will try and stay silent," Teja says, "and not rant at them."

[fiery_ring]

Said father and grandmother are sitting in the fourth row, looking fairly serious.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats, the play will be starting soon." Announces Miss Jenks from the stage.

[wheatencrown]

She squeezes his hand and sits beside them,

"Hello, may we sit here?"

[ostro_goth]

Teja follows, quiet, eyes downcast.

[fiery_ring]

"Of course." Mr Brown says. "I'm Mr Brown, Carlotta's father, this is my mother."

Carlotta's grandmother nods politely.

[wheatencrown]

"I'm Ada and this is my husband Theo, we're visiting from Spain and had to come see Carlotta perform."

Her smile is huge and welcoming as she sits down.

[ostro_goth]

"Good evening," Teja says, quietly, sitting beside Demeter.

[fiery_ring]

The polite smiles from the couple change to a look of poorly concealed horror. They exchange rather shocked glances, then turn back to Demeter and Teja.

"Now look here, we've worked very hard to get Carlotta into this school and mixing with decent, ladylike people." her father says seriously. "I don't know how she managed to organise this, and I will be having words with her for making you both come out here. She doesn't need your kind tempting her."

At this moment, the curtains open, and the play begins. A very shy and timid-looking girl enters dressed as the Countess, gives the audience a terrified look, then allows herself to become so deeply absorbed in the part that she manages to forget they are there.

Carlotta enters in the second scene, and is sufficiently shocked to see Demeter and Teja sitting with the relatives she just told them to be careful with, that she forgets her lines.

[wheatencrown]

Demeter smile is dangerous and still warm as she says,

"I run a winery, my dear man. Don't presume."

Then she turns to enjoy the show, giving Carlotta one of her best smiles.

[ostro_goth]

Teja scowls, silently, and concentrates on the play.

When Carlotta just stands there, he looks at her, trying to convey that he is here for her, that all will work out.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta recovers her lines, but messes up her scene a little. There's a bit of nudging and whispering from some of the girls from other classes watching; it's not like Carlotta to get stage fright.

"Good Lord." Mrs Brown can be heard to whisper to her son. "Alcholics as well!"

[wheatencrown]

Demeter completely ignores them and focuses on Carlotta since she's what's important not these snobs.

[ostro_goth]

Teja sits beside her, the look on his face reminding one of a very localised thundercloud.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta's part is a humerous role, and apart from fluffing her lines out of nervousness, she plays the part of the Count well.

"Anything up old thing?" Bobby whispers to her off-stage a few scenes through. "Not like you to get stage fright."

"You remember how I told you my aunt and uncle weren't really on good terms with my grandmother and father?" Carlotta says. "Well they've gone and sat next to each other, and I can sense them squabbling from here! I didn't even tell grandma and father I was inviting the others."

"Golly!" Bobby exclaims, almost forgetting to be quiet. "Are you going to get into a row over it?"

Carlotta nods worriedly.

Bobby looks thoughtful.

"Don't worry, I think I can seperate them at half time. I'll tell everyone to speed up a little bit."

Subtly, the play begins to increase its pace.

Back in the audience, Carlotta's father glances back at Demeter.

"I don't suppose if I were to use my vast fortune in paying you to go away and not bother her again, you would accept?"

[wheatencrown]

"I would recommend that you discuss with your daughter before you send anyone away. I love her and think she's beautiful and brilliant. Perhaps if you tell her that more often, you wouldn't have to worry so much about other members of her family."

[ostro_goth]

"If there is a break, I would speak to you alone,if you are not afraid," Teja says to the man. He suspects reason within him, that might be reachable -- but not in the old woman.

[fiery_ring]

As the play reaches its interval, Plan A is put into operation.

Subtly, a very innocent looking girl appears at the back, carrying two large jugs of lemonade. As she walks down the aisle, past the group, she gives a magnificently realistic trip and falls over. The lemonade goes splashing all over Carlotta's grandmother, who gives a screech.

"Oh Doris, you clumsy girl!" Exclaims Miss Jenks, hurrying over. "Mrs Brown, I'm terribly sorry, let me take you to find some dry clothes."

As the teacher takes the grandmother away, with Doris apologising in a most meek manner, there may be a little winking between some of the second form.

[wheatencrown]

Demeter does her best to look concerned and Demeter whispers to Doris,

"Tell Carlotta that I won't cause anymore trouble and my daughter always calls me meddlesome."

Then she goes over to help clean up the lemonade and saying various platitudes at Carlotta's grandmother.

[ostro_goth]

Teja gives a deep look at Carlotta's father. "It seems you will talk with me, now," he states, "unless you are so afraid that you would run."

[fiery_ring]

"Of course not." Carlotta's father says in bewilderment, stepping out towards the back door and more or less ignoring his mother's plight.

Doris gives a subtle nod to Demeter and scurries meekly off. The girl might be heard to give an explosive snort of laughter as she disappears in the stage door.

[wheatencrown]

"Is there anything I can do to help you, my dear? Oh look at your poor dress."

Demeter uses a bit of divinity to make the dress drier, she doesn't think it will do that much good but its a start.

[ostro_goth]

Teja leans back against the wall beside the back door, and steadily regards Carlotta's father.

"One assumes you loved your wife, or you would not have married a woman from foreign lands, that you family must have found unsuitable," he begins.

[fiery_ring]

Mr Brown stares at Teja, with a look of anger.

"You know perfectly well that she had left your sort when I met her." he says. "One cannot help who they are born to. You must understand just how hard I have worked to take Carlotta in, to help her to fit into society and get the best possible chance in life. I cannot allow such influences as you to destroy all that."

Whilst angry, his tone is also one of assertiveness rather than agressiveness.

"Not to mention the fact that I know you both to be frauds. My wife had one sister, who I met many years ago. Carlotta doesn't have another Aunt and Uncle. I can therefore only assume that you are circus folk. You're lucky I didn't go out and call the police for impersonation. I certainly won't allow you to take advantage of my daughter, who I love very much."

He shakes his head. "You are a fool if you think that you can dictate what I say on this matter. I am her father, and her legal guardian, and my word on all matters will be final."

Inside, Carlotta's grandmother is led away by Miss Jenks to get dry clothes. Carlotta takes the opportunity to run down to Demeter.

"What are you doing?!" She exclaims as quietly as possible. "I told you to be careful around them! It's entirely possible that Father might know I don't have an Aunt Ada and Uncle Theo, he was married to my mother after all, he would have met her family at the wedding."

[wheatencrown]

"Trying to understand and I'm sorry."

Demeter gives her a quick hug,

"I think I need to find Teja before he makes things worse. We'll leave and say that I'm sick. I'm sorry, I thought things would be easier."

She then gives her a much stronger hug and goes off to find Teja and Mr. Brown.