Part 12 Breaking the Chrysalis

Eleanora herself escorted her daughter/son to dinner that night. Caitlyn was made up beautifully, with colors that called attention to her natural good looks - and she was in heels. Every one saw and smiled as "Clumsy Caitlyn" sailed into the room with the same confidence and grace in her delicate sling-backs that she had demonstrated on the dance floor earlier that afternoon.

If Diana looked particularly smug when she saw Caitlyn, no one who knew the whole story would have begrudged her the right. She'd taken Caitlyn aside shortly after they'd gotten back to the old Victorian mansion with the specific intent of getting her to confront her problems with high heels. It had been another rapid fire verbal exchange, similar to the one they'd had earlier dealing with the dance anxiety, if a little less stressful. As she told Jane later on, "The telling argument was that she had just spent three hours on her toes without the benefit of any heel. I swear, Jane, I think I could hear her eyes snap open as she realized what that meant."

Jane had chuckled over that, and mused privately how Caitlyn's movements did have more of the ballet dancer than the runway model to her gait. She still moved beautifully in any case.

Even her makeup was perfect. "And she did it all by herself," Eleanora said to anyone she could corner. The obvious maternal pride in her voice made Caitlyn blush every time, but Jane was sure she saw the girl stand a little more erect, and take on a more maturely elegant bearing, each time her mother gushed. One thing was certain, Caitlyn no longer worried that her accomplishments somehow diminished or hurt her mother. In fact, Jane was amused to note that Caitlyn was unconsciously mimicking her mother's social behaviors and mannerisms. *Lord above,* Jane thought with a mental chuckle, *she is even holding her teacup the same exact way Eleanora does. Talk about 'like Mother, like Daughter'.*

At dinner, Caitlyn finally felt brave enough, now that she knew she had her Mother's approval, to address Jane. "Thank you for today, Aunt Jane. I am glad that I have put all of that anxiety stuff," and here she leveled a grateful smile at Diana, "behind me, but I am also very happy Tasha will get to do both the performance and the summer camp. She has worked so hard and she deserves it."

"Aren't you sorry that you won't be performing, dear?" Jane asked. "Diana felt, evidently quite correctly, that you needed today's experiences, but I simply couldn't deprive your friend of her place in the show. As much as I would have liked to reward your courage that way, she had already worked so hard for that privilege herself."

Caitlyn sighed. "No, I would have enjoyed dancing - Sleeping Beauty is a wonderful ballet - but you are right - she's earned that role and I haven't. It's rightfully Tasha's part and I am very happy for her."

"Couldn't you dance with the Corps de Ballet, dear?" Diana asked. "At least then you could share the experience with your friends."

Shaking her head, Caitlyn smiled sadly at her other savior. "No, Diana, because I have not practiced with them so I don't have the timing down properly, and there just isn't enough time before the show date for me to learn it. It's more important that the corps seem to move as one than for one person to stand out. That is the job of the soloist. No, I will be satisfied to help behind the curtains and cheer them on. Maybe I can dance in their next production," she said wistfully, before her eyes went wide with dismay. "That is, Aunt Jane, if I will still be allowed to stay here and complete your program . . . now that I am past the clumsy part."

Jane saw the touch of fear behind the girl's eyes. "I think, dear, that is up to your Mother. I think you have well and truly learned everything I would have taught you about the masquerade, and you could easily move on to the next part of the program, but you don't really need to stay here any longer. As far as I am concerned, you've graduated. Besides, I think if the police had been half as diligent as my investigator, that you would never have been convicted since I now am certain you were telling the truth about self defense. So don't worry, all right? I promise you that juvenile lockup is not in your future. As for the rest, we will talk about that later."