Behind the Scenes

Prologue

August 15th, 1936

The finely clothed crowd rose to it feet, their sudden bouts of applause echo loudly through the theater. Charlotte De' Monte takes a bow and rises, as the velour curtains whoosh to a close, and all becomes silent. Immediately, the adrenaline abandons her, she craves the rush, the thrill, of walking across that stage, her azure gown glittering in the spotlight, the heavy makeup coating her porcelain skin; yet, most of all she craved the audience's affections- the dense roar of applause filling the theatre, deafening, immense in its attraction. 

Backstage, she diverges her attention to her dressing room mirror to bask in the glow of her own reflection: her face radiant with youth, her vibrant ginger hair curled delicately in ringlets cascading down her shoulders, red-lipsticked mouth tilted upwards in a knowing smirk, "They love me," she giggled fiddling with her spiraling curls, "They absolutely adore me."
"Not as much as I do," called a deep voice, the kind that sent shivers up her spine. She curved towards the direction of his voice, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes landed upon the familiar face in the shadows of the room. "Hello, Handsome," she singsonged as he stepped closer, his blue eyes catching every bit of the dim light. "And hello to you as well, beautiful. You look absolutely stunning tonight," he speaks, voice gravelly from tobacco and a drinking problem that was yet to effect. He watched her, silently amused as she tried to rub off her smudged eyeshadow. "Just wait until the makeup comes off" she teased. He chuckled, a sound that never failed to make her heart skip a beat, "But it's true dear, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on." She laughs- a tinkling sound like broken glass. Her blush is hidden only by the immense amount of stage paint. She looks away, then she speaks "I have another show oncoming, you must go! You really can't be in here, this is a lady's dressing room after all!" So, she turns once more to her reflection, layering on her powdered-mask, drawing on a scarlet smile.