Mystery Solved At Round Top Family Library

The mystery surrounding the Margot Fonteyn paver in the sidewalk in front of the Round Top Family Library has been solved.

In case you missed the initial telling about the mystery in the pages of The Record earlier this year, here’s a brief synopsis: Libby Lovejoy, local dancer and producer of The Nutcracker Ballet at Festival Hill, noticed an unusual paver in the sidewalk in front of the library every time she attended Monday yoga classes with instructor, Betty Melton.

The paver read “Margot Fonteyn, Prima Ballerina.” Lovejoy was amazed to see this name on a paver in Round Top. Fonteyn was a very famous British ballerina (born in 1919) who performed with the Royal Ballet from 19351979. Libby was well aware of who she was, having studied about her in dance history classes. As an aspiring ballerina herself, Libby followed Fonteyn’s brilliant career. She was fortunate to see her perform in Dallas in the late 1970s with her famous partner, Rudolph Nureyev.

But all of that was a very long time ago. Fonteyn died in 1991 in Panama. No one other than a true “bunhead” would have even heard of Fonteyn. Yet here the paver was – in a sleepy little Texas town.

In March, Lovejoy donated 17 books on dance to the Round Top Family Library. An article ran in the Fayette County Record about the gift to the library and asked for help in solving the mystery of how the Margot Fonteyn ended up in the sidewalk. The mystery has been solved and is quite a fascinating story, which actually ties Lovejoy to the paver in a roundabout way.

Pat Cox, bookkeeper for the library, recently sent Lovejoy an email that she’d been reviewing the paver files at the library and discovered that the person that donated the paver was Connie Maffei. The Fonteyn paver may have been missed in prior searches as Maffei purchased four pavers at the same time. The Fonteyn paver was among the four Maffei purchased in 2008. Immediately, Lovejoy went to work researching Maffei. Pat shared that there were two library cards, unused for quite some time, in the names of Robert Maffei and Julie Maffei.

An online search for Connie’s obituary provided some helpful information. Connie, a retired nurse and Round Top resident since 2000, died at age 88 in 2015. Maffei had three children; Angela, Robert and Julie. At Pat’s suggestion, Libby emailed Barbara Smith, retired from her work at the library, for assistance. Barbara had a friend who knew Rob-ert! In no time, Lovejoy received a call from Robert and started asking questions about his mother.

Robert spoke fondly of his mother and the move to Round Top from Galveston. In fact, Robert built a four bedroom, four bath straw bale house for the family in 2013. Robert told Lovejoy that his mother loved books and reading….. especially biographies. He thought that perhaps his mother had read a biography on Fonteyn. So that’s the “library” connection, but still doesn’t explain the “ballet” connection. Connie wasn’t a dancer and her children weren’t ballet dancers.

Here’s where the story gets interesting: Sue and Dustin Davis lived on the same road as the Maffei family. They had a little girl named Sadie. One day, Sadie wandered away from home. She was found about half a mile away…at Connie’s front door. Robert said that Lovejoy should contact Dustin Davis for the complete story. Dustin confirmed that Sadie was the little girl who disappeared from home and was found by Connie Maffei. No one can say for sure, but it is believed that Connie bought the paver because Sadie loved ballet and Connie loved reading about Margot Fonteyn.

Although the mystery of the paver has been solved, the story doesn’t end. In fact, it is an unusual continuation about the love of ballet.

Shocked at hearing the name, Sadie Davis, Lovejoy exclaimed, “I was her first ballet teacher!” In fall of 2009, after moving from Austin, Lovejoy began teaching dance classes at Festival Hill. Sadie was among her very first students. She took several classes each week. Sadie was an extremely hard worker and her work ethic paid off. In 2012 and 2013, she performed in The Nutcracker Ballet which Lovejoy has produced for many years. In love with ballet, Sadie continued her training taking classes at Ballet Austin and Houston Ballet. Sadie then entered the world of competition ballet and went on to compete in the finals of both competitions she entered. Sadie graduated from high school in May and will spend the summer continuing her ballet studies. This fall, Sadie will move to Orlando, Florida to become a trainee with United Ballet Theatre and will continue pursuing her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer.

How strange it is that a ballet dancer, who admired a famous British ballerina,

discovered a paver on the sidewalk in front of the library in Round Top that was purchased by a woman that loved a little girl who loved ballet and is now pursuing a career in dance. The circle is now complete and the torch has been passed.

Sheila Bain, library board member, has honored Lovejoy in appreciation for her donation of books on dance to the library. There is a new paver just below the Margot Fonteyn paver that reads “Libby Lovejoy – Treasured Dancer.” Perhaps one day, there will be paver in the name of Sadie Davis. You can stop by the Round Top Family Library anytime to see the pavers. And you can borrow fascinating books on dance (and many other topics) during regular library hours: Monday 1:30-5:30 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.3 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Closed on Sundays and holidays.