A Place Called Home (43 page)

Vicky grabbed her sister by the hand. ‘We need another bowl. We'd better see if we can borrow one from Jenny.'

Froniga rose slowly to her feet. ‘This is a family matter. I'll go for a walk.'

‘No, don't go.' Lucy caught her by the sleeve of her flowing gown. ‘You're as much part of our family as I am, Froniga. None of this would have been possible without you.'

Froniga's eyes filled with tears. ‘It's so long since I had a real family I've almost forgotten what it feels like to belong.'

Lucy hooked her arm around her shoulders. ‘I don't know what magic you worked, if any, but it's brought us all together. I never thought I'd see my real mother and yet here she is.'

Christelle released Eva with a smacking kiss on her lined cheek. ‘That's for all the kisses I should have given you when I was a girl, but I'm a woman now and a rich one too. The first thing I'm going to do is buy you a new gown, Ma. I can't afford to be seen with a mother who looks like a scarecrow.'

‘Cheeky mare,' Eva said, mopping her streaming eyes. ‘I ain't in me dotage yet, Christelle. I can look after myself, given half a chance.'

‘You're coming back to France with me, Ma.' Christelle produced her cigarillo case and offered it round. ‘I need a dresser when I'm on tour. You'll have the time of your life.'

Eva shook her head. ‘No, ta. But I could do with a tot of brandy to keep the cold out.'

‘Maybe we ought to eat first,' Lucy suggested, having spotted the girls racing across the grass towards them. ‘We're not out of trouble yet. There's a lot to tell and I'd like to do it with a clear head.'

‘It's Linus, isn't it?' Froniga said slowly. ‘I had a feeling something bad was going to happen tonight.'

‘You and your feelings.' Eva picked up a ladle. ‘Let's have some of this delicious stew that Vicky and Maggie helped to make.'

‘And the hot bread.' Maggie handed her the enamel bowls. ‘It's a bit burnt but it will taste nice.'

Lucy sat down on the grass beside Vicky. ‘I've come to take you home.'

‘To Leman Street?' Vicky's bottom lip trembled. ‘I like it here, Lucy. I don't want to go back to the city.'

Lucy cleared her throat, tapping her spoon against the tin plate to attract everyone's attention. ‘The good news is that Marriott Park is mine, or very nearly. It's big enough for all of us to live there, including you, Froniga, if you could bear to give up your travelling life.'

‘At my age it's getting harder and harder,' Froniga said, smiling. ‘I think I might enjoy staying put for a change.'

Eva had been about to start serving the stew but she paused, looking Lucy in the eye. ‘That is good news, but I can tell by your face that there's something else.'

Lucy was about to answer when Maggie uttered a cry of fright. ‘Pa. It's Pa.' She pointed in the direction of the big top. ‘He's coming to get us. Don't let him take us away.'

LUCY LEAPT TO
her feet, ready to fly at Linus if he came close enough to threaten the children, but he was already being challenged by Bram and Monty. They were too far away for her to hear what passed between them, but she could tell by their actions that it was not a friendly conversation. She put her arms around the girls as they too had stood up and were clinging to her. ‘It's all right. Bram won't let him take you away from us. We're all here to protect you.'

‘Pa is a bad man,' Maggie sobbed. ‘He hit Ma and made her cry.'

‘I'm not going anywhere with him,' Vicky added fiercely. ‘He used to beat Bertie if he made him angry, and I was always afraid he was going to hit me too.'

Lucy watched Linus being ushered none too gently towards the exit and she breathed a sigh of relief. ‘He's gone. The circus people will make sure he's not allowed in again, but you two must stay close to us this evening. We'll leave first thing in the morning.'

Christelle held her bowl out to Eva. ‘That's that, then. I'm hungry and the stew smells delicious. Can we eat now? I need to keep my strength up if I'm to entertain the good people of Essex tonight.'

Lucy kept the girls at her side all evening. They were given front row seats to watch the show, which thrilled Vicky and Maggie even though they had seen the performance many times, but Bertie chose to stay with Bram to help with the horses. Lucy knew they were safe but somehow she could not relax, despite being surrounded by crowds of ordinary people who were simply out to enjoy themselves. She had already had a brush with Stella who, once again, had made it clear that she was not welcome. Lucy had tried to be friendly but nothing she said seemed to have any effect. Stella, she realised, was an implacable enemy, but they would be leaving in the morning and it was unlikely they would ever meet again. The future looked brighter now and she was reunited with her mother; she must concentrate on the good things in her life and try to put the past behind her.

She came back to the present with a start as a trumpet fanfare introduced Monty, who entered the ring on his black stallion, closely followed by Bram on the roan he had ridden in previous shows. Lucy sat on the edge of the seat as they went through their old routine but without her. In her impossibly pretty pink riding habit she had acted as a perfect foil for the two daring horsemen. She had been the object of their rivalry, much to the delight of the audiences who had alternately booed and cheered as the two young men vied for her hand. Now they were riding at speed, picking up hoops on the points of swords, before enacting a mock duel on horseback. Vicky and Maggie clapped and cheered with the rest of the spectators, shouting the loudest when Bram performed feats of horsemanship that only a well-trained hussar could accomplish. Lucy had never been so proud of him, and when they took a bow it was to her that he doffed his hat. Not to be outdone, Monty attempted to follow with a similar routine, but it was obvious that he was more of a showman than an expert equestrian.

The rest of the acts followed in swift succession, Dario and Stella entering the ring just as Johann finished his eye-watering performance as the world's strongest man. Stella paraded round the ring, demonstrating the sharpness of the knives by throwing up an apple and slicing it into quarters before it fell to the ground. She moved closer to Lucy, running her finger across the blade so that a tiny spurt of blood showed scarlet against her pale skin. The menace in her expression was obvious to all, but the audience seemed to think it was part of the show; only Lucy knew better and a chill ran down her spine.

Finally, with an introduction delivered by Monty in the most glowing terms, Christelle walked into the ring and with only a fiddler to accompany her sang a selection of popular songs, ending with a rendition of ‘Home Sweet Home'. The applause was deafening, with loud stamping, whistling and cries for more. Christelle performed an encore but it seemed that the crowd would never let her go, and in the end Monty had to come to her rescue. She left the ring waving and blowing kisses to the delighted audience.

Lucy ushered the girls outside the big top to find her mother surrounded by admirers. Froniga and Eva were hovering close by, and judging by the expression on her grandmother's face Lucy could see that she was revelling in Christelle's success. The reunion with her long lost daughter had completed Eva's transformation from a bewildered, sickly shadow of her former self to something like the woman she had once been.

Monty made his way through the crowd, forging a path towards Christelle, who was in danger of being swamped by all the attention. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, stand back please. Make way for the star of our show.' He reached Christelle, holding his hand out to her. ‘Come, Madame, allow me to escort you to your caravan.'

‘Star of the show indeed.'

The sound of Stella's voice made Lucy turn to see her emerge from the shadows, glowering at them. ‘Leave us alone, Stella,' she said softly.

‘Why did you come back?' Stella hissed. ‘Why can't you stay away from my man?'

‘That's not why I'm here. Anyway, we're all leaving in the morning. You won't see us again.'

‘I don't believe you. He hasn't been the same since you came on the scene. He loves me and only me, but you've got the witch to cast a spell on him.' Stella pointed a shaking finger at Froniga. ‘She brought you here and she made him want you and not me.'

‘You're mad,' Lucy said in disbelief. ‘Froniga may have second sight but she's not a witch. They only exist in storybooks.'

Stella's eyes narrowed and her lips twisted into a snarl. ‘You beguiled him with your fancy words and ladylike ways.'

Lucy could see that Stella was working herself up into a rage and it was useless to try to reason with her. ‘I'm not interested in Monty. I—' She broke off as someone shouted a warning. She turned to see Linus forcing his way through the crowd, but Bram had seen him first and tackled him, bringing him to the ground.

‘Froniga, take the girls away. Keep them safe.' Lucy's voice cracked with fear. She was too far away to do anything, but Eva had already seen the danger and she made a grab for the girls, who were standing frozen to the spot as they witnessed the ugly scene.

Bertie emerged from the crowd, shouting at his father to leave them alone, but Linus was like a man possessed. He broke free from Bram's hold and lunged at Froniga, who had placed herself between him and the children. Monty abandoned Christelle to join Bram and they advanced on Linus, moving slowly like hunters stalking their prey. The crowd drew back, forming a circle around the protagonists, once again seeming to think that this was part of the show. Lucy made a move towards her grandmother, intent on protecting the girls, but Stella seized her by the arm. ‘Let them fight it out,' she said in a voice that throbbed with anger. ‘Let the stupid bastards kill each other and be done with the lot of them.'

Lucy snatched her arm free. ‘Don't be ridiculous.' She was about to rush forward when she saw the flash of a steel blade. Linus had a knife in his hand, but as he raised his arm, seemingly intent on stabbing Bram, the sound of a pistol shot rang out, stunning everyone into silence. The percussive echo boomed like thunder in the darkening sky and Christelle stepped forward, holding the smoking gun in her right hand. For a moment Lucy thought that someone must have been shot dead, but it seemed that her mother had fired above their heads. ‘I planned to kill you, Linus Daubenay,' she said in a loud voice. ‘But a quick death is too good for you.'

Linus pointed the knife at her. ‘Fetch my children or I'll take pleasure in slitting your throat, you Jezebel. I should have done it years ago instead of killing my own flesh and blood.'

Lucy could stand it no longer. She pushed her way through the crowd to stand a few feet away from Linus. ‘Haven't you done enough harm to my family? You killed my father and tried to take everything from me.'

A ripple of interest ran through the onlookers, who moved forward a few inches, craning their neck to get a better view. Linus brandished the knife. ‘Don't try to stop me. I want the brats, all three of them.' He glared at his son, who was standing at Lucy's side. ‘Get over here, boy, and bring your sisters. We're leaving, and I'll kill anyone who tries to stop us.'

Bram moved a step closer. ‘You can't get away with it, Daubenay. Put the knife down and leave now. You're not taking the nippers anywhere.'

Linus spun round to face him. ‘Another word from you and I'll take great pleasure in slitting your throat. You always were a damned nuisance.' He beckoned to his son. ‘Come here, Bertie. I won't harm you or your sisters. I'm your pa. You have to do as I say.'

‘I'll come with you,' Bertie said in a shaking voice. ‘But only if you promise to leave the girls here with Lucy.'

‘Of course, son. I've been a good father to you, haven't I?' Linus stretched his lips in a smile, but his eyes were like dark holes in his pale face, and his hand shook.

Forgetting everything but the need to protect the children, Lucy pushed Bertie aside and walked slowly towards Linus with hands outheld. ‘Leave them all with us, please. Don't do this to them, Linus. They're just children, not pawns in your game.'

‘You're ruined, Daubenay,' Bram added, inching closer. ‘Give up now before you do something you'll regret for the rest of your life.'

Monty also took a step forward, but Linus had spotted him and he sprang at Lucy, gripping her round the neck and pressing the knife to her throat. ‘Give me the children and let us leave here now. Lucy is coming with me to make sure we're not followed.'

‘No! You can't do that. I won't let you.' Bram lunged at him, but Linus twisted Lucy round so that she was acting like a shield.

‘One more step and I'll slit her throat instead of yours. If she dies the estate will revert to me as the only living relative.'

Lucy struggled and tried to kick out with her feet, but Linus was stronger than he looked and he had his arm around her throat, pressing on her windpipe. He increased the pressure and she had to fight for every breath until she felt herself slipping into a state where she was barely conscious. Dimly she heard Bram's voice, and Monty was shouting, but she could not make out the words. She went limp and Linus relaxed his hold just enough to allow her to gasp for air.

‘You fool,' Christelle said icily. ‘If you kill my girl the only thing you'll get is the hangman's noose.' She pushed Monty aside, advancing on Linus with the gun still clutched in her hand. ‘Let her go or I'll shoot. Don't think I won't, Linus Daubenay. You killed my husband – I won't allow you to take my only child from me.'

‘Let him finish her off.' Stella rushed at Christelle, taking her by surprise as she snatched the pistol from her hand. She pointed it at Lucy. ‘Kill her, mister. I don't know what she's done to you but she's taken my man from me. If you don't kill her, I will.'