Clean Break (25 page)

The little cluster of children around Jenna Williams suddenly moved away, waving and smiling, and Molly and her mum and dad and sisters went up to the signing desk. They were there a long time. Molly didn't seem a bit shy. She was saying all sorts of things, making Jenna Williams laugh, while her family looked on fondly.

Molly's dad bought a copy of
The Emerald Sisters
for Molly, a copy for Jess and a copy for Phoebe. Molly was really too young for the story and Jess and Phoebe were too old. Then he picked up a fourth copy from the big glossy green pile.

‘This one's for you, Emily,' he said. ‘Come and get it signed!'

I stumbled, desperately trying not to drop my pile of unwieldy books. Vita dodged round me and got to Jenna Williams first.

‘Hi, Jenna, I'm Vita. I just love your books,' she said. ‘Will you put a girl called Vita in one of them?'

‘I might just do that. Vita's a lovely name,' said Jenna Williams.

‘I'm Maxie. My name's already in a book about Wild Things,' said Maxie.

‘I know. I like that Wild Thing book,' said Jenna Williams.

Gran was poking me in the back. ‘You go and say something, Em!'

I still hung back, agonizingly shy.

‘Oh, for pity's sake, don't tell me you've been struck dumb, when we've been queuing all these hours!' said Gran. She shook her head at Jenna Williams. ‘Kids! And this one's your number one fan, too!'

Jenna Williams smiled at me. ‘Ah, are you Emily, the one who writes reindeer stories?'

Molly's dad grinned at me. I blushed to the roots of my hair.

‘Can I see your story for a minute, Emily?' Jenna Williams asked.

She helped me balance all my books and Jenny's books on the table so that I could delve into my bag. I dropped Dancer in the process.

‘Oh, is this the reindeer puppet? I hear you've been doing a grand job entertaining the children in the queue. Go on, give me a demonstration.'

I put Dancer on my hand. She had more courage than I did. She didn't mind talking one bit.

‘I'm delighted to meet you, Jenna Williams,' she said. ‘I'm flattered that you want to look at my story. Here it is.'

She handed her book over to Jenna. She read a little bit, then flicked through the pages.

‘It looks wonderful, Emily! It's such a great idea. Watch out, I might put it in one of
my
books!'

‘Emily and I would be thrilled if you do!' said Dancer.

‘Maybe I'd better write “
To Emily and Dancer
” in your
Emerald Sisters
book,' said Jenna Williams. ‘Hey, you're wearing the perfect colour. And I love the matching green streak in your hair!'

‘It's in your honour,' said Dancer. ‘I wanted my antlers painted emerald-green too.'

‘I'm sure they'd have looked very fetching,' said Jenna Williams.

She signed the book that lovely Molly's dad had bought for me, then my paperbacks, and then I managed to ask if she could sign all the hardbacks to Jenny. Her rings flashed and twinkled as she wrote her name over and over again. I looked at the big green ring on her little finger.

‘Is that a real emerald?' I whispered.

‘Well, I like to pretend it is,' she said. She smiled at me. ‘Writers are good at pretending.' She gave me back my Dancer book. ‘I think you're definitely going to be a writer yourself one day, Emily. It was
lovely meeting you. And Vita and Maxie. And you too, Dancer.'

Dancer waved her paw while I scrabbled with the other hand to get all my signed books back in my bag.

Then Gran took me by the shoulders and steered me away. ‘There, happy now? I'm not sure that was worth all that long long wait!' she said.

‘Still, how lovely that Jenna thinks Emily will be a writer too,' said Molly's dad.

‘You've been very kind to us all,' said Gran. ‘Thank Molly's dad for getting you the new book, Em – though we must pay for it.'

‘No, no, it's a little gift to you for keeping Molly so happy while we were queuing. And are
you
happy now, Emily? Have all your wishes come true?'

‘Almost,' I said. I felt my ring finger through Dancer's fur, turning the emerald again.

‘Don't, Em, that tickles!' Dancer nagged. ‘Don't waste your time wishing. Don't you ever give up?'

‘No, I don't!' I hissed into her small felt ear. ‘You shut up for a minute! I'm sick of you hogging the limelight. You're just a glove puppet, OK?'

I shut my eyes and wished one more time.

‘Watch where you're going, Emily, it's so crowded,' said Gran, steering me along through the crowded shop. ‘Vita? Maxie? For pity's sake, why have you all got your eyes shut?'

‘Ssh, Gran, we're all wishing,' said Vita.

‘Wishing and wishing and wishing,' said Maxie.

‘I give up!' said Gran. ‘Now come on, open your eyes this minute and say goodbye to Molly and her family.'

I'd screwed my eyes so tightly shut that everything was blurred for a moment. I blinked, trying to focus, as we pushed our way outside Addeyman's, into the bright daylight. Vita blinked her long lashes as she gave Molly a big hug. Maxie rubbed his eyes and then opened them wide.

He should have kept them shut. The man making the balloon animals was performing for the queue. He was dressed up in baggy white trousers, great big boots and a round red nose.

‘A clown!' Maxie shrieked – and started running.

‘Oh Lord,' Gran groaned. ‘Maxie! Come back here, you little silly! Em, go after him, quick!'

I ran across the piazza after him. Maxie only had little stick legs, but blind panic made him run like the wind.

‘Stop, Maxie! Come back! You'll get lost!' I shouted.

Maxie dodged in and out of the crowds, ran even harder away from the juggler on the unicycle – but then stopped dead, staring over at the silver lady.

I rushed up to him. ‘Maxie, you're so mad, you
mustn't
run away like that!' I shouted at him.

He didn't blink. He wasn't listening to me. He stood transfixed, eyes huge, pointing at the silver dancing lady.

‘She's just a lady pretending to be a statue, Maxie,' I said. ‘Come on, back to Gran.'

Maxie was so rigid I couldn't move him. He shook his head wildly and kept pointing. I stared over at the silver lady. Someone had put a whole handful of coins in her plate, so she was twirling round and round while he clapped appreciatively, looking up at her.

He had a scarf round his neck. A knitted scarf all different colours. A scarf just like the one I knitted Dad last Christmas.

Who was this strange man wearing my dad's scarf? He looked a little like Dad himself, but he was thinner, much more ordinary looking, with boring short black hair sticking straight up.

The man was saying something to the girl. She was trying to get back into her statue pose but he was making her giggle. That was so like Dad.

He put his head on one side, grinning.

It
was
Dad.

‘Dad!' I yelled. ‘Dad, Dad, Dad!'

I pulled Maxie's arm and we ran full tilt towards him.

‘
Dad!
' Maxie shrieked.

He looked round, startled, but he didn't spot us.
He said something else to the silver dancer and then started walking away.

‘Oh Dad, please, wait,
wait
!' I shouted, running round the piazza, pushing people out the way.

My eyes were fixed on Dad, terrified that he'd disappear.

I forgot all about the unicyclist. I didn't even see him. I careered straight into him, nearly knocking him flying. Maxie tumbled onto his knees, yelling. I staggered too, unbalanced by my huge bag of books. I hurtled forwards, arms out, desperate to catch my dad. I careered straight into him, sending him sideways. I reached out but I couldn't grab him. I fell flat on my face, landing heavily on my arm.

I lifted my head and screamed. ‘
Dad!
'

‘Em! Oh my God, Em!' He was on his knees beside me, clutching me to him, cradling my head.

‘Oh Dad, oh Dad, is it really you?' I sobbed. ‘Where's your
plait
?'

‘Oh darling, never mind my wretched plait. What are you
doing
up in London? Are you all by yourself?'

‘I'm here, Dad!' Maxie shouted, limping and hopping and hurling himself onto Dad.

‘My little Maxie! And you look as if you're in the wars too! So where's Vita?'

‘I'm here! Oh Daddy, my daddy!' Vita yelled,
running too, with Gran right behind her, shoes in her hand, her skirt hitched right up her hips.

‘Oh my Lord, it's you, Frankie! I might have known! For pity's sake, what have you done to the kids?' Gran said. ‘Maxie, have you hurt yourself?'

‘Yes!' said Maxie, clinging to Dad.

‘Poor little guy,' said Dad. ‘What about you, Em? You went down with such a wallop.'

‘My arm hurts,' I said, and I burst into tears.

‘I fell over too and
I'm
not crying!' Maxie boasted.

‘What's happened to Dancer?' Vita wailed.

I looked at Dancer on the end of my arm. Her antlers were bent and her delicate pink nose was torn right off.

‘We'll mend Dancer, Vita, don't worry. But we've got to get Em mended first. Here, let's see what damage you've done.' Dad started gently plucking at Dancer, trying to ease her off. I couldn't help crying harder.

‘Stop it, you're obviously hurting her!' Gran said, kneeling down beside us. ‘Let me have a look, Em. Don't cry so.'

‘I'm fine, really. Dad's not hurting me a bit,' I wept.

Dad rocked me gently, peering at my arm. It was bent at a weird angle. It didn't seem to want to go straight any more.

‘I think you've broken it, you poor darling,' said Dad. ‘Don't worry, you can go to hospital and they'll be able to plaster it up for you.'

‘Will you take me to the hospital, Dad?'

Dad hesitated.

‘
I'll
take you, Em,' said Gran, trying to push Dad out the way.

‘I want my dad!' I cried.

‘He's
my
dad,' said Vita.

‘My dad, my dad,' said Maxie.

Dad suddenly had tears in his eyes. ‘Yes, you're all my lovely kids, and of course I'm taking you to the hospital, Princess Emerald. I'll make all the doctors and nurses take excellent care of you, and we'll demand an emerald-green plaster cast for your sore arm, OK?'

‘Can I have a plaster too, Dad?' Maxie begged. ‘
I
want a broken arm!'

‘This is all your fault, Frankie, she was running after you,' said Gran.

‘I know,' said Dad, a tear rolling down his cheek.

‘Don't cry, Dad! It's not anyone's fault. I just fell over. I'm a big fat lump.'

‘You're not at all, my baby. You've changed so much. It's so awful, I hardly recognized you!'

Dad held me tightly, and Vita and Maxie. He clung to us as if he could never bear to let us go.

‘It's no use just sitting there with everyone
staring! Stop play-acting with the kids and get on your mobile for an ambulance, Frankie,' said Gran. ‘We've got to get Em to hospital.'

We didn't go in an ambulance. Jenna Williams's driver Bob had seen me falling. He came hurrying over to us.

‘My car's just round the back of the shop in the loading bay. I'll get you to hospital in five minutes. It'll be quicker than waiting for an ambulance to get here. You're being such a brave girl,' he said to me, hauling my book bag on his back. Dad and Gran helped me up and we went round the back of the shop to the loading bay. We couldn't believe it when we saw the big shiny silver car.

‘It's a Mercedes!' Gran hissed.

‘I feel like a real princess!' said Vita, bouncing on the leather upholstery.

‘I'm going to sit on Dad's lap in the posh car,' said Maxie.

Dad sat in the back with us, one arm round Vita, one arm round me, with Maxie on his knee. Gran sat in the front next to Bob.

‘This is very kind of you,' Gran said. ‘I'm so sorry to put you to all this trouble. Em, you're not bleeding, are you? Mind the upholstery!'

The hospital wasn't very far away. I wouldn't have minded if Bob had driven us to a hospital in
Timbuktu. I just wanted to stay cuddled up to Dad for ever and ever and ever.

I was very scared that Dad might go as soon as we went into the Accident and Emergency area. Gran kept
telling
him to go.

‘I'm staying,' Dad said firmly.

‘Let me phone Julie on your mobile. Em needs her mum, not you,' said Gran.

Dad handed it over and Gran started phoning. The second she told Mum, she said she was on her way. I was so relieved, but I still had to hang onto Dad.

‘I need Mum
and
Dad,' I said.

‘So do I!' said Vita.

‘So do I!' said Maxie.

I twisted my emerald on my poor throbbing hand and wished again.

Dad saw what I was doing. ‘Still wearing your ring, Princess Emerald?'

‘Of course, Dad.'

‘You'd better take it off right this minute!' said Gran.

‘No!'

‘You've got to. Your whole arm is starting to swell. You need to take the ring off or it'll get stuck on your finger for ever.'

‘I want it to be stuck! No, Gran, please, don't take it off!
Ouch!
' I tried to jerk my hand away
from her and jarred my broken arm unbearably.

‘Hey, hey, leave her. Calm down, Em. Your gran's right. Come here, darling, I'll ease your ring off. Don't worry, you'll be able to wear it every day for the rest of your life, just as soon as your poor arm gets better.' Dad tenderly wriggled the ring around until he'd slipped it right off my finger. ‘Have you got a pocket?'

‘Can't you keep it for me in
your
pocket, Dad?'