LSL chapter 2 revised slightly
Anna led Chad, Jessica and Andrea through to the next room. It was a very homely set up; a fireplace with a high-backed chair on one side and a rocking chair on the other. To the left as they came in was a small round table covered in a white table cloth and a green china tea service. There were three mismatched chairs around it and an oriental lamp hung from the ceiling above it. Anna bade them sit and make themselves comfortable. Chad pulled out a seat from the table for Jessica and then sat himself in the high backed chair by the fireplace. Andrea sat beside Jessica as Anna picked up the tea service.
“I will be right back in a moment.” Anna disappeared behind the curtain with the tray.
“Well,” said Andrea. “How do you like the circus, Sir Chad?”
“Incredible,” He said cheerfully, “Very good show, best I’ve seen in a long time.”
“I am pleased you decided to come,” said Andrea. “I know this past week must have been difficult. How are you, Jessica?”
“I’m as well as can be expected. And I’m a far cry better than I might have been had you not come to my rescue that night. I’m sure you heard about the second murder?”
“I know about it, yes. I knew that woman as well.” Andrea reached into her pocket and took out her deck of tarot cards; the very same set that Jessica saw in Andrea’s tent last week.
“Have you spoken to the police at all?” asked Chad. Andrea shook her head.
“I supposed it has not escaped your notice, Sir Chad, that I am a gypsy. My family and I try our best to stay out of Police affairs. I assure you, Sir Chad, if I thought I had any information that would be useful to them I would come forward. But, alas, I do not.”
“These are troubling times we live in...” offered Chad.
“Indeed,” said Andrea.
Then silence.
Chad was not often at a loss for words, and Jessica knew he was doing his best. But he was out of place in this world. And his desire to do the correct thing seemed to have overtaken him. The room was rescued as Anna floated in with four cups of tea. She handed a cup and saucer to each of her guests before pouring a cup for herself and sitting.
“So, Jessica, Andrea wrote to me and told me all about you. She tells me you sing?” Jessica blushed.
“Only a little,” she said.
“Don’t let her fool you,” said Chad, sipping his tea from the chair behind her. “My wife’s voice could charm birds from the trees. Something I must say you’re also rather good at, Mrs. Fratellini.”
It was Anna’s turn to blush.
“I have always been good with animals. It’s a gift, I suppose.” Anna stirred her tea and looked back at Jessica. “We must hear you sing my dear.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t,” objected Jessica.
“Yes you could. You sing in the face of Jack the Ripper but you could not sing for us? I think this is not so much the case,” prodded Andrea. “Sing Je Suis Jalouse.”
Jessica thought for a moment and then filled her lungs to begin.
Suddenly the sound of china crashing to the floor startled them all. Jessica turned to find her husband slumped awkwardly in the chair, his teacup rolling on its side next to the saucer on the carpet.
“Chad? Chad, darling, what’s wrong?” Had Jessica not rushed to his side at that moment he would have certainly fallen to the floor. Chad opened his eyes and they focused on Jess briefly.
“Hallo, Henry,” mumbled Chad as he closed his eyes again. Jessica turned frantically back to the table. Andrea had quietly risen from her chair and had taken a few steps toward her. It looked as if Anna was hiding a smile and staring intently at her tea cup.
“Andrea, help! Something’s wrong, I think he’s fainted,” pleaded Jessica, urgently.
“Nothing’s wrong, leave him be, he’s only sleeping.” Andrea stayed where she was, her voice calm and measured.
“You don’t understand. I can’t wake him. Please! Why are you just standing there? He needs help! Something’s wrong with him.” Jessica quickly loosened the tie from around his neck and undid the first few buttons of his shirt. She felt his head for a fever, but he was cool to the touch. Jessica called to her husband a few more times. The desperation in Jessica’s voice stirred a bit of guilt in the pit of Andrea’s stomach. Jessica steadied herself beside the chair and gave her husband a good smack across the face. Still he did not respond.
“You shouldn’t do that. You will hurt him. Your husband sleeps. There is nothing wrong. Leave him,” said Anna, who was clearly amused and not trying very hard to conceal it.
“Are you both out of your minds? There is something wrong!” At this Anna buried her face in her hands, her shoulders were shaking.
“Jessica, do not worry,” said Andrea gently. “Your husband sleeps because I drug him.”
Jessica froze. Did she just hear Andrea correctly? Why on earth would…
“You drugged my husband?” Jessica stared up at the two women, amazed and incredulous. Anna did her best to stifle a giggle and Andrea shot her a look.
“You drugged him? Why? Why would you do that?”
“He will be fine, it will not hurt him. He must not hear what we talk about,” said Andrea.
She smiled sympathetically and went to move toward them but Jessica stood up and placed herself protectively in front of her husband.
“Don’t you come any closer, or so help me I’ll…I’ll…” she grabbed a candlestick from the mantelpiece and pointed it at Andrea. Anna clasped her hand over her mouth. She shook with laughter and ducked as Andrea shot her another look.
“Anna, control yourself, woman. I’m surprised you don’t remember how you first reacted when I did this to your husband as well!” Andrea turned her attentions back to Jessica who blatantly had no intentions of lowering her weapon until she had some answers.
“Please, Jessica. I am sorry I could not warn you before I did such a thing. But I promise to you your husband will be fine. I am very good with poisons…”
“POISONS?” burst Jessica, tears springing to her eyes.
“Sorry, I use wrong word. I have not poisoned your husband. I only…”
“Though she bloody well could have if she’d wanted to…” added Anna, taking her hand from her mouth just long enough to contribute.
“Thank you, Anna, but I’m not sure you are so helpful. Can you maybe go and get more tea, and maybe some cakes?” Andrea meaningfully indicated towards the beaded curtain. Anna rolled her eyes but nodded and off she went.
“Do you honestly think I’m about to eat or drink anything you give me now?” Jessica had started making plans of escape. But she couldn’t leave Chad. She reckoned she could probably lift him but she’d never make it all the way down the stairs and out the front door.
“Please put the candlestick down. Let’s not be silly.” Andrea sat down that the table. Jessica could have made a run for it. She dropped the candlestick. She turned to Chad and shook him but it was no use, the man was out cold. She tried to stop them but tears of frustration began to creep down her cheeks. They had found her weakness. They could do anything they liked to her, so long as they didn’t hurt him, so long as they let him go. She heard a fluttering noise coming from behind her. Jessica turned back to find Andrea shuffling a deck of tarot cards.
“I am sorry if we have frightened you. Anna means well. It has been very long time since I had to do this to Mr. Fratellini. But it is true what she says. I could kill your husband if I wanted to. It is an easy thing for me to have killed you both many times by now if that was my idea. I am not so nice person to have as enemy.” Andrea looked up from her cards and smiled warmly at Jessica.
“But I am very nice person to have as a friend. I am your friend, Jessica. I am a friend to your husband, too. What we say here tonight you may choose to tell him or not, but that must be your choice, not mine. It is choice you make after you hear everything we tell you. Then you decide. Anna, she told Mr. Fratellini. It was good choice and so I do not drug him now. But I used to, a lot. Anna forgets. The first time I drug Mr. Fratellini, she cry like baby.” Andrea set her cards down and walked slowly over to Jessica. This time Jessica let her approach. She took a blanket off the rocking chair and unfolded it. Jessica watched as Andrea covered her husband and tenderly smoothed his hair back from his face.
“There now,” she said gently, as she picked up the cup and saucer from the floor, “I could never hurt such a man as this. I know you trust me, Jessica, you must know I speak the truth. Your husband is a good man; he would never have left you alone with us. He would not do this because he loves you, and because he almost lost you. You see now? This was good choice that I make. Now he stays but he does not hear. Everybody wins! Please come and sit down, now.” Andrea held her hand out to her.
Jessica looked back at her husband, then at Andrea, and let the gypsy woman lead her back to the table. Anna returned then, substantially more composed, with another pot of tea and some cakes. The three sat down and Andrea resumed her shuffling of tarot cards. Andrea took a deep breath and started from the beginning. The story she was about to tell would change everything.
“I will be right back in a moment.” Anna disappeared behind the curtain with the tray.
“Well,” said Andrea. “How do you like the circus, Sir Chad?”
“Incredible,” He said cheerfully, “Very good show, best I’ve seen in a long time.”
“I am pleased you decided to come,” said Andrea. “I know this past week must have been difficult. How are you, Jessica?”
“I’m as well as can be expected. And I’m a far cry better than I might have been had you not come to my rescue that night. I’m sure you heard about the second murder?”
“I know about it, yes. I knew that woman as well.” Andrea reached into her pocket and took out her deck of tarot cards; the very same set that Jessica saw in Andrea’s tent last week.
“Have you spoken to the police at all?” asked Chad. Andrea shook her head.
“I supposed it has not escaped your notice, Sir Chad, that I am a gypsy. My family and I try our best to stay out of Police affairs. I assure you, Sir Chad, if I thought I had any information that would be useful to them I would come forward. But, alas, I do not.”
“These are troubling times we live in...” offered Chad.
“Indeed,” said Andrea.
Then silence.
Chad was not often at a loss for words, and Jessica knew he was doing his best. But he was out of place in this world. And his desire to do the correct thing seemed to have overtaken him. The room was rescued as Anna floated in with four cups of tea. She handed a cup and saucer to each of her guests before pouring a cup for herself and sitting.
“So, Jessica, Andrea wrote to me and told me all about you. She tells me you sing?” Jessica blushed.
“Only a little,” she said.
“Don’t let her fool you,” said Chad, sipping his tea from the chair behind her. “My wife’s voice could charm birds from the trees. Something I must say you’re also rather good at, Mrs. Fratellini.”
It was Anna’s turn to blush.
“I have always been good with animals. It’s a gift, I suppose.” Anna stirred her tea and looked back at Jessica. “We must hear you sing my dear.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t,” objected Jessica.
“Yes you could. You sing in the face of Jack the Ripper but you could not sing for us? I think this is not so much the case,” prodded Andrea. “Sing Je Suis Jalouse.”
Jessica thought for a moment and then filled her lungs to begin.
Suddenly the sound of china crashing to the floor startled them all. Jessica turned to find her husband slumped awkwardly in the chair, his teacup rolling on its side next to the saucer on the carpet.
“Chad? Chad, darling, what’s wrong?” Had Jessica not rushed to his side at that moment he would have certainly fallen to the floor. Chad opened his eyes and they focused on Jess briefly.
“Hallo, Henry,” mumbled Chad as he closed his eyes again. Jessica turned frantically back to the table. Andrea had quietly risen from her chair and had taken a few steps toward her. It looked as if Anna was hiding a smile and staring intently at her tea cup.
“Andrea, help! Something’s wrong, I think he’s fainted,” pleaded Jessica, urgently.
“Nothing’s wrong, leave him be, he’s only sleeping.” Andrea stayed where she was, her voice calm and measured.
“You don’t understand. I can’t wake him. Please! Why are you just standing there? He needs help! Something’s wrong with him.” Jessica quickly loosened the tie from around his neck and undid the first few buttons of his shirt. She felt his head for a fever, but he was cool to the touch. Jessica called to her husband a few more times. The desperation in Jessica’s voice stirred a bit of guilt in the pit of Andrea’s stomach. Jessica steadied herself beside the chair and gave her husband a good smack across the face. Still he did not respond.
“You shouldn’t do that. You will hurt him. Your husband sleeps. There is nothing wrong. Leave him,” said Anna, who was clearly amused and not trying very hard to conceal it.
“Are you both out of your minds? There is something wrong!” At this Anna buried her face in her hands, her shoulders were shaking.
“Jessica, do not worry,” said Andrea gently. “Your husband sleeps because I drug him.”
Jessica froze. Did she just hear Andrea correctly? Why on earth would…
“You drugged my husband?” Jessica stared up at the two women, amazed and incredulous. Anna did her best to stifle a giggle and Andrea shot her a look.
“You drugged him? Why? Why would you do that?”
“He will be fine, it will not hurt him. He must not hear what we talk about,” said Andrea.
She smiled sympathetically and went to move toward them but Jessica stood up and placed herself protectively in front of her husband.
“Don’t you come any closer, or so help me I’ll…I’ll…” she grabbed a candlestick from the mantelpiece and pointed it at Andrea. Anna clasped her hand over her mouth. She shook with laughter and ducked as Andrea shot her another look.
“Anna, control yourself, woman. I’m surprised you don’t remember how you first reacted when I did this to your husband as well!” Andrea turned her attentions back to Jessica who blatantly had no intentions of lowering her weapon until she had some answers.
“Please, Jessica. I am sorry I could not warn you before I did such a thing. But I promise to you your husband will be fine. I am very good with poisons…”
“POISONS?” burst Jessica, tears springing to her eyes.
“Sorry, I use wrong word. I have not poisoned your husband. I only…”
“Though she bloody well could have if she’d wanted to…” added Anna, taking her hand from her mouth just long enough to contribute.
“Thank you, Anna, but I’m not sure you are so helpful. Can you maybe go and get more tea, and maybe some cakes?” Andrea meaningfully indicated towards the beaded curtain. Anna rolled her eyes but nodded and off she went.
“Do you honestly think I’m about to eat or drink anything you give me now?” Jessica had started making plans of escape. But she couldn’t leave Chad. She reckoned she could probably lift him but she’d never make it all the way down the stairs and out the front door.
“Please put the candlestick down. Let’s not be silly.” Andrea sat down that the table. Jessica could have made a run for it. She dropped the candlestick. She turned to Chad and shook him but it was no use, the man was out cold. She tried to stop them but tears of frustration began to creep down her cheeks. They had found her weakness. They could do anything they liked to her, so long as they didn’t hurt him, so long as they let him go. She heard a fluttering noise coming from behind her. Jessica turned back to find Andrea shuffling a deck of tarot cards.
“I am sorry if we have frightened you. Anna means well. It has been very long time since I had to do this to Mr. Fratellini. But it is true what she says. I could kill your husband if I wanted to. It is an easy thing for me to have killed you both many times by now if that was my idea. I am not so nice person to have as enemy.” Andrea looked up from her cards and smiled warmly at Jessica.
“But I am very nice person to have as a friend. I am your friend, Jessica. I am a friend to your husband, too. What we say here tonight you may choose to tell him or not, but that must be your choice, not mine. It is choice you make after you hear everything we tell you. Then you decide. Anna, she told Mr. Fratellini. It was good choice and so I do not drug him now. But I used to, a lot. Anna forgets. The first time I drug Mr. Fratellini, she cry like baby.” Andrea set her cards down and walked slowly over to Jessica. This time Jessica let her approach. She took a blanket off the rocking chair and unfolded it. Jessica watched as Andrea covered her husband and tenderly smoothed his hair back from his face.
“There now,” she said gently, as she picked up the cup and saucer from the floor, “I could never hurt such a man as this. I know you trust me, Jessica, you must know I speak the truth. Your husband is a good man; he would never have left you alone with us. He would not do this because he loves you, and because he almost lost you. You see now? This was good choice that I make. Now he stays but he does not hear. Everybody wins! Please come and sit down, now.” Andrea held her hand out to her.
Jessica looked back at her husband, then at Andrea, and let the gypsy woman lead her back to the table. Anna returned then, substantially more composed, with another pot of tea and some cakes. The three sat down and Andrea resumed her shuffling of tarot cards. Andrea took a deep breath and started from the beginning. The story she was about to tell would change everything.