(no subject)
The circus travels on, getting stronger as word of mouth spreads. Soon, as they reach villages, people have heard that there's a group of performers, defying the war, travelling around to help and entertain.
By the time she hits seven months pregnant, Carlotta can't hide the bump any more. But her team know now, and to her relief, haven't demanded her resignation. Neither, and also to her relief, have they bombarded her with advice. The three new mothers on the team have been letting her practice on their offspring, and she takes her turn in the circus creche they have for when people are practicing or performing.
On a warm September afternoon, Carlotta finishes the matinee performance and sets off into the village to try and pick up a few basic supplies. As she heads out of the village greengrocer, she collides with a daintily dressed woman, who recoils in disgust.
"Gracious! You better not have fleas, you low-down circus..." Fern stops, mid-sentence, upon realising that she's faced with her cousin's wife.
"No Fern, I don't have fleas." Carlotta says, coldly. "Nice to see snobbery remains alive and well with you. I didn't know you were in Buxton."
"You don't know anything about me." Fern says, equally coldly. But there's something in her eyes, something slightly different. As though, for the first time, the threat she has always felt Carlotta to be is no longer important.
"I know you fled The Oaks." Carlotta says, referring to the family stables. "Just after I left for the circus in April. You ought to have written, Polly and Tom were worried."
"What are you talking about?" Fern asks, blinking at her. "Of course I wrote." Her eyes fall on the bump, and she stares, then suddenly looks angry.
"And whose is that?" she demands, pointing at the bump.
"Will's. Whose else would she be?" Carlotta asks, rolling her eyes.
Fern snorts rudely.
"Last I heard, you wouldn't let Will anywhere near you. He told me the two of you would be divorced as soon as the war was over."
Carlotta opens her mouth, and stares at Fern. She knows the girl has always had it in for her, and has been incredibly jealous of her relationship with Will. In fact, she knows Fern's been in love with Will since they were kids. But Will had said a hundred times that it was never reciprocated; in fact, as a boy, he couldn't bear her. It seems unlikely that he'd choose her as his confidante now if he was to say such a thing. Okay, the first part is true - they argued about having children so soon before - but she's pretty sure the second part is made up.
"You're lying." she says, closing her mouth. "The baby is Will's, and I haven't been with anyone else. Grow up, Fern, I don't need your poison."
"Fernie?" A very gentle-looking woman pushing a pram approaches. "Is this gypsy bothering you?"
"She's just leaving, Mummy." Fern says.
"Oh, you're Fern's mother? I'm Carlotta." Carlotta says, offering the woman a hand. "Sorry you couldn't be invited to the wedding between your nephew and myself, we had to have it at rather short notice."
Fern's mother looks rather surprised.
"I'm sorry it didn't work out." she says, after a moment. "But Fernie and Will go back a long way."
"Will and I are still married." Carlotta says, feeling more confused by the minute. What on Earth has Fern been telling her mother? Her eyes fall on the pram... ah.
She step forward, with a sinking feeling in her stomach, and peeps into the pram. Then she relaxes. The baby, a few weeks old, looks nothing like Will; it's pale, with very fair blonde hair and reddish sort of eyes. Will has brown hair like Libby, and blue eyes.
"Mummy, can you take William for a moment. I need to have a private word with Carlotta." Fern says. She turns back to Carlotta, as her mother takes the baby away.
"Carlotta... you took Will from me, you betrayed him at the earliest opportunity, and he came to me. He's leaving you. For me."
"You're mad." Carlotta says. "And you're lying."
"If I were you, I'd leave, and never come back." Fern says, viciously. "Your marriage is over. Like mother like daughter."
"If I were you, I'd shut up before I slap you in front of your mother." Carlotta says, turning and heading away. "Nice test of fidelity, but you won't be able to fool me that easily."
Part of her, however, is just a little bit worried.
By the time she hits seven months pregnant, Carlotta can't hide the bump any more. But her team know now, and to her relief, haven't demanded her resignation. Neither, and also to her relief, have they bombarded her with advice. The three new mothers on the team have been letting her practice on their offspring, and she takes her turn in the circus creche they have for when people are practicing or performing.
On a warm September afternoon, Carlotta finishes the matinee performance and sets off into the village to try and pick up a few basic supplies. As she heads out of the village greengrocer, she collides with a daintily dressed woman, who recoils in disgust.
"Gracious! You better not have fleas, you low-down circus..." Fern stops, mid-sentence, upon realising that she's faced with her cousin's wife.
"No Fern, I don't have fleas." Carlotta says, coldly. "Nice to see snobbery remains alive and well with you. I didn't know you were in Buxton."
"You don't know anything about me." Fern says, equally coldly. But there's something in her eyes, something slightly different. As though, for the first time, the threat she has always felt Carlotta to be is no longer important.
"I know you fled The Oaks." Carlotta says, referring to the family stables. "Just after I left for the circus in April. You ought to have written, Polly and Tom were worried."
"What are you talking about?" Fern asks, blinking at her. "Of course I wrote." Her eyes fall on the bump, and she stares, then suddenly looks angry.
"And whose is that?" she demands, pointing at the bump.
"Will's. Whose else would she be?" Carlotta asks, rolling her eyes.
Fern snorts rudely.
"Last I heard, you wouldn't let Will anywhere near you. He told me the two of you would be divorced as soon as the war was over."
Carlotta opens her mouth, and stares at Fern. She knows the girl has always had it in for her, and has been incredibly jealous of her relationship with Will. In fact, she knows Fern's been in love with Will since they were kids. But Will had said a hundred times that it was never reciprocated; in fact, as a boy, he couldn't bear her. It seems unlikely that he'd choose her as his confidante now if he was to say such a thing. Okay, the first part is true - they argued about having children so soon before - but she's pretty sure the second part is made up.
"You're lying." she says, closing her mouth. "The baby is Will's, and I haven't been with anyone else. Grow up, Fern, I don't need your poison."
"Fernie?" A very gentle-looking woman pushing a pram approaches. "Is this gypsy bothering you?"
"She's just leaving, Mummy." Fern says.
"Oh, you're Fern's mother? I'm Carlotta." Carlotta says, offering the woman a hand. "Sorry you couldn't be invited to the wedding between your nephew and myself, we had to have it at rather short notice."
Fern's mother looks rather surprised.
"I'm sorry it didn't work out." she says, after a moment. "But Fernie and Will go back a long way."
"Will and I are still married." Carlotta says, feeling more confused by the minute. What on Earth has Fern been telling her mother? Her eyes fall on the pram... ah.
She step forward, with a sinking feeling in her stomach, and peeps into the pram. Then she relaxes. The baby, a few weeks old, looks nothing like Will; it's pale, with very fair blonde hair and reddish sort of eyes. Will has brown hair like Libby, and blue eyes.
"Mummy, can you take William for a moment. I need to have a private word with Carlotta." Fern says. She turns back to Carlotta, as her mother takes the baby away.
"Carlotta... you took Will from me, you betrayed him at the earliest opportunity, and he came to me. He's leaving you. For me."
"You're mad." Carlotta says. "And you're lying."
"If I were you, I'd leave, and never come back." Fern says, viciously. "Your marriage is over. Like mother like daughter."
"If I were you, I'd shut up before I slap you in front of your mother." Carlotta says, turning and heading away. "Nice test of fidelity, but you won't be able to fool me that easily."
Part of her, however, is just a little bit worried.