Chapter Thirteen
Charity was in bed when the family arrived home that evening. She could hear their cheerful chatter downstairs. They had obviously enjoyed themselves and she was glad. It had been hard for the children since they had lost their mother.
The next morning, when Charity made her way downstairs, they were beaming at her as she entered the kitchen.
She smiled as she ushered them to the table for their breakfast. ‘So, I take it you had a good evening.’
‘Oh yes!’ Simon’s eyes lit up as he thought back to it.
‘We saw all the animals in the circus. There were beautiful bears and dogs that danced. And there was a juggler and a lady who swung high up on a swing from the ceiling. And there were clowns and lots of other things too.’ His words tripped over each other in his excitement to tell her all about it.
‘Then when the circus was done Daddy and Maureen took us to the fair.’ Little Tilly’s head was nodding in agreement.
‘We had a toffee apple and we went on some rides.’
‘Oh yes, which ones did you go on?’ Charity asked.
‘First, we went on the swing boats. They went really high and Tilly was a bit frightened,’ he told her with a grin.
‘Then we went on this roundabout. It was all different coloured horses that went up and down. Tilly liked that one. We had a go on the coconut shy too. I didn’t win one but Daddy did.
He gave it to Maureen. And we saw a funny lady who had a beard and a man who only came up to the belt on Daddy’s trousers. ’
Charity smiled as she placed bowls of porridge in front of them. ‘It sounds like it was a wonderful night.’ It was lovely to see them both so happy.
Eddie entered the kitchen then and he too seemed in a good mood.
‘I gather the evening went well?’
‘It certainly did,’ he agreed as he ruffled the children’s hair.
He had been out feeding the pigs. He hastily washed his hands at the sink and Charity served him his breakfast. They were getting into a routine now and she felt a little guilty.
If everything went to plan, she might not be there for much longer unless Eddie could find work for Luca too.
If he couldn’t they would have to move on and she just hoped the family would cope well without her.
But then the nausea she had been suffering returned.
With a hasty apology, she hurried out to the lavatory in the yard.
This was occurring every morning now, and yet by lunchtime she usually felt fine again and she felt seriously concerned now. .
When she had finished her chores that morning she took the children for a walk. They wandered down to the brook.
‘Can we take our shoes off and have a paddle?’ Simon asked and she nodded.
Soon the children were happily splashing.
She had grown very close to them in the few weeks she had been there.
She knew that she would miss them when she left but it couldn’t be helped.
She wondered if Scarlet had delivered her note to Luca yet.
Her heart raced at the thought of it. He could turn up at any time now, and as much as she knew she would miss the children, he couldn’t come quickly enough.
The next morning, when Maureen appeared, she found Charity coming out of the lavatory.
‘Have you been sick again?’ she asked.
Charity nodded as she wiped her hand across the back of her mouth. ‘Yes, it happens every morning now.’
‘And has your course come yet?’
Charity shook her head.
‘Then I think it’s time we had a little chat. Come on, we’ll go in and I’ll make you a nice cup of tea.’
Once they were in the kitchen Maureen sat down opposite her. The children had gone out to play so it seemed a good time.
‘Have you had any other symptoms apart from the nausea and the missed course?’ Maureen asked.
Charity paused as she thought for a moment. ‘Only that my breasts have felt a little tender.’ She blushed as she told her.
‘And I know this is personal but I have to ask. Have you and your young man ever laid together?’
Deeply embarrassed, Charity looked down at her hands folded in her lap. Lying with a man before marriage was the most shameful thing a Gypsy girl could do. So why, she wondered, did she not regret it? The night she had given herself to Luca had felt so right.
She nodded. ‘Yes, just once.’
‘That’s all it takes,’ Maureen said wisely. She had never had children herself, but she had seen many village women who had. ‘And I think from what you’ve just told me you could be expecting a child.’
Charity’s head snapped up, her eyes huge. ‘Surely not. After just one time?’
Maureen nodded.
‘So what am I to do?’ Charity began to panic. ‘What will Luca say when I tell him?’
‘I’m sure that if he loves you, he’ll be pleased,’ Maureen comforted her. Charity had told her everything about him now and he sounded a decent man. ‘Have you managed to get word to your friend?’
Charity sighed. ‘Yes, while you were all at the circus I snuck out. She didn’t seem very pleased to see me though. But she did promise to get my message to Luca. He should have it by now.’
‘There you are then.’ Maureen patted her hand. ‘I’ve no doubt he’ll be turning up any time now.’
Feeling slightly better, Charity looked towards the window. Of course, Maureen was right. He could even arrive that very day. The thought of seeing Luca made her heart beat faster.
The following week passed painfully slowly for Luca. Charity had promised him that as soon as the circus arrived in Appleby, she would seek out Scarlet. Every day he went to find Scarlet but she always said the same thing: ‘I’ve heard nothing!’
Something told him that all was not well. He knew from Charity’s father that she had run away, so where could she be and why had she not sent word?
Each night he lay awake worrying. He would have liked to start searching for her, but he knew that if he did it would arouse suspicion.
And so, he waited and waited. The funny thing was that suddenly Scarlet was avoiding him too.
It was a relief in one way. At least she wasn’t behind him every time he turned around now.
Perhaps she had finally got the message that he wasn’t interested?
Yet somehow that didn’t quite ring true.
Scarlet was spoilt and used to getting what she wanted, so why her sudden change of heart?
One night, as he lay alone thinking of Charity, the door to his trailer slid open. Scarlet was standing there and before he could say a word she came to sit beside him.
‘What are you doing?’ He leaned up on his elbow. ‘Get out, Scarlet. You know you shouldn’t be here.’
‘Why not?’ she purred.
To his horror he saw that she was sliding her blouse off her shoulders. With a muttered oath he leapt off the bed, wrapping the sheet around himself.
‘Aren’t you tempted to make me yours?’ she asked suggestively.
‘No, I am not,’ he said. ‘And if your father catches you here, he’ll kill us both.’
‘Not if I tell him you took advantage of me,’ she said spitefully. ‘He’d see that you marry me then. Whether you want to or not.’
He glared at her. ‘When are you going to get it into your head that it’s Charity I love?’
She bounced to her feet, her eyes flashing. ‘And when are you going to get it into your head that she doesn’t want you? She would have come to find you by now if she did, wouldn’t she?’
Taking her arm Luca steered Scarlet towards the door. ‘She’ll come,’ he told her as he showed her out. ‘Now leave me alone.’ And with that he slammed the door on her and her wounded pride.
Furious, Scarlet adjusted her clothes and strode away. But she wasn’t finished yet. She’d make him sorry for the way he’d treated her if it was the last thing she did.