Chapter Fifteen
Charity had no idea how long she sat there on the grass.
Eventually, the hooting of an owl brought her thoughts back to where she was.
She felt numb inside as she stumbled to her feet.
She knew that she must have been there for a long time.
Her skirts were wet with dew and the circus camp was silent.
She set off back to the farm. On the way, she passed the river where the Gypsies had washed their horses.
Just for a moment she had a desire to throw herself in.
How nice it would be to feel the cold water carrying her away.
It would close over her head and the pain she was feeling would be gone.
But then she thought of the life growing inside her.
Her hand dropped to tenderly stroke her stomach.
She was carrying Luca’s child. That was all she would ever have of him now.
She forced herself to move on and when she reached the farm she crept across the yard.
Everybody would be asleep and she didn’t want to disturb them.
Once she got to her room she hastily undressed and pulled her nightgown over her head.
She was still trying to accept the fact that two people she loved had betrayed her.
She and Scarlet had been friends for many years, Luca had been her first love.
What was going to happen to her now? What would Eddie say when he found out that she was going to have a child?
He’d probably send her packing and then where would she go?
All her hopes and dreams were in ashes. She finally fell into an uneasy sleep with tears on her cheeks.
Two days later, Maureen came to the farm. She instantly saw that something was wrong with Charity but she bided her time before she asked. Only when the children were outside did she turn to Charity.
‘So did you go to the circus to find your friend?’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘And?’
‘And she told me that everything has changed. Since I ran away, she and Luca have become a couple. He loves her now.’
Maureen looked shocked. ‘Surely not. You seemed so sure of him.’
Charity nodded. ‘I was, but it seems I meant nothing to him. And now I don’t know what I’m going to do. When Eddie finds out about the baby, he’ll probably ask me to leave.’
‘Let me speak to him for you,’ Maureen urged. ‘I’ve known him for a long time and he has a kind heart.’
Charity nodded. At least if Maureen could get Eddie to agree to her staying, she and her child would have a roof over their heads.
Down at the circus Luca was becoming worried.
They had been camped there for some weeks now.
Charity had promised to get in touch as soon as she knew they had arrived and it wasn’t like her to break her word.
He was becoming seriously concerned that something had happened to her.
He finished feeding the animals and went to look for Scarlet.
He found her outside her trailer and drew her out of earshot of everyone.
‘Scarlet, are you quite sure that you haven’t seen Charity?’
‘Actually . . . I have,’ Scarlet told him. ‘The woman in the drab clothes you saw me speaking to the other night was Charity.’
‘So why did you lie to me?’ He frowned at her and she lowered her eyes.
‘I didn’t want to hurt you.’
‘Hurt me?’ He looked even more confused. ‘What do you mean?’
She licked her lips. ‘The thing is she came to tell me that . . .’ She glanced up at him. The colour had drained from his face. ‘That she’s met someone else.’
‘No!’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t believe it. We love each other. That’s why she ran away – so that we can be together.’
‘I know but she found herself a job on a farm. And she said . . . Well, she said that she very quickly developed feelings for the farmer. She realised then that she’d made a mistake with you.
She said to tell you that she was sorry.
She never meant to hurt you. I think that she was thinking of her future.
He can offer her a ready-made home whereas if you two were together I suppose it would be hard.
I’m afraid she isn’t the girl you thought she was, Luca. ’
‘But I would have done anything for her,’ he said brokenly.
Scarlet gently stroked his arm. ‘I know this must come as a shock. And I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you straightaway. But I’m still here. I’ll always be here for you, Luca.’
He stared at her for a moment before turning and walking away, his shoulders slumped. The bright future he had dreamed of with the woman he loved was gone now. And he didn’t know how he would bear it.
Maureen managed to get Eddie alone later that day. Charity was collecting eggs from the barn when he entered the kitchen.
‘Ah, Eddie, I need to have a word,’ she told him gently and he nodded.
‘Of course. Is everything all right? Your mother isn’t worse, is she?’
‘Actually, she is. But it isn’t that I need to speak to you about. Come and sit down.’
He pulled out a chair and joined her at the table where she was shelling peas.
‘So, what is it?’ he queried.
‘It’s about Charity actually.’ She went on to tell him about Charity running away to wait for her young man to join her. ‘The thing is though, she’s just found out that he’s switched his affection to her friend. He won’t be joining her now.’
‘That’s very sad,’ Eddie said as he scratched his head. ‘What a rotter. And she couldn’t have been a very good friend either.’
‘No, and that isn’t the worst of it. You see Charity is going to have a baby and is now afraid that you’ll throw her out. She’d have nowhere to go.’
‘Oh dear!’ He sighed before saying, ‘I admit I wasn’t thinking of having another child about the place when I took her on.
But she is a good little worker. The children like her too.
’ He thought for a moment and then an idea came to him.
‘How about we do up the little cottage at the other side of the orchard and Charity and the baby could live there? It’s been empty for a while.
That way she could carry on working here with the child. ’
‘I think that’s an excellent idea.’ Maureen was thrilled that he had been so understanding. He was such a good man. ‘Shall I ask Charity how she feels about it?’
He nodded as he rose to go back to work. ‘By all means. But now I must get on.’
Maureen smiled as she watched him leave.