Genius
Page 59
CHAPTER 59
She was ready.
Lucinda, inspecting Lulubelle's eye make-up critically, was satisfied that she had done her utmost for her daughter.
'Perfect,’ she said, 'if I say so myself. We'll put the final glitz on just before you go on. But don't smudge the base coats in the meantime, all right?’
'Okay.’
Sam was driving them to the studio, against Molly's wishes. This evening, they would get a taxi home from the station because everyone would be busy, either performing or manning the fairground rides and stalls. Lulubelle had the taxi fare in her bag. 'Don't leave it in mine,’ Lucinda said. 'I'll only forget and spend it on something else.’
Marisa was standing ready to wave them off. Lulubelle ran to see Arto in the Big Top, where he was practising. He put down a pile of steel girders to talk to her.
'You will be a great success,’ he told her. 'I know it.’ He laid a hefty hand on her shoulder. 'The show will not be the same without you this afternoon or this evening.’
'Thanks for getting Mr Mannfield to give me the day off. And Lucinda as well.’
He raised his eyebrows. 'I only asked for you. Lucinda, she told him herself how necessary it was, how you couldn't perform before strangers without the protection of your mother.’
Lulubelle laughed.
He was suddenly serious. 'The man who was following you: you saw him again?’
'No.’
'Tell me once more, so I will know him.’
'Quite thin, dark hair, dark blue quilted jacket. He might wear an anorak hood that doesn't match. What will you do if you see him?’
Arto flexed a huge bicep. 'Talk to him.’
'You'd better not hurt him or anything, Arto. It might get you into trouble with the police.’
'I don't hurt no one,’ said Arto. 'I simply show him a little example of how accidents can happen - so easy in a circus, yes?’ He seized a girder in one hand, pretended to slip, and dropped it. The ground beneath their feet rocked. 'You go and perform,’ he said, 'and don't worry about nothing.’
So now they were here, being greeted by the cool, non-committal team who had stood and watched Lulubelle during her studio audition - only now they were warm and smiling, confident in her ability to make their show an event.
'Where are the others?’ she asked. ‘Can I meet them?’
'You will but they're not here yet. Your agent told us you'd need a practice room for your warm-up so we're going to put you in here, down this corridor - all right?’
Your agent, Lulubelle thought. It sounded great. She looked at Lucinda, who winked. She had been a bit afraid that Mum would be jealous but Lucinda had been delighted. A day off work and the celebrity-mother treatment suited her nicely.
And with any luck the publicity might bring Lulubelle some more lucrative work and bring Lucinda a nice bit of pocket money for nothing more than escorting her to and from her engagements. It had to beat hanging off trapezes and balancing on a high wire for a living.
Sonia showed them into a room with a mirrored wall. 'Will this be all right for you?’
'Lovely,’ Lucinda approved.
'I'll call back for you in half an hour, if that suits you.’
'It's a bit early for her warm-up yet,’ Lucinda said. 'She'd only have to do it all over again just before.’
'Oh, I see. Well, perhaps I'll show you your places in the studio first, and someone will call you to the hospitality room in a little while, then you can let me know when you're ready to come and practise.’
'That sounds more like it,’ Lucinda said. 'You haven't got a cigarette you could spare me, have you, love?’
‘I don't smoke, I'm afraid, but I'll see what I can get you.’
'Thanks, love. Don't mind me asking, do you?’
Lulubelle didn't know what to do with her kitbag. Sonia noticed her confusion.
'I'd bring it with you, if I were you. It would probably be safe here but you don't want to take any chances, do you?’
Lulubelle hadn't expected to feel so nervous. She wished there wasn't such a long time to wait before she had to perform. She knew the nerves would go once the spotlight was on and she was heading towards it.
For a moment, she regretted getting involved in this and wished she was in the Big Top rehearsing the pyramid with the adult acrobats or even sitting in class with the children, doing a maths test.
Following Sonia and her mother down the corridor to the studio, she shook her head decisively. This was her big chance. This was where fame was born, in television studios ready to transmit her brilliant performance to an appreciative nationwide audience.
She had a practice room allocated to her alone. And an agent, prestigious enough to represent Arto the strongman and a host of other names that she hadn't personally heard of but that everyone obviously knew.
It was coming true, her dream. She was on her way. Look out, world, it's Lulubelle Lacosto - on TV!