Sparrow smiled as she remembered his words. Stormy was right.
And she was so happy to be here with the Butterworths again. She was going to wallow in their kindness. Being loved properly, like this, was a new and wonderful experience and she was going to get as much of it as she possibly could – as much as they could give. She felt as if she was blossoming right now, like one of the roses on the wall, getting rounder and richer and, somehow, more rosy! And she’d give love back too. She knew she could, with practice.
She remembered Zippo’s circus and the performing cats – that was what she wanted, to join the circus and have her own act with Scaramouch. She wanted to be with spitfyres and become a sky-rider too. She wanted … everything. She wanted to try everything, go everywhere, see everything … and now, perhaps, it would be possible.
Hettie was flourishing too. Straight away, something had sparked between Hilda and Hettie and they had hugged and Hettie wanted Hilda to be her mother. She’d even thrown her arms around Gerta and sworn undying adoration for her.
The next morning, Gerta received a letter from Mr Pynch at the Knip and Pynch Home for Waifs and Strays. She read it at the breakfast table.
‘Oh how dreadful!’ Gerta said, after she’d glanced at the letter’s contents. ‘Listen to this. That woman, that Miss Knip, has vanished, believed dead! It says she never reached the Home after she visited us. The cart-driver said she vanished into thin air as they were travelling through the swamplands … She must have fallen out or something – how awful!’
It was on the tip of Sparrow’s tongue to say Serves her right, but she held it back.
‘And Mr Pynch is leaving the Home too!’ Gerta continued. ‘He’s just writing to me to see if I know anything about Miss Knip’s disappearance, as we were the last to see her. What was her mental state? he asks. Oh dear. I hope they don’t think we were responsible?’
‘But that’s amazing!’ Sparrow said, grabbing Hilda’s hand. ‘Because now you can take over the Home!’
Gerta let out a little shriek. ‘What?’
‘Yes, all of you! You, Hilda and Bruno,’ Sparrow said. ‘You’ve all got so much to give and those girls need loving care so badly. It’s a perfect solution. Just think, Hilda, not one new daughter, but forty-four of them – at least, that’s how many there were at the last count. It will be forty-six with me and Hettie, and forty-seven when we find Glori, if she wants to come. You could include boys too, if you wanted! Oh do say you will! It could be a real home. And think, Bruno, Tapper isn’t going to be making any more spitfyres, so you’d have to reconsider the shop and the stock anyway and … It’s a perfect, perfect plan.’
‘It’s an amazing idea,’ Hilda said, grinning. ‘Of course I’d still want to continue with my work on the committee. We must stop all Brightling production and sales. It’s imperative!’ She paused. ‘But I do like the idea of running the Home. I like it very much.’
‘We’ll think about it,’ Bruno said. ‘My shop –’
‘The shop! The shop’s not important,’ Hilda said. ‘Oh yes, we will think about it,’ she went on. ‘Forty-four, did you say? Poor little things – no parents, no good food, no warmth.’ She rubbed her hands together. ‘Oh Bruno, what fine girls we could help make there!’
The doorbell sounded shrilly, making them all jump. Gerta went to answer it. She came back a moment later and ushered in a thin, short young woman, wearing a too-small black coat and a long green skirt. The girl’s dark hair was plaited in a long rope that hung down her back to her waist. Spotting Sparrow, she licked her small, round teeth and broke into an enormous smile.
‘Sparrow!’ she cried, rushing to her. ‘My little Birdie!’
‘Glori?’ Sparrow ran to her and they hugged and rocked from side to side. ‘What happened to you? You smell of oysters! I’m so glad you’ve come. Why are you wearing these funny clothes?’
‘Let Glori sit down,’ Bruno said, vacating a chair. ‘Let her have some space, dear girl. Then she can explain.’
Glori sat down and told them everything.
‘After I left you, Miss Hilda,’ Glori said, ‘I met Tapper. He’d followed me. He took me to the river. Tapper meant to drown me,’ she said.
‘The rogue!’ Hilda cried.
‘Ah, you mustn’t mind him,’ Glori said. ‘He couldn’t help it. I mean, he was hurt bad when I let him down. I did let him down. Betrayed him. So he rowed me out into the river, only this old oyster-catching boat was coming and I’d seen it. So I let myself fall in before he could push me. I did think, I did wonder if he’d help me and, when he didn’t, I knew for certain. Knew he didn’t love me, not really; he couldn’t. Or he loved me the best he could love anyone, and it were no good.
‘I played dead – was real close to dead, it were that cold, but the oyster-catchers had seen me go in and they fished me out a few seconds later. I was sick as a dog. All my lovely clothes was ruined! This is all they had to dress me in – stuff what belonged to an oyster-catcher’s daughter. Don’t I look funny? But who cares? I’m back and aren’t I so glad to find you alive and well, little Birdie!’
Later, Sparrow went into the garden with Bruno while he shook out the breakfast tablecloth so the birds could eat the crumbs. ‘Well, it’s wonderful to have Glori safe and sound,’ Bruno said. ‘She’s a fine young lady and will be an asset to our growing family. And now we have our future all mapped out for us! What a little fixer you are, Sparrow dear,’ he said. ‘Just like your mother.’
‘You don’t mind, do you?’
‘Not at all. I think it’s a wonderful idea. Perhaps we could move the Home up to Sto’back so we don’t have to negotiate the krackodyles every time we make a journey? Perhaps I can still keep on the toyshop, without the spitfyres? There are lots of possibilities and best of all, it will make my Hilda happy – might even make Gerta happy too.’
‘I’m so glad you think so,’ Sparrow said. ‘Because that’s what I think too.’ She paused to watch a little robin come down to peck at the crumbs. ‘You never forget to feed them, do you, Bruno?’ she said. ‘You are kind.’
‘It was Mayra that started it,’ he told her. ‘She loved all animals, but the birds especially. Fed them every single day of her life. That’s probably why she called you Sparrow.’
‘And that’s why Scaramouch doesn’t eat birds,’ Sparrow said. ‘And I bet he was her cat at the circus too,’ she said. ‘Dear Scaramouch.’
‘Yes … ’ Bruno said. ‘I think you’re right. And she placed him in charge of you.’
‘Do you think so?’
She longed to tell him that she wanted to go back to the circus, take Scaramouch with her and be daring and adventurous like her mother, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
Bruno nodded. ‘He is definitely a Sherbavian cat; there’s no doubt about it. Even Gerta has to agree on that one!’
They laughed.
‘So you’re happy now, dear?’ Bruno asked her. ‘Content?’
Sparrow nodded.
‘Promise?’ Bruno said.
‘Very content, thank you – but I do keep thinking of all those lonely girls back at the Knip and Pynch Home,’ Sparrow said. She paused. ‘And I do think I’d like to join the circus with Scaramouch!’ she finished in a rush.
Bruno laughed. ‘Later Sparrow, later; there’s plenty of time for all of that when you’re a bit older.’
Sparrow smiled. There was plenty of time for it all. She picked up Scaramouch and he pushed his head under her chin and purred.
Never abandon Sparrow. Never leave her alone, dear Scaramouch, were Mayra’s words to him. You are her protector. Care for her if ever I cannot.
Scaramouch purred. He had done his very best.
First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Hot Key Books
Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London EC1V 0AT
Copyright © Rebecca Lisle 2014
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
All rights reserved
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-4714-0104-6
This eBook was produced using Atomik ePublisher
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Hot Key Books is part of the Bonnier Publishing Group
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