by Dilly Court
A ripple of interest ran through the onlookers, who moved forward a few inches, craning their neck to get a better view. Linus brandished the knife. ‘Don’t try to stop me. I want the brats, all three of them.’ He glared at his son, who was standing at Lucy’s side. ‘Get over here, boy, and bring your sisters. We’re leaving, and I’ll kill anyone who tries to stop us.’
Bram moved a step closer. ‘You can’t get away with it, Daubenay. Put the knife down and leave now. You’re not taking the nippers anywhere.’
Linus spun round to face him. ‘Another word from you and I’ll take great pleasure in slitting your throat. You always were a damned nuisance.’ He beckoned to his son. ‘Come here, Bertie. I won’t harm you or your sisters. I’m your pa. You have to do as I say.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ Bertie said in a shaking voice. ‘But only if you promise to leave the girls here with Lucy.’
‘Of course, son. I’ve been a good father to you, haven’t I?’ Linus stretched his lips in a smile, but his eyes were like dark holes in his pale face, and his hand shook.
Forgetting everything but the need to protect the children, Lucy pushed Bertie aside and walked slowly towards Linus with hands outheld. ‘Leave them all with us, please. Don’t do this to them, Linus. They’re just children, not pawns in your game.’
‘You’re ruined, Daubenay,’ Bram added, inching closer. ‘Give up now before you do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life.’
Monty also took a step forward, but Linus had spotted him and he sprang at Lucy, gripping her round the neck and pressing the knife to her throat. ‘Give me the children and let us leave here now. Lucy is coming with me to make sure we’re not followed.’
‘No! You can’t do that. I won’t let you.’ Bram lunged at him, but Linus twisted Lucy round so that she was acting like a shield.
‘One more step and I’ll slit her throat instead of yours. If she dies the estate will revert to me as the only living relative.’
Lucy struggled and tried to kick out with her feet, but Linus was stronger than he looked and he had his arm around her throat, pressing on her windpipe. He increased the pressure and she had to fight for every breath until she felt herself slipping into a state where she was barely conscious. Dimly she heard Bram’s voice, and Monty was shouting, but she could not make out the words. She went limp and Linus relaxed his hold just enough to allow her to gasp for air.
‘You fool,’ Christelle said icily. ‘If you kill my girl the only thing you’ll get is the hangman’s noose.’ She pushed Monty aside, advancing on Linus with the gun still clutched in her hand. ‘Let her go or I’ll shoot. Don’t think I won’t, Linus Daubenay. You killed my husband – I won’t allow you to take my only child from me.’
‘Let him finish her off.’ Stella rushed at Christelle, taking her by surprise as she snatched the pistol from her hand. She pointed it at Lucy. ‘Kill her, mister. I don’t know what she’s done to you but she’s taken my man from me. If you don’t kill her, I will.’
Lucy felt Linus stiffen and his grip loosened. The red mist that had blurred her vision cleared and she met Stella’s malevolent stare with a defiant look, but it was obvious that Stella meant business.
‘Put the bloody gun down, you mad bitch.’ Linus took a step backwards, dragging Lucy with him, but in his eagerness to get away from Stella he did not see Bram, who grabbed him from behind.
Quite what happened then Lucy could never remember. There was a moment of complete chaos and then a shot rang out and Linus fell to the ground, taking her with him. Winded and struggling to fill her lungs with air, Lucy felt herself being lifted to her feet. ‘You’re all right, my darling. You’re safe now.’
As she regained control of her breathing she was aware of people rushing round, shouting, and Monty’s voice calling for calm.
‘Are you all right, Lucy?’
She could smell her mother’s heady perfume and she opened her eyes to see Christelle’s concerned face hovering above her. She managed a weak smile. ‘I was winded, that’s all. What happened?’
Bram helped her to her feet. ‘Stella tried to shoot you and got Linus instead.’
‘Is he badly hurt?’
‘The crazy woman did what I’d planned to do,’ Christelle said with a grim smile. ‘Linus won’t be harming anyone ever again.’
‘The children. Where are they?’
‘Eva and Froniga are looking after them,’ Bram said gently. ‘This is a matter for the police now. I think we might have to stay here for a while longer.’
The police came and arrested Stella, who was taken to Chelmsford prison to await trial. A sense of shock numbed everyone, young and old. Bertie had witnessed the whole thing and he was shaken but seemingly unmoved by the death of his father. Lucy went with Bram to break the news to the girls. Their stoical acceptance of the fact was more upsetting to Lucy than floods of tears. Linus had never shown affection to any of his offspring and to them he was little more than a stranger, and a violent one at that.
Lucy remained in her tent next morning, unsure of her reception if she went outside. She was afraid that people might blame her for Stella’s actions. Vicky and Maggie had risen at daybreak and gone to Froniga’s tent for breakfast, but Lucy had no appetite. She might have stayed inside all day if Jenny had not paid her a visit. ‘You mustn’t blame yourself, Lucy. We all knew what she was like,’ she said gently. ‘Stella was one of us, but most people were a bit scared of her if the truth be told.’
‘But I do feel responsible for her actions, at least in part. Perhaps I could have done more to convince her that I wasn’t interested in Monty.’
Jenny laid her tiny hand on Lucy’s arm, her large grey eyes filled with compassion. ‘It wouldn’t have made any difference, love. It was obvious to everyone that Monty fancied you, and to be fair to him he’d made it plain to Stella that their little fling was over long before you arrived. She just wouldn’t accept it.’
‘Thanks, Jenny. I told the police that Linus was a madman and that Stella probably saved my life, but they wouldn’t listen.’
‘We’re all going to put some money towards paying a lawyer to stand up for her in court,’ Jenny said softly. ‘Maybe if you told him that he’d be able to save her from the noose.’
Lucy patted her hand. ‘I will, and what’s more I know a good solicitor. If you haven’t found one already I’ll ask Mr Goldspink to take her case.’
Jenny scrambled to her feet. ‘Goldspink? That’s a country name for a goldfinch. I like the sound of him. Bertram is organising everything so I’ll put it to him, but I expect he’ll be more than grateful to have the matter taken out of his hands. Bad news travels fast and a murder at the circus might put people off coming, or attract a lot of rowdies who are out for trouble.’ She lifted the tent flap. ‘I’ll let you know what he says.’
Lucy put on her boots and prepared to go outside.
The circus people were in deep shock. Dario was inconsolable and Monty went round with the look of a man haunted by his past. Bertram took it upon himself to try to keep spirits up, but performances were cancelled until the police had had time to interview all those concerned. It took several days for them to ascertain the facts and interview everyone who was present that evening, which included most of the village. Bertram had hoped to keep the events of that fateful night from the wider public, but the news leaked out and the local newspaper sent a reporter. The sensationalised article attracted the attention of Fleet Street and soon they were besieged by reporters, clamouring for interviews with the famous Madame Arnaud who had heroically tried to save her daughter from being murdered by a madman. Stella’s part in Linus’s sudden death seemed to have been forgotten and Christelle had become the heroine of the hour. Lucy was content to sit back and let her mother deal with the press, and Monty, now apparently recovered, took every opportunity to publicise his show.
Days later, when everything was slowly getting back to normal, Lucy had left the children hel
ping with the horses and was about to go in search of Froniga to tell her of their plans to return to London next day when she saw Monty approaching on horseback. He reined in beside her and dismounted, handing the reins to one of the roustabouts. ‘I’ve just come from the magistrate’s court. Stella is pleading insanity.’
Lucy met his intense gaze with a puzzled frown. ‘She was mad with jealousy, but I don’t think she was out of her mind.’
‘None the less, that’s what she’s been advised to plead. Juries can be quite sympathetic to women who claim to be insane. She’ll probably be sent to a lunatic asylum instead of the gallows.’
Lucy shuddered. ‘That might be a worse fate. If she’s not crazy when she goes in, the odds are that she soon will be.’
Monty laid his hand on her shoulder. ‘She tried to kill you and she took someone else’s life instead. She can’t walk away from a crime like that.’
‘She loved you, Monty. She was obsessed by love for you. Isn’t some of it your fault for encouraging her?’
He recoiled as if she had slapped his face. ‘That’s a cruel thing to say.’
‘But you were lovers. She told me that.’
‘That was a long time ago, and it was over before you joined us.’
‘Not in her mind. She thought you wanted me.’
His hand slid down her shoulder to caress the exposed skin on her forearm. ‘She was right. I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you, Lucy. But I honestly didn’t know that she still felt anything for me, if she ever did. I don’t think love came into it where Stella was concerned. It was more about power and possession.’
Lucy flicked his hand off. ‘I don’t believe you. She tried to kill me before and yet you treated it more or less as a joke. Did it flatter you to have a woman so desperate for your attention that she would commit murder?’
‘No,’ he said fiercely. ‘How can you think that of me? I’m used to temperamental people. We’re none of us like ordinary folk, that’s how we come to be in this profession, but I had no idea what was going on in Stella’s head.’
‘You can’t wriggle out of it like that.’ Lucy was angry now. Stella had been driven mad by lust for a man who had used her. ‘You’re no better than Linus. You take what you want from women and then you abandon them. That’s exactly what he did to Bram’s sister. I’m going to ask my solicitor to take Stella’s case and I’m afraid it won’t look good for you.’
He dropped his hand to his side. ‘You’re still upset. It’s understandable after all you’ve been through.’
‘We’re leaving in the morning,’ Lucy said, averting her gaze. She was shaken by his declaration of love but she was determined not to let it show. ‘I suppose I should thank you for taking us in, but I see now that you had an ulterior motive.’
He grasped her by the shoulders, giving her a gentle shake. ‘How can you think that of me? I love you, Lucy Pocket. You’re all that I ever wanted in a woman. Won’t you stay with me? We can build an act that will bring audiences from far and wide. We could travel the world and make a life for ourselves.’
She wriggled free from his grasp, shaking her head. ‘You only have one true love and that’s your circus. Everything you do or say is connected to it in one way or the other. I admire your dedication but I couldn’t live with an obsession like that.’ She held up her hand as he opened his mouth to respond. ‘And more to the point, I don’t love you.’
His brows snapped together in an angry frown. ‘Then you were leading me on. What did all those coy looks and sweet smiles signify if you didn’t have feelings for me?’
‘I admit I was attracted to you at first and I was grateful to you for giving us shelter, but that’s all it ever was. I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression, but my heart belongs to someone else.’
‘I should have allowed my sword to slip while we were rehearsing. You might feel differently if your soldier hero was no longer with us.’
‘I have a mind of my own, Monty. I know who I love, and I’m sorry but it could never be you. The one person who was totally devoted to you is now in prison. She’s paid a terrible price for loving you.’ Lucy turned on her heel and walked away. She could hear him calling her name but she did not look back.
They arrived back in London to find the house surrounded by newspaper men who had somehow got wind of their arrival. It was clear to Lucy as she stepped onto the pavement that it was her famous mother who was the object of interest, and she left Bram to help Christelle alight. Reporters swarmed around them, shouting questions and vying with one another to get the best position possible. Lucy managed to dodge them and ran up the steps to knock on the door. Bedwin opened it just as a hackney carriage pulled up and the children spilled out, followed more slowly by Eva and Froniga. Lucy beckoned to them and they hurried into the house before the men from the press realised that they might have missed another angle to their stories.
She closed the door. ‘Don’t worry about Christelle,’ she said when Eva gave her a questioning look. ‘Bram will see that she doesn’t get trampled to death in the crush, and she revels in all the attention.’
‘That is so like her.’ A small, mustachioed gentleman wearing an expensively cut pinstripe suit emerged from the front parlour.
‘We have a visitor, Miss Lucy,’ Bedwin said apologetically.
‘I am Pascal Arnaud.’ The dapper gentleman bowed to Lucy. ‘I have come to London to find my wife.’
Lucy stared at him in amazement. So this was her stepfather: she was about to introduce herself when Eva stepped in between them. ‘Cor blimey,’ she said, staring at him curiously. ‘You’re my son-in-law, mister.’ She turned to Froniga with a triumphant grin. ‘You never saw that one coming did you?’
Froniga shook her head but her reply was drowned by someone hammering on the door. Bedwin hurried to open it and Christelle breezed in followed by Bram, who slammed the door and leaned against it. ‘Those fellows are harder to get rid of than a swarm of bees.’
‘Pascal.’ Christelle stared at her husband in disbelief. ‘What are you doing here?’
He embraced her, kissing her on both cheeks. ‘That is not much of a welcome, chérie. I’ve travelled all the way from Grasse to find you.’
She peeled off her gloves, handing them to Vicky, who was staring from one to the other with great interest. ‘I left you a note, Pascal. I told you that I had unfinished business in London and that I would be home as soon as it was completed.’
Lucy cleared her throat nervously. ‘Er, aren’t you going to introduce us, Mama?’
‘Mama?’ Pascal twirled his moustache with agitated fingers, his dark eyes taking in every detail of Lucy’s appearance. ‘You must be mistaken, mademoiselle.’
‘This is my daughter, Pascal.’ Christelle indicated Lucy with a casual wave of her hand. ‘I might have forgotten to mention that I had a child. It was such a long time ago and I was very, very young when she was born.’
‘I am speechless.’ Pascal looked from one to the other. ‘Such an admission to make after all the years we’ve spent together.’
‘You always was a poor liar, Christelle,’ Eva said, wagging her finger. ‘You chose to forget you was a mother. You should think yourself lucky to have such a beautiful daughter.’
‘It’s all right, Granny,’ Lucy said hastily. She held her hand out to Pascal. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you, sir. Welcome to my home.’
Pascal raised her hand to his lips. ‘Thank you, mademoiselle. I too am happy to make your acquaintance.’ He cast a darkling look at his wife. ‘But a little warning would not have come amiss, chérie.’
Bedwin coughed politely. ‘Might I suggest you adjourn to the parlour, ma’am? You might like some refreshments after your long journey.’
‘What a good idea. I’m sure you two have a lot to discuss.’ Lucy shooed the children towards the basement stairs. ‘Hester will be longing to see you. Go and surprise her.’
‘I smell baking,’ Bertie said, grinning. ‘H
ester must have known we were coming.’ He followed his sisters, urging them on in his hurry to reach the kitchen.
‘Shall I bring tea and cake, Miss Lucy?’ Bedwin lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘We don’t have any coffee, which is what the gentleman seems to prefer.’
‘I’ll go and get some,’ Bram said in a low voice. ‘And I’ll go out the back way or I’ll have to face the reporters again. Apparently our story is still headline news.’ He followed the children downstairs.
Eva marched into the parlour. ‘I need to sit down.’
‘Me too. I’m exhausted.’ Froniga followed her.
Left in the entrance hall with her mother and stepfather, who were eyeing each other like gladiators about to enter the arena, Lucy looked from one to the other. ‘Please don’t argue. It’s wonderful for me to have a family after all these years of being orphaned. We’re complete now.’
Christelle put her arm around her daughter’s waist. ‘I think motherhood suits me, don’t you, Pascal?’
‘It has been a shock, of course, but I am a man of the world.’
‘Of course you are, my love.’ Christelle treated him to a beaming smile, but he responded with an ominous frown.
‘You should have told me before, but I am content to have a delightful stepdaughter. Even so, there is a problem, Christelle, as you are well aware.’
‘What are you talking about, Pascal?’
‘The shooting to death of that man in the circus, chérie. You were involved, and the publicity will do your career no good. We must return to France immediately. Anyway, I have a concert booked for you in Paris, next week, and after that Madrid and then Rome. You cannot afford to have scandal attached to your name.’
‘Paris.’ Christelle closed her eyes. ‘That child, Lucy, your friend whose parents live in Paris. What was her name?’
‘You mean Dora Northam.’
‘Yes, dear Dora. She promised me an introduction to the British Embassy. I’ve always dreamed of being asked to perform at one of their balls.’ Christelle glided into the parlour and subsided onto a chair by the fireplace.