Born to Trouble

by Rita Bradshaw

  He swore succinctly. After sitting undecided for a moment or two he turned the horse and trap to follow the left fork.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Don’t thank me. This has all the makings of a disaster and I must be doolally.’

  They heard the camp before they saw it. The gypsies were en route, Pearl thought to herself. It was always pandemonium when they stopped en route, especially for the women who had the children to see to as well as the evening meal. As they drew closer they caught sight of the camp in a pasture of several acres. It was a sea of caravans of all shapes and sizes, along with Romany, beehive and old Army belltents.The lithe figures of women and children and men with brown faces and black hats and shirts were everywhere, along with lurcher dogs and horses of all kinds. The noise, and the smell from the great black pots hung over the fires were all so familiar that for a moment Pearl felt she had come home.

  ‘Well?’ Seth growled at her side.

  ‘I don’t know, I can’t tell if it’s them. We need to go nearer.

  Muttering under his breath, Seth drove the horse and trap close to the hedges bordering the pastureland and then stopped. Pearl’s heart was in her mouth. Likely the gypsies had been coming back to their site near Newcastle every year since she had been in Sunderland; these things were handed down from generation to generation and didn’t change. They might approach from a different direction or be late or early by a few weeks, but that was all.

  She climbed down from the trap and walked to the open gate which led into the pasture, and almost immediately saw a face she recognised. It was Naomi, one of Freda’s friends, and she had a couple of black-eyed children about her skirts. As Naomi saw her she stopped dead, the bundle of twigs and wood she had been carrying dropping from her fingers. Reaching for the children’s hands, she turned and disappeared into the mêlée.

  Pearl had been about to speak but now she didn’t know what to do. Turning to Seth, she said, ‘It is them, Seth. I know that woman.’

  ‘Aye, and she knew you an’ all by the way she skedaddled,’ he said drily. ‘So, what do you want to do? Are we going to find the family who took you in?’

  By now several more of the gypsies had become aware of their presence and had stopped what they were doing to stare. Pearl felt uneasy. Perhaps it had been foolish for the pair of them to come unannounced to the camp, especially in view of the way she had parted company with the tribe. Nevertheless, she felt this had happened for a purpose somehow, like the last link in a chain. Or perhaps it was just that Halimena had been playing on her mind since she and Christopher had found each other again. Or – and the unease deepened – was it possible that Byron’s grandmother had summoned her to the camp this evening?

  She was about to turn to Seth and suggest they leave when a tall aristocratic figure emerged from the crowd. Pearl stared at Corinda. It had been ten years, but Byron’s mother didn’t look any different. Pearl felt her face burn. The whole camp had become silent and Seth was as tense as a coiled spring beside her. Corinda came right up to them, her eyes fixed on Pearl. When she spoke, her voice was low.

  ‘I knew you would come one day.’

  Pearl licked her dry lips. ‘I saw the smoke and wondered if it might be you.’

  Corinda nodded. ‘You look well.’

  ‘I am well. And you?’

  Instead of answering this, Corinda looked at Seth. Her gaze returning to Pearl, she said, ‘He knows you lived with us?’

  ‘Yes, he knows it all.’ She had to ask. ‘How is Byron?’ It was a moment before Corinda replied. ‘He is happy. He married my cousin’s daughter and they have three fine boys. He never went back to the horse trading after leaving here but he has become very skilled at cabinet-making and such things. I understand from my cousin that his goods are much in demand wherever they go. Yes, he is content.’

  ‘I’m glad.’ She hadn’t realised until this moment how much Byron had weighed on her conscience, whatever she had said to the contrary to Christopher.

  ‘And you have found happiness?’ Again Corinda glanced at Seth. Pearl realised Byron’s mother thought they were a couple.

  She was about to explain when Seth said, ‘I think she is very happy, isn’t that right, Pearl?’ as he pressed her hand warningly. Pearl was startled for a moment but then saw the wisdom of leaving things as they were. If she said Seth was her brother and that she was about to marry someone else, awkward questions might follow. It would hardly be tactful to inform Byron’s mother that she was marrying the man who’d been instrumental in Byron fleeing his family.

  She nodded. ‘Yes, I’m happy.’

  ‘If we’re not going to make the whole journey in pitch blackness we need to leave, Pearl.’ Again Seth pressed her hand. So far, so good, his touch said. Don’t push your luck.

  She nodded again, but instead of making her goodbyes, said, ‘I’m sorry for everything that happened, Corinda. Byron saved my life when he found me that day and I’m grateful for the way you took me in. I never wanted to hurt anyone. That was the last thing I wanted.’

  Corinda hesitated only a moment. Then she sighed. ‘What is done, is done, and I see now you weren’t altogether to blame. When all the facts emerged, I came to realise that Mackensie’s mother played her part too. She was a . . . difficult woman at times.’

  ‘Was?’ Pearl found she was holding her breath.

  ‘Halimena died just after Christmas.’

  Pearl knew she ought to offer her condolences but she couldn’t. She and Corinda looked at each other, their shared glance holding for a long moment. Then Corinda turned to Seth. ‘You need to get home,’ she said quietly.

  Pearl wanted to thank this woman who had treated her as one of her own while she lived with them. Watching Corinda, she had understood what real motherhood was all about. The words hovered on her tongue but in the end all she said was, ‘Goodbye. I’m glad we’ve seen each other again.’

  Corinda looked deep into her eyes again and then smiled one of her rare smiles. ‘I, too, am glad,’ she said simply, before turning and melting away into the camp.

  ‘Now can we get the hell out of here?’ Seth still had hold of her hand and pulled her none too gently back up on the horse and trap. It had turned out better than he’d feared, but he wouldn’t trust them gypsies as far as he could throw them, whatever Pearl said. Gave him the willies, they did, the lot of ’em.

  Seth only breathed a sigh of relief once the sounds of the camp were lost behind them. Pearl had gone very quiet by his side. He glanced at her. ‘All right, lass? Has it upset you?’

  ‘No, it hasn’t upset me.’ She just couldn’t take in that the evil old woman was dead. Somehow, she had imagined Halimena being immortal, there had been such a strong life-force in her. She had lived under that woman’s shadow for years even though she hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it. Now there was a lightness in her, as though something had lifted.

  Had Halimena dying just days before Christopher came to find her released him in some way? And then she chided herself for the fanciful thought. She mustn’t credit Halimena with powers she’d never had. It was a coincidence, that was all. They happened all the time, life was full of them. And in one way it didn’t matter. Halimena was dead and she and Christopher were alive. Against all the odds they’d found each other, and nothing would separate them now. For the first time since she had seen him again she really believed it.

  She lifted her face to the darkening sky that was ablaze with colour as though all nature had conspired to herald the moment. She felt giddy, drunk with relief as her spirit soared and rose on the wings of the night, and as she gazed upwards, the magnificent shape of a large barn owl flew straight across her vision, its pure white breast and richly covered brown and grey feathers clearly visible.

  Pearl caught hold of Seth’s arm and together they watched as the powerful bird circled once above them. Shrieking its supremacy, it swooped down so low she could see the beautiful tawny eyes gazing straight at her as though it kn
ew her, before it disappeared into the shadows of evening and was gone.

  Epilogue

  Pearl and Christopher married on a day when the warm breeze carried the sweet scent of May blossom and all was sunshine and light. They’d chosen the little parish church of Ditchburn for the nuptials. It was the nearest church to the farm and meant that Ray and George and their wives could attend the service. Wilbert and his wife and children were there, and Seth had shut the shop for the day so the three shopgirls could attend with him and Nessie. It was a merry party who returned to the farm once the parson had pronounced the couple man and wife.

  Ivy and Mabel had laid on a veritable feast in the hay barn. It had been swept out, the cobwebs brushed down from the rafters, and bunches of wild flowers fastened on the walls. A long trestle table was set up in the middle of the floor with two long forms either side. After the excellent wedding breakfast the table was pushed to one side and everyone danced to the accompaniment of music provided by Ray’s fiddle, the hilarity aided by the bottles of homemade wine and ale which were consumed liberally. Everyone said they’d never been to such a wonderful wedding.

  That night, Pearl slept wrapped in her husband’s arms, and that the wedding night had been successful was borne out by the fact that exactly nine months to the day, Pearl gave birth to healthy twin girls. Nessie came to stay for a few weeks to help the new mother cope and had the time of her life.

  Little Charlotte and Lucy were joined by their baby brother, Charles Christopher, two years later, and by the time the farm had almost doubled in size and the house had been extended yet again, another boy and then a girl completed the family. Pearl had her Christmases full of love and laughter and fun, and Seth and Nessie were regarded by the little ones as Granda and Grandma rather than Uncle and Aunt, and were greatly loved. Of Christopher’s mother they’d heard no word since he had written to invite her to the wedding; Clarissa hadn’t replied.

  As they’d determined to be, Pearl and Christopher were good parents. With five children there were plenty of ups and downs, but it was a deeply satisfying life. Rewarding. With Christopher at her side, Pearl didn’t want anything more. As she watched her children grow sturdy and strong, she knew the legacy of Halimena’s curse was broken. They had been born to wholeness, unity and good fortune. They had been born to love.