The Ruby Talisman

by Belinda Murrell

  She could hear a voice from downstairs and birds singing outside. The smell of coffee wafted up from the kitchen.

  We need to make plans to get to London, Tilly thought. I wonder how late it is? I must wake Amelie and Henri so we can get moving.

  Tilly forced herself out of bed. She stood up in her chemise, her head spinning with dizziness. She had to sit down and close her eyes, pushing away the dull thump of her headache. At last the dizziness cleared and she could stand up again.

  It was then she realised that the attic bedroom was not the one she had fallen asleep in at the Crumplehorn Inn in Cornwall.

  It was the little attic bedroom at Auntie Kara’s house.

  Tilly immediately raced down the stairs. Auntie Kara was on the phone to her son, Zac.

  ‘Okay, darling,’ Kara said. ‘I can hear Tilly’s awake at last, so I’d better go.’

  Kara hung up. Tilly flew across the room and hugged her.

  ‘Oh, I’m so happy to see you,’ Tilly cried, her eyes shining with joy.

  ‘Are you all right, Tilly?’ asked Kara with concern, hugging her niece back. ‘You have been asleep for hours, and when I checked on you I thought you looked flushed and feverish.’

  Kara felt Tilly’s forehead with her cool hand.

  ‘I feel wonderful,’ replied Tilly. ‘When is Mum coming to pick me up?’

  Kara looked surprised. ‘About six o’clock this evening. She is picking up Tim from your father’s, then coming over here.’

  ‘Do you think we could ring Mum to see if she could pick me up first, and then I could go to Dad’s with her to get Tim?’ Tilly asked. ‘I’d like to see him.’

  ‘Sure,’ Kara replied with even greater surprise. ‘And what would you like to do today? Are you going to finish your assignment?’

  ‘I thought maybe we could go shopping?’ asked Tilly shyly. ‘I have some money that Dad sent me for my birthday, and I thought I might buy some new clothes.’

  Kara’s face glowed with pleasure. ‘I know just the place,’ she offered. ‘Why don’t you go and get dressed? I like your nightie by the way. It looks so gorgeous and old-fashioned, and that lace is exquisite.’

  Tilly fingered the lace at her throat. She was still wearing an eighteenth-century handmade cotton chemise, pin-tucked and embroidered. She felt the cool gold of the chain around her neck and blushed. So it wasn’t all a dream, she thought.

  She reluctantly took the ruby necklace off and handed it to Kara.

  ‘I’m sorry, Kara,’ Tilly apologised. ‘I fell asleep wearing the ruby necklace. I forgot to give it back to you.’

  ‘Never mind,’ said Kara. ‘I’ll put it back in the safe. It suits you, though. One day, when you are older, I’ll give it to you. The ruby necklace has always been handed down from daughter to daughter and, as I don’t have a daughter of my own, I think it should go to you.’

  ‘I’d like that, thank you, Kara.’

  After breakfast, Kara and Tilly jumped in the little convertible and headed out shopping. It was a gorgeous spring day, with the sun shining as hot as summer and the sky as blue as one of Tante’s Beatrice’s sapphire rings.

  Tilly was wearing her old jeans, runners and a stretched T-shirt. It felt strange to be wearing her own clothes again after days of wearing stays, chemises, petticoats and long skirts. Tilly almost felt like she was going out shopping in her pyjamas.

  ‘What would you like to buy?’ asked Kara. ‘Do you have anything in mind?’

  ‘No...’ replied Tilly uncertainly. ‘Maybe something to wear for dinner with Mum and Dad tonight?’

  ‘And maybe something fun and summery for this perfect weather?’ suggested Kara.

  Tilly looked down at her old jeans and laughed. ‘Good idea,’ she agreed.

  First stop was a warehouse outlet with rack upon rack of singlet tops, flirty skirts, sundresses, leggings and T-shirts in a rainbow of hot pinks, turquoise, yellow, orange, black, fuschia and moss-green.

  Tilly was bewildered by the vast array of colours, sizes and styles, tentatively pulling out the odd garment. Kara flipped through the racks with practised ease, gathering an armful of clothes.

  ‘Do you like these with the lace around the hem or without?’ Kara asked, holding up two pairs of leggings.

  ‘Lace,’ decided Tilly.

  ‘Black or pink?’ Kara offered.

  ‘Black, no pink ... maybe black.’

  ‘Okay – to the change room,’ ordered Kara, carrying her armful of offerings.

  Kara laid out a few suggested combinations – hot-pink singlet top with turquoise flippy miniskirt; Moroccan-inspired embroidered dress with black leggings; a Chinese-style tunic; denim shorts under a floaty floral dress; a tight, black T-shirt with sparkly silver ‘Rock Chick’ emblazoned across the chest.

  ‘I don’t have enough money to buy very much,’ replied Tilly, worried by the huge pile of clothes.

  ‘We’re not going to buy everything,’ Kara assured her. ‘We just want to see what suits you and what you love.’

  Tilly smiled and gave in, taking the armful of clothes.

  ‘Now I want a fashion parade,’ instructed Kara, settling herself into a chair outside the change cubicles. The sales assistant came to watch the fun, running to fetch a belt or a hat she thought would complement each ensemble.

  Tilly tried on each outfit, then skipped outside to show Kara the result.

  ‘Twirl around,’ ordered Kara. ‘Walk up and down so I can see you move in it.’

  Tilly had great fun.

  ‘Try this silver belt with that skirt,’ suggested the sales assistant, holding out a wide, sparkling belt.

  Tilly slipped the belt around her slim hips. The purple skirt was stiff with tulle.

  Tilly looked at Kara and raised her eyebrows. Kara looked quizzically and shrugged.

  ‘Do you have one not quite so wide?’ asked Tilly.

  In the end Tilly chose black leggings, the floral floaty dress, hot-pink singlet top and turquoise flippy miniskirt. Kara added the black ‘Rock Chick’ T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts.

  ‘It’s a bargain,’ Kara hissed with glee. ‘They’re half price.’

  The sales assistant folded up the clothes and packed them in a paper bag.

  ‘What about the hat?’ she asked, pushing a chocolate straw trilby across the counter. ‘It’s reduced to fifteen dollars, and it did look gorgeous on your daughter.’

  Kara and Tilly smiled at each other conspiratorially. Tilly tried the hat on again and pouted in the mirror. It was very cute.

  ‘We’ll take it,’ decided Kara with a nod. Tilly’s heart flooded with delight.

  Tilly pulled out her wallet to pay with the money her dad had sent for her birthday months ago. She had saved the money, not having the heart to spend it before now.

  ‘Why don’t you change into one of your new outfits?’ suggested Kara. ‘It’s too hot for jeans today.’

  Tilly chose the floaty dress and leggings. She came out of the change room with a huge smile on her face and the chocolate straw trilby on her head.

  ‘I love the dress, but I’m not sure about the runners!’ joked Tilly, grimacing down at her grubby shoes.

  ‘Next stop – fun and fabulous shoes,’ agreed Kara. ‘Come on, Tilly supermodel.’

  The shoe shop had an array of sandals, sparkly thongs, espadrilles, sandshoes and high heels.

  Something caught Tilly’s eye. Her heart jumped to her mouth.

  On a raised stand was a pair of elegant, rose-pink, satin ballet flats. They were exactly the same colour as the rose satin high heels that Amelie loved.

  Tilly looked at the price and sighed. She didn’t have enough money. Her shoulders slumped and she turned away. Perhaps the thongs were cheaper.

  Kara saw Tilly’s interest spark, then her disappointment. Tilly tried on a pair of canvas espadrilles, then a pair of diamanté-studded thongs, turning her feet this way and that in front of the mirror.

  Kara picked up the satin bal
let flats.

  ‘These are rather lovely, Tilly?’ asked Kara. ‘Would you like to try them on?’

  ‘They’re beautiful,’ agreed Tilly regretfully, stroking the satin with her forefinger. ‘But they’re too expensive. I don’t have enough money left.’

  ‘Do you have these in size seven?’ Kara asked the shop assistant.

  Tilly slipped her feet into the ballet flats. They looked gorgeous. They made her feel like dancing and twirling. Tilly pointed her toe.

  ‘Happy birthday, darling,’ said Kara. ‘They’re perfect.’

  Tilly beamed at Kara and threw her arms around her aunt’s neck.

  ‘Thank you so much, Kara,’ cried Tilly. ‘It’s naughty of you to give me something so expensive, but I do love them.’

  ‘It’s a pleasure, sweetheart,’ Kara replied. ‘I told you I wanted to spoil you. Now, let’s put those disgusting runners in a bag and head to the op shop.’

  Tilly skipped out of the store, carrying her two big shopping bags. As she left, she recognised a girl coming in with her mother. It was Bella, the girl she had fought at fencing last week.

  ‘Hi, Bella,’ said Tilly, smiling in welcome.

  ‘Oh, Tilly,’ replied Bella, looking surprised. ‘I didn’t recognise you. You look great. I love your dress, and the hat.’

  Tilly beamed. ‘This is my aunt, Kara, and she’s taking me on a makeover mission for my birthday,’ explained Tilly. ‘I bought the dress and the hat across the road at the warehouse outlet, and Kara just bought me these shoes. Aren’t they lovely?’

  Bella smiled back. ‘Yes, they’re gorgeous, you lucky thing. I’m jealous. We’re here to buy boring runners for school.’

  Tilly pulled a face in sympathy. ‘Oh well, see you at fencing next week,’ she said, stepping outside.

  ‘Bye,’ replied Bella. ‘Happy birthday.’

  Tilly didn’t correct her.

  The next stop was an op shop full of vintage and ‘pre-loved’ clothes.

  ‘I adore this shop,’ explained Kara. ‘You can find the most amazing things for next to nothing. It’s like a treasure hunt.’

  Once again, Kara showed her nose for sniffing out bargains and treasures.

  She found a moss-green lace evening dress with a wide satin ribbon around the waist for five dollars; a thin, cream crocheted scarf for two dollars; and a long, silver chain with a silver and pearl cross pendant for five.

  ‘The dress is a bit big for you,’ Kara mused. ‘But I can put a tuck in the back here and it will look gorgeous.’

  ***

  When Juliette arrived to pick Tilly up that evening, Tilly flew to answer the door, wearing the moss-green lace evening dress over black leggings with the rose-pink satin ballet flats. She had borrowed a slick of lip gloss from Kara and done her hair half back, half down.

  Tilly hugged her mother, nearly knocking her over in her exuberance.

  ‘How are you, Mum?’ asked Tilly. ‘Are you feeling better? I missed you so much.’

  Juliette looked surprised, then smiled warmly. ‘Yes, amazing what a little holiday can do,’ she replied with a shaky laugh. ‘I think I slept most of the time, and read books and walked on the beach and thought about things. I missed you, too.’

  ‘I thought a lot, too, Mum, and I’m sorry I’ve made you sad – and Dad,’ said Tilly. ‘I’ll try hard not to be so grumpy all the time.’

  Juliette hugged Tilly again, kissing the top of her head.

  ‘I’ll try hard, too, not to be grumpy and sad anymore, darling,’ Juliette added, her voice a little choked.

  Juliette had a long, hard look at her daughter. The angry, rebellious look that Tilly had worn for so many months was gone, her face now flushed with happiness. Juliette smiled and relaxed, the tight knot in her stomach dissolving.

  ‘You look different somehow,’ she mused. ‘I love the new clothes, and the way you’ve done your hair. You look beautiful. But you look like you’ve spent a fortune – I hope Kara didn’t spoil you too much.’

  Tilly glanced back at Kara and grinned.

  ‘Well, she did spoil me! Although, we bought the evening dress at an op shop for five dollars,’ Tilly explained. ‘And I love these shoes. They are so pretty. Kara bought them for me for my birthday.’

  ‘We couldn’t resist them, could we, Tilly?’ added Kara.

  Tilly pointed her toe, did a dainty eighteenth-century curtsey, then twirled like a ballet dancer, showing off the rose-pink satin slippers. The image of Amelie and her rose pink-satin shoes flashed into her mind.

  Juliette and Tilly sat at the kitchen bench while Kara poured tea.

  ‘Kara told me about our French ancestress, Amelie-Mathilde, and showed me the ruby necklace.’

  ‘I remember our grandmother telling us that story when we were little,’ Juliette said, smiling at Kara. ‘It was very romantic. Amelie-Mathilde escaped with the help of a young peasant boy, Henri. They arrived in London with nothing and started a business teaching the English how to speak French. They did very well apparently, and after a few years Amelie and Henri were married. Their daughter was my grandmother’s great-grandmother.’

  Tilly smiled, her eyes prickling with tears. She imagined Amelie and Henri getting married, glad that Amelie hadn’t married some English lord.

  ‘That’s wonderful!’ Tilly said. ‘I’m glad she married for love.’

  Juliette looked wistful. ‘Anyway, we should be going to pick up Tim from your father’s. Dad was so pleased when I rang to say you were coming to see him.’

  ***

  Tilly felt her stomach shrink as they drove up to her father’s new house. She wondered if it was too late to change her mind and tell her mother that she’d rather just go home. She swallowed and thought of all the times she had faced danger in France. Surely meeting Bunny and her family couldn’t be more frightening than facing a pack of murderous French revolutionaries or brigands or Jacques armed with a pistol.

  Tilly noticed Juliette take a deep breath and stiffen her shoulders. Mum is scared, too, thought Tilly.

  Tilly leant over and hugged Juliette to give her courage. Juliette squeezed Tilly’s hand in return and pushed the doorbell.

  There was a thunderous commotion on the other side of the door. The shadows of several bodies flitted behind the glass panes.

  The door was flung open and there stood three boys and a girl, all aged between six and ten. The boys wore pirate outfits, and the girl was dressed in a white nightdress.

  ‘I’m Captain Hook,’ bellowed Tim, pushing back his eye patch with his plastic hook hand. ‘And this is my prisoner, Wendy. This is Smee and this is my first mate, Luka – and this is Nanny.’

  He flung his arm around the large, black labrador at his heels. Tilly felt a twinge of jealousy. Here was her brother, Tim, perfectly at home with Bunny’s children and Bunny’s dog. She pushed the horrid feeling away and smiled at her brother.

  ‘Hiya, Tim. How was the weekend?’

  Tim looked at Tilly in surprise. He wasn’t used to pleasantries from her lately.

  ‘Oh, okay, I guess,’ he said sullenly, pulling off his hook hand and dropping it to the ground.

  Tilly’s heart did a flip. There was her dad, standing silently and unsure behind the band of pirates.

  ‘Hi, Dad,’ Tilly said, her voice shaking a little.

  ‘Hello, my princess Tiger Lily,’ he responded, looking at her with misty eyes. ‘Any chance of a cuddle for your long-lost dad?’

  Tilly threw herself into her dad’s arms. The anger was gone. Only the hurt lingered.

  ‘I really missed you, Tiger Lily,’ whispered her dad, squeezing her tightly and kissing the top of her head.

  ‘I really missed you, too,’ Tilly whispered back into her dad’s shoulder.

  Tilly became aware of two shadowy figures – one standing behind her dad and another behind her. One was Juliette, her mother, and the other was Bunny.

  Her dad coughed anxiously. ‘Tilly, I’d like you to meet Bernadette,
and these are her three children – Luka, Sam and Molly.’

  Tilly swallowed and smiled nervously. ‘Hello,’ she squeaked.

  ‘Hello, Tilly,’ replied Bernadette, taking Tilly’s hand. ‘I’ve heard so much about you from Richard. You are just as pretty as he told me.’

  ‘Tilly looks particularly beautiful tonight,’ added Juliette in a brittle tone.

  Tilly smiled at her mum. ‘I bought the dress with the money you sent me for my birthday, Dad,’ she confessed. ‘I went shopping today with Kara and bought lots of lovely clothes.’

  ‘I’m glad,’ he replied. ‘Well, perhaps we should head out for dinner, for our family reunion.’

  Juliette took a deep breath. ‘Come on, Tim, do you have your bag ready?’

  Tim sighed and reached for his bag, packed ready by the front door. Tilly suspected he was sad to be leaving the house filled with fun kids to play with. I guess our house hasn’t been much fun lately, Tilly acknowledged to herself.

  Richard embraced Bernadette awkwardly in front of his ex-wife and daughter.

  ‘I won’t be late,’ he assured her. ‘Goodnight, Luka, Sam, Molly. Sleep well.’

  Tilly felt a wave of anger and grief wash over her, and she consciously pushed it away.

  ‘Where are we going for dinner, Dad?’ Tilly asked brightly.

  ‘There’s a little Vietnamese place around the corner,’ he replied. ‘I remembered you and Tim used to like Vietnamese.’

  ‘Fantastique,’ replied Tilly, grabbing her mum’s arm and pulling her along. ‘I’m starving.’

  ***

  The following Friday Tilly raced home from school, her heart singing. It had been a good week.

  She could hear voices from the kitchen. Kara and Juliette were sitting at the bench drinking tea and chatting. Tim was sitting on the floor, playing with his pirate ship.

  ‘Hello, darling,’ welcomed Juliette. ‘Did you have a good day?’

  Tilly dumped her bag on the floor and gave her mother and aunt a hug.