by Lyn Gardner
“But if it was you out there, you’d never give up either, would you, Liv?” said Tom, seriously.
“Probably not,” conceded Olivia.
Tom laughed. “Like father, like daughter,” he said.
Olivia turned to Pablo. “So your friend, the one who knows about Viktor falling off the wire, is he a kind of spy?”
“Not really, he’s just doing me a favour and reporting back on how Viktor is faring, seeing if he can pick up any gossip from the journalists or the team.” He saw Olivia’s face. “No dirty tricks, I promise. You know that’s not our style. But knowing what is going on in the other camp can give you a psychological advantage in an endurance stunt like this. Success or failure is so much in the mind.”
“But if you’re checking out his camp,” said Tom slowly, “then it probably means that people are checking out ours.”
Pablo nodded. “What do they say? All’s fair in love and war. Well, this is a kind of war. There can only be one Viktor. That’s why you need to be careful what you say. Only talk about how Jack’s getting along and his state of health to the people you really trust.”
Chapter Seventeen
Olivia, Tom and the others stared in shock at the double-page spread in the Comet, a tabloid newspaper, that lay open on the table in front of them. In the centre were two large pictures of Jack. In one, he looked happy and smiling and boyish, and in the other he looked haggard, ill and ancient. Olivia could tell from the angle that it had been snatched by the unknown photographer as Jack had stumbled off the wire when she and Tom had been down at the bridge.
Across the top of the pages was a big headline in bold black letters that read: High-Wire Walker Hits Rock Bottom. The story went on to say that the world-renowned Jack Marvell was feeling the pressure in his head-to-head with ace stuntman Viktor and that the stress was making him ill. It looked likely that he would concede defeat to the Russian within the next few days.
Tom read out the rest of the story: “‘Sources close to the Marvell camp say that the Great Marvello has been suffering from bronchitis and, combined with the appalling weather conditions on the wire over the last few days, this has brought the daredevil to his knees. ‘He’s a finished man,’ said the source. ‘It’s only a matter of time.’ Pablo Catalano, a spokesman for Marvell, was tight-lipped but confirmed that the high-wire walker had been suffering from a bad cold, but he insisted that there were no plans to cut short the world-record attempt. ‘Jack Marvell is in it for the duration.’”
Tom took a deep breath and continued: “‘He would say that,’ said Viktor, during one of his ten-minute comfort breaks. ‘We’ve heard that the marvellous Marvell is close to breaking point. I’ve never felt better in my life. I could probably manage sixty days on the high wire.’”
There was a short silence when Tom finished. Eel took a great gulp of air and looked as if she was struggling not to cry, while Tom looked anxiously at Olivia as she gnawed the knuckle on her right hand.
“But it’s all rubbish!” said Aeysha. “Everyone will know that it is, and even if they don’t, as long as Jack doesn’t see the newspaper report, it doesn’t really matter. The only damage it can do is psychological, if he’s feeling a bit down and ill. But if he doesn’t see it, it doesn’t really matter what the newspapers are saying, does it? And Pablo is smart enough to make sure he doesn’t know anything about it.”
“Aeysha’s right,” said Georgia brightly. “He need never know.”
But when they all trooped down to the river a little later, there were masses of TV crews down on the banks and a crowd had gathered. Some were shouting their support but there was a gaggle on the bridge yelling, “Give up! Give up! It’s all over, Marvell!” Olivia wondered if they had been paid to be there.
The Swans stood on the bank, looking horrified. Just when it didn’t seem as if things could get worse, they did. A light aircraft with Viktor’s sponsor’s name on it started circling above where Jack was perched in the drizzle. Behind it flowed a banner on which was written: “Jack Marvell staring defeat in the face!” Olivia saw her dad stare up at the sky for a long time, then drop his head.
Pablo had come to join them. “This,” he said, through gritted teeth, “is all-out psychological warfare.”
“I could kill the rat who’s been leaking stuff to the papers,” said Olivia fiercely, “they deserve a long, slow, lingering death.” Eel burst into tears.
Olivia looked at her little sister in surprise. She wasn’t normally so sensitive. “It’s all right, Eel, I’m not really going to kill anyone! Yet…”
Chapter Eighteen
Alex and Eel were alone in one of the music rooms.
Eel’s face was red with anger. “It had to have been you, Alex Parks!” she cried. “You are the only other person who knew that Jack was ill. None of the others would dream of giving away any information about Jack’s stunt. They’re too loyal to do something so nasty. I would never have told you if I’d realised that you were going to use the information in such a terrible way. I only mentioned it because you seemed so interested in Jack’s stunt and so admiring of what he’s doing. I thought you were on his side. I thought you could be trusted.”
Alex smiled at her patronisingly. “You’re jumping to conclusions, Eel,” he said. “Of course it wasn’t me. Who would I tell, anyway? I don’t have any interest in who wins some silly high-wire competition. It could have been anyone. If you knew, lots of people must have known.”
Eel considered this. Perhaps he was right? She’d been eaten up with guilt since the piece about Jack had been published, convinced that it was her babbling to Alex that had done the damage. He had seemed so genuinely interested in what Jack was doing. But it was true, lots of people talked carelessly, and maybe she was being unfair in accusing him like this.
“OK,” she conceded. “Maybe I was wrong. I’m just so worried about my dad. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” said Alex, with a smirk. “It could have been one of his team, or one of Livy’s friends. They’re always in the café across the road, gossiping and talking about each other. Georgia’s got a big mouth. She probably let something slip and it was overheard by a journalist or something.”
“Don’t talk about Georgia like that!” said Eel, hotly. “Everyone loves Georgia, and she really likes you.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Georgia! I’m out of her league, and anyway I’ll talk how I like. You still owe me, Eel Marvell.”
There was an edge to Alex’s voice that Eel didn’t like. She wished that she’d never got Alex involved in her secret scheme to audition at the Imperial. She’d been taken in by his lazy smile and open admiration for Olivia. But now it felt as if he had some kind of hold over her. Still, she wasn’t going to let him see that she was rattled.
“Look, Alex,” she said as sweetly as she could. “I did what I promised I would. I tried to put in a good word for you with Livy, but it was a complete waste of time. She so clearly wasn’t interested in you.”
Eel didn’t say it out loud but inside she was thinking what a good thing it was, too. Alex clearly wasn’t half as nice as he made out. Or maybe his pride was just so dented by Olivia’s disdain that he’d become some kind of monster.
Livy had briefly confided in Eel what had happened between her and Alex and sworn Eel to secrecy.
“I tried to let him down gently, Eel,” she’d said. “But I think I made a terrible hash of it. I can still feel him looking at me, but his gaze is cold and hostile. I wish he’d stop coming to high-wire but it’s like he’s trying to prove something. I was loving Dream rehearsals but now they feel spoiled. I wish Tom was playing Demetrius and wasn’t just the understudy.”
Eel had tried to soothe her sister, but she could see why a boy like Alex might find it hard to be turned down by a girl he was keen on. In fact, she had the evidence in front of her eyes. The Alex in front of her now didn’t seem anything like the Alex who’d been so eager to help her try out for the Imperial.
“Of course, I could let your gran know what you’ve been up to?” said Alex softly.
Eel’s stomach did a somersault, but she wasn’t going to let Alex see how worried she was.
“You could,” she said, trying to sound completely unfazed, “but of course if you did, you’d be in as much trouble as me.”
Alex shot her a look of fury and spun on his heel. At the door, he turned back and snarled: “You stuck-up Marvell sisters deserve everything you get!”
Eel waited until she was certain that he was too far away to hear and then she burst into noisy sobs. She wished she could turn back the clock to before she’d even thought of applying for the Imperial, before she’d got involved with Alex and before she’d got herself into this terrible mess.
Suddenly, Aeysha popped her head round the door.
“Eel,” she said, both surprised and concerned to find her crying. Eel was normally such a cheerful little soul. She put her arms around the younger girl. “Is it anything I can help with?” she asked gently.
Eel looked up at Aeysha, her face wet with tears. “Aeysha, have you ever done anything you really regret?”
“Loads of times,” said Aeysha. “There was the time I told my brother that I hated him and so did all my brothers and sisters, and he went out on his bicycle and fell off and gashed his forehead, and for days after I was consumed by guilt because I was convinced that I had caused the accident, when in fact there was something wrong with the peddle on his bike and it would have happened anyway. But it didn’t make me feel any less bad. I knew that I should never have said what I did. He’s still got the scar on his forehead and I still feel a little twinge of guilt every time I see it. But my brother just laughed. He loves me, so he could forgive me.”
“That’s quite bad,” said Eel. “But I think I’ve been badder, and it’s got really complicated.”
“Well,” said Aeysha, “the best thing would be to come clean. Most things can be put right if you talk about them. Keeping secrets makes things fester. Do you want to tell me about it?”
“I’ll think about it,” said Eel, wiping her tears.
“Well, anytime,” said Aeysha.
Eel sighed. “At least Livy told Alex Parks where to get off,” she said.
“I guessed as much,” said Aeysha.
Eel clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, didn’t she tell you?”
Aeysha smiled. “You know Livy, she’s like an oyster.”
“I’m pleased she did,” said Eel, as the bell rang for afternoon lessons. “I don’t think he’s a very nice person at all.”
Chapter Nineteen
Alicia and India Taylor were in Alicia’s office, drinking tea.
“Something’s wrong,” said Alicia. “She’s stopped taking extra classes in jazz and tap, and when she is there, Mrs Merman says that her work has tailed right off.”
“The same in ballet,” said India. “It’s so odd, at the beginning of the term Eel was making extraordinary progress. And I do mean extraordinary. You could actually see improvements from lesson to lesson. It was as if she was inspired. But now she seems listless and distracted. You don’t think she’s worried about her dad, do you?”
“Well, both of them do worry about him, of course. We all do. It can’t be easy having Jack as your father. He’s away such a lot, what he does is dangerous and his successes and failures are so very public. This latest stunt is particularly gruelling, and it’s worse for the girls because it’s being so closely documented by the press. I know it’s stressful for him, but I’m not sure he ever considered how stressful it would be for those of us watching him. I can’t wait for it to be over.”
India smiled to herself. Alicia’s relationship with her son-in-law was often difficult but she had clearly developed a strong affection for him in the year or so since he had turned up destitute at the Swan with Olivia and Eel in tow.
“But I think it’s something more than Jack that is worrying her,” said Alicia.
“I do wonder whether we should have put her forward to audition for the Imperial,” said India.
“I’ve wondered that, too. Jack and I talked about it and we decided against, but of course he was strongly guided by me. Now I feel that perhaps it was a mistake. Maybe it would have answered some of the questions she was asking about her own talent.”
“Have you tried talking to her?”
“Tried and failed,” said Alicia. ‘She’s not called Eel for nothing. She can be a slippery little thing.”
“You could perhaps speak to the Imperial. You know Anna Popova personally, don’t you?”
“But the deadline for applying is long gone and I’m sure the auditions will be over,” said Alicia.
“Probably, but Anna might be prepared just to look at her. As a favour to you.”
“I would feel compromised even asking,” said Alicia.
“I understand,” said India. “And it’s your call. But…” She paused.
“But what?” asked Alicia.
“It would be terrible to see Eel’s talent wither and die.”
After India had gone, Alicia stared out of the window for a long time, her colleague’s words running through her mind.
Georgia put away her music and closed the piano lid. She had done quite enough practice for one day and she still had several weeks before her piano exam. She looked at the clock on her phone. If she hurried, she would have time to spend a few minutes with Katie and the others before afternoon school began. Katie was going to Yorkshire tomorrow to film her TV series and she wanted to make sure she said goodbye.
Georgia had just put her music into her bag when the door opened and Alex walked in. Georgia was so flustered that she dropped her bag and everything spilled out of it. She turned bright red as a smelly pair of socks she used for jazz class, a half-eaten apple, her hairbrush covered in blonde hairs, four bottles of nail varnish and two biros with badly-chewed ends dropped at his feet. But Alex didn’t seem to mind. He bent down to help her retrieve the items and gave her a devastating smile as he handed her the biros and their hands brushed. Georgia smiled nervously back and her insides felt as if they had melted.
“I’m glad I found you, Georgie,” said Alex. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you alone for ages.”
Georgia blinked and tried to look cool. Olivia hadn’t said anything, but Georgia was certain that something had happened between her and Alex. There was an atmosphere between them in high-wire lessons and the Dream rehearsals were full of tension. She’d heard a rumour flying around the school that Olivia had asked Alex out and he had laughed in her face, but when she had found a way to casually mention this to Aeysha, in the hope she could fill her in on the details, her friend had looked at her as if she was mad and said: “You can believe what you like, Georgia, but I’d put money on it that the source of that rumour is Alex Parks himself.”
Then she had added more gently: “Forget him, Georgia. He’s almost certainly trouble. Set your sights on someone nice. Like Connor. He’s been mad about you ever since you played Cinderella.”
Georgia had bristled and snapped, “When I want romantic advice, I’ll ask for it Aeysha, thank you,” and things had been a bit tense between them for a couple of days. But Aeysha’s unfailing good nature made it hard to be angry with her for long, and Georgia had soon thawed.
Georgia had noticed that Alex stared at Olivia as much as ever but he no longer had that puppy dog look in his eyes that she found so appealing. It was more as if he was appraising Olivia for some other purpose. She tried to remember Aeysha’s warning words, but Alex’s close proximity made her forget everything except that he was undoubtedly the most beautiful boy she had ever seen.
“Georgia,” he said softly, and his voice was like syrup falling off a spoon. “I really like you, Georgia.” He paused.
Georgia didn’t know what to say, and was horrified to hear her own voice squeaking like Minnie Mouse: “Really?”
“Yes, really,” said Alex gently.
“I want to ask you out.” He looked very shy, as if she would be doing him a great honour.
“Me?” breathed Georgia. “You want to go out with me? Just you and me? On our own? Just us?” Georgia realised she was babbling.
“Yes, just you and me. Together,” said Alex. He grinned. “I’ll even pay.”
Georgia felt confused. She had dreamed of this moment and wanted to think that she was the chosen one after all, but she wasn’t a fool. She had witnessed too many of Alex’s lingering looks at Olivia and his complete indifference to her in the past. She needed to ask him about Olivia, but hardly dared.
“And … Livy?” she stuttered.
Alex gave an amused grin. “Ancient history.” He took a step nearer. “I’ve been a fool, Georgie, but I’ve had my eyes opened. You’ve been there all along, right under my nose, and I was so stupid that I didn’t notice before. But now I have. You’re the one.”
Georgia felt as if all her bones had magically been transformed into feathers.
“So will you come out with me, Georgie?”
Georgia realised that Alex was still holding her smelly socks. She turned crimson with embarrassment, grabbed them out of his hand and blurted: “Yes, please.”
Alex flashed his irresistible smile. “Good.” He ambled towards the door, where he stopped and turned. “For the time being, let’s just keep this between you and me, shall we? We don’t want to be fodder for the gossips, do we?”
Georgia nodded. “I’d hate that.”
“Me too,” smiled Alex, and then he was gone. Georgia stood for a moment, staring after him, and then she slid down the wall with shock and excitement, absentmindedly stuffing her dirty socks into her mouth. It was a second or two before she realised what she had done and spat them out again.
Chapter Twenty
There was a big crowd down at the river. It was a blustery day with a chill in the air, but the winter sun was trying to peep out from behind the clouds. The electronic board announced that it was day fourteen of the river challenge. Both men were almost halfway through. Olivia, Eel and the others were watching Jack on the wire. He was walking up and down it on his hands. The crowd roared their approval. He flipped back on to his feet and doffed his cap to the audience. Then he took five balls out of his coat pocket and began to juggle with them. The crowd clapped wildly.