Diamond Read online

  ‘I hope they do look at her instead of me,’ said Julip. He had nearly slipped again that night, and Beppo had hit him savagely afterwards.

  I lay trembling in my hammock, wondering if Mister would beat me too.

  The next morning Beppo left the three boys training in the ring and took me to see Madame Adeline. She was still in her rose-patterned wrapper, brushing Midnight until his skin shone glossy black.

  ‘Can you give us a helping hand, Addie? I’m putting the little fairy here into the ring today. She can wear Tag’s old silver leotard, but I’d like to pretty it up a bit – make her look like a real little fairy. You don’t have any frills you can lend her, do you? And maybe a ribbon for her hair.’ Mister ran his hand through my bedraggled curls. ‘It’s not as fluffy as it was,’ he said, pulling my hair.

  ‘It looks as if she could do with a good wash,’ said Madame Adeline. ‘Leave her with me, Beppo.’

  I hadn’t washed since the day Beppo snatched me from the market. The boys never bothered much, just ducked under the communal tap and then shook themselves dry like dogs. But Madame Adeline filled a big bucketful, then heated it up over her fire and poured some of the hot water into a big shallow tin tray.

  ‘There now, paddle your feet,’ she said, swiftly undressing me. ‘Let’s give you a good soaping.’

  Mary-Martha always used carbolic on me, but Madame Adeline had wonderful verbena soap. I loved the smell so much, I didn’t even mind when it made my eyes sting. She rubbed another fragrant potion on my head, piling my hair up and rubbing with her fingertips until I was all over froth.

  ‘This stuff is beautiful!’ I said rapturously.

  ‘It’s my very special Ladies’ Rainbow Shampoo, dearie. Look!’ Madame Adeline rubbed the foam between her thumb and forefinger, and then opened them slowly so that a web formed. She blew gently.

  ‘Oh, rainbow bubbles!’ I said.

  ‘You do one now . . .’ She let me play, entranced, for a full five minutes.

  ‘You’ll have to ask Beppo for one of his old pipes. You’ll be able to blow enormous bubbles,’ she said. ‘Come now, you’re starting to shiver. Let me sluice all the soap off you.’

  ‘I wouldn’t dare ask Mister for anything. He’s far too fierce,’ I said.

  ‘Oh dear. He seems very taken with you, so I’d hoped he’d be kind, especially as you’re so young. He hasn’t hit you, has he?’

  ‘No, but he hits the boys lots, especially Julip.’

  ‘Poor Julip. He’s struggling. He’s skilled enough – Beppo is a good trainer, but Julip’s heart isn’t in it. It’s a very hard life for a young man. It’s a hard life for all of us.’ She shook her head forlornly, suddenly looking like an old, old lady. She hadn’t put on her face paint yet, and she had somehow tucked all her beautiful long red hair into a strange velvet turban.

  ‘Are you sad, Madame Adeline?’ I asked.

  She made her mouth turn up into a big smile. ‘No, I’m very happy, because I have a dear little new friend to keep me company,’ she said. ‘Is that all the soap gone? There’s a few suds left in your hair. Let me give you one more rinse. Close your eyes!’

  ‘They’re tight shut,’ I said. ‘Madame Adeline – do you mean . . . me? Am I your new friend?’

  ‘Of course I mean you, Diamond,’ she said, wrapping a big soft towel around me, and then pulling me closer and hugging me.

  ‘Oh, I love to be hugged!’ I said. ‘Sometimes Ma would hold me on her lap and it was the best feeling in the world.’

  ‘How your mother must have loved you, dearie,’ said Madame Adeline.

  ‘I don’t think she did – not very much, anyway,’ I said. ‘She loved the boys more than me – and Mary-Martha was the useful one. I was just a nuisance. I used to be Pa’s favourite, but then, after Ma died, he started to hate me.’

  ‘Oh, what a sad story! Well, listen to me, Diamond. If you’d been my little girl, I might have loved your brothers and your sister, but I’m certain you would have been my favourite. Now, are you dry, dear one? We’ll find you some new clothes to wear in the ring, and I’ll give your old clothes a good scrub too.’

  She sat me on the velvet chair in her wagon, popped a violet chocolate in my mouth and told me to towel my hair while she did a little sewing. I was astonished to see that her own hair wasn’t under her turban at all. It was hanging on a stand on her dressing table, the long flaming locks reaching down almost to the floor.

  Madame Adeline saw me staring and raised her eyebrows ruefully. ‘I’m not quite the natural beauty people think any more,’ she said.

  ‘I think you’re naturally beautiful with your hair or without it,’ I said stoutly.

  ‘Bless you, child! I shall store your words up in my head and treasure them. I don’t get many compliments nowadays.’

  ‘Don’t you have any gentlemen come calling, Madame Adeline?’

  ‘No, dear, not any more, but I don’t mind that in the slightest. I’ve seen enough gentlemen to last me a lifetime.’ As she spoke, she rummaged through the lowest dressing-table drawer, bringing out a tangle of bright ribbons and embroidered scarves and lacy undergarments. ‘Now then, shall we see if we can turn you into a real fairy?’ she said.

  She snipped the lace off a torn chemise and started sewing it around the neck of Tag’s leotard. She bunched some sparkly net around my waist, fashioning a little skirt. Then she found some wire, bent it into a strange shape, and set me wrapping it round and round with silver satin ribbon.

  ‘What is the wire for?’ I asked.

  ‘What do all fairies have?’ said Madame Adeline.

  ‘Wings!’

  ‘Exactly. I have some white muslin. We will stretch it over the wire – and you can have a little fairy wand too, with a silver star on the end.’

  We worked peacefully together making my costume. Then Madame Adeline had me sit in front of her while she brushed my damp hair. I wriggled delightedly at each firm stroke of the brush, trying to count along with her, but getting muddled after a while. I knew how to count up my pennies, but I’d never needed to know large amounts. Madame Adeline asked me to toss my hair forward over my eyes so she could sort out all the tangles. I wasn’t used to my hair being so soft and silky. Sunlight poured in through the open wagon door and made little coloured lights gleam in it. It truly was rainbow shampoo.

  Madame Adeline wound my front curls round her fingers until they sprang into place, framing my face, and then she opened a beautiful carved jewellery box and brought out . . .

  ‘A crown!’ I gasped, staring at the wonderful sparkling gems. ‘A diamond crown!’

  ‘No, dear, a tiara – and these stones are only glass. But it looks pretty in the ring and the diamonds catch the light. Perfect for little Diamond, the Acrobatic Child Wonder!’

  ‘You truly don’t mind my wearing your beautiful tiara?’

  ‘You will look a picture and do us all proud,’ said Madame Adeline. ‘Come, let us put on your costume.’

  I stepped into the sparkly leotard, now with gauzy little wings flapping at the back.

  ‘Turn around, little fairy. Act as if you’re in the spotlight,’ she told me.

  I pivoted around on one foot, pointing the other, my arms raised.

  Madame Adeline laughed and clapped me enthusiastically. ‘Bravo! Oh, wait till Beppo sees you. He will be delighted,’ she said. ‘Let us show you off to him.’

  I hung back. ‘I don’t want to. I don’t like him. I’d much sooner be with you. Oh, Madame Adeline, can’t I be your little wonder?’

  ‘I would like that very much, my dear – but Beppo wouldn’t. I’m afraid he is your master now, whether you like it or not. It’s the first rule of the circus. You must never steal another artiste’s act.’

  She took me by the hand and led me to the big top, where Beppo and Chino were working on a new clowning routine with a big penny-farthing bicycle.

  ‘Look at your little protégée now, Beppo,’ said Madame Adeline, giving me a gen