Cards & Caravans (12 page)

Don’t
worry
,
Linnie
.
I’ve
better
manners
than
that
,
even
dead
.
I’m
not
about
much
anymore
.
You’ve
a
new
husband
to
look
out
for
you
now
.
I
like
him
,
lass
.
He’s
a
good
man
and
a
better
match
for
you
than
I
ever
was
.

His presence vanished. Connor shifted, tucking her closer. “Did you say something, Belle?”

“Not a thing. Go to sleep. We’ve a busy day tomorrow.”

A minute later he was breathing deeply as a child in slumber. Belinda lay there awake for the longest time, trying to sort out this odd life she’d found herself in over the last two weeks. If she wrote it in a story, no one would believe it. With that, she drifted off into a troubled sleep.

Chapter Nine

The morning of the circus opening was hectic, but Connor couldn’t help a sense of exhilaration. A crowd of people crowded around the fence watched anxiously as Nicky Smith, the owner’s nephew and mechanical army survivor, stoked the calliope, and performers scurried back and forth getting ready. The scents of animals and roasting peanuts filled the air.

Connor, in his role as assistant ringmaster, was meant to patrol the grounds, nominally overseeing all the workers, but mostly watching the crowd for their adversaries. Today’s goal was to establish that the magick in the circus as real and make sure it was impressive enough that word would spread. He’d spoke to Merrick and Fergus about the Builders’ Guild and the Architecture and Arts Association the night before, and Merrick would look into those today while the circus was busy here.

About half an hour before the gates opened, Connor ducked into the fortune-teller’s tent to make sure Belinda was ready to go. Rowan’s tail thumped as Connor walked in and the dog stuck his big head up for Connor’s scratch. Connor rubbed a wiry ear, but he only had eyes for Belinda. He’d grown used to her simple gypsy clothing of bright skirts and a peasant blouse during the last few days, but today she’d added to it, with brassy bangles on both wrists, big hoops in her ears and a red scarf covering the top of her head, while her dark curls spilled out from underneath. Even in layers of mismatched styles and colors, she still looked good enough to eat as she smiled up at him, her grandmother’s tarot cards in her hands.

“All set?” Willow and Rowan, sprawled on either side of her, shifted to make room for Connor.

Belinda nodded. “I remember my lessons on how to fake a reading in the crystal ball, and I’ve memorized what the various lines on a palm are supposed to mean. I practiced this week on most of our co-conspirators, so I think I’m ready.”

He slid into the chair opposite hers. “Show me.”

Belinda lifted an eyebrow. “You want me to read
your
fortune?”

“Exactly.” He winked.

“Very well, most honored sir.” She slipped into the persona he’d seen her practicing all week. “Would milord prefer the cards, to have his palm read or to plumb the mysteries of the crystal ball?”

“Oh, the crystal ball, by all means.” He settled into his seat, enjoying the show.

Her dark eyes twinkled up at him. “For the spirits to come, you must honor them with silver. Five shillings, if you please.” She held out her palm.

Connor handed her a five-shilling coin.

“You are most gracious, sir, as well as handsome.” Belinda laid both hands on the large quartz globe on a silver-plated stand in front of her and peered into it. “Think of a question, concentrate on the answers you wish the spirits to provide.”

“Very well.” He grinned back. “I have my question.”

He could feel her gaze dart to him when she wasn’t looking into the ball. “I see an image beginning to form,” she said. “A man? No, ’tis a woman. Her hair is dark, ah yes, but it isn’t your wife, no...she’s younger. A sister, perhaps? I see. Her eyes are just like yours—no, not in color, but the expression, the intelligence and humor, those are the same, are they not?”

“Give over,” Connor said, impressed by her acumen. “How did you know I was thinking of Melody?”

“You gave yourself away with a slight negative expression when I said man, so it was a woman. When I said younger, you nodded just slightly, the same with dark hair and not your wife, though you have a wedding ring to tell me you’re married. I have mirror set just outside my tent so I can see the people waiting and who they interact with. That helps. After that, I guess, and use their physical cues to narrow down the possibilities of whom they’re thinking about and what they want to know.”

“Well done.” He leaned over the table and gave her a smacking kiss. “Now what question was I trying to ask about my little sister?”

“Normally I’d talk about a loving handsome husband and gauge your reactions to see if that was a present or future man. Given what I know about your family, I’m not sure that
is
what she wants. I’d start with seeing her as an old, old woman, laughing and happy, surrounded by loved ones. Again, based on your reactions, I’d refine from there.”

“Well done. I do hope she’ll find a good man, someday, one who can handle a wife who’s probably smarter than him. There’s no hurry about that. What I really want to know is whether she’s ever going demand the five quid I owe her since I married first.”

Belinda laughed, meaning he’d achieved his goal. She wasn’t nervous, and she would amaze her customers. “Get out of here, you fool. Go watch the crowd for guild members.”

“Or the association.” He paused in the entrance. “We can’t completely rule them out either, you know.”

“I know. I’ll be careful, I promise. You do the same.”

Connor nodded and made his way to the gate to keep an eye on the crowd as they purchased tickets and streamed inside.

* * *

“I’d like my cards read, please.”

Belinda looked up at Nell Hadrian, who had just entered the tent. Since Nell didn’t sing until later, she was still dressed in a simple skirt and shirtwaist rather than her sequined show costume. Her straight black hair hung in a long thick braid down her back.

Nell grinned at Belinda’s confused expression. “I noticed there wasn’t a line, and thought if it looked like you were busy, others might follow. Besides, I’ve been meaning to ask you for a reading. You said the tarot was your real gift.”

“Then by all means, have a seat.” Belinda picked up the cards and began to shuffle. “Have you a question in mind?”

“I do.” Something bittersweet passed behind Nell’s dark gaze, but she maintained her smile.

“Cut the deck and lay three cards out in front of you.” Of all the people she’d met in the last week, Nell, with her quiet wit and gentle heart, was one of Belinda’s favorites. “We’ll do a longer reading another time.” The three-card spread was a quick and easy reading, what Belinda planned to do with customers, unless they paid extra for a longer session.

“Of course.” Nell did as she’d been instructed, her small hands nimble and quick. “Now what?”

“This first one represents the past as related to your question.” Belinda turned it over to find the Queen of Swords. “Oh my. That’s somewhat unusual for a young, unmarried woman. This suggests a great deal of sorrow and loss. Whatever your question, it relates to something that has made you grieve deeply.”

“Accurate.” Nell’s neutral expression didn’t change. “As you can imagine, I’d rather you not say anything to any of the others about this.”

“Of course not. I can keep a confidence,” Belinda said.

A hint of a smile flitted across Nell’s lips. “I know you can. Go on, please.”

“Very well. Turn over the second card.”

Nell did, revealing the Lovers, reversed. She bit her lower lip. “Well, then. I suspect I can guess what that means.”

Belinda winced. “You’re in love with someone who doesn’t love you? Or someone who for one reason or another cannot be with you.”

“So it would seem,” Nell said. “I can’t deny it. Now shall we see what my future holds?” At Belinda’s nod, Nell flipped the last card.

“Oh dear.” Belinda looked over at her young friend. “The Fool. This is a warning, Nell. The fool can go either way, to heaven or hell. He doesn’t take the time to be certain of his path. Whatever you do, dear one, please be careful. No hasty decisions, all right?”

“I promise not to be rash.” The sadness that haunted her expression had deepened. “I’ll heed your warning, Belinda. Thank you.” She leaned over the table to kiss Belinda’s cheek before she left. “You have a line, now. Have a wonderful day.”

From there on, Belinda had a crowd. She barely drew another breath until the end of the day, when she closed her booth and went looking for Connor.

* * *

After several hours of watching visitors, Connor sighed in frustration. He hadn’t detected a single problem customer in the lot. Almost all the crowd had gone in to the tilt, or big-top tent, for the show. Nell sang and Connor couldn’t help but pause in one of the entries and watch. She was magnificent, as always, but he’d never seen her like this, in a short skirt with spangles and a plunging bodice. Given her retiring and modest nature, the poor thing was probably miserable. Tom had to be going crazy seeing his adopted sister like this.

“She’s amazing, isn’t she?” Wink said from just over her shoulder. “You’d never know she hates having an audience, even though she holds them in the palm of her hand when she sings.”

“I feel badly about forcing her to do this, but God, your sister has a voice that borders on magickal.” Connor sometimes thought Nell’s voice was magickal—or at least had the potential to be so if she wished.

“No one forced her to do anything. She’s happy to help, really.” Wink settled her hand on George’s metal head. “She doesn’t like the clothes, but she loves being able to contribute to the investigation.”

“Whereas you’re probably enjoying yourself in that outfit.” Connor smiled at Wink’s short, sparkly dress. He was a man, not a eunuch, so of course he enjoyed the view, but it was just that—a view, not something he considered his. A few months ago, he’d have been furious to see her expose herself to other men. Now—now she was merely a partner in crime, much like Tom or Liam. He took a moment to study her face. “You are having fun, aren’t you? Working with the Order, with Liam, it makes you shine. It’s good to know you’re happy.” It was. And for the first time, the notion didn’t hurt down in his gut.

“I am.” She grinned. “Both with the investigation and my marriage. Thank you for asking. And now that you have Belinda, I don’t even have to feel guilty about it.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “Don’t feel guilty for marrying the man you love. I’m happy for you. Really.”

“I like Belinda, by the way.” Wink punched his shoulder. “She’s good for you. Don’t mess this up.”

“I’ll do my best. I like her too.” He meant it. Wink and his unrequited love for her was his past. His future was with Belle. “I understand now that you and Liam were meant to be, in a way that you and I never could have been. Friends?”

She shook the hand he held out. “Always.” Then she kissed him on the cheek and shoved past him into the tent.

* * *

Belinda slunk back to the caravan, relieved as hell that neither Connor nor Wink had seen her listening to the last part of their conversation.

Connor was in love with Wink. She’s suspected as much, but now she knew for certain. No wonder he’d hesitated when speaking her name the night before. No wonder he hadn’t cared whom he married. He liked Belinda, and that had been enough.

Her chest hurt and her eyes watered. She groped her way into the caravan and sank into a bench next to the tiny table that jutted out from a wall of the sleeping compartment. Connor and Wink. Now she understood his promise not to take a mistress. Since the woman he loved was married to, and head over heels for, another man, of course it didn’t matter who he was with. Belinda was as good a substitute as anyone else, she supposed.

Willow sat down next to Belinda and whined, licking Belinda’s face when she turned to hug the giant dog. Lucifer jumped down from his perch atop the clothes cupboard to the back of Belinda’s seat and rubbed against her shoulder. Belinda welcomed the comfort of her two friends and sent a thought winging to Micah. This would be an excellent time for him to appear with his words of wisdom. But there was no voice in her head except her own. She let the tears fall into Willow’s wiry fur for a few minutes, then gathered herself together and set about making a cup of tea. Connor kept their small cook stove hot all day, so it was just a matter of putting water on to boil.

While she waited for the water to heat, she emptied her pockets. Her pistol went into a drawer while she set her cards on the table. It had been weeks, maybe even months since she’d done a reading for herself. A few minutes later she set the teapot on the table, sat down again and shuffled her cards. She kept her question open-ended, asking merely what the universe thought she ought to know. Rather than an elaborate spread, she dealt out only three cards.

“Past,” she murmured, turning the first card, which showed a man and a woman, bodies entwined. “The Lovers. Of course.” That made sense given that Connor was the first man she’d slept with in years. “Now for the present.” She turned the second card to reveal the Empress—a card Belinda had never in her life drawn in a reading for herself.

She swallowed hard, blinking at the worn image on the card, that of a lovely woman, a gold crown on her long, flowing hair. More importantly, she was shown heavily pregnant. “Oh. Oh my goodness.” She dropped her hand to her abdomen. Was it possible? Well, of course it was possible, but was it true? The cards often had meanings that went far deeper than their images suggested. The card could simply reflect Belinda starting a new phase of her life, which was indubitably the case.

Belinda held her breath as she turned over the final card.

Death
.

Fear swamped her as she stared into the face of the grim reaper. She could swear his faded ink eyes looked into hers and he laughed. The room swayed ominously, so she roughly pushed the cards into a heap and put her head down on the wooden table, fighting to drag in a breath. Oh, heavens, she didn’t know which card frightened her more.

An hour earlier she would have run out to find Connor and tell him about the cards, but after overhearing him with Wink, she wasn’t sure that was such a good idea. Belinda still had to come to grips with the idea of him loving another woman. Not that she’d expected him to be in love with
her
or anything. It just stung, and she couldn’t even explain why. Now to find out there might soon be another person caught in their mess—well, that was a complication that just boggled the mind.

But
a
baby
. Belinda wanted children with all her heart—so much, she couldn’t quite believe that was what the card meant. She would wait to tell Connor until she was sure—until she had more concrete evidence than a random piece of cardboard. That way, if her courses came, he wouldn’t have to share her disappointment. If they didn’t, Belinda would be able to tell Connor with greater certainty and she’d have more time to come to terms with him marrying her while loving someone else. Time was all she needed for that, Belinda decided. Connor still deserved a good wife and she could be that—be his friend and lover. There was no lack of physical chemistry between them, or camaraderie. They would grow fond of each other. Those would be enough. They’d have to be.