be fine,’ soothed Harry.
‘Have you seen what they did to him ?’
‘He’ll be fine , Tina. He’s a tough guy.’
‘He’s never going to escape them, Harry. I don’t think he knows how much he needs to escape. How much I need him to—’ She cut herself off, took another deep breath, as if telling herself to calm down. ‘You’ve no idea the kind of place Joe lives, Harry; the place we both come from. You can’t imagine the people we grew up with, the street we grew up on. It’s like a trap, and everyone he knows is caught in it. They all say they hate it, but they’d rather see each other dead than free of it.’
‘You did okay,’ said Harry quietly.
‘But I had Fran , didn’t I? I had the Lady Nana. No one tells them what to do. They just said, “Feck the lot of yehs,” and we dragged ourselves out of there. But Joe … poor Joe. He has no one. Only stones weighing him down. Only a snare he can’t seem to—’
She made a sharp noise suddenly, and turned for the steps.
‘Tina, where are you going?’
‘This is not going to happen anymore, Harry. I’ve decided. Joe’s not going back. I’m not letting him. I’m going to his gaff right now, while he’s asleep. I’m going to get his things. I’m bringing them back here, and he’s never going back.’
‘Say! You can’t just make the chap’s decisions like that!’
‘Oh, can I not?’
Harry rushed to the top of the steps. ‘Tina!’ he hissed. ‘ Tina , you’re making a huge mistake.’
But she was already gone.
Practicalities
V INCENT HAD NEGLECTED the first round of auditions in favour of inquiring after Matthew at the stables where he worked. Returning to the theatre no better off for accurate information, he was surprised to find the backstage door blocked by a girl. She wore a bright-blue bonnet and scarf, and was in the process of angrily buttoning a yellow tartan coat. She glanced up at the sudden influx of wintry light as Vincent came in, and rather than push his way past, he gestured that she should finish what she was doing.
‘Thank you, mister,’ she said. ‘I’ll be out of your way now.’
Vincent liked the way she looked him directly in the eye when she said this, her grim efficiency as she tugged on her gloves. Her hair and eyes were almost as dark as Raquel’s, her skin as creamy-fresh as Raquel’s had been when they’d first met.
‘You’re Lord Wolcroft’s man,’ she said.
Suddenly it struck him who she was. ‘You are the seamstress.’
She nodded, confused.
‘Cornelius told me of you: a pretty girl carrying a pretty dress that shimmered like the sea.’
Her sudden discomfort was charming, her disconcerted frown a delight. Vincent had an urge, suddenly, like a flash of old heat, to see this pretty girl in that pretty dress – to shine a light upon her and make her sparkle like the sea. How well Cornelius knew him.
The girl shifted, obviously nervous under his frank examination of her, but she restrained herself from looking around for help. Vincent admired that. ‘I have been looking for the stable boy,’ he said. ‘Joe, as you call him. He hasn’t returned from his luncheon, apparently. I believe you are his friend?’
She nodded uncertainly.
‘How long have you known him? The stable boy?’
‘A … a long time. Since we were children.’
He quelled a flash of irritation. ‘Come now. No lies. How long?’
She just stared at him, and Vincent sighed. ‘I want you to give him a message,’ he said. ‘Tell him I am not fooled by his rough clothes and speech. Tell him I know who he is.’
Vincent leaned close. The girl shrank back as he spoke low into her ear. ‘I had not been certain at first, but when I saw those men accost him – throw him to the water like that, like so much trash – I knew. Tell him this cannot continue. Tell him that his mother and I miss him. Tell him … tell him that we should both be much happier were he home.’
The girl remained motionless, her
‘Have you seen what they did to him ?’
‘He’ll be fine , Tina. He’s a tough guy.’
‘He’s never going to escape them, Harry. I don’t think he knows how much he needs to escape. How much I need him to—’ She cut herself off, took another deep breath, as if telling herself to calm down. ‘You’ve no idea the kind of place Joe lives, Harry; the place we both come from. You can’t imagine the people we grew up with, the street we grew up on. It’s like a trap, and everyone he knows is caught in it. They all say they hate it, but they’d rather see each other dead than free of it.’
‘You did okay,’ said Harry quietly.
‘But I had Fran , didn’t I? I had the Lady Nana. No one tells them what to do. They just said, “Feck the lot of yehs,” and we dragged ourselves out of there. But Joe … poor Joe. He has no one. Only stones weighing him down. Only a snare he can’t seem to—’
She made a sharp noise suddenly, and turned for the steps.
‘Tina, where are you going?’
‘This is not going to happen anymore, Harry. I’ve decided. Joe’s not going back. I’m not letting him. I’m going to his gaff right now, while he’s asleep. I’m going to get his things. I’m bringing them back here, and he’s never going back.’
‘Say! You can’t just make the chap’s decisions like that!’
‘Oh, can I not?’
Harry rushed to the top of the steps. ‘Tina!’ he hissed. ‘ Tina , you’re making a huge mistake.’
But she was already gone.
Practicalities
V INCENT HAD NEGLECTED the first round of auditions in favour of inquiring after Matthew at the stables where he worked. Returning to the theatre no better off for accurate information, he was surprised to find the backstage door blocked by a girl. She wore a bright-blue bonnet and scarf, and was in the process of angrily buttoning a yellow tartan coat. She glanced up at the sudden influx of wintry light as Vincent came in, and rather than push his way past, he gestured that she should finish what she was doing.
‘Thank you, mister,’ she said. ‘I’ll be out of your way now.’
Vincent liked the way she looked him directly in the eye when she said this, her grim efficiency as she tugged on her gloves. Her hair and eyes were almost as dark as Raquel’s, her skin as creamy-fresh as Raquel’s had been when they’d first met.
‘You’re Lord Wolcroft’s man,’ she said.
Suddenly it struck him who she was. ‘You are the seamstress.’
She nodded, confused.
‘Cornelius told me of you: a pretty girl carrying a pretty dress that shimmered like the sea.’
Her sudden discomfort was charming, her disconcerted frown a delight. Vincent had an urge, suddenly, like a flash of old heat, to see this pretty girl in that pretty dress – to shine a light upon her and make her sparkle like the sea. How well Cornelius knew him.
The girl shifted, obviously nervous under his frank examination of her, but she restrained herself from looking around for help. Vincent admired that. ‘I have been looking for the stable boy,’ he said. ‘Joe, as you call him. He hasn’t returned from his luncheon, apparently. I believe you are his friend?’
She nodded uncertainly.
‘How long have you known him? The stable boy?’
‘A … a long time. Since we were children.’
He quelled a flash of irritation. ‘Come now. No lies. How long?’
She just stared at him, and Vincent sighed. ‘I want you to give him a message,’ he said. ‘Tell him I am not fooled by his rough clothes and speech. Tell him I know who he is.’
Vincent leaned close. The girl shrank back as he spoke low into her ear. ‘I had not been certain at first, but when I saw those men accost him – throw him to the water like that, like so much trash – I knew. Tell him this cannot continue. Tell him that his mother and I miss him. Tell him … tell him that we should both be much happier were he home.’
The girl remained motionless, her
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