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Authors: Victoria Holt
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every now and then I am drawn back.”
Rosie arrived from the alcove with three mugs.
“You’ll like this,” she said to me.
“It’s my own special brew. And how are you two getting on together? Like a house on fire, I see.”
“Just like that,” said Zingara.
“Lucky you were here when Miss Carmel came visiting,” said Rosie with a pronounced wink.
“It was the luckiest thing,” Zingara agreed.
“Now, what do you think of my tea?” asked Rosie.
“Is it as good as that served by the doctor’s servants?”
“It’s different,” I replied.
“Well, we are different, aren’t we?” said Rosie.
“Well, we can’t all be alike. Did Carmel tell you about the governess?”
“Yes,” answered Zingara.
“She seems to be a very good governess.”
I nodded vigorously.
“I reckon,” said Zingara, ‘that one day they’ll send you away to school. “
“Henry is going with Lucian Crompton,” I told them.
“Well,” said Rosie, ‘that’s good. You’ll be going with the young man’s sister. That’ll make a real lady of you. “
How 1 enjoyed sitting in the caravan, talking to them. Zingara fascinated me. She had been a gipsy child, running about the encampment and had been taken away by the man who liked her singing and dancing to go on the stage. It was a wonderful story. I should have loved to see her dance. We talked and talked and then I suddenly realized how long I had stayed and that Estella and Miss Carson would be wondering what had happened to me.
1 said: “I must go. 1 ought to be back by now.”
“They’ll miss you, will they?” said Zingara.
They will begin to,” I answered.
They’ll think you’ve been stolen by the gipsies,” put in Rosie with a laugh.
They wouldn’t think that,” I protested.
“You never know,” said Rosie.
“I shall see you again,” Zingara told me.
“Oh, I do hope so,” I said.
She took my hands and gripped them firmly.
“It has been lovely to be with you.” She gave me her dazzling smile and Rosie’s expression was tender and loving. I felt a glow of happiness and wished I need not leave them.
Then I thanked Rosie for the drink and told them how much I had enjoyed being with them.
Zingara suddenly put her arms round me and held me tightly. She kissed me and Rosie sat very still, smiling.
“She must go,” she said at last. They’ll be waiting for her. “
“Yes,” Zingara said, and came to the door of the caravan with me.
“Better not go with her,” said Rosie.
“Better to let her go on her own.”
Zingara nodded.
I came down the steps and looked back. They were both standing, watching me.
1 waved and then sped across the clearing and into the trees.
I had not gone far when I heard the sound of voices. I pulled up sharply and listened. That sounded like the doctor. It could not be.
What would he be doing in the woods at this time?
Quietly I went forward. I did not want to be seen by anyone, for I did not want to talk of my visit to the gipsy encampment. I was not sure why, except that I thought there might be objections, and I did not want to be told I must not go there. I wanted to think about it.
Zingara had made a deep impression on me, as Rosie Perrin had before
her. But this was different. I wanted to think about our meeting just by myself. I did not want Estella’s scornful comments. She would say that they had flattered me because they wanted to tell my fortune or something like that.
I wanted to remember every moment clearly, from that one when Jake had stood beside me and said Rosie Perrin would like to see me, to the time when I had left.
So, I must not be seen.
But yes . that was the doctor’s voice, and then . Miss Carson’s.
Then I saw them. They were sitting together on the trunk of a fallen tree. I knew the spot well. I had often sat on that tree-trunk myself.
I had approached them from behind. Otherwise I should have been seen.
I stood for a few moments watching them. They were
Rosie arrived from the alcove with three mugs.
“You’ll like this,” she said to me.
“It’s my own special brew. And how are you two getting on together? Like a house on fire, I see.”
“Just like that,” said Zingara.
“Lucky you were here when Miss Carmel came visiting,” said Rosie with a pronounced wink.
“It was the luckiest thing,” Zingara agreed.
“Now, what do you think of my tea?” asked Rosie.
“Is it as good as that served by the doctor’s servants?”
“It’s different,” I replied.
“Well, we are different, aren’t we?” said Rosie.
“Well, we can’t all be alike. Did Carmel tell you about the governess?”
“Yes,” answered Zingara.
“She seems to be a very good governess.”
I nodded vigorously.
“I reckon,” said Zingara, ‘that one day they’ll send you away to school. “
“Henry is going with Lucian Crompton,” I told them.
“Well,” said Rosie, ‘that’s good. You’ll be going with the young man’s sister. That’ll make a real lady of you. “
How 1 enjoyed sitting in the caravan, talking to them. Zingara fascinated me. She had been a gipsy child, running about the encampment and had been taken away by the man who liked her singing and dancing to go on the stage. It was a wonderful story. I should have loved to see her dance. We talked and talked and then I suddenly realized how long I had stayed and that Estella and Miss Carson would be wondering what had happened to me.
1 said: “I must go. 1 ought to be back by now.”
“They’ll miss you, will they?” said Zingara.
They will begin to,” I answered.
They’ll think you’ve been stolen by the gipsies,” put in Rosie with a laugh.
They wouldn’t think that,” I protested.
“You never know,” said Rosie.
“I shall see you again,” Zingara told me.
“Oh, I do hope so,” I said.
She took my hands and gripped them firmly.
“It has been lovely to be with you.” She gave me her dazzling smile and Rosie’s expression was tender and loving. I felt a glow of happiness and wished I need not leave them.
Then I thanked Rosie for the drink and told them how much I had enjoyed being with them.
Zingara suddenly put her arms round me and held me tightly. She kissed me and Rosie sat very still, smiling.
“She must go,” she said at last. They’ll be waiting for her. “
“Yes,” Zingara said, and came to the door of the caravan with me.
“Better not go with her,” said Rosie.
“Better to let her go on her own.”
Zingara nodded.
I came down the steps and looked back. They were both standing, watching me.
1 waved and then sped across the clearing and into the trees.
I had not gone far when I heard the sound of voices. I pulled up sharply and listened. That sounded like the doctor. It could not be.
What would he be doing in the woods at this time?
Quietly I went forward. I did not want to be seen by anyone, for I did not want to talk of my visit to the gipsy encampment. I was not sure why, except that I thought there might be objections, and I did not want to be told I must not go there. I wanted to think about it.
Zingara had made a deep impression on me, as Rosie Perrin had before
her. But this was different. I wanted to think about our meeting just by myself. I did not want Estella’s scornful comments. She would say that they had flattered me because they wanted to tell my fortune or something like that.
I wanted to remember every moment clearly, from that one when Jake had stood beside me and said Rosie Perrin would like to see me, to the time when I had left.
So, I must not be seen.
But yes . that was the doctor’s voice, and then . Miss Carson’s.
Then I saw them. They were sitting together on the trunk of a fallen tree. I knew the spot well. I had often sat on that tree-trunk myself.
I had approached them from behind. Otherwise I should have been seen.
I stood for a few moments watching them. They were
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