The Elusive Earl, page 10
It was quite an easy thing to say, the Earl thought, when Lady Chevington had left, but almost impossible to put into operation.
Where would he start to look for Calista? He really did not know.
However, as it gave him a sense of purpose and in a strange way a feeling of adventure, he cancelled all his engagements.
Mounting the black stallion for which he had developed a liking, he set off the following morning to ride South, thinking vaguely that he would look at what circuses he encountered on the way.
*
It was a crisp morning with a touch of chill in the wind that was not to be expected in June.
The lack of heat made Orestes, the Greek name with which the Earl had re-christened the stallion, rather more skittish than usual and they moved swiftly through the traffic and were soon out in the open country.
There the Earl took to the fields, regardless of the fact that he was trespassing, to gallop Orestes over the lush green land and take several high hedges in style.
He encountered his first circus about midday and it was the first of dozens, all of which, the Earl was to find, had something depressingly similar about them.
There was invariably one old and bored elephant and three or four mangy lions, usually far too apathetic and toothless to be any sort of menace except in the imaginations of small children.
There would be a tight-rope walker who balanced himself on a wire above the heads of the crowds and drew deep exclamations of horror as he swayed from side to side on the rope, balancing himself, apparently precariously, by sunshades or a long pole.
The acrobats varied in skill although their tricks were always the same.
Some were young and agile, some were growing old and the mere act of swinging on a trapeze was quite an effort.
The better circuses would have teams of horses either white or piebald, their manes and tails would be long and well cared for and the Earl knew by the shine on their coats and the manner in which they moved that they were properly fed.
But in the smaller and poorer circuses the horses were as inferior as the performers and some seemed hardly capable of bearing the three men climbing on their backs and up on to one another’s shoulders.
Some made the Earl feel that death would be a merciful release for them when it came.
But in every circus the laughter and gaiety depended on the clowns, there were always a good half dozen of them, sometimes more, and they made the children shriek with laughter.
Older people wiped tears of merriment from their eyes as the clowns threw themselves about, tripped each other up, squirted water, ran round the ring holding on to the horses’ tails or produced eggs from the noses of the children in the front seats.
After four days of wandering over the countryside and sleeping in whatever inn he could find available when night fell, the Earl thought that he must be on the wrong track.,
He could not visualise Calista with her loveliness and elegance in any of the circuses he had visited on the various village greens, any more than he could see Centaur amongst their ill-bred horses.
He thought that perhaps by this time she would have turned up at Chevington Court or in London and the sooner he returned home to find out if that was a fact the better.
At the same time he could not help admitting to himself that, if he had not been worrying about Calista, he would have enjoyed himself the last few days.
He found a freedom he had never experienced before in being away from his servants and valets, the routine of his establishments and the companionship of his friends.
He could not recall when he had been alone for such a long time, but strangely enough he had never felt in better spirits.
He knew it was in part due to the simple food he was eating and the enormous amount of exercise he took.
He had a strong feeling, as he rode Orestes over the fields, that the stallion was enjoying himself as much as he was.
The horse might not look as well-groomed and his saddle and bridle were not as well polished as they had been when they left London, but there was perhaps an exhilaration for both of them in feeling that they had escaped from the conventional routine of their well ordered lives.
All the same the Earl told himself, he must go back.
Calista would have been found by now and he was quite certain that his staff and a great number of his friends, like Lord Yaxley, would be anxious for his safety.
He rode back through Hertfordshire, having made an extended circuit through the other Counties, taking Epsom as the pivot on which his search must revolve.
It was six o’clock in the evening when the Earl reached Potters Bar, a name he knew because there was a famous Horse Fair there once a year.
He reckoned that in an hour’s time he would be in London. Then, as he turned Orestes’s head in the direction of the main highway, he saw the tents of another circus!
It was larger than those that he had encountered in the last two days.
The ‘Big Top’, as the main tent was called, was in the centre of a field and round it were a number of other tents, caravans and drays that conveyed the cages of the wild animals.
There was a performance taking place and the Earl’s first impulse was to ride on because it was getting late.
Then he told himself that it would be worthwhile having a last look to refute the ex-Bow Street Runner’s suggestion that Calista might have taken refuge in a circus.
The Earl did not wish to leave Orestes too near to the big tent just in case the children coming out after the performance should upset him.
The stallion had a habit of lashing out with his hind leg and the Earl was aware that it would be dangerous to anyone approaching too near to him.
Seeing a small copse of trees at the end of the field, the Earl rode towards it.
As he reached the shelter of the trees, he realised that a small boy had followed him.
He was raggedly dressed but he looked honest and the Earl asked,
“Will you hold my horse for me?’
The boy smiled eagerly.
“Aye, Guv, and take good care of ’im, I will.”
“Mind you do,” the Earl answered, “and I will give you a shilling when I come back.”
The boy’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“A shillin’, Guv? You did say – a shillin’?”
“A shilling if you keep with the horse and don’t let anybody interfere with him,” the Earl replied. “Let him crop the grass but keep your hand on his bridle.”
“I’ll do that, Guv.”
The Earl dismounted and gave the bridle into the boy’s hand.
Orestes had been ridden hard and the Earl was certain that the devil had gone out of him.
He walked towards the Big Top. As he neared it, he heard shouts and screams of laughter and knew that the clowns must be performing.
He suddenly felt tired and thought that it was too much effort to watch yet another long drawn-out performance of lions and acrobats, tightrope walkers and indifferent horses.
He stood in the entrance looking into the tent and a voice said sharply,
“Sixpence the best seats. Two pence and a penny the others.”
“Have you any unusual turns?” the Earl enquired. “Or a horse that is outstanding?”
The man at the seat of custom was about to reply,
‘You pay to find out,” then he looked more closely at the Earl and changed his mind.
“We’ve sommat very special, mister.”
“What is that?” the Earl asked without much enthusiasm in his voice.
“The Masked Lady and Her Half-Human Accomplice!”
The Earl was suddenly still.
“She’ll be on in a couple of minutes, mister.”
The Earl put a shilling down on the desk in front of the man and then forgot to ask for his change.
Then he walked into the tent and took the nearest seat available.
The clowns were just running off, tripping over each other as they went and following behind came a giant on stilts who was the obvious favourite of the children.
As they disappeared, the Ringmaster, resplendent in red coat, white breeches and black hat and with a long whip in his hand, came into the arena.
“Ladies and Gentlemen!” he began in a stentorian voice. “We’ve the great privilege and honour to offer you tonight a unique and amazing performance given by a lady of mystery with her accomplice who, although he looks like a horse, he is in fact half-human. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present The Masked Lady and her Half-Human Accomplice!”
There was a round of applause and Calista appeared.
She was wearing a black habit spangled with endless stars and sequins. A black velvet mask edged with lace, Venetian fashion, that completely obscured her face, but the Earl knew that he would have recognised her figure and the superb manner in which she rode wherever he might have seen her.
Centaur was disguised as well. The white star had vanished from his nose and so had his white fetlocks. Instead he was all black, but his coat was shining and both his mane and tail had been meticulously groomed.
Calista took him first round the outside of the ring and then she showed off his tricks.
The Earl was really fascinated by them, as was the audience, who sat spellbound and in silence.
Centaur stood up on his hind legs, he knelt down and laid his nose against the floor, he danced, he performed a dozen different tricks that Calista had taught him, all with a grace that reminded the Earl of the famous white Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.
As the applause rang out a cardboard coach came into the ring propelled by men walking inside it. There was a coachman up on the box and it was drawn by a small rather miserable-looking pony.
Calista drew a pistol from her breast pocket and held up the coach.
The men protested and, as they were doing so, Centaur seized in his teeth what purported to be a large bag of gold and carrying it away gave it to a small poor old man at one side of the arena.
The children screamed and clapped their hands together with joy. Then the men tumbled out of the coach, pointing their guns at Calista and Centaur.
Calista rode Centaur to the side of the ring which was in fact very near to the Earl.
“Take it easy, boy,” he heard her say.
Then, as the guns were all pointed at them, the horse galloped right across the ring, leapt spectacularly over the supposed coach, and disappeared.
There was wild applause and Calista and Centaur reappeared, the horse bowing in the same way that he had bowed to the Earl near the Serpentine.
Right, left and centre he made his obeisance. Then once again they vanished and the next turn appeared.
This was a Strong Man, swarthy, arrogant and very muscular in tights and spangled tunic who, the Earl recognised from past experience, would not only lift heavy weights but balance three, four and perhaps six men on his head and shoulders.
He waited until the performance had begun and then walked outside.
He had now to find Calista and, what was more important, persuade her to return with him.
He walked behind the Big Top to find, as he might have expected, the cages containing the wild animals, lions and tigers.
They looked rather younger and in better health than those he had seen at other circuses.
There was a large number of horses who had either just done their turn in the ring or else were preparing to do it.
Nobody paid any attention to the Earl as he moved amongst the caravans, some of which were painted gypsy fashion, while others carried the name of the circus boldly inscribed on them.
There were tents and the noise of voices, people hurrying about, men carrying props over towards the Big Top, dogs barking and a general hurly-burly of sound and movement.
The Earl walked on until at last he saw Calista.
She was talking to a number of women who were gathered outside their caravans, some sitting on the steps, some on the grass, all of them dressed in brilliant and colourful clothes.
Calista had taken off her hat and her mask, but was stiff wearing the spectacular riding habit, which even at a distance the Earl could see looked cheap and tawdry outside the tent.
The women were laughing at something she said and the Earl moved away.
He had no desire to confront Calista in front of other people and perhaps upset her.
Keeping out of her view, he watched and presently he saw her walk from the group of women and go towards a small painted caravan that was a little apart from the others, in fact on the outside of the whole encampment.
He followed her and saw that Centaur was waiting for her.
“I will change first,” he heard Calista say as she reached the caravan.
As if the horse understood, he waited at the steps, merely swishing his tail because the flies bothered him.
The Earl also waited, keeping his eyes on the caravan, but not drawing too near until it would be easy to speak to Calista alone.
She came out to the top of the steps wearing what seemed to him to be a long gypsy skirt of bright red and a white blouse with a shawl over her shoulders.
Then just as the Earl was about to go towards her another man appeared, a thin tall man wearing the clothes of a clown, his face white and his mouth a gash of crimson.
“Shall I unsaddle Centaur for you, chère?”
He spoke with a broken accent and the Earl was certain that he was French.
“Thank you, Coco,” Calista replied, “but you must not be late for your entrance.”
“I come on after Manzani,” the clown replied, “and we know, hélas, we know how long he takes over his bows.”
Calista laughed.
“He enjoys the applause!”
“He is greedy – oui?” the clown remarked.
Calista laughed again.
“We all like to be appreciated.”
“You, chère, were merveilleuse ce soir!” the clown said praised her.
“Thank you, Coco,” Calista replied.
The clown had taken off Centaur’s saddle and he put it just inside the caravan door.
Calista removed the bridle and Centaur with a buck to show that there was still plenty of spirit in him moved away to where the grass was sweeter.
There were sounds of tumultuous applause coming from the tent.
“You had better go, Coco,” Calista said urgently.
As if the clown realised that he had cut it fine, he turned and ran through the tents and caravans, holding onto his tall hat as he went.
A moment later, just as once again the Earl was about to walk forward to Calista, another man appeared.
He wore a long red cloak over his spangled trunks and the Earl immediately recognised him as the Strong Man whom he had seen entering the ring.
He was in fact a commanding figure as he moved towards Calista.
“You must have been a great success, Manzani,” Calista said. “I heard all the applause.”
“We are both successful,” Manzani replied.
He spoke English with a slight accent in a deep rather boastful voice that the Earl found irritating.
“I want to talk to you.”
Calista shook her head.
“I have to rest. Have you forgotten that we are moving on later this evening? We will be awake all night.”
“I’ll help you.”
“I can manage, thank you.”
“I want to help you – you know I always want to help you.”
“You are very kind,” Calista replied, “but I can manage quite well by myself.”
“No woman can manage by herself,” Manzani said. “Together we make good team. Soon we’ll leave this poor circus and join one of the big ones. They’ll welcome us and we’ll be rich, very rich!”
“It is very kind of you, Manzani,” Calista said, “but I prefer to work on my own.”
“And that is something I can’t allow you to do.”
While they were talking the Earl, keeping well concealed behind the other caravans, was drawing nearer.
Now he could hear every word that they said to each other and he could see as well the uncertainty in Calista’s face.
“You’ll come along with me,” the Strong Man said, putting out his arms. “You’ll be my woman and we’ll be ’appy, very ’appy together.”
“No!” Calista insisted.
She would have moved backwards into the shelter of her caravan, but Manzani put out his bare arms and took hold of her.
He pulled her against him and she gave a little cry.
The Earl then strode purposefully towards them.
“Stop!” he called out commandingly. “Leave that lady alone!”
Chapter Five
For a moment both Calista and Manzani were surprised into silence. Then as the Strong Man turned round to face the Earl, Calista said in a low voice,
“How did you find me?”
The Earl did not answer the question, but walking up to her, he said quietly,
“I have come to take you home, Calista.”
Manzani suddenly moved in front of the Earl.
“Get out of ’ere!” he shouted. “You can see you’re not wanted!”
“I have a prior claim on this lady,” the Earl asserted firmly.
“That remains to be seen,” Manzani retorted.
As he spoke, he struck out without warning at the Earl, who only just managed to avoid Manzani’s fist striking him in the face by stepping backwards.
The blow caught him on the shoulder, making him stagger. Then almost before the Earl could regain his balance Manzani struck at him again.
This time the Earl was ready and parried the blow. They were now fighting in earnest, Manzani with a violence and total disregard for fair fighting that was in itself threatening.
He was stronger, heavier and had a greater length of arm than the Earl, who was further handicapped by the fact that he was wearing Hessian boots, which slipped on the damp grass and a tightly fitting whipcord coat that restricted him.
However, he caught Manzani with a sharp blow on the side of his face, which made the foreigner lose his temper.
Those of the circus knew well that the Strong Man was easily aroused to anger and was a bully to all those who worked for him.
