one
London, 1866
From now on, Vivienne would do as she pleased and always express her opinions without caring about what other people thought of her; she hoped Mother was all right with that.
As a good start to her new resolution, she’d convinced her mother to let her see the show of Cade’s Circus of Curiosities, the event of the moment. Everyone in London talked about the famous travelling circus with no animals, acrobats, or magicians; the attractions were extraordinary people with unique skills.
In the carriage with Mother and their maid, Dobkins, Vivienne couldn’t sit still. It was so rare that Mother allowed her to go out, for an event that wasn’t a tea party or a ball, that London seemed like a foreign city with its cobbled streets and imposing red brick buildings.
“Human curiosities,” Mother said in a disapproving tone. Her mourning black gown added an aura of gloominess to everything she said. “They will attract hundreds of people from all over the city.”
“Exactly.” Vivienne nodded. “Isn’t that exciting?”
“Not in the least.” Mother stroked absentmindedly the small silver case where a lock of dear late Adele’s hair lay.
Vivienne had loved her elder sister, who died too soon from scarlet fever a few years ago, but she didn’t feel the need to clutch Adele’s hair constantly.
She winced inwardly as guilt gnawed at her. Years after the tragedy, Mother was still mourning. Her pain deserved respect.
“Where there are large gatherings,” Mother said, “there are also infections and diseases.”
Dobkins exchanged a glance with Vivienne. Adele had contracted scarlet fever without attending any major gatherings; she’d taken a walk in the park and fallen sick two days after and died in less than a week. But pointing that out would start an argument Vivienne didn’t want to deal with.
“What are the main attractions?” Mother slid the silver case into her purse.
“Just to name a few, the strongest man in the world, my lady,” Dobkins said. “The most flexible woman in the world, and a young man who has been raised by lions.”
“Raised by lions?” Vivienne scrunched up her face. “It sounds impossible.”
Mother put a hand on her forehead. “Imagine what kind of germs that man is carrying. Heavens, lions! Vivienne, you aren’t going to get close to him. Let’s go back home.”
“No, please.” She took Mother’s hand. “I really want to see this show.” Most of all, she craved something different from the extremely controlled days she spent with Mother between piano lessons and visits to old matrons.
“I’ll have a hot, soapy bath drawn for Lady Vivienne when we’re back, my lady,” Dobkins said.
Mother pondered that before nodding. “Add kerosene to the water.”
A protest died a quick death on Vivienne’s lips. Kerosene. She would smell like a stove for a week. But if she expressed her opinion, Mother would be upset, order the coachman to return home, and Vivienne would spend the day cooped up at home…as it had happened dozens of times.
Compromises. She accepted her fate without enthusiasm, and London’s cloudy sky seemed to mirror her feelings.
She pretended to listen to Mother’s long list of things she wasn’t supposed to touch to avoid catching any infection.
After hearing Mother complain many times about how recklessly people behaved regarding hygiene and illness prevention, she’d developed the ability to retreat into herself and block the chatter and noises around her. She wouldn’t hear anything, only her thoughts. Sometimes, she played a song in her head to calm the frantic beat of her heart. Perhaps this skill would grant her a place in Cade’s Circus.
The red-and-white striped circus tent was visible from a distance, rising in the middle of the field of London’s main racecourse. People crowded the path leading to the tent. The carriage rolled to a stop, and Vivienne jumped outside without waiting for the footman and ignoring Mother’s warning to mind the step, lest she break her ankle.
She joined the queue of excited and chatting ladies and gentlemen, waiting to enter the tent.
Mother wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Don’t stand so close to other people. Look at these people. Mixing with anyone and everyone. There should be a separate line for us. It’s disgusting.”
A lot of things were disgusting, according to Mother.
Vivienne loved dancing and making new friends; she loved new gowns and fancy food, and she wouldn’t mind starting her own family, which was the purpose of having a Season. But Mother’s gloomy behaviour and fears disheartened her. Whycouldn’t she enjoy the parties without having to worry about getting sick? Besides, catching a contagious disease wasn’t as easy as Mother feared. She’d gone to tea parties and to the theatre and never got sick.
An attendant in a black-and-yellow uniform stood at the entrance of the circus. “Welcome to Cade’s Circus, the best, most entertaining experience of your life.”
With a quiet warning to be careful not to touch the man, Mother dropped the coins for the tickets into Dobkins’ hand. A quarter-pound each. The most entertaining experience of their lives wasn’t cheap.
