Circus at Devil's Landing by Debra Castaneda

Author:Debra Castaneda [Castaneda, Debra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

The night of the first performance at Devil’s Landing was fast approaching, and there was an air of excitement. We practiced our acts together for the first time. All except for The Savage and Strange Beasts.

Most of the troupe didn’t seem happy with Hinsworth’s decision not to rehearse with us before the live show.

“We’ve never had any animals,” one of the musicians grumbled. “What if loud noises scare them?”

“What if they don’t like painted faces?” said the clown named Augustus. “There are all kinds of things that could go wrong with an animal act.”

“HB still isn’t thinking about doing the act without a cage, is he?” Louella laced up her white boots. “What if they try to attack us? Who will stop them?”

The questions haunted me into the night. I’d failed to free Javier, and now it was too late. I was just another member of Hinsworth’s circus, dependent on him for my survival.

On Thursday night, I fell into a restless sleep, exhausted after a long day of rehearsing under the big tent. Louella had made a show of turning her back whenever I revealed my scar during my act.

Her reaction worried me. If a woman who’d seen all manner of curiosities seemed so upset by my terrible scar, wouldn’t it be too much for the audience? Jacopo said they had thought of that and had a plan but wouldn’t tell me what it was.

Friday morning arrived, for once, without the thick mist usually plaguing the harbor. There were little boys everywhere, and some girls too. The opening of the circus was a big event, and it seemed they’d come to Devil’s Landing instead of going to school.

I picked at my supper. Frieda joked it was a good thing I had so little appetite. Ruth had taken in my dress—at Hinsworth’s instruction—and it wouldn’t allow me to eat a regular meal without busting the seams.

When I saw Liam walking toward me, his face nearly as red as his costume, I couldn’t help but laugh. Hinsworth had ordered a change for him too. His well-muscled legs, arms, and chest were bare. He was wearing short bloomers and a shirt that opened in a deep V, a thick gold belt around his waist.

“HB said I had to wear this,” Liam announced, looking miserable. He tugged on the bottom of his bloomers, but that only revealed more of his torso. It took some getting used to, seeing everyone so scantily clad. Everyone except for Ewa, Jacopo, and the musicians.

“Is there a net?” I asked, imagining him crashing to the ground.

He shook his head. “For the girls doing the trapeze, there’s a net. But not for me.”

“That’s…lunacy,” I cried.

Liam grinned. “That’s me. A lunatic. I climbed masts, and those were much higher, and there was no net to catch me if I fell. And there will be no wind or rain in my face, and no ship rocking back and forth either.” When he noticed the extent of my alarm, he added, “I’ll be fine, Miss.

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