Lina ducked under her uncle’s outstretched arm and darted forward. Normally she was too quick for her lumbering relative, but today Uncle Tom had abstained from the drink that often addled his brain and slowed his body, so he caught her roughly by the arm.
‘One week, Lina. I want my money in one week.’
‘I’ll get you your money.’
She wriggled to get free, but his fingers were gripping her too tightly.
‘You’ll pay me one way or another, don’t you doubt it.’
Her uncle released her, but before Lina could escape to a safe distance his hand caught her wrist and gave one final warning squeeze, tight enough that Lina knew she would have bruises in the morning. Lina felt herself begin to panic as the pain mounted, then just as suddenly as he’d cornered her, Uncle Tom was gone. She had no choice, she would have to find the money she owed from somewhere, but right now she had no idea where.
As Uncle Tom scurried away Lina wondered at the furtive looks he was casting around him. He’d always been unlikeable and secretive, but never before had he threatened her as he had today. Quickly Lina hurried off in the other direction before he could change his mind and return to collect the debt there and then.
Not for the first time she cursed her impulsivity, the flaws in her personality that meant she found it almost impossible to say no when directly challenged. If only she had been a little more circumspect, a little more cautious, then she wouldn’t be in such trouble.
‘Tom giving you trouble again?’ Raul called as she ran past him.
‘Nothing I can’t handle,’ she lied, flashing her brother a dazzling smile and hurrying on. Raul knew nothing about the debt she owed Uncle Tom, nor the foolhardy bet she had made that had got her into this predicament. He’d saved her too many times from her own foolishness, this time she would figure out a solution without her brother having to swoop in and put things right.
Money. She needed money. One week wasn’t very long to raise ten pounds. Ten pounds—what had she been thinking? It was more money than she’d ever seen in her life and she’d tossed the figure out there as if it was a couple of shillings. She’d been so confident when they had passed the field full of wild horses, so sure that she would be able to coax and mount one of the magnificent animals, all she’d had to do was ride it the length of the field and ten pounds would have been hers.
Lina knew it wasn’t only her impulsivity that had driven her to shake Uncle Tom’s hand as he eyed up the frisky horses. Ten pounds would give her a new life, fresh opportunities, the chance to actually do something she wanted to do for a change.
‘Lend me a hand, Lina,’ Sabina called out as Lina wove her way through the crowds.
The whole family were working the Pottersdown Fair. A few of the older men, including Uncle Tom, were busy sharpening their tools and setting out the hand-carved pieces of furniture they were hoping to sell. The older women had set up a rickety table with jars of sweet jams and other tempting treats. Raul and the other young men had started to pluck away at their instruments, providing a lively tune for the villagers to dance to. Sabina, with her wide smile and fluttering eyelashes, was doing a great job of enticing the young men and women of Pottersdown to get a glimpse of the occult and hear exactly what their futures had to hold.
‘I was going to start the dancing,’ Lina fibbed, knowing Sabina wouldn’t let her get away with it.
‘Liar. I’ve got a queue ten people long, just see a couple for me.’
‘I’m not as good at this as you.’
‘Nonsense, you read people very well.’
It was true. The skill she didn’t possess was patience and you needed patience after the tenth twittering young girl had nearly swooned over the idea of being swept away by a tall, dark stranger.
‘It pays better than dancing,’ Sabina cajoled.
Lina glanced over to where Uncle Tom was now polishing a beautifully carved, small table and summoned up a smile for the customers. Telling fortunes wasn’t going to make her ten pounds, but it was a start until she came up with a more lucrative idea.
Sabina led the next young woman behind one of the screens, leaving Lina to greet a woman of about her age, dressed in clothes so fine Lina had to stop herself reaching out and stroking the immaculate silk.
‘Care to hear your fortune, miss?’
The young woman laughed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, as she tugged on the sleeve of a gentleman standing a few feet away.
‘I know exactly what my future holds,’ the young woman said. ‘But I would like to hear what my dear brother has to look forward to.’
Lina watched as the gentleman in question turned slowly, looked her up and down and then raised an eyebrow in question to his sister.
‘Oh, please, Alex? It’s just a little fun.’
‘It’s nonsense,’ he said, starting to turn back to the conversation he had been conducting before his sister interrupted.
‘For me, Alex.’
The gentleman sighed, the long-suffering sigh of a put-upon sibling, and grimaced.
‘Come on, then, let’s get this over with. Impress me with your insight.’
Lina felt herself bristle at his tone and offered her sweetest smile.
‘Step this way, sir.’
Guiding her new customer behind one of the screens, Lina watched as he took a heavy coin purse out of his jacket and handed her the fee. For a moment her pulse quickened, hearing the money jangle as he tucked it away again.
Despite the bad reputation gypsies suffered in England, and indeed across Europe, Lina had never once stolen anything. Just because they say we’re thieves doesn’t mean we have to actually be thieves, her mother had told her time and time again. Proficient at pickpocketing, a skill Raul had taught her not long after she’d started to walk, Lina had never put the