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 training to use.
‘A little about the present first,’ Lina said, looking up at the gentleman from under her long eyelashes. ‘Would you tell me your full name?’
‘Surely you’re meant to be the one with mystic powers.’
‘I tell fortunes, I don’t divine names,’ Lina said shortly, smiling to soften the ice in her voice.
‘Lord Whitemore. Alexander Whitemore.’
A titled gentleman. He probably wouldn’t even miss the money in that purse, it would be small change to him.
‘An influential man, Lord Whitemore,’ Lina said, injecting the silky, dreamy quality into her voice the customers seemed to like so much. ‘A man of responsibilities. You have an estate to run and a sister to care for.’
‘She’s good,’ Lord Whitemore’s sister whispered in his ear.
‘Nonsense. Anyone with half a brain knows a titled man will have an estate to run and you shouted out to the whole fair that I was your brother.’
‘Shall we see what else my half a brain can determine?’ Lina asked.
Lord Whitemore grunted, turning back to her, but allowing his eyes to roam around the rest of the fair.
‘I already know you’re short-tempered and grumpy,’ Lina said, eliciting a laugh from Lord Whitemore’s sister. ‘But I think that is a front, a facade you put up to keep people at a distance. There’s been heartache in your past, a woman.’ Lina paused, but knew she couldn’t help herself. ‘Someone in love with your warm and friendly demeanour?’
‘Indeed,’ Lord Whitemore murmured, looking at Lina properly for the first time.
‘She left you. A wife?’ Lina watched carefully for his reaction. The twitch just above his left eye gave her a clue. ‘No, a fiancée.’
‘I thought you were meant to be telling my fortune.’
‘Your future is affected by your past.’
‘Just get on with it,’ Lord Whitemore grumbled.
‘You’re bored,’ Lina said.
‘How could you tell?’
‘Not now—with your life. You’re stuck in a rut and you don’t know how to get out.’
Taking hold of his hand, Lina made a show of tracing the lines although they meant nothing to her. The skill in telling fortunes lay in reading people, in understanding their facial expressions and reactions.
‘There will be change soon, a great adventure, a new love. Someone who will challenge you.’
‘See, Alex, there is hope.’
The withering look Lord Whitemore directed at his sister wasn’t lessened when he turned back to Lina.
‘Is that everything?’ he asked, standing up.
From the corner of her eye Lina saw the outline of the coin purse inside his jacket and knew soon the opportunity to raise the money to settle her debt would be missed. She hesitated, hating the gnawing pain in her gut, knowing that she would never be the same person again if she did pick this man’s pocket.
‘Do tell your friends to visit us,’ Lina said, stepping forward and pretending to trip over an exposed tree root. She careened into the solid body of Lord Whitemore and slipped her hand into his jacket. Her fingers closed around the soft leather of the purse and for a second she hesitated before withdrawing her hand and patting Lord Whitemore on the chest with her open fingers. ‘Sorry, how clumsy of me.’
His eyes met hers and Lina had to look away as she realised he’d known exactly what she had been up to. Only his confusion on finding his purse still full and in the correct place lightened Lina’s embarrassment a little.
* * *
‘Your trouble is you’re bored, Whitemore,’ Mr Richard Pentworthy, Alex’s brother-in-law, said.
Alex took a long mouthful of local cider whilst allowing his eyes
