Free A Mother's Wish by Dilly Court Page B

and timings making them sound as though they were calling to each other as in the old nursery rhyme, ‘Oranges and Lemons’, which Effie had learned at her mother’s knee.She closed her eyes, picturing her mother’s sweet face and the soft sound of her voice as she sang.
    ‘Stop daydreaming, Effie. Leave the boy here, no harm will come to him.’ Leah marched off, hitching her skirts above her knees to accommodate her long strides.
    Effie glanced anxiously at Georgie. She couldn’t leave him here. What if he missed her and panicked, thinking his mother had deserted him?
    ‘It’s all right, dearie.’
    Effie looked around and couldn’t see the woman who had spoken, until someone tugged at her skirt. She looked down into Margery’s grey eyes. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t—’ Effie clapped her hand to her lips. She had almost admitted that she had not seen the tiny woman, but just in time she remembered Leah’s warning.
    ‘You could leave the boy here, ducks,’ Margery said with a smile that transformed her stern features. ‘I’ll keep me eye on him for you. He’s having a lovely time with the other nippers. Why spoil it for him?’
    ‘I’ve never left him before,’ Effie murmured.
    ‘There’s always a first time. I got a nipper of me own. She’s asleep in the van with her pa looking after her, but your little ’un will be safe here. We’re like one big family and weall looks out for each other. You go off and help Leah. Your boy won’t even know you’re gone.’
    Reluctantly, Effie left Georgie under the watchful eye of Margery, but she kept glancing over her shoulder in case he should suddenly realise that his mother was not there and start to cry. She was almost disappointed when Georgie showed no signs of missing her, but Leah was already out of sight and Effie had to quicken her pace as she tried to remember where the fairings booth was sited. She wended her way through narrow gaps between stalls selling everything from sweets to quack medicines. The stallholders were getting ready for a busy day’s trading and the sun was already high in a clear sky, giving the promise of continued hot weather. The gilding and gaudy paintwork on the merry-go-round sparkled in the bright light and the wooden horses seemed to smile at Effie as she paused to admire their sleek beauty. Their names were painted on their necks and she found herself thinking of Champion, and hoping that Salter would treat him kindly.
    She moved on and the warm grass crushed underfoot gave off the scent of new-mown hay. The sugary scent of toffee, boiled sweets, liquorice and peppermint made a heady concoction when mixed with the faint whiffof leather and horseflesh, cheap cologne and woodsmoke, but the sudden powerful odour of wood alcohol and a loud whoosh brought Effie to a halt as a plume of flame erupted from the mouth of a man holding a flaming torch. She uttered a faint scream, thinking that he must have exploded.
    He gave her a toothless grin. ‘Ain’t you never seen a fire-eater afore, lady?’
    Effie swallowed hard, holding her hand to her heart as it pounded against her tightly laced stays. ‘Good heavens! Is that what you are? How do you do that?’
    He pulled a flask from his belt, filled his mouth and expelled a fine mist into the torch which exploded into a fireball. He wiped his lips on the back of his hand. ‘That ain’t nothing. You watch me when I swallow flaming swords. I’ve entertained all the crowned heads of Europe in me time.’
    Impressed and still feeling a little weak, Effie could hardly speak. ‘Well, I never.’
    ‘No, you never saw a fellow to equal me, I’ll warrant.’ He held out his free hand. ‘Elmo the fire-eater.’
    Effie shook his hand. ‘I’m Effie.’
    ‘Yes, I know. News travels fast around here.’ With a dramatic wave of his torch, Elmo bowed and sauntered off leaving Effie staring after him, but a shout from Leah brought herback to the present and she hurried over to the