Free Circus of the Unseen by Joanne Owen Page A

big for me to fly. I did a bit of acting, too, which is how I got invited to the premiere.’
    â€˜But that would have been decades ago,’ I said, wondering why she was lying, and annoyed she thought I was that gullible. ‘You’re not old enough.’
    â€˜Maybe I am, and maybe I’m not. You’d be surprised, girl. You’d be surprised what a layer or two of make-up and a damn good outfit can do. I know all the tricks of the trade. I can show you some if you like. You’d look good with some colour in your cheeks.’
    â€˜Look, don’t worry about me.’ She was definitely trying to stall leaving. ‘I’ll wear anything. I’m not fussy. Then I’ll get out of your way. I’m sure you have other things to do, like get ready for the performance.’
    â€˜And
you
don’t need to worry about
that
. You’re not keeping me from anything – there’s no performance today. Doesn’t work like that. We’re not any old circus, you know.’
    â€˜Let me guess. This is the Greatest Show on Earth, right?’
    â€˜Uh-uh.’ She shook her head. ‘We’re the Greatest Show
Beyond
Earth, honey, and make no mistake.’
    â€˜So if there’s not a show today, why are you all dressed up?’ Her glamorous riding outfit (tight white jodhpurs, a black jacket with tails and a shiny top hat) was hardly something you’d wear to muck out the stables.
    â€˜I don’t call it dressing up, girl. I call it
dressing
. I mean, why save things for best? I didn’t do that before I came here, and there’s definitely no point doing it here.’
    Scarlet saying that made me think of Granny. She never saw any point saving things for some imaginary special day in the future either, but sensing Scarlet was about to go off in another direction that would delay us even more, I took the liberty of picking out something for myself. ‘How about this?’ It was a red-and-white polka-dot dress, one of the few not made from sheer silk or covered in sequins or feathers, and it had pockets at the front, like an apron, perfect for keeping the doll in.
    â€˜Reckon it’ll look pretty good on you, reckon it’ll fit like a gl—’ Scarlet froze. ‘Did you hear something?’ She gripped my arm and peered out of the window. ‘It’s Fabian.’ She looked relieved. ‘Maybe Mother’s with him. Get yourself ready while I check.’ She closed the door behind her.
    I pulled on the dress and went to the wall of mirrors. I have to admit it did look pretty good, and I felt good in it too. The bodice part was tight, and I wasn’t used to wearing halter necks and having bare shoulders, but it wasn’t so over-the-top revealing that I felt massively self-conscious. I mean, I could cope with it, so I went outside.
    Scarlet smiled when she saw me. ‘You look sensational, girl. Bet your daddy adores you. What did I tell you, Fab? I told you she was a darling. You can see why I couldn’t leave her out there on her own, can’t you? You can understand it, right? You can’t blame me for taking her in. Rosie, meet the Fabulous Fabianski. Fabian to his friends. And that’s his daughter, Accordienka.’
    I recognised the girl. She was the accordionist, a delicate-looking thing with striking features. She had these big, brown eyes and a wide, cat-like face, with sharp cheekbones. The Fabulous Fabianski was pretty striking too. He was tall and handsome, despite his odd clothes. He was dressed like an old-fashioned huntsman, in a loose white shirt rolled up at the sleeves and puffy trousers tucked into his boots. I couldn’t help but notice how muscly and tanned his forearms were. I guess he spent a lot of time working outside. He stepped towards me and held my gaze for what felt like an age.
    â€˜A beautiful name,’ he said, staring right into me. I couldn’t quite place his accent.