Circus Excite by Nikki Magennis Page A

the floor and shattering into a hundred shards. The drumbeat continued, but Julia stood frozen behind Sylvie, unable to move as her worst nightmare became real.

5
    JULIA STOOD OUTSIDE the caravan, wearing Joe’s old shirt over her costume and feeling as though she were waiting outside the headmaster’s office. Her act had been a disaster, she was painfully aware of that, and Robert had summoned her to see him after the rehearsal. She was glad to have an excuse to avoid Sylvie’s furious reprisals, but the thought of a dressing down from the ringmaster was painful. After the debacle onstage, Sylvie had abruptly stormed off and only Joe had shown any kindness to her, offering her his shirt and wrapping it round her shoulders in a tender gesture that had only made her feel closer to tears. Robert had said little to her, but gave her a tired look that Julia interpreted as disgust, before he turned back to the show to concentrate on the next act. She’d felt wretched since then, as though awaiting a court appearance with Robert as her judge.
    His caravan was a sleek silver lozenge, sitting right on the edge of the site slightly apart from the others. Inside, a light shone dimly, and Julia could hear the low sound of music playing.
    She knocked tentatively, curious despite herself to see what his living quarters were like. When the door opened, she was greeted by the sweet smell of incense and Robert standing in bare feet, inviting her in. She entered the caravan with a mix of trepidation and excitement – it wasn’t how she’d wanted to get him on his own, but the thought of a private audience in such a tightly confined space was stirring her blood.
    â€˜Would you like a drink, Julia?’ Robert was reaching into a cupboard and bringing out glasses. The sight of them reminded her instantly of her ham-fisted performance earlier, and she cringed inwardly. Nodding dumbly, she took a look round while he poured red wine for them. The sitting room was a microcosm of a circus tent – silk drapes hung across the windows and the wood was painted with intricate dark designs like an old gypsy caravan. Stretching over the sofa was a well-packed bookshelf, and more books were sitting on a stack on the table. She took in elegantly carved wooden marionettes hanging from a cupboard door and the small framed pictures hung on the walls. Julia studied one, curious that a man should live in a space so beautifully decorated. It was an Indian painting, a delicate working of a couple lying under a star-filled sky, the woman with her legs spread wide, the man approaching with a huge curved erection. Julia looked with fascination at the exquisitely painted figures, the serene expressions on their faces, and the patient attention that the painter showed to the minute intricacies of their flesh.
    â€˜The beauty is in the detail, don’t you think?’ Robert handed Julia a glass of wine and stood behind her calmly studying the picture. ‘Never fails to inspire me.’
    Julia thought she heard a teasing edge in his voice, and hoped fervently that he could be distracted from the events of the afternoon. When she turned back to smile at him, however, he was slumped in the sofa, rubbing his eyes distractedly. ‘Have a seat, Julia. We’ve got a lot to discuss.’
    Julia obeyed, sitting on the couch opposite. The deep cushions were so soft she was forced either to sit ramrod straight or sink back till she was almost lying supine. She sat up, crossing her legs awkwardly under herself and trying to look attentive, aware that Robert wasobserving her thoughtfully as she fidgeted. His chocolate-brown eyes studied her as though she was a chess piece and he was considering his next move. He let his gaze follow the line of her shirt buttons, down to the nervously restless hands in her lap.
    â€˜What is it you’re scared of?’ Robert spoke with the lazy intensity Julia remembered from the audition, and