Athenia's Choice (ON HOLD)

Athenia's Choice: Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

The children’s eyes glittered with amazement when they saw what amusements were in store for them. Despite it being quite late in the day, there was a good turnout and I could hardly move without someone stepping on my toes.

“Can we go on this? Can we go on that?” the children begged continuously, pointing in every direction. We were thrust forward into a large red and white stripy tent promising a real, live angel to be inside.

“It looks quite authentic,” I commented.

“Authentic? My dear, it is truly a miraculous miracle sent from the heavens by God.”  I turned to see a lady behind me clutching her heart, a shaky finger directed at the angel. He was remarkably still, garbed in flowing white silk, with porcelain white skin, blue eyes and glorious blonde curls framing a heart-shaped face.

“Let’s get out, angels give you babies and I don’t want one like Mother Mary,” Annie shuddered. I tried to not to laugh. She had a lot to learn about what life was actually like.

After seeing the angel, I only had a few spare pennies left, as I had to pay for my keep at the Beaumonts. We did, however, all take a ride on the swingboats, soaring into the air so that mine, Annie and Susanna’s skirts flew up. I loved the giddy feeling of getting higher and higher and faster and faster with the world flashing past me. I heard one lady remark on how it was ‘most improper for that young maid to let her young charges ride and show their skirts on such ridiculous contraptions’. Dear lord, some people are so petty.

With my last grubby coins, we were accepted into ‘The Hall of Mirrors’. I merely thought it was just a room full of many different mirrors, but I was quite wrong. The moment I entered the tent, my reflection was cast all around me. I gasped, turning around, confused which Athenia was which.

“James, Annie, Susanna,” I cried out, beginning to panic.

“Yes?” came a chorus of voices, but I had no idea where they were coming from as there were too many reflections. I felt so dizzy.

“Look, a trail of gingerbread; we can pretend we’re Hansel and Gretel,” Annie exclaimed.

“Don’t follow it, I’ll lose you,” I screamed, running wildly through the labyrinth. I banged into a mirror, then another. Where had the children gone?

Oh help, oh help, oh help! I was desperately thinking as I sprinted through the endless maze. The children didn’t answer my shouts, so I hoped they had just gone too far. And then suddenly the shimmery world of white was replaced with blackness; I had come out of the main attraction. A ‘way out’ sign lay crumpled on the floor, so I had no idea which was the actual way.

“Madam, are you lost?” I turned round to see a man appearing out of the shadows. I nodded vigorously. He grabbed my wrist and tugged me through into another black tent. I was quite scared, his grip was so hard.  I didn't even know him.

“Are they here? Have you seen three young children?” I questioned, feeling frantic.

“Yes, I know where they are,” the man replied, and uttermost relief flushed over me as I heard their chatter.

“Can you-” I began. Another man appeared out of the shadows. Two men. I put two and two together, and finally, came up with the answer.

I tried to ignore the fear coursing through my body as they stood before me.

“We meet again, although last time you were asleep,” the first man said slyly, afterward introducing himself as Mr Tavener.

“My companion is Mr Laytoff,” he chuckled, as my face illuminated with horror.

“You... are related.... to my employers? Of course, of course,” I cried, shaking my head in despair.

“Lord Laytoff is my brother,” Mr Laytoff responded stiffly.

“So that’s why they employed me. That’s why Lady Laytoff offered to help with the search party, because you instructed her. Oh no, oh no. You killed Cordelia, didn’t you?” I spat vehemently. They both nodded, faking yawns. I tried to control my anger.

“Mama wants her back, doesn’t she? She’s the one that sent you,” I snarled.

“Lord and Lady Laytoff don’t know we now hold their children hostage. We won’t give them back unless you agree to come with us,” Mr Tavener told me. I was horrorstruck. I had a choice; give my life to the children, find a way for us all to escape, or ensure my own safety.  Oh why did I ever say I would take them to the funfair?

“Well, well, well then, Miss Reynalds, times a ticking, and we have a business to run.” Mr Laytoff raised his eyebrows.

“I need more time to think about this,” I blurted out, backing away.

“You’re not going anyway; you can make your decision in here.” Mr Tavener grabbed my wrists and Mr Laytoff put his hand over my mouth. Eyes widening in alarm, I struggled and kicked as they led me out the tent to a cart. It was a new model, with a built-in storage hut at the back. The doors of that were thrust open and then locked, with me on the other side of them. My head banged against the wooden roof as I fell onto my bottom, sinking down.

“Ouch! You stood on my foot.” Shock paralysed me so badly and tears rolled silently down my cheeks.

“Cordelia?” I gasped.

“Oh Athenia, it’s you, and they’ve got you too,” she cried, and I felt hands crawling up my dress, feeling for me. I could see the faint outline of her petite face in the gloom.

“But you’re dead,” I said incredulously, and then realised how awfully wicked-sounding that was.

“They knocked those rugs in the haberdasher’s down on purpose, so they could kidnap me. They faked my death, that was why Lord Laytoff was head of the search party, to pretend he saw my body, but it was just a dummy,” Cordelia recounted. I slid my arms around her quivering body. I felt so shocked and confused at the same time, but so, so happy that she was alive, right there, in my arms.

“When are they letting you go?” I dared to ask.

“As soon as you say you’re going with them,” Cordelia whispered. Nausea swirled up my throat; it was my choice to make up my little cousin’s future. I knew how much it would mean to Ida and Charles to see Cordelia again. But then I would be taken away, and Mama would get what she wanted. She never wanted me. Now, I had to make a choice that could endanger all of our lives...