Cat's Cradle Read Free

ma’am.’
    â€˜Call me Joanna, dear. You’re as good as family now, aren’t you?’ She cast a significant look at Syd who sat on the opposite side of the table, gazing at me as if he couldn’t quite believe I was really there. Seeing him after months of separation, I’dforgotten just how large he was. He made his mother and me look positively doll-like.
    I met the hint with a non-committal smile. There would be time to address her attempts at matchmaking later.
    â€˜Though I s’pose you might want to go and live with those fine friends of yours in Grosvenor Square,’ continued Mrs Fletcher, pouring the boiled water into the pot. She waved the steam away and dabbed at her brow with a drying cloth.
    â€˜I’d prefer to stay here, if you don’t mind, er . . . Joanna. I always felt I was rather out of my depth over there – all those rooms and servants watching my every move.’
    â€˜Course we don’t mind.’ She set out some freshly baked biscuits, slapping Syd’s wrist as he grabbed two from the plate. ‘Guests first.’
    â€˜I thought you said she was family, Ma,’ replied Syd, giving me a wink.
    â€˜She’ll think I brought you up a barbarian.’ Mrs Fletcher placed a cup of her finest Indian tea in front of me.
    â€˜Perhaps you did, Ma – leastways accordin’ tothe men I beat in the boxing ring you did.’ Mrs Fletcher gave him a proud smile and caressed the bruise fading on his cheekbone as she passed behind his chair. Syd batted her hand away gently. ‘Leave off, Ma. Cat’ll think I’ve gone soft.’ He looked at me rather sheepishly. ‘Anyway, Cat, about Frank’s family in Grosvenor Square – he’s gone to Cambridge. You’d be on your own if you stayed there – only the dook and duchess for company.’
    As much as I liked Frank’s parents, it wouldn’t do to impose myself on their household. We wouldn’t know how to behave towards each other without Frank’s presence to ease the way.
    I raised my cup to my lips and blew away the steam. ‘Perhaps it’s best that I stay here then, back where I started.’
    It took a good long while to tell Syd the whole story of what happened to Pedro and me in the Caribbean. Unsurprisingly, he was not happy to hear that I had left our friend in the middle of a war on San Domingo but he accepted thatthere had been nothing I could have done about it. What most concerned him was the fact that I’d spent so much time with Billy Shepherd, his old rival.
    â€˜Don’t worry about him, Syd,’ I laughed. ‘He is relieved to get away from me – I made sure of that. You should have seen him when we got to Bedford Square: he jumped out of the carriage as if a swarm of bees were after him. I was a complete pain, a hair-shirt of a travelling companion.’
    â€˜Remind me to keep on your good side, Cat,’ Syd said, his humour restored. ‘But all the same, let’s not take it for granted that ’e’s goin’ to leave you alone now.’
    â€˜Don’t worry, I won’t.’ I knew Billy better than that. And I admit, Reader, part of me rather enjoyed our dangerous game of each trying to get the upper hand in our strange friendship. ‘Did you find Mick Bailey and get back your winnings?’
    Bailey, Syd’s manager, had had him press-ganged rather than share the proceeds of their summer boxing tour.
    Syd frowned. ‘Not yet. ’E back-slanged it out ofLondon when ’e ’eard I was ’ome. I’ll track ’im down, never you fear.’
    I shivered and hugged my arms across my chest. With a quick look at me, Syd threw a shovelful of coals on to the kitchen range and rattled the embers with the poker.
    â€˜Syd! Syd! Come out ’ere – and bring Cat!’ shouted Mr Fletcher from the shop.
    â€˜What now?’ I placed my cup on its saucer.
    Syd