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“That state of you,” Benedict growled. “You’re not fit to be seen in the tent.”

“Ben,” Jack’s voice was low with entreaty. “Leave off him.”

“Someone needs to give him a talking to and seems to me you’re all tip-toeing round him!”

“Well you’re not the one to deliver it,” Jack fired up. “It’s clear you’re spoiling for a fight this morning, and Frank’s not the one to give it you!”

“No? What about you, then?” Ben snarled. “I’m sick of wasting my time with slow tops. Why don’t you get in the ring with me this morning? If you’ve got the stomach for it.”

“I’ll not deny you,” Jack retorted promptly. “Come on, then! Let’s have you!”

“Oh God,” Frank moaned and grabbed a bucket. He heaved and both brothers turned to watch him impassively.

“That’s the idea, Frank,” Jack said heartily as he shrugged out of his braces. “You’ll feel better directly.”

“I’m dying,” Frank wheezed.

“Well you won’t have to worry about working the crowd this morning,” Benedict told him coldly. “Me and Jack will put on an exhibition match, so you can just take it easy.”

“Not if you half-kill him, I can’t!” Frank retorted, before another wave of nausea had him bent over double.

“Lord, he ain’t gonna kill me, Frank,” Jack said blithely. “He just wants to let off some steam.” He cast a sly look Benedict’s way. “That little wife of his is holding him at arm’s length, so he needs some kind of outlet.”

“Fuck off, Jack.”

Jack laughed merrily. “Oh, she’s brought you low, brother. Maybe you should let me take her dancing. Bet I could put a smile on her face.”

“You – ”

Frank shot up from his seat and got between them. “Save it for the ring,” he bit out, before raising a scarf to his mouth. His brothers eyed him warily, but he managed to lower it without gagging. “Jack, go out and explain to Daphne that we don’t need her to find any contenders this morning.”

Jack nodded briskly and made for the entrance.

“Don’t you hurt him, Ben,” Frank said direly. “I’m trusting you to have some fucking self-restraint.”

Ben curled his lip, but in point of fact, his anger was no longer at boiling point or even a low simmer. “Oh, sit down, you fool, before you pass out.”

16

Lizzie found Wonderous Females in disarray. Zaya and Ema were sat side by side on Salome’s couch watching as Connie roamed from one end of the tent to the other like an uncaged tiger. “That bitch! She can’t do this to me!” she seethed. “I’ll have her up in court for breach of contract!”

Niamh ushered Lizzie in with a finger to her lips. “Don’t breathe a word!” she warned in a hushed whisper as Lizzie abruptly dropped down beside Niamh to perch on her pedestal. “Connie’s breathing fire this morning.” Niamh looked gleeful.

Sebastian slunk under the couch and poked his head out from between Ema’s legs. The twins surreptitiously bestowed caresses on him as Connie muttered dire threats and viciously kicked out at a striped hat box that Lizzie thought belonged to Ada Wurtzel.

“What’s happened?” Lizzie murmured out of the corner of her mouth.

“Darling Ada’s done a moonlight flit for some tour of Europe,” Niamh replied in barely audible tones. “She had a letter delivered here by some errand boy first thing.”

Connie was now viciously tearing something that looked suspiciously like a letter into tiny pieces and finished by jumping up and down on top of it, her face a mottled purple with rage. Suddenly she wheeled around, as though only just noticing her avid audience.

“Get out of my sight, you jackals!” she screeched, flinging her arms in the air. Sebastian’s lip rose on a growl, but Lizzie called him sharply and all five of them fled from the tent.

“Phew!” said Niamh slowing down as soon as they were at least three tents away. “Did you ever see such a temper?”

The twins giggled. “Her face was like a big ball of fire,” said Ema, blowing out her own cheeks. “Steam was about to start pouring from her ears!”

“But if she had really flown at us,” Zaya put in. “Then dear Sebastian would have nobly defended us!” Sebastian promptly wheeled about and darted through the twins’ legs making them squeal with delight. The running had excited him, and he bounded about them like a puppy with his tongue lolling out.