2006 - Wildcat Moon Read Online Free PDF Page A

all this time. They reckon those tigers were beautiful though,” Billy mused shaking his head.
    “There was lions as well,” Freddie said.
    “No, there weren’t no bloody lions, you add yards on, you do. There was monkeys, though, and a bear.”
    “Whatever happened to them all?” asked Nan.
    Charlie Payne took a long draught of beer then continued, “Well, out of the blue Greswode married some big piece of goods from up the line and they had a son, Charles. She wouldn’t let him keep his pets so he had to get rid of them all.”
    “What did he do with them?”
    “Had some of them shot and then stuffed. They reckon that’s why that black fellow did what he did.”
    “What did he do?” Nan was fascinated.
    “Topped himself,” Charlie said.
    “That’s terrible.”
    “Grew up with them tigers and they was like family to him, I suppose. Blew his brains out in the wobbly chapel years later.”
    “Our old mother always reckoned he was having a bit of a thing with Gwennie and when he done himself in that’s when she went all peculiar.”
    “Do you think that’s what happened to her?” Nan asked.
    “No, they say she were always a bit unusual, high-spirited, even as a kid. A bit of a wild thing she was,” Freddie chipped in.
    “Did Gwennie grow up in the Boathouse then?” asked Nan.
    “No. She were a Skallies girl, lived over in the Groddes where that queer fellow Fleep is now. Gwennie used to work in Killivray, only local who dared to.”
    “Beautiful-looking girl she were, apparently, and good with animals and kids, she weren’t afraid of nothing. Then one day, not long after the black fellow died, she tipped and buggered off without a word and was gone for years and years,” Freddie added.
    “A lot of folks said there was talk of her and Greswode carrying on,” Charlie muttered.
    “That were only rumour,” Freddie said. “Our mother said she wouldn’t have looked twice at that ugly bugger.”
    “So when did she come back?”
    “Good few years back now, Nan. About the same time as Benjamin came back and that were a year or so before Charles Greswode died. Altered beyond belief she was, gone all peculiar. Old Greswode let her live in the Boathouse rent free which were a bit odd ‘cos he were a tight old sod.”
    “Now I come to think of it, I fancy Greswode gave most of the monkeys, parrots and stuff to that circus that used to come here donkey’s years ago.”
    “Cranky’s Circus,” Freddie said.
    “What the hell is Cranky’s when it’s out of bed?” asked Billy Nettles.
    “The circus, you soppy sod. Remember when we was kids we used to go and see it. They use to set up camp over in Arnold’s Hole every other year.”
    “I do remember now you’ve said, Charlie. There was downs, bearded ladies and a mermaid in a tank. And trapeze artistes, weren’t there?”
    “That’s right, Billy; the Flying Fernandez the trapeze artistes was called. Wonderful they were. I used to have my bloody heart in my mouth watching them.”
    “Nan, you would have loved it here when the circus folk used to come down. They used to stick their posters up all round Rhoskilly then come down here to make merry. They drunk this place dry many a time,” Freddie said wistfully.
    “We could do with a bit of trade like that now,” Nan sighed.
    “It’s Charles Greswode’s son that’s got Killivray House now,” Billy Nettles said.
    “That’s right That side of the Greswodes shouldn’t have inherited Killivray, by rights it should have gone to his cousin, young master Thomas, but he disappeared.”
    “How do you mean disappeared, Charlie?”
    “Queer old affair that was, Nan. He took a boat out, Benjamin Tregantle’s boat it were. They found it further round the coast, drifting. He were drowned. A strong swimmer he was too. They reckon he must have fallen overboard, got the cramp, or maybe he had a weak heart. Tragic it was, he was only a young lad. It were three weeks afore he were washed